The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Why home economics is imperative, by don

    Aprofessor of Home Economics, Elizabeth Anyakoha, of faculty of education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has stressed the need for government to industrialise home economics to promote indigenous skill, with a view to create employment for graduates.

    Prof Anyakoha said this while delivering the 76th inaugural lecture entitled: Advancing a framework for showcasing family concerns: Challenging the challenges. The lecture was held in the university’s Princess Alexandra Hall.

    Declaring the event open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bartho Okolo, who was represented by his deputy on Academics, Prof Polycarp Chigbu, pointed out that a lot of research works had been carried out through modern technology. He noted that excellent research work was difficult to achieve, advising researchers to add touches of intellectuals to their works.

    Prof Anyakoha said growth in different areas of the nation’s economy posed challenges to the development of home economics, which she said was aiming to revive occupational health education.

    She, however, revealed that the department’s activities had been promoted internationally, which made many of its research works to be used for book publication overseas without royalty.

    The lecturer regretted that the basic quota for admission had stagnat the expansion of the department to produce manpower for national research work and labour market.

    She was confident that if home economics was given proper attention by the government, it could be used to combat insecurity by engaging the youths in productive ventures.

    She added that computer knowledge of students and staff couple with provision of steady power supply participated by the government to carry out research work would to support the initiative of the department to produce needed manpower for country’s development.

    The lecture was well attended by scholars within outside the state including the staff and students of the university.

     

  • Youths tasked on productivity

    Youths have been urged to unleash their creative skills to engender intellectual works that will turn around their generation. This charge came at a public presentation of a book titled My time to reign written by Ayobami Ogedengbe, a graduate of Microbiology.

    The event was held at the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Akure, Ondo State.

    According to Ayobami, the 87-page book merges physical and spiritual principles, which he saod could make readers productive if motivation sections of the book were applied to life.

    The writer said he was inspired and pushed by God to write the book, saying: “When God called me, I had a mandate and he told me that He never call his people to seek him in vain. That is why I know that because I have Christ in me which is the hope of my glory, it is actually my time to reign.”

    The author pointed out that the book explained some fundamental factors upon which the greatness of man was based. He praised his parents for supporting the publication.

    Reviewing the book, an ace broadcaster, Mr Steve Alabi, said the book was made up of four chapters broken into shorter sections. He said it was a book of faith that would help readers achieve their potential here on earth, while fixing their focus on the ultimate price of salvation.

    Alabi said: “It is not a call to material things. Chapter two of the book begins with an admonition that the greatest step to greatness is the salvation of one’s soul, and this should be the first thing that one needs to focus on if he wants to be great in life.” The reviewer said the work was reader-friendly and would contribute to spiritual growth. He recommended the book to the public.

    In his address, chairman of the occasion, Mr Lanre Ogidan, said while other youths devoted their time to frivolities, the author was busy putting materials together to write the book. While congratulating Ayobami for the success of the book, Ogidan called on young people to engage intellectual ventures that would make them better citizens.

    The author’s parents, Mr and Mrs Ayo Ogedengbe, were happy on the honour brought them by their son. “We are glad that our son is doing this while we are alive,” the father said.

    The Ondo State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Bode Famose, and a journalist, Mr Williams Olufunmi, who were at the event, challenged youths on productivity.

     

  • A walk for progress

    To drive Nigeria’s development through innovation and youth entrepreneurship, over 1,000 students from various higher institutions have participated in a road walk to sensitise the youth. WALE AJETUNMOBI writes.

     

    THEY came from different locations, and converged on the expansive parking lot of Oceanview Restaurant behind Eko Hotel and Suites for a race. Over 1,000 students from 30 tertiary institutions participated in a walk tagged “The walk for my Nigeria.” It was organised by Enactus, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    Chanting the slogan: “My Nigeria …It’s up to me, it’s up to you; join the movement”, they swarmed major roads on Victoria Island with their gospel: mobilising students to work together and be part of a positive social change.

    The initiative was designed to challenge youths about the social, economic and environmental difficulties facing communities across Nigeria. The students believe that young people are endowed with the potential to proffer creative solutions to problems.

    The participants also campaigned for unhindered access to water and education, youth and women empowerment, agricultural and rural development, climate change and environmental sustainability.

    Clad in branded Enactus T-shirts, they walked from Oceanview to the Bar Beach stretch of Ahmadu Bello Way, sensitising the public with inspirational stories of young Nigerians championing the cause of social change in rural communities. They spoke of the project’s goals and provided the basic foundation needed for technological innovations that would drive development through the innovation summit. They also provided the information and technical expertise required for innovative youths to take their business ideas to the next level.

