Pro-Chancellor FUNAAB, Chief Lawrence Ayinde Olakunle Osayemi.
The Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has lauded the impressive performance of the University at the January 2012 edition of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities.
According to the Decision Extracts of the 69th Statutory Meeting of Council, signed by the Acting Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mrs. Christiana Kuforiji, the Governing Council expressed satisfaction with the result of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, conducted by Cybermetrics Lab, where FUNAAB featured alongside 20,300 Universities. It was ranked 2nd among 90 higher institutions in Nigeria, as against its 7th position in the July 2011 edition.
Council noted the progressive continental performance of the University in the web ranking since 2007, emerging from total obscurity to the presently occupied 35th position in Africa.
In view of the impressive performance, Council, therefore, commended the courage, vision and doggedness of the Professor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun-led administration in establishing the Webometrics Centre and improving the University’s Web Visibility through sustainable collaborations and internationalization.
In a similar vein, Council has commended Management on the feat recorded in developing two, 93 dual-purpose rice varieties: FUNAABOR – 1 (OFADA Gold) and FUNAABOR – 2 (OFADA White), in conjunction with the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI), Baddegi, Niger State.
Council observed that “In the 24 years of existence of the University, no product had been accepted by any government agency” and that the registration of University’s research product is an attestation that FUNAAB’s scientists had come of age.
It noted with satisfaction, the efforts of getting University’s products registered at a time the Government was interested in increasing the local production of rice, to make the country self-sufficient in food production.
Council, however, encouraged Management to commercialize its research products through patent and adequate publicity, for necessary awareness.