Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged 92 students that graduated last Friday from the Redeemer’s College of Technology and Management (RECTEM), Mowe in Ogun State, as well as guests to give Jesus Christ a place in their lives as they pursue their goals. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

The General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch A Adeboye, has called on corporate bodies and individuals to partner Redeemer’s College of Technology and Management (RECTEM) in the development of the institution as the journey to technological breakthrough and innovation by the college is around the corner.

Commending the good work done so far by the college management team, he challenged the management to put RECTEM on global map for academic excellence, entrepreneurship and skill development and scientific inventions.

Adeboye, who was represented by the National Overseer (RCCG), Pastor Joseph Obayemi, spoke at the second convocation of RECTEM in Ogun State last Friday. He expressed delight that the mission statement and vision of RECTEM was in sight and, to the glory of God, the journey to technological breakthrough and innovation by the college was around the corner.

Leading the pack of awardees, Miss Jessica Joy Ikenye, 20, of School of Management Studies, emerged the overall best student with a CGPA of 3.95 winning 21 awards out of 59 awards and over N300,000 cash gift.

“I am delighted that the mission statement and vision of RECTEM is in sight and to the glory of God, the journey to technological breakthrough and innovation by the College is around the corner. I equally thank the Rector of the College, Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Mofunanya, and her management team and staff for work done so far. However, I challenge you to put RECTEM on global map for academic excellence, entrepreneurship and skill development and scientific inventions.

“Though our goals in life is to achieve greatness and prosperity, these desires are good in themselves however, the greatest glory is to sit with the Lord Jesus Christ in the marriage of the Lamb ceremony in His kingdom at the end of our journey here on earth. On this note, I will like to plead with you that you give Jesus a place in your life even before you leave this auditorium today,” he added.

Chairman, Governing Council of the College, Pastor J. F. Odesola enjoined federal, state agencies and organised private entities to assist the polytechnic within their areas of mandate. He expressed happiness that within five years of operation, the college has organised her second convocation, which provides opportunity for assessment of the performance of the institution and to raise the bar for higher academic and entrepreneurial pursuits.

“I am convinced beyond doubt that RECTEM is on the path of greatness and technological breakthrough. The achievement so far in the journey of the college in terms of admission enrollment, accreditation, academic excellence and innovations recorded point to great things to come,” he said.

He noted that the mission of RECTEM is to raise champions in the fields of Technology and Management that will bridge the gap in the national industrial sectors of our economy. To achieve this, he said ‘we must develop the intellectual capacities and vocational skills of our students. I am aware of the existence of a very cordial relationship between the college and other development partners.’

Chairman of the ceremony, Pastor Cyprian Orakpo blamed the current predicaments of majority of Nigerian youths as regards unemployment and self-reliance on lack of skills.

According to him, the results are the menace of armed robbery, kidnapping, thuggery, banditry and ritual killing being witnessed in the society today.  He observed that the young men and women engaging in these crimes may have been to one tertiary institution or the other but may not have acquired a vocational training for personal income generation, thus turning to criminality in the face of poverty.

“I am confident that, among other reasons why the General Overseer of (RCCG) established this Polytechnic is to reduce crime among our youths.  Other laudable reasons are to provide needed middle level managerial experts in our manufacturing industries and to encourage Science, Technology and Innovation. The Federal Government policy of 70:30 ratio on admission into Polytechnic in favour of Science and Technology is a deliberate attempt to promote technical breakthroughs, which RECTEM is already achieving as evidenced by the exhibition here today.

“I am, therefore, using this opportunity to call on corporate organisations, federal and state governments, ministries and parastatals to support polytechnic education through grants, sponsorships and endowments to enable the realisation of the objectives for the setting up of the institutions,’’ he added.

Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof Idris Muhammad Bugaje, stated that Nigeria’s desire to improve productivity throughout all sectors of the economy can only be achieved if there is a workforce that has the flexibility to acquire new skills for new jobs as the structure of the economy and occupations change.

Prof Bugaje who was represented by Olubode Daniel Majiyagbe (Director South West Zone,) said that the level of competence of a country’s skilled workforce is centrally important to the flexibility and productivity of its labour force. Skilled workers, he said, enhance the quality and efficiency of product development, production and maintenance. “In various strata of life, having a skilled workforce reduces the cost of supervision and training of workers and this is primarily achieved by engaging workers with proven competence,” he added.