    The participants also passed through Adeola Odeku Road and Akin Adesola Way before they returned to their take-off point, where they were addressed by the organisers.

    Through the exercise, Enactus sought to promote participatory change and the spirit of volunteerism in communities and inspire a new generation of committed youths willing to contribute their energy and resources to improve the quality of lives of others around them.

    The students, despite their cultural, tribal and religious diversities, shared the same purpose – to work together to be the change they want to see in their country. By assisting people in need in rural communities of Nigeria, irrespective of tribe and religion, Enactus students have themselves imbibed the values of true leadership, thereby providing a ray of hope for others.

    Enactus, formally known as Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), is a global network of youths seeking to improve quality of life of people around the world by teaching them the principles and values of free market economics and entrepreneurship.

    It started operations in Nigeria in 2001 and has mobilised over 8,000 students from 44 universities and polytechnics nationwide to execute several community projects to educate, empower and transform the lives of people.

    Each year, the students gather to present their projects, the best among which is taken to international challenge where students from other countries also present their projects.

    In the last few years, Enactus students have made the country proud in the Enactus World Cup Competition by showcasing projects that have placed Nigeria among the top of four of 45 countries participating in the project around the world. In 2008, Nigerian students emerged second in the contest held in Singapore.

    Last July, not less than 30 universities and polytechnics competed in the Enactus national competition, which students of Kaduna State Polytechnic won. In September, they will represent Nigeria in the Enactus World Cup Challenge coming up in Cancun, Mexico from September 29 to October 1.

  • Imoke commissions VC’s lodge

    Amid fanfare, lecturers and students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) welcomed the governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, to the campus for the commissioning of the renovated Vice-Chancellor’s lodge. The building, which is located along MCC road in Calabar, was abandoned 13 years ago.

    The event started by 4:30pm with the Public Relation Officer of the university, Mr. Eyo Bassey, welcoming dignitaries to the occasion, among dignitaries who included former pro-chancellor, Dr Rolland Ehigiamusoe, ex-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kelvin Ita, Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Prof Offiong Offiong and former coordinator of Centre for General Studies, Dr Ndubuisi Osuagwu.

    Others were members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), led by its chairman Dr James Okpiliya, their counterparts in Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and Students’ Union Government (SUG) officials led by the president, Bassey Eka.

    The Deputy Governor Effiom Cobham, who represented Imoke, was welcomed by the cultural troupe of UNICAL International Secondary School.

    After prayer by Dean, Students’ Affairs’ Division, Prof Eyong Eyong, Vice-Chancellor Prof James Epoke gave the opening remark by thanking members of the immediate past Governing Council of the institution for their support and approval of the reconstruction of the lodge. He also commended members of the present council for ensuring the project was completed on time.

    While cutting the ribbon to officially open the building, Cobham noted that the reconstruction project was a mark of true and exemplary leadership of the university authorities. After the commissioning, Prof Epoke led dignitaries into the building.

    The white one-storey building is a seven-bedroom duplex. Attached to the main building at the back are two chalets with one bedroom flat each. On the side is a guest quarter for visitors. The lodge sits on about three plots of land.

    Prof Florence Anijobi, Dean of the Faculty Education, said she was excited by the renovation of the facility.

    The Director of Works, who oversaw the reconstruction project, said: “It is a comfortable place for the VC to stay. It is a product of collaboration of the Works department and the Physical Planning Unit. It is not my own effort. The status of the university has been elevated to the level it ought to be”.

    Prof Epoke said: “The council felt that this kind of edifice the university owns could not be left fallow as it has been for 13 years. When the last council sat, we decided that there was no need to rent an apartment for the VC when the university has an official house. This place is like the government house of the university and I believe that it will dignify the university.”

    Bassey noted that the VC lodge was a product of a good intension. The union praised the VC for carrying students along in the scheme of things.

  • Ex-unionist criticises politicians’ interference on unionism

    A Former President of the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS), Comrade Temidayo Temola, has attributed the failure of Students’ Unionism to remain committed to national development to the frequent interference of politicians into the affairs of the body.

    Temola, who spoke at the inauguration of new NAOSS executives in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said in addition to representing the interest of students in various campuses across the country, student unions also have roles in nation building.

    However, he said politicians who aim to retain power at all cost, have distracted these unions from fulfilling this role by invading the nation’s higher institutions and forcing unpopular candidates on the students.

    Speaking on the history of students’ unionism in Nigeria, Temola said it can be divided into two phases: pre-independence and post-independence. He said in both eras, students helped to fight for Nigeria’s democracy.

