Osun State University’s college of health sciences on Thursday August 8, 2019 held the 2019 annual college lecture with the theme “Collaborative research; a tool in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals in resource constrained settings” at the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Auditorium to examine how academic staff can engage in collaborative research as a meaningful tool in the pursuit of the attainment of the SDGs.

The lecture which was delivered by Professor Ebenezer O Farombi, a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Toxicology, based at the University of Ibadan had in attendance all the principal officers of the university, provosts, professors, lecturers and students of the university.
A brief charge was given by the Chairman, Planning Committee, Dr A.G. Omisore followed by a welcome address by the Provost. Dr. O. Omobuwa who also read the impressive citation of the guest lecturer. A peep into the citation showed that back in 2005, he was cited and listed among top ten productive researchers in University of Ibadan who contributed research articles within a ten year frame and ten years later, following the inaugural February 2015 Webometric Ranking of Nigerian scientists, he was Top-rated (Ranked Number 1 Nigerian Scientist) according to google scholar citations with nearly ten thousand citations. Indeed, four of his former postgraduate students are now full Professors in various Universities in the country. The lecture proper was instructive and clearly delivered with an unusual level of expertise.

The Guest Lecturer stated that a major challenge with African researchers is that researchers get into international collaborations as subordinates and they remain in that same position instead of moving up on the rungs of the ladder by making impactful and undeniable contributions. He stressed further that “Research collaboration” is key to meeting SDGs and emphasized the role of Universities. He particularly focused on how African universities can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through capacity building, collaboration, and engagement with government and industry. He further opined that Africa lacks university-based research which is critical in achieving sustainable development and delivering on the SDGs. Thereafter he posited that Research collaboration is key to meeting SDGs-role of Universities and that Universities in general and UNIOSUN in particular should explore collaborative research at all levels. He challenged African universities to go beyond being undergraduate training institutions as this is a myopic/ self-limiting dream that will take us nowhere.

Furthermore he stated that real research, especially applied research is not part of their programmes and that the research output in Africa is abysmal with African research accounting for only 1% of global output, with most of it coming out of South Africa where it was concentrated in certain universities. Funding of research was another problem with the proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) going towards research in nine African countries averaging 0.5%.

He concluded that Universities could help to contribute to achieving the SDGs through capacity building, collaboration, and greater engagement with government and industry.
“To attain the SDGs-Role of Universities, Universities must be Research informed, Research based, Research active, Research led and driven, and Research intensive” Farombi added.

In closing, the Dipo Fasina prize for the overall graduating student (2017/2018 session) was won by Miss Yetunde Akinlaja of Physiology Department (CGPA 4.81) and the award was presented by the representative of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya.

The Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday, 21st September, lauds the management of Osun State University for maintaining high academic standards despite the lean resources available.
The Vice President made the remark while delivering the 8th convocation lecture titled “Six decades of Chequered Nationhood: Nigeria still holds the key to Africa’s development”.

“Your resilience and productivity is a challenge to all tertiary institutions in the country. I hereby congratulate the graduands, the graduating class of 2019, Also the parents, guardians, friends and family of the graduands, I say congratulations and I pray that the joy you have today in the success of these graduands will multiply as they succeed in the coming years.”
The executive Governor of the state of Osun and a Visitor to the University, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola implored the graduating students to be good ambassadors of the university and the nation, urging them to use their acquired knowledge to transform Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Pro-chancellor and chairman, governing council of Osun State University, Osogbo, Mallam Yusuf Ali said the university would continue to develop graduands that would evolve ideas and initiatives that would reposition the country for economic development.
Mallam Yusuf called on government to continue to support the university in the areas of research and innovation to position the University for International rating.
Prof. Labode Popoola, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, said 49 students made first class, 670 made second class upper, 892 students made second class lower, 194 had third class while nine (9) finished with pass degree.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Mr. Wale Babalakin and Mrs. Nike Okundaye were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees of the university.

