Category: Campus Life

Nexford University, America, has graduated over 400 Nigerian students  through online learning.

Speaking at the graduation of Bachelors of Business Administration and Masters in Business Administration degree holders, Country Directory NXU, Mrs. Olamidun Ogundoyin, noted the graduation was a milestone as it could admit over 1,000 students into its online programme.

She said  students could decide the duration of study depending on how fast or slow they decided to be.

‘‘On average, our bachelor’s degree takes about three years to complete compared to traditional universities.  And for the master’s programme, that’s the MBA. You can finish it on average in about 18 months, but some people finished in less than 14 months while others finished a little later,” she said.

Country Director, DAI, Dr Joe Abah, told the graduates to keep learning and acquire more skills, saying this would give them better chances with employers.

“So, the higher the degree you have, the better the chances you have, unfortunately, the world is just wired that way, so do give yourself as much of a chance as you can,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Metro Africa Xpress, Adetayo Bamiduro, who is an alumnus of Nexford University, advised the graduates to leverage the knowledge acquired to create value in society.

On the university system and how it benefits students, Founder/Executive Director, Fadl  AlTarzi, said the system had been structured to equip students with the right skills to meet the expectations of employers.

He said: “You know, the world is moving virtual, it’s a global grid right now. If you’re on the grid, you would be able to access career opportunities by equipping yourself with the skills that you need.’’

Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello has urged students to report sexual molestation to the institution’s Centre for Response and Prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (CRPSGBV).

She spoke at the institution’s matriculation ceremony on Monday on campus.

LASU matriculated 6,377 new students for the 2021/2022 academic session.

“Report any form of sexual harassment to the university Centre for Response and Prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence( CRPSGBV).Those found culpable for any of these vices will be dealt with in line with our disciplinary measures,” she said.

She said over 25,000 applied to the university,but the approved carrying capacity by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for LASU is 8,000, adding  that 7,800 students accepted the admission offer.

“Those who applied to LASU through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) were 25,000, but our quota from NUC is 8,000. Out of 7,800 students that accepted our admission offer, 6, 377 matriculated while this morning before the ceremony, I cleared 109 for admission.”

The VC, who congratulated the new students,urged them to be serious with their studies.

She assured them  their welfare and security on campus would be prioritised.

The LASU VC urged them to shun unethical practices and be security-conscious.

“The university has zero tolerance for cultism, examination malpractices, corruption, hooliganism and sexual gender based violence.

“We have a one stop safety application for our students named; LASU Monitor Campus Safety App.  Kindly download it from Google Play Store and ensure that you learn how to use it. It will improve your safety in and out of the campus,” she added.

Olatunji-Bello reiterated  her administration’s policy of refunding 50 per cent school fee to  students who  make 4.50 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in any academic session.

Earlier,  Dean, Students’ Affairs, Prof. Tajudeen Olumoko,  urged them to be  obedient to university authorities and exhibit good behaviour.

“I therefore charge you to make the most of this rare opportunity and ensure class attendance above 70 per cent while focusing on the objectives of seeking a university degree,” he said.

He advised the students not to flout  rules and regulations of the institution.

Olumoko told  them that the university has zero tolerance for  misconduct and that it would sanction erring students.

He advised  parents and guardian not to leave  character-moulding in the hands of management and staff of the university alone.

Our society is exhibiting toxic gender culture and behaviour  that need to be corrected. The toxic culture is how the society, especially Nigeria, raises only men to be strong and tough because they believe men who cry are weak. Here, we believe life is a battlefield and men alone are qualified warriors for the battle.

To address this problem, parents need to play a pivotal role.

Parents are the first and everlasting teachers and mentors of their children. Their wards, in most cases, imbibe their values and philosophies. Thus, parents should take note of how they train both sexes. None should be deemed weaker or braver.

They  should be impartial in raising boys and girls as they both deserve the same training to become the best of their kind, engaging one particular gender in the hard task only and leaving the other out should be discouraged. I know of   homes that train their male teenagers how to work hard for their family, while the female children are only trained to cook because they believe their lives will later end in the kitchen.This  prompts some ladies to become liabilities to their husbands after getting married.