    He said: “Pre-independence student leaders later emerged as nationalist leaders. They fought along with others to gain independence for Nigeria. Majority of them were radical in nature and were also ideological in thought, action and perception. The second phase, which was the post-indepedence; students’ union played a major role in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy and rescuing power from the military government. Some of them were harassed, jailed and killed.”

    Temola lamented that such leaders are lacking today.

    “But what do we have today? Students have been caged by politicians; they hardly criticise government’s unpopular policies. I am not advising them to be violent, but they should always ensure that they contribute to issues that will make the nation remain united and bring transformation,” he said.

    He charged the new NAOSS executives to engage in constructive criticism when the need arises.

    The new NAOSS President, Comrade Awodola Afolayan urged the state government to increase the money being paid as bursary.

    Afolayan said that the N10,000 being paid to students can no longer cater for their needs because of the poor economic situation of the country.

    Specifically, he urged the state to increase the bursary to N25,000 to assist students meet pressing needs.

    “We are appealing to the state government to urgently increase our bursary to assist our parents who are struggling to pay our school fees,” he said.

    Earlier, the outgoing National President of the Association, Comrade Victor Oguntoyinbo commended the Ondo State government for its giant strides in the education sector.

    Oguntoyibo described the mega schools built by the state government in all the 18 local councils as a remarkable achievement which should be copied by other states,

     

  • Man nabbed for transformer disruption

    Amiddle-age man, whose name could not be ascertained, has been arrested by team of policemen attached to Divisional Police Command, Owerri, Imo State for allegedly tampering with the transformer of Bishop’s Court residence.

    Bishop’s Court is an area populated by students of the Imo State University (IMSU). Recently, power supply to the neighbourhood had been irregular, a development that made residents to be worried.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the suspect sprinkled a powdery substance on the transformer and tried to disrupt its function because the residents allegedly refused to allow him to take charge of the service and maintenance of the transform.

    Our correspondent gathered that the suspect had been exploiting the residents through the service of the transformer. A student, who is a resident in the area, said: “He collected money from the landlords and students for the maintenance. But when he could not do it properly, we terminated the relationship, which made him to threaten to switch off the transformer. But policemen came in and he was arrested for tampering with our transformer.”

    One of the off-campus hostels’ presidents, Chima Amadi, told CAMPUSLIFE: “This will serve as a lesson to others, who want to be exploiting students living off-campus. Thank God that the police has wade into the matter.

    Efforts made by our correspondent to reach the police for comment were futile.

     

  • Building young entrepreneurs

    Building young entrepreneurs

    Students from various higher institutions, last Thursday, stormed the corporate headquarters of The Nation, to participate in an entrepreneurship seminar organised by the African Liberty Organisation (ALO) in collaboration with the newspaper and the Network For Free Society.

    The event, which was held in the newsroom, also featured a book presentation and award of cash prizes to winners of The Nation/Africanliberty.org essay contest.

    Mentoring the participants included the president of Students For Liberty (SFL), Alexander McCobin, who came from the United States, The Nation’s Online Editor, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin and the Director of Outreach, African Liberty Organisation, Mr Adedayo Thomas.

    Dignitaries at the seminar included the Education Secretary of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area, Mr Adewale Alausa among others.

    Welcoming the students, Wale Ajetunmobi, CAMPUSLIFE Editor, explained the activities of the organisation, urging the participants to use the opportunity to network with their peers from across the world to promote freedom and entrepreneurship.

    Speaking on the core values of SFL and McCobin said groups are global network of youths promoting capacity free enterprise and economic liberty without border.

    “We have the responsibility to promote the virtues of liberty and free enterprise via global and regional partnerships with students for a common goal of promoting and sustaining liberty. The libertarian spirit has been recognised and felt across the world through the Students For Liberty activities in Venezuela and Turkey. Through the active involvement of the libertarians, the status quo is being changed in Egypt,” he said.

    Otufodunrin advised the students to make meaningful contribution to the society, advising that there was need for them to go a step further by harnessing the business part of using Facebook and Twitter for personal empowerment and development of the economy.

    Presenting the book titled: Politicians, dependence, and the bubble that broke the world economy, Alexander said the aim of the work was to support free enterprise in Nigeria and change the belief of people about capitalism.

    Edited by Tom Palmer, Vice President for International Programmes at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, the 180 page book is divided into four sections, endnotes and featured essays by foremost political economists including David Betto, Piercamillo Falasca, David Green, Aristides Hatzis, Johan Norberg, Tom Palmer and Micheal Tanner.