The Rector, Dr. Stella Awoh-Mofunanya urged the graduating students to remain steadfast in the Biblical doctrines and ‘remember that you are Lilies among thorns.’ She warned the outgoing students that the life outside the Redemption camp is full of snares and traps by the enemy of your souls.

“Never forget the son or daughter of whom you are,” she said.

She disclosed that the college has designed ground breaking innovations such as automated (IoT-Smart) irrigation control and monitoring system,

Health Monitoring System, which measures temperature and heartbeat, automated clap activated switch that controls home appliances, e-shopping and payment (POS applications), website development multimedia application for advertisement and digital photo-shop image printing among others.

According to her, the College Entrepreneurship Centre is also engaged in revenue generation through production of confectionaries, catering, production of poultry (birds) and beverages.

“RECTEM is in collaboration with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) for Cashew nut processing and Cashew nut shell oil liquid production.  The project has begun with the donation of three thousand Cashew Nut Seedlings for Plantation establishment.  More seedlings will be received this year.  It is our plan to establish at least 20 hectares of Cashew plantations for backward integration to support the proposed factory,” she added. Prof Olawale John of the Federal University of Technology, Akure gave the convocation lecture.

Last Friday, the late Mr. Felix Ikenye, who died on January 18, 2019 would have been full of joy and happiness if he were alive to witness the second convocation of Redeemer’s College of Technology and Management (RECTEM), Mowe in Ogun State.

His third child, Jessica Joy Ikenye, 20, who had given up hope of going to higher school, was the star girl at the ceremony being the overall best student with a CGPA of 3.95 winning 21 awards and over N300,000.

The Delta State-born Ordinary National Diploma (OND Business Administration) holder, and third in a family of four children, said she was overwhelmed by the awards and the appreciation by the college and well-wishers at the ceremony. She recalled that when her father died in January 2019, her family was devastated and she gave up hope of going to higher school.

“My father’s death got my family devastated as we never expected to lose him at such a time. This affected my studies to the extent that I gave up writing JAMB because I felt it was not going to be easy for my mother and for me to go to school,” she said.

On what spurred her to achieve the feat, she said: “My lecturers’ advice challenged me to emerge as overall best student. They did a lot as they always advised us to start doing better early in academics because as time goes, things get tougher. Also, my mother, Mrs. Patricia Ikenye’s influences, advice and patience played key role in my attitude to studies. She always advised me to be the best in all that I do… Even after losing her husband, she never failed in being strong and a source of encouragement to my siblings and I.”

She said her dream was to own a business of her own after obtaining the Higher National Diploma (HND) at RECTEM, noting that Africa’s richest business woman and CEO, Famfa Oil, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, was her role model.

She, however, urged her fellow students to ‘draw a plan of action on how to pursue the set goals, stay focused, be dedicated and passionate about their goals, and then strive hard to put in the required efforts in all they do towards achieving their dreams. Trust me, nothing good in this world comes on a platter of gold.’

A certified speaking professional and wordsmith Ubong Essien, has unveiled a book, The Challenge to Perform, to celebrate 20 years as a public speaker and writer.

Speaking at the book launch on his 47th birthday recently, Essien said he decided to put into a book some of his observations, lectures, public speeches and personal experiences that have served as a catalyst for his success and those of others in various sectors.

He noted that achieving success required a continued effort in performance, resilience and hard work.

“Perform or perish,” is the central theme of the book.

According to Ubong, success is a perishable commodity and except an individual continues to give his best in performance, his success may end up becoming a thing of the past. Written in a simple and lucid language, the book also offers some practical steps on how individuals could become high performers in their personal and professional life.

The book also promotes the concept of performance as an imperative in all business and interrelationship contexts, broadening its scope of knowledge for diverse readers and book lovers.

The presentation of the book which held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, had dignitaries like Prof. Pat Utomi, Director- General NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh and Margaret Orakwusi, among others, in attendance.

Ubong said the journey of unveiling the book was a rollercoaster experience. He said book was to be launched in 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delayed for two years. Having published two books, he continues to push the bar with The  Challenge to Perform becoming the third one.