Right from birth to maturity stage, parents tell male children to be stronger than female children because they are the ones to house the female children; take care of them, feed them and provide for their  needs.

This inspires men to be strong and tough to satisfy their parents and become responsible husbands too. Females should not be trained in a soft manner, thus making them perhaps, assistants to their future husbands, instead of taking leadership roles.

Despite our love for the saying “what a man can do, a woman can do better,” it is not every government office, or  workplace that women are allowed to occupy, so there should be functioning laws that will enforce equality.

It shouldn’t be only men that will be running helter-skelter for the progress of the family and the society at large. Men fail in many big positions too, solely because they  do not see  from the prism of a  woman. And when they do so and fail, they begin to cry and people call them weak.Labelling people weak after the pain they have gone through even make some of them commit suicide.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported about 5,110 suicide cases for men in 2019.

Frankly, it is not every parent that wishes to raise  male children in a hard way,  but poverty is the cause. Parents work because of their children, so being financially stable will ensure they spend their money on them instead of leaving them to battle on their own , as is it common in our society.

Parents should raise men  reasonably; women as well.

They should jettison every act of gender imbalance. Females should be brought up the same way with males.

This will eradicate toxic gender culture, gender discrimination, imbalance or inequality.

• Abdulrasheed is a student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS).

Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has urged universities to engage in research that are capable of solving problems. She said her office was  ready to fund them.

She was the keynote speaker at the Fourth Research and Innovation Fair organised by the Lagos State University(LASU), Ojo, at its main campus.

Theme of the fair was: “Repositioning the Nigerian university system for global relevance and competitiveness in learning, research, innovation and technological transfer.”

Mrs Orelope-Adefulire noted that there were many problems afflicting the nation, hence, universities should  be at the forefront of solving them and with LASU taking the lead.

She said research and innovation were vital  to building  a prosperous and  sustainable society.

She praised LASU for organising the fair,noting that  the theme was in line with some Sustainable Development Goals,  particularly that of four, which targets inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of life-long learning opportunities.

The former Lagos Deputy Governor stressed the importance of  qualitative and inclusive education as a tool for achieving sustainable livelihood and economic prosperity.

“This is because the role of universities is very important to all sectors of human endeavours, from social, economic, environmental, legal to all others,” she said.

Mrs Orelope-Adefulire, who said her office’s target is to train up to 1.2 million youths on various skills and also move a significant number of out-of-school children off the streets,  noted that the country needed to reposition its universities. She also announced her donation of a 750-capacity seater hall for LASU.

Guest speaker and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Olufemi Bamiro, stressed the need for the university students and lecturers either as an individual or groups to scale up engagements in cutting-edge research projects that would  impact the society.

He tasked Nigerians to seek viable solutions to make the country advance rather than  complain.

He said information and communication technology (ICT) had created revolution in all spheres of human endeavour, hence, it is important for the  academic community to play vital roles.  Bamiro urged the government to task  universities in providing solutions to specific societal problems. He advised  universities to partner  with government and industries to produce high-quality manpower and value-adding  multi-disciplinary research.

Vice Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello,  decried poor global ranking of universities, stressing the need to reposition them.

She said programmes such as research and innovation fairs just like the one organised by LASU could help universities to perform their roles effectively.

She said LASU was committed to  research and innovation, hence, it instituted N5million research grant  for researchers.

Salawudeen Alade, a 400-Level Linguistics and Languages student at Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State (FUOYE), made history at the weekend to become the first student to be elected an executive member  of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

He was elected at the just-concluded convention and election, which held at the Old Parade ground, Abuja.

Alade could not hide his  excitement for being the first NANS executive in his school.

He said: “I feel honoured and happy to be the one making this mark.”

The 400-Level student of Linguistics and Languages said he would tackle the issue of transportation in Ekiti and Oye-Ekiti. He also promised to give back to FUOYE.

Public Relations Officer of  Student Union Government, FUOYE, Adedokun Abdul-Qayyum Abolore, was  delighted at  Alade’s  election victory, saying:  “FUOYE has one of the best students leadership structure in the country.

He said: “With this latest achievement, it shows we have a  set of intellectual students in the school and having an executive at the apex level of NANS shows that the students structure in FUOYE will surely be more committed to welfare.”

