Oyo State government has congratulated the University of Ibadan on its recent ranking as the highest ranking university in the country.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka at his office on Thursday.
Oyelowo said the ranking was a testament to the conducive learning environment of the institution and harmonious relationship among the stakeholders in the University of Ibadan.
He used the opportunity to call on stakeholders in the university system in Nigeria to emulate the University of Ibadan to achieve excellence.
“Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Vice Chancellor on behalf the State government and the University of Ibadan on its recent feat of emerging as the highest ranked University in Nigeria in the global ranking.
“This is a testament to the conducive learning environment and harmonious relationship between the stakeholders in University of Ibadan, I dare say Sir, that if not for the discordant relationship between the council and management of my own University, University of Lagos, we would have given University of Ibadan a run for it in the global ranking.
“The lesson being that unity in diversity of various interests in the University community is sine qua non for all academic excellence.”
He called on managements of Nigerian Universities to urgently resolve existing differences and disputes in their institutions and evolve suitable parameters towards the reopening of their schools like it was done in Oyo State.
In his response, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka appreciated the visit and commended the State government for its collaborative efforts alongside the University of Ibadan to achieve development in the State.
He stated the readiness of the University to continually partner the State in the areas of research, legal institution and in the area of tourism.
He later visited the faculty of law in the university where he met with the leadership of the faculty and discussed issues of legal collaboration between the university and the State’s Ministry of Justice.