The Ag. Provost of the College of Education, Ipetu-Ijesha campus of Osun State University, Prof. Ayobami Hammed was recently conferred with a Fellowship of the Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON). The award was received at the 44th Annual International Conference of the Association which held at the Abuja Campus of the University of Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt on the 20th of August 2019.
A hearty congratulations to Prof. Ayobami Hammed from the Management, Staff and Students of Osun State University and equally felicitate with the Ipetu-Ijesha family on the laudable recognition. Wishing Prof. Hammed more rewarding achievements ahead.

In keeping to the promise of building a mutual relationship with all stakeholders in the educational sector, the University Management under the able leadership of the Vice-chancellor, Professor Labode Popola on Thursday, August 29, 2019 received the new controller of the branch of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Osun State.

The Vice-Chancellor welcomed the new branch controller to the state of the living spring and congratulates him for the new elevation. He introduced the institution to the controller and his entourage as an institution that is set up as a conventional, multi-campus University charged with the production of high quality, well–rounded, globally competitive and entrepreneurial graduates who are catalysts for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development of Osun State, Nigeria and the world.

The branch controller, Dr. Moshood Busari, while responding to the Vice Chancellor’s remark said, “It is our standard at WAEC to visit and introduce new management to the institutions in the state as they are the major stakeholders that are contributing to academic excellence. He further stated that there are series of facilities that WAEC has that UNIOSUN can tap into to achieve their set goals. Such facilities include the Result Checker that is now online, Omnibus Result CD, Online Verification of Candidates among others.

The registrar, Mr. Gafar Shittu also join the Vice-chancellor in welcoming the new controller to the state and further advised the body to always protect the integrity of all WAEC’s processes. “As you may be aware that there are lots of people that are working round the clock online to always sabotage new initiatives, and to prevent the case of online hacking of the process of building academic excellence, WAEC should work more on the new processes of checking and releasing students’ results online.”
While rounding up, the Vice-chancellor appreciates the new management of WAEC in Osun for the visit and promise them that the Osun State University is ready to work with the new management.

Members of staff of Osun State University recently joined other stakeholders on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 10th annual sustainable development summit (ISDS) which held at the University of Ibadan from 19th to 21st August, 2019.
The summit which was organized by Centre for Sustainable Development (CESDEV) with the theme “Building and Sustaining Strategic Partnerships for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals” witnessed participants from academia, research institutes, civil society organizations and not-for-profit organizations from over eight countries including the Netherlands, USA, Italy, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria.

Osun State University participated with over 10 presentations by staff members on topical issues including aquatic Biodiversity Challenges and the Needs for Strategic Conversation; Stakeholders Partnership and Strategic Counselling Windows for Quality Education and Enhanced Productivity; Increasing Anthropogenic Activities and Coastal Water Quality, Inclusive Development Planning for Poverty Reduction; Heavy Metal from Anthropogenic Effect on Fish Abundance and Biodiversity; Public-Private Partnerships for Entrepreneurial Education and Innovation in Tertiary Institutions for Sustainable Development; and ICT for Quality Learning in Schools and Impactful Positive Change for Sustainable Development.

The Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Labode Popoola who attended the summit as the pioneer Director of CESDEV and the Director of a co-organizer of the event, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) addressed the participants and emphasized more on the need for more partnerships and collaborations among all stakeholders at all levels. While he was reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index and Dashboard, a key data measurement on the performances of countries reiterated the grey areas where research and strategic developmental attention are required, specifically, on poverty reduction – Goal 1, quality education – Goal 4, human health and wellbeing – Goal 3, decent work and innovation – Goal 8, clean and affordable energy – Goal 7 and peaceful co-existence and justice – Goals 16. He however noted that all the goals are important as they are interconnected, therefore, addressing any one means it's important in achieving others.

The participation of Osun State University delegates at the events strengthened further the collaboration between the two universities, the Center and UN-SDSN while new partnerships were built between the newly launched Osun State University Global Affairs on Sustainable Development Institute (GASDI) and other development bodies including the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development in Nigeria (CSCSD), the Development Practice Academy (DEPRA), Development Practitioner's Network (DPNet) and Development Policy Centre (DAVRI).

