In a significant step toward strengthening national capacity development and academic–institutional synergy, the Vice-Chancellor of Dominican University, Ibadan, Professor Jacinta Opara, has paid a strategic courtesy visit to the Director-General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Dr Funke Adepoju, at the College’s headquarters in Topo-Badagry, Lagos State.
The visit, widely described as historic, underscored a shared vision between both institutions to deepen collaboration in leadership development, governance training, research advancement, and human capital transformation. Professor Opara was warmly received by Dr Adepoju and the ASCON management team, alongside members of the Dominican University leadership, in an atmosphere marked by mutual respect and strategic alignment.
Welcoming the delegation, the Director-General presented ASCON as Nigeria’s flagship administrative and management training institution, with over five decades of consistent excellence in capacity building across the public and private sectors. She highlighted the College’s evolving and responsive curriculum, deliberately designed to address contemporary governance challenges and managerial expectations. According to her, ASCON’s renewed institutional focus prioritises the translation and acceleration of transformative public policies, driven by strong local and international partnerships formalised through clearly articulated Memoranda of Understanding.
Dr Adepoju further drew attention to the recent national and international awards and recognitions earned by both ASCON and its leadership, describing them as independent validations of the institution’s enduring relevance, innovation, and excellence in administrative and leadership training.
Responding, Professor Opara expressed deep appreciation for the warmth, professionalism, and strategic clarity demonstrated by the host institution. She emphasised that collaboration remains indispensable to sustainable human capital development, noting that scholarly progress thrives on partnership and collective strength. Quoting the African maxim that “a tree cannot make a forest,” she affirmed Dominican University’s commitment to purposeful and mutually beneficial collaboration.
The Vice-Chancellor outlined the University’s readiness to deepen cooperation with ASCON through joint research initiatives, coordinated academic and professional exchanges, and shared utilisation of facilities and faculty resources, subject to clearly defined agreements. She identified potential collaboration areas to include joint workshops and conferences, sabbatical and fellowship programmes, scholarship support, student internships, and interdisciplinary research grants with inter-institutional and international dimensions. Consultancy services, advocacy programmes, and community engagement initiatives were also highlighted as viable platforms for impactful partnership.
The visit concluded with the signing of ASCON’s visitors’ register, exchange of institutional souvenirs, and group photographs to commemorate the engagement. The Dominican University delegation was subsequently taken on a guided tour of ASCON’s state-of-the-art facilities to assess its infrastructure and training environment. Impressed by their observations, the visitors described the serene ambiance and world-class facilities as highly conducive for learning, research, and professional development.