Pat Utomi praised the author for writing such a book on performance, noting that the absence of the trait contributed to the lacklustre leadership in Nigeria and Africa in general. He stated that performance was not only about attaining success, but how one’s action impacts the lives of others, which he described as attaining “material immortality”.

“The most important thing about performance, about success, is not position. But it’s about how what you do touches the lives of people around you. That keeps you in the consciousness of people forever. I think that sometimes we miss that. We are carried away by position and we forget the essence of relationship. The nature of the truth of our being is that we’re made to live forever and our performance to be forever. It’s about something you have written. Kids quote Shakespeare and so Shakespeare continues to live like their next door neighbour. And I call that kind of immortality material immortality. When you live forever in the heart of people because of the way you touched them and impact their lives, you attain material immortality. And so as we celebrate The Challenge to Perform, it’s important that we realise that in writing this book, Essien has ensured his own material immortality,” said Utomi.

The book reviewer, Ismail Aniemu, gave an analysis of the book, describing the genre as motivational. He added that the book dissected the importance of performance and the challenges that came with it. According to him, the book is packed with practical examples and tested methods that have continued to produce outstanding results over the years.

He said: “The Challenge to Perform takes a quick peep into how Harold S. Green as  Chief Executive of  ITT, a telecommunications company in the 70s, transformed it into a multinational corporation in 19 years, quadrupled its size and surpassed expectations. However, those he handed over the reins failed because they could not meet up with the challenge to perform. The second chapter; ‘Eagles Don’t Care’ is full of pointers that will challenge anyone to always be at their very best and stand out, far away from mediocrity; to have that eagle mindset and can-do spirit that propel one to soar above competition and adversity, no matter the obstacle. “The chapter admits that drawbacks, discouragements and failure homilies exist but these are no justification to throw in the towel or bow out of the performance lane. The piece of literature strengthens readers not to succumb to perceived or imaginary limitations that could reduce their productivity level and hinder them from attaining their true potential. It unearths inner strength and amplifies the teaching of a revered American jurist, Oliver Wendell Holmes, that ‘all limitations are self-imposed’ The author of  The Challenge to Perform posits that a self starter who kick-starts things without waiting to be jumpstarted into action by someone else will go far.”

He noted that the book wasn’t just another motivational book, but a secret to higher performance in corporate world and personal development.

“This is not just another motivational book to increase the numbers on the shelf. Prospective readers have got a secret performance weapon on their hands which, has an 8/10 rating. Performance is the currency of humanity and it is a challenge we must all meet. Are you ready to transform from a caterpillar to butterfly? For everyone looking for that push, Nigeria’s Mister Motivator just gave you wings to soar like an eagle,” he said.

Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria (ATTWON) has called on the Federal Government to stop paying lip service to the diversification of the economy, and consider alternative ways through which Nigeria can generate revenue for the economy to thrive.

Speaking at an event with the theme: Tourism: is Tourism a profitable business? its president, Mr. Ayo Omotoso, said most countries were benefitting from the travel and tourism industry.

Citing  Singapore, South Africa and Qatar where tourism has been a key driver of economic growth, Omotoso said the government could harness the latent wealth of the sector to boost economic growth.

According to him, tourism continues to be one of those sectors being downplayed by the Federal Government, yet it remains a gold mine that can generate huge resources to the country’s coffers, and boost the Growth Domestic Products (GDP) if only the government could mine the gold. He also said that until government saw the industry as a key sector of economic development, the private sector would continue to experience economic difficulties.

“I  have been in the ministry of tourism for more than 15 years. And I always got asked the question, is tourism really profitable? Is it a sector one can venture into? And the answer is yes. Take for instance, the hospitality sector. I want to believe there is a profitable measure for every hotel owner in Nigeria,” he said.

The event also had a panel of discussants which had stakeholders from various sectors to discuss the topic Is tourism a profiting business?

The panelists included persons from banking, hospitality and travel industry, entrepreneurs and the Etiosa Local Government Chairman Hon. Sesan Olowa,  represented by Mr. Abiodun Rabiu.

Mrs. Abiodun Adelana of Sterling Bank Plc. lamented that the Federal Government was not doing enough to help the development of the industry. She said although private institutions were striving to promote the sector,  the same energy and will were absent in most political decisions and policies of the government. According to her, this has contributed to the slow growth of the economy in recent years.