The principal delegates from Osun State University include the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Labode Popoola; Director of the Directorate of Inter-campus and Public Affairs, Prof. Anthony Kola-Olusanya; Ag. Director of the Global Affairs on Sustainable Development Institute, Dr. John Agbonifo; Dr. Mutahir Abanikannda, Dr. Luqman Abidoye, Dr. Yakubu, Dr. Munir Wahab, Dr. Kenneth Irueh and Mr. Opeyemi Adebisi.

Osun State University sponsored six students' leaders to the 5th edition of the Peace Conference of Students Leaders held at the University of Ghana, Legon by Impact Africa International Leadership Council between 23rd and 27th July, 2019.

The six student leaders who were selected from each of the campuses of the university were very excited about the trip. The six (6) the students leaders are Kuye Ramota (Female, Osogbo), Adewusi Bukola (Female, Ejigbo) and Afolabi Omowunmi (Female, Ipetu – Ijesa), Agunbiade Michael (Male, Ifetedo), Akinade Nurudeen (Male, Okuku) and Omotoso Adeoye (Male, Ikire). As requested by the organizers, the students were accompanied by the Acting Dean Students Affairs Unit, Dr. Abiona Oluseye.

The peace conference themed Students Leaders and the Culture of Peace was aimed at training students leaders on how to lead and avoid conflict or protest during their regimes while the outcome of the conference was a better understanding of leadership with respect to peace and service without conflicts.

The conference had in attendance, students from various universities within and outside Ghana with presentations from students on Africa's journey to peace: The role of student leadership, Enhancing conflict resolution process: The case of Osun State University, The role of student's leaders in ensuring campus peace, How to run an ethical election, and Maximizing accountability in student governance.
After all the presentations and discussions, resolutions were documented and participants were encouraged to propagate the resolutions in their various campuses. The conference was capped with a tourist trip for the students around Accra and ended up on a beach.

According to one of the students, Kuye Ramota “my attendance at this conference has really opened my mind to so many issues about the administrative processes in the University and which has changed my perception about how and when reasonable agitations can be made without disrupting the peace in University campuses”.

Osun State University under the leadership of Professor Labode Popoola was recently inducted as a full member of the Association of African Universities (AAU). The official membership certificate was presented to the Vice-Chancellor by the president of the AAU, Professor Orlando Antonio Quilambo in Egypt on the 11th of July 2019 during the Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP) at the Al-Azhar University Conference Centre, Cairo which held between 8th and 10th of July 2019.

The conference themed The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Promoting Continental Education Strategy For Africa (CESA) was attended by Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and notable personnel from various institutions in Africa.

The conference held ten plenary sessions featuring amongst other things, the AAU business, keynote presentations, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum reforms and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), sponsored presentation to African higher education, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of revitalization, research, innovation and conflict management, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of data management and ICT, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of mobility (via new ways of educational improvement), engaging with the diaspora for promoting African Higher Education and round table discussions on efforts, needs, and coordination of sub-clusters. Each session held with sub-theme and they were very interactive, impactful and well moderated.

The conference also recorded twelve parallel sessions on Wednesday July 10, 2019 to cover wider areas of seeking solution to the various challenges in the educational sector under the chairmanships of important dignitaries from the academia including the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Labode Popoola. Delegates from Osun State University were lead by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Labode Popoola while others include Prof. A. Kola-Olusanya, Director, Inter-Campus and Public Affairs; Prof. D. I. Akintayo, Provost,College of Management & Social Sciences; Dr. O. C. Nwoke, Ag. Provost, College of Agriculture and Mr. A. O. Abiodun, Deputy Registrar Academic Affairs Unit.

Notice is hereby given that the results of the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) screening exercise into Osun State Univesity have been released. UTME Candidates who participated in the exercise are therefore advised to check their screening results via the Undergraduates Admissions Portal at http://admissions.uniosun.edu.ng.

This is to inform the prospective applicants intending to transfer their studentship to Osun State University that the University has commenced the sales of Inter University transfer forms for the 2019/2020 Academic Session. Candidates that wish to transfer their studentship to UNIOSUN should visit http://admissions.uniosun.edu.ng to complete and submit their applications.

Notice is hereby given that the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) screening exercise will hold for candidates who chose Osun State University as their first choice or those willing to change their institution and make UNIOSUN their first choice, with a minimum score of 160 marks.