The Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, announced that the state-owned university has produced 265,000 graduates since its establishment 40 years ago. He made this statement during a press briefing held at the institution to commemorate the university’s 40th anniversary. Speaking on the theme “Lighting the path of academic excellence: Yesterday, today and tomorrow,” Agboola emphasized that the next five years will focus on consolidating the achievements of previous administrations.
Agboola noted that OOU, which began in 1983 with just 522 students and four faculties, has significantly expanded. The university now receives approximately 22,000 applications annually, with a quota of about 7,000 students. Currently, OOU, formerly known as Ogun State University, offers 72 programs, 65 of which have received full accreditation from the National University Commission. Additionally, the Vice Chancellor revealed that the institution produced 190 first-class graduates between the 2016 and 2021 academic sessions.
Addressing the issue of student dropouts, Agboola identified funding as the primary reason for this trend. He explained, “When we noticed students dropping out, we conducted a SWOT analysis and discovered that funding was the major problem. As a result, we instituted immediate funding solutions, but we recognize that it cannot cover all cases.” To tackle this issue, the university plans to implement work-study programs, providing funding for 500 students. Agboola expressed confidence that this initiative will accommodate a majority of students and help alleviate the dropout problem.
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