She said: “We know that the private sector cannot do it alone. Tourism is not a one-party business.  We need the government, private sectors, stakeholders and even key players in other industries. Unfortunately for Nigeria, before now tourism has never really been a thing for us. But unfortunately or fortunately, it was Covid that opened our eyes to the opportunities around tourism. The people that have thrived in this industry in Nigeria today are due to their personal efforts. Tourism is a great opportunity. If you’re a futuristic leader and a deep thinker, you will know that where we are now, if we are serious, tourism will actually be the next gold mine for the government.”

Gbenga Sunmonu advised government to maximise the fusion between tourism and hospitality, adding that both were necessary for the development of the economy.

Citing the influence of the sector in Lagos, Sumonu observed that hospitality remained the driving force for the continued thriving Lagos economy. He also noted that this aspect of tourism could be extended to all parts of the country.

“One thing about tourism is that tourism and hospitality have an agreement culture. They are like Siamese twins. When you say the story of the snail and the shell, that’s how you look at tourism and hospitality. You’ll agree with me that any tourist that sets in the country must have a place to lay his head on. And in the hospitality sector, the value chain alone is over 150. There is no other sector whereby you’ll find such value chain. It’s a one-stop shop for all sectors all over the world. You’ll agree with me that hospitality sector plays a domineering role in this sector we are talking about. Taking inferences from the Lagos economy, you’ll agree with me that over 40 percent of the revenue of Lagos is one way or the other connected to this sector. What we call Hotel and occupancy levies or taxes. I can therefore, only wish that every part of the government sees it as the golden goose that lays the golden egg,” he said.

Olowa lauded the association for bringing to the fore the conversation on the economic viability of tourism. He also said the Lagos State Government was determined to continue to promote tourism as part of the key development indices of the state.

Continuing, he said the state had invested in projects such as waterfronts, carnival, parks and recreation centres, all of which were tourist attractions.

GIRLS should be given the opportunity to exhibit their talents in the arts, an artiste, Miss Seyi Oluyole, has said. She stated this during the unveiling of the hostel of the Dreams Catchers Academy, a subsidiary of the Dream Nurture Initiative (DNI), at Ijede, Ikorodu, Lagos. Miss Oluyole, who is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Academy, noted that any assistance given to these girls would pay off in the end as entertainment is contributing to the growth of the economy.

She said though the government emphasis has been on supporting on Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics (STEM), abandoning the arts was not good as it would rob the girls or those who are into that area the chance to boost their talent. Using her as example, Miss Oluyole said when she realised that she was an arts student, she went for it with the support of others to realise her dream. She described the institution, founded in 2014 and registered two years later, as the first formal free arts school in Nigeria. It kicked off with five pupils, and has grown to 30 with the plan to increase to 60 and have branches in other states,, she added.

She said the pupils were sourced from less privileged homes, and well screened before they were admitted. She thanked Afro Droids for supporting her to complete the building, which was about 35 per cent under construction.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Afrodroids, Mr.  Owo Anietie, recalled that he knew about the Academy on the social media and had since built a relationship with owner since then. He said it was his firm’s pleasure to support the school and its products to realise their objectives. He advised the government to  encourage the youth to go into the arts. The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Ms Salau Adetola, expressed her satisfaction with Miss Oluyole’s works, especially as they are focused on girls.  “I am very excited. We need to promote the arts. Please keep the good work. Don’t be discouraged. She rooted for the arts. A parent, Busayo Oyeleke thanked Miss Oluyole for the gesture. ”The school has realy tried’Since my child joined the school, she has been doing very well. This shows that the school influenced her,” she said.

After five unbroken years (2008 to 2012) of organising its flagship programme, the Art Expo in Lagos, the National Gallery of Art (NGA) returned to its familiar turf penultimate week. It hosted an International Art Fair at Cyprian Ekwensi Cultural Centre, Abuja. Like Art Expo, which had Art Galleries Association of Nigeria (AGAN) as partner, the Art Fair was also a collaborative effort between NGA and Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) to reposition Nigerian art and artists, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

Information and Culture Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed has described the International Art Fair, Abuja as a platform to tap the invaluable resources in the creative and tourism industry. He stated that art should be seen not just as a vocation but as a lucrative profession, adding that the art fair is a building block to an enduring future for the teeming youth.

