The University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (UNAAB) has received a N500 million special grant from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to upgrade its facilities.
Prof. Olufemi Balogun, Vice Chancellor of the institution, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Dutse, Jigawa.
He said that he was in Dutse to announce the conferment of a doctorate degree in agriculture on the state governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido.
He said that the donation would encourage the university to improve on its academic and other relevant programmes aimed at making the nation self-sufficient in food production. ``It will also enable the university to maintain its leading position as the best university of agriculture, not only in Nigeria, but in the whole of the African continent.
The University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, is ranked, not only as the best university in Nigeria but the whole of Africa and that is why CBN gave us this money to boost our academic programmes as well as upgrade our facilities, he said.
The VC said that more priority would be given to the improvement of courses like veterinary medicine, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics and agronomy, among others.
Balogun said that the grant would also be used for general renovation and erection of more structures in the university.
The 20th convocation of the university comes up on May 5.
Apart from Gov Lamido, other recipients of the university’s honourary awards are Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, the Vice President of the World Bank (Africa Region) and Chief Jonathan Olopade, an elder statesman and business magnate in Abeokuta, Ogun.
