Speaking during a press briefing held at the university campus, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Solomon Olanrewaju Makinde recalled that Crawford University received its operating licence from the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2005, noting that the forthcoming convocation will not only celebrate academic success but also reflect on the institution’s faith-based values encapsulated in its motto, “Knowledge with Godliness.”
According to him, a total of 575 graduands will receive various degrees and awards during the convocation ceremony, which will be held at the Multipurpose Hall of the university.
He said the event will feature a Convocation Lecture and Anniversary Book Unveiling to be delivered by Emeritus Professor Peter Akinsola Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The Vice Chancellor disclosed that the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, alongside government functionaries, paramount rulers, captains of industry, diplomats, academics, parents, and other distinguished Nigerians, are expected to grace the grand occasion.
He added that the Crawford University Choir and Orchestra would render soul-lifting and inspirational music during the ceremony to celebrate the graduands, lift their spirits, and inspire them as they embark on their future endeavours.
Professor Makinde also unveiled the university’s Crawford 2030 Vision, a forward-looking blueprint aimed at transforming the institution through an 11-point “D.E.V.E.L.O.P.M.E.N.T.” agenda.
The agenda, he explained, seeks to drive internally generated revenue, enhance infrastructural development, expand academic programmes, ensure staff and student welfare, strengthen industry linkages, optimize administrative systems, promote godliness, boost marketing and alumni engagement, enhance corporate social responsibility, nurture international partnerships, and transform campus security.
His words “as we celebrate two decades of divine favour and institutional resilience, we also look boldly toward the future through the Crawford 2030 Vision-a blueprint anchored on an 11-Point Agenda captured in the wordD.E.V.E.L.O.P.M.E.N.T”.
Meanwhile, Professor Makinde also called on the Federal Government to extend the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) intervention to private universities, noting that while TETFUND has continued to focus on public institutions, it is only fair and just that private universities also benefit, considering their contributions to the education sector and the overall development of the nation.
He argued that both public and private universities in Nigeria play complementary roles in advancing the country’s educational development, adding that access to TETFUND support for private institutions would enhance quality, innovation, and competitiveness across the tertiary education landscape.
“TETFUND has been focusing attention on public universities, and that assistance should be extended to private universities too because we also contribute to the overall development of the nation.
“No nation can rise above its educational system. In the name of fairness, the federal government should ensure that private universities also enjoy TETFUND”.