The minister, who was the chief host at the opening ceremony, praised the National Gallery of Art for the event, which he believed would have the ripple effect of scaling up art exhibitions in the FCT and spurring patronage of art works by art connoisseurs and other art lovers.

“As the nation continues to diversify its economy and rely less on oil, the focus is on tapping the invaluable resource in the creative industry and tourism. I encourage all of you to see art not just as a vocation but as a lucrative profession. It is in the light of this that I view today’s programme as a building block to an enduring future for our teeming youth,” he said.

Mohammed, who was represented by Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, stated that in today’s fast-paced world, synergy between organisations always got enduring results. He hoped that the fair, which showcases private galleries in the FCT with the best in their collections would set a new standard in art marketing and patronage in Nigeria.

Director-General, National Gallery of Art, Mr. Ebeten William Ivara, appealed to the Federal Government to facilitate the provision of a permanent edifice for the gallery, which would house the national collection, and host future events such as this.

This, he said, will project Nigerian art, satisfy local and international art enthusiasts and, ultimately, generate tremendous revenue for the government.

“Indeed, since I assumed office, I scaled up efforts towards getting a gallery edifice for NGA. I wish to state clearly that Nigeria is one of the few countries in Africa and the world at large that does not have a befitting edifice as its National Gallery of Art. The result is that most of the art works in our national collection are kept in non-conducive environment. This situation cannot continue,” he added.  

He recalled that when NGA commenced the Art Expo series in 2008, it was designed to showcase the best of Nigerian art besides those of master artists in the national collection. To achieve this, he said, the gallery began by working with gallery owners under the umbrella of Art Galleries Association of Nigeria (AGAN) back in 2008.

“Recently, NGA took the experiment a notch higher by embarking on Art Fairs in different cities to showcase art works peculiar to the zones in the country. Notable among these were Art Fair Lagos, Art Fair Jos and Art Fair Enugu. More are in the pipeline as we are poised to showcase art works from every part of Nigeria for people to view and enjoy,” he said.

According to Ivara, apart from showcasing the creativity of Nigerian artists, today’s art fair presents tremendous opportunities for the empowerment of the artists, through the exposure of their art works to the world for the public to view, appreciate and acquire.

Director, Head of Curatorial Services Department, National Gallery of Art, Dr. Simon Ikpakronyi, hinted that the fair would be an annual event, hoping that the level of creativity in Abuja and northern Nigeria would be further enhanced and more awareness created for the art market.

Perhaps learning a lesson from the circumstances that led to the demise of the popular Art Expo, Lagos, after five editions, Ikpakronyi warned that the International Art Fair, Abuja had left the NGA and SNA with added responsibilities.

“NGA management now has a new baby that must be well nurtured. SNA must prove that it has the capacity to give the visual art stakeholders what they bargained for if this fair must endure and meet the international standards as envisioned. The two organisers will have to live up to expectations,” he said.  Indeed, it is the prayer of art enthusiasts that the fair would not go the way of Art Expo, Lagos.

Prof Jerry Buhari of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria said culture was the heart of development but lamented that Nigeria was yet to give value to culture policy implementation.

“This fair is symbolic in the reawakening and I hope we will find a way of rethinking culture in national development,” he said.

Prof Funke Ifeta of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode stated that everything in life was art, noting that “if we understand the meaning of art, our unemployed youths will be millionaires. NGA and NCAC should consider organising workshops in different institutions and art centres and look in the direction of art because it is the centre of everything.”

President, Society of Nigerian Artists, Muhammad Sulaiman, pledged the society’s readiness to keep pushing for the recognition of artists via the Artists Registration Council. According to him, everything around us is art based, so it must be taught in schools for the younger generations to imbibe.

“The stolen Benin artefacts have been used as learning tools by the West following the looting of the Benin bronzes by British Army in 1897. Art has employed many people and put food on the many people’s tables,” he added.

No fewer than 17 artworks by eight galleries out of 22  invited were exhibited at the fair that ended last Wednesday.

They included Bureau de Kreativity Gallery, Casalinda Hotel and Gallery Resort, Discovery Museum, Female Artists Association of Nigeria Gallery, House 33, The Matrix Galleria, Nike Art Gallery and Orisun Art Gallery.