“I feel excited, because the struggle was not so easy. Should we talk about the challenges we faced during the campaign ? Nevertheless, we thank God we eventually triumphed.”

Students at Abraham Adesanya polytechnic (AAPOLY), Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, have  elected student leaders who will steer the affairs of the 2022/2023 academic year.

The last student union election was held on  April 2, last year, and executives subsequently graduated last December 8, leaving the office empty, with management refusing to hold elections.

In what turned out to be low participation, 896 students determined the fate of aspirants vying for different positions.

Abdul-Azeez Olawale of Mass Communication Department garnered 510 votes at the poll to defeat  his opponent Abe John who had 377 votes.

CAMPUS LIFE gathered that Olawale had  an edge when his fellowcontestant, Toheeb Shittu, stepped down a few hours before the election.

Olawale’s victory at the poll makes it the first time a Mass Communication student will get to the top position of the student union government.Other elected executives include Kuforiji Agbolade – Vice President; Olaitan Ayomide – General Secretary;  Fetuga Ifeoluwa Stephen – Assistant General Secretary; and Otaniyi Fatima Ayodimeji –  Financial Secretary.

The inauguration of the new executives is scheduled for tomorrow at the institution’s main auditorium.

Meanwhile, departmental elections were concluded in various departments with new executives voted.

An Associate Professor of Chemistry Department, Pure and Applied Sciences, Landmark University,Omu Aran, Kwara State, Jumoke Iyinbor, has urged the Federal Government to provide an enabling environment for researchers. This,she said, would aid relevant research and lift the nation from poverty.

“When you invest in education, research and technology, you will able to move any nation from poverty to affluence,” she said.

She spoke with CAMPUS LIFE after bagging an Elsevier Award.

The Award is  organised by Times Higher Education, an international organisation that ranks universities according to their publications and impact on  society.

It is to recognise the impact made by researchers using the number of citations on their publications.There are two platforms to access the number of citations, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Iyinbor’s publication emerged as the most cited in Scopus.

Reacting to the award, she said: “I am grateful first to God Almighty. My article enjoyed so much citation, which means that people have been able to read it, consider it meaningful and refer to it. For me to have a publication that is meaningful to people and making impact, it makes me feel fulfilled. And this article is from my Ph.D work, showing that I may have done it locally but it has global recognition because people keep citing it worldwide.”

Iyinbor advised her researchers to domesticate their findings and research.

“I see some researchers trying to find a solution that someone is looking for in other nations. Address your own challenges.

My article brought out a simple thing, which is waste water. We realise that major industries around here dispose their waste water into the environment without treating it. They feel it is too expensive and need more expertise to carry out but we looked for a simple way to  treat this water. So my advise to researchers is to address their local problem and by that they can make global impact.”

Such is the depth and spread across all the campuses of the Lagos State University, LASU, where Prof Lateef Akanni Hussein, held sway as the sixth Vice-Chancellor from 2005 to 2011, that this tribute was to be authored jointly by two of us, colleagues at LASU, Dr Noheem Thanny and yours sincerely. Both of us and several others across the academic and non-academic staff of LASU have assorted, pleasant memories of the great soul and now feel heavily indebted to Prof Hussein’s fairness in university administration.

Hussein’s death inflicted a deep gash on many of us. What a time to die for him? Many of our current students who never knew Hussein are currently being made to realize that there was a LASU where sanity was ensured to prevail without agitation or any form of disturbance for peace on the campus. That assuring situation was programmed and derived from the conscious efforts of a committed scholar, a demonstrative moralist of no mean standing guided by his ultimate belief in justice as prescribed by Islamic philosophy.

The distinguished professor of Physics was highly contemptuous of secrecy and abhorred unfounded officialdom especially with matters deserving urgent attention. He was always quick to announce that no memo could suffer unnecessary delay on his desk even as final decisions on issues of general interest would not be hidden from anyone. He shocked the entire university community when he announced no fewer than some 60 secret bank accounts were being run for no clear reason.

He equally demystified the office he occupied often announcing that the VC’s job was one of the easiest in the system with memos passed up to him often requiring only “approved” or “not approved”. He repeatedly celebrated openly the fact that that he had a most uncommon privilege, which even the nation’s president didn’t have, of having two professors as deputies.

