Some alumni and students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti have taken to Twitter to air their discontentment on how employers claim ignorance of the school’s existence during interview.
“I think it’s high time we formed a FUOYE community here cause, I’m tired of going for a meeting or an interview and after telling them about myself, all they ask is where is FUOYE or what’s FUOYE… We need to be respected – a school of over 10 years doing great and wonderfully well,” Josefu Alala laments.
Giving similar reaction is Demmy, who saw the employers’ demand of a university’s popularity as an employment criterion, a pointless need.
“Some companies tend to add ‘you must graduate from a notable university’ as criterion. I ask myself if FUOYE is a notable school. It hurts me that most people don’t know my school,” he stated.
Olabode Dennis explains that he rather pronounces the full name of the school, to avoid answering “unnecessary questions”.
However, Ajala Samuel, who rather thinks the school is recognized, expresses hope in the varsity’s growth.
“Throughout my experience in relating with people from different fields of life, they have never questioned me about my school. Once I mention ‘FUOYE,’ they are always like the ‘Federal school in Oye-Ekiti right’. I think the school is already posing as the fastest growing University in Africa,” he explained.
A woman who simply goes by Mama Tee, and whose daughter attends the Federal University Oye-Ekiti also showed her interest in supporting the recognition campaign.
“Though it’s my daughter’s school, I’m also joining cos I’m proud of you guys,” she mentioned.
The demand for varsity’s popularity remains a debatable discourse among Nigerian employers. According to Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2020, only four Nigerian universities – Covenant university, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and University of Nigeria Nsukka – were noted out of ‘1397’ ranked varsities.