    Palmer, in his introductory essay, pointed out that the book was intended for those who preferred to ask hard questions and to pursue them with open minds, stressing that history, economics, sociology, political science and mathematics should be tools to understand welfare states rather than emotional responses or conspiracy theories.

    The programme also featured one-on-one interaction, where Thomas said the platform was to share ideas, create policies on economic prosperity and engendering intellectual entrepreneurship among the youths and students.

    He stressed the need for graduates to be creative and cultivate the habit of saving in order not to be perfect designers of curriculum vitae.

    At the end of the seminar, cash prizes were presented to the winners of the essay competition. Yusuf Oguntoyinbo, a student of the Federal University of Technology, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), won $1,000 for coming first in the contest.

    Also, Joseph Timothy, from Ekiti State University (EKSU) and Denis Eze, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), who were first and second runners up, were presented with $700 and $500 respectively.

    The winners were also given full scholarship and return tickets to the Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) conference holding in Kenya next week.

  • UNICAL ready for WAUG, pan-African debate

    The West African Universities Games (WAUG) and pan-African Debate Competition (PADC) are two contests to be hosted by the University of Calabar (UNICAL) this year.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof James Epoke, has expressed the institution’s readiness to host the events, a feat which no higher institution has achieved.

    Prof Epoke spoke when the editorial crew of Campuslight, a campus newspaper, visited him in his office to present another edition of the magazine to him. The crew was led by Emmanuel Shebbs, a graduate of the university.

    According to the VC, the university has decided to host the events to make Nigeria proud and promote sound educational values in Nigeria.

    Annually, UNICAL represents Nigeria in the PADC, which had been hosted by countries, such as South Africa, among others. After last year’s edition, UNICAL bidded alongside Cameroon to host the contest on behalf of Nigeria. The university eventually won the bid.

    Prof Epoke said: “Well, it is actually a great event but we are equal to the task. We don’t want to go out there to ask students to pay certain amount of money in a way of generating funds. We are hosting the event on behalf of Nigeria, so we are involving the Federal Government in this project even though we are reaching out to sponsors. We are lucky to have Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, an elder statesman, as chairman of the Governing Council. I believe the event will bring glory to Nigeria.”

    On WAUG, the VC said the hosting right was given to the university this year because of its performance in the last year’s edition, which was held at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN). He said: “The preference was given to UNICAL because of its location. Calabar as a city is a tourist site in Nigeria, known for its serenity, calmness and peace. These features make people to be interested in coming here. We have been consulting and we hope our consultants would get sponsorships for us. It is good for the image of the university and that of the country.”

    While presenting the Campuslight magazine to the VC, Emmanuel, the Editor, noted that the magazine was championing effective information dissemination within the university.

    Prof Epoke, while receiving the copy of the magazine, praised the editorial crew for the success story, urging them to continue “the good work”. He said his administration would support the good initiative that would promote teaching and learning within the university.

     

  • Orientation for Nigerian students

    Students resuming in various universities in the United States were privileged to benefit from an orientation programme organised by The EducationUSA office at the Public Affairs Section of United States Consulate General, Lagos recently.

    The students, some of whom have scholarships to attend prestigious universities like Harvard, MIT, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of California at Berkley and Tufts University, learnt about succeeding as an undergraduate and graduate student and returning to Nigeria to contribute to nation building from Nigerians who are alumni of US universities.

    A statement by the EducationUSA noted that in the past three years, students in Lagos and environs “have obtained over $7,000,000 in scholarships to study in the United States”.

    The EducationUSA office offers Nigerian students access to accurate, comprehensive and current information about educational institutions in the United States.

    In addition to providing free counseling sessions on Wednesdays, the office runs a fee-based membership programme. In addition, EducationUSA offers free services to academically excellent, indigent students through the United States Student Achievers Program (USAP) and the Opportunity Program.

     

  • IBBU VC visits monarch

    The management of the Ibrahim Badamosi University (IBBU), Lapai in Niger State has visited the Etsu Lapai, Alhaji Umaru Bago III to enhance harmonious relationship between the institution and its host community.

    Speaking during the visit, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibrahim Kolo, praised the Lapai Emirate for promoting a peaceful atmosphere for the university to thrive.

    Prof Kolo informed the Etsu Lapai of important developments in the university, including its membership of the Association of African Universities, the take-off of the Institute of Maritime Studies next month, and plans by the Niger State government to establish a Medical School on the university’s main campus.

    He sought greater collaborations with the emirate, especially regarding the release of land for the medical school and other infrastructure.

    Responding, Alhaji Bago assured him that the emirate will make effort to sustain its cordial relationship with the university.

    He commended the IBB authorities for taking bold steps to take the university to greater heights and urged them not to rest on their oars.