104 Graduate From Lagos Cooperative College

104 pioneer students of the Lagos State Cooperative College (LASCOCO) have received professional Diploma certification at the institution's first convocation ceremony.

The ceremony was held at the Johnson Agiri-Agriculture Complex, old Abeokuta road, Oko-Oba, Agege.

Speaking at the event, the Provost of the College, Akorede Ojomu said: "The Lagos State Cooperative College’s journey to prominence has been quite eventful and challenging, a fact that necessitated our decision to recognise and honour certain personalities in the state.

“The college took off in the year 2012 as a training and development institution with the mandate to bridge identified skill gaps in the cooperative movement through the provision of short-term certificate training to trustees and management of cooperative organisations.

“This metamorphosis of course drew considerable strength from the enactment of legislation for the college in 2018; a development that placed the institution in a class of its own as the first cooperative college in the country to be backed by statutes.

He further explained the background of the college, stating the number of intakes and the successful ones, and their certification.

“The running of Professional Diploma in Cooperative Studies effective from the 2020/2021 academic session signposted the College’s decision to hit the ground running as a tertiary education institution.

“The pioneer students of the Professional Diploma programme numbering 106 were thus sourced majorly from the Department of Cooperative services and from this lot, 104 successfully completed the programme.

“Those who completed the programme are awarded Professional Diploma in Cooperative Studies. Some of them are outstanding in their academic performances would be recognised and presented with awards.

“As a training institution, we have done our part in producing well-bred, academically and morally sound graduands who are already acculturated with the 'can-do spirit'.

“Our graduands will thus become good ambassadors of their alma mater by making a positive difference in their careers and professional practice whilst also promoting humanity with the certification they have just acquired. 

Ojomo further said that the courses offered by the institution have received accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) within the short period of its establishment.

“It is also noteworthy that in our quest to go full blast as an approved tertiary institution in Nigeria, LASCOCO has successfully secured the NBTE’s interim accreditation in Sept. 2021 to operate and also admit students.

“We have courses like Cooperative Economic and Management and Microfinance and Enterprise Development.

“The interim accreditation and approval of NBTE were secured following the college’s satisfactory accreditation during the board’s resources Assessment visit to the college in Sept 2021.

“The college now boasts of the fully air-conditioned library, well stocked with contemporary and relevant reference books that can cater to the needs of 42 students. Also, the digital/e-library also has in Stock over 700 e-books.

“Taking due cognisance of its specialised status being an institution with the primary mandate for the provision of cooperative education, training, and research, the college reached out to the U. K. Cooperative College (UKCC).

“I am happy to report that LASCOCO enjoys the valued membership of the UKCC and has also signed with college a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will benefit both in exchange of programmes", Ojomo expressed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the college conferred Honorary Fellowship Awards on dignitaries including Olawale Raji, the Honourable Representative of Epe Federal Constituency and Chairman, House Services Committee of the 9th Assembly, the Oniru of Iru Kingdom, Oba Gbolahan Lawal and, former Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Olayinka Oladunjoye, who adopted the library of the institution.

The former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Civil Service, Dr. Olajide Basorun, and a retired Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Civil Service, Olalekan Akodu also received the award.

Five of the graduating students were also recognised for their excellent performance during their programme.