From Sade Adewale, Ondo
The Vice Chancellor, University of Medical Sciences, UNIMED, Ondo, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi has underscored the importance of establishing a strong Alumni movement in tertiary institutions for overall development of education in Nigeria.
The suggestion was made by pioneer members of the University’s Alumni Association during a visit to the Vice-Chancellor.
Fatusi said renowned Universities in the world rely heavily on contributions of their alumni instead of government subventions and other sources of income.
Fatusi also narrated how Obafemi Awolowo University, where he previously served as Provost, College of Health Sciences, benefited immensely from the efforts of the alumni movement.
“Whatever the Obafemi Awolowo University’s medical school is today, is not about the University’s funding, but the Alumni movement. In fact, the alumni movement has been largely responsible for ensuring the accreditation of the medical and dental programmes. Ife, as great as it is, lost accreditation for dentistry in 2017 and it was challenging for the university to raise the funds to get the equipment and other key requirements needed to regain accreditation. One night, one dinner, the Alumni raised 21,500 USD, the Alumni got 17 dentistry machines from the US and that was how Ife was able to regain its accreditation earlier this year,” the VC said.
Prof. Fatusi lauded the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Friday Okonofua, for being proactive by initiating the idea of bringing the university graduates together under the umbrella of alumni association as it would have been difficult if the students had left the campus before inauguration.
He pledged his unalloyed support to the association while tasking their executives and other members not to see alumni as a place where they can only serve but an opportunity to invest and give back to the university and the community, saying life is meaningless when you just take but meaningful when you give.
Earlier, the President, University of Medical Sciences, UNIMED, Ondo, Alumni Association, Mr. Richard Daodu on behalf of other members of the Association congratulated the vice-chancellor on his appointment describing him as a round peg in a round hole, given his pedigree.
Daodu requested the university management to give special consideration to Alumni members for job opportunities offered in the university, a request the VC promised to grant especially for those who graduated in flying colours.
