Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to strengthen its regulatory framework to ensure strict adherence to the rules and regulations governing the award of degrees and certificates in the country.

Speaking at the 3rd Combined Convocation ceremony and Tenth Anniversary of Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, Governor Okowa said that the strict adherence to NUC’s rules and regulations by public and private universities was the only way to ensure that educational standards were not breached and our university degrees accorded due recognition by foreign institutions.

“The National University Commission (NUC) must strengthen its regulatory framework to ensure that both public and private universities adhere strictly to the rules and regulations governing the award of degrees and certificates as this is the only way to ensure that standards are not breached and our university degrees will be accorded due recognition by foreign institutions”, he said.

Senator OKowa who described the emergence of private universities as one of the biggest gains of democracy, explained “these institutions have come to the rescue of several thousands of youths who otherwise would have been denied university education because of the limited spaces in our public universities, the coming of private universities has also introduced healthy competition in our tertiary educational sector, this has resulted in the provision of quality infrastructure, improved curricula and competitive fees”.

The governor identified the challenge facing our educational system and today’s graduates as adaptability to the dynamics of a rapidly changing world and excelling globally, opining that “today’s university graduates must possess excellent communication skills and knowledge of globally socio-cultural issues matched by the ability to apply critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to tackle complex problems in addition to an entrepreneurial mind set and the courage to start a business of his or her own”.

He promised the institution that his administration would meet with some of their requests based on available resources and appealed to the host communities to co-operate with the management of the school to enhance the development of the area.

Governor Okowa lauded the founder and Pro-chancellor of the university, Dr. Chuks Ochonogor for his vision, sincerity of purpose and unwavering commitment to building a first class university charging the graduands to be innovative, passionate, disciplined and continue to learn so as to achieve success in their chosen careers.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Chris Okorafor, said that the mission of the Pro-Chancellor Prof. Chuks Ochonogor was to provide educational opportunity and qualitative education for the youths and to contribute his quota to the development of Ndokwa nation.

Highpoint of the ceremony was the conferment of Honorary Degrees on the Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, the wife of Ogun State Governor, Her Excellency Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, Chairman Rainoil Petroleum, Engineer Gabriel Ogbechie among others.