His argument was that these deputies were qualified to be VC as well. Indeed, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, one of them then, is the sitting VC. Olatunji-Bello is often in awe of her late boss whenever she has cause to refer to him, just like many of us, fellow Muslims, who will readily volunteer to pray for his soul as regularly as possible on account of his indelible, good deeds. You are even tempted to even ask: What are those good things in LASU today that you cannot directly or indirectly trace to Hussein? Most conspicuous perhaps are the ubiquitous official Kia cars found all over the campuses even as the conspicuous greening of the campus took root in his days. We shall come back to Hussein’s midas touch on LASU later.

Hussein had both carrot and stick that he never hesitated to dispense. As soon as he assumed office he announced that he would do all humanly possible to be fair to all but that he would not hesitate to sanction whoever was found wanting. He began with punctuality at the university Senate meeting. You will need to work hard to be as businesslike as Hussein. Senate meetings, he insisted must be attractive to serious scholars and therefore shouldn’t exceed one hour. There was no moratorium on this and so a number of ‘old-order’ professors were alerted to the new sheriff in town the day he presided over the first senate meeting. They arrived 30 minutes after the meeting commenced but were politely turned back. The good thing was that some of them learnt the lesson fast and also passed it to the rest of us. Yet, to give utmost prominence to his treasured attitude to work, the punctuality master procured several boards hanged on all blocks on the campus with the simple message: “Punctuality is the soul of business”.

Hussein’s welfare regime was so endearing that it disarmed even his adversaries some of who, in their incurable bigotry, labeled him Taliban, just because, like every other tendency he had or perceived to have, he was unapologetic with his muslim identity.
Some contemporary university staff in Nigeria will find it hard to believe that Hussein pressed for and paid LASU staff’s entitlements with regards to excess workloads and related matters, without any agitation. He became the strongest reminder to me of my late secondary school principal at Ede Muslim Grammar School, of blessed memory, Mr Babatunde Olatunji, often proudly pontificating that he would either run a first-class school or none at all. Hussein left no one unconvinced that he didn’t beg for the VC job and that the government of Lagos State would only earn itself honour by acquiescing to his official requests for the good of lASU.

Holder of a First-Class degree in Physics from Nigeria’s premier university, UI and an avowed believer in the university tradition combined with his own ingenuity as an administrator, one of the most enduring components of his legacy in LASU manifested in fair recruitment regime opening doors to academics of Lagos State origin and others alike without undue interference. Yet he was most prompt with payment of salaries, a most distinct departure from the practice of the immediate past, inept leadership.
Hussein wasn’t any less focused on students’ wellbeing. For the first time in the history of the university he started the university scholarship award scheme. Students whose performance were form second class upper upwards were granted tuition waiver and even got paid as much as whopping N250,000 as book allowance. Those were the ones referred to as university scholars and at least three of such have since joined us, their teachers, as colleagues at the School of Communication of the university.

Genuinely committed to cultivating and nurturing world class inspiration for LASU students, Hussein’s tenure remains the one to be beaten in exposing LASU students to international engagements and also enabling them to appreciate their teachers with varying international exposure. Interestingly, Hussein earned as much as he also spent with his ingenuity and a most inspiring approach to cultivating and nurturing internally generated revenue for the university. The vibrant part-time services he ran has been the most creative and the most robust in the history of the university. With accountability almost at perfection, lack of funds no longer constituted any serious challenge for basic services within the university. Budget tradition thus became meaningful with academic departments and others being encouraged to ensure that their needs were duly documented in their budgets which they were also made to defend. All the official Kia cars and a few Chevrollete owned till date by academic departments and others in LASU till; date were bought by the Hussein’s administration.
Hussein who taught 100 Level courses even as the numero uno officer of the university subscribed substantially to mentoring and never hesitated to demonstrate it to the full admiration of the entire community.

Unfortunately, Hussein was too trusting with some of his appointees who tragically did him in with their own greed and arrogance sharply contrasting to the philosophy of Hussein’s patriotic intervention as Omo Eko Pataki. What resulted turned out to confirm the Shakespearian assertion in Macbeth that “The love that follows us is sometime our trouble which we still thank as love”. The inevitable imperfections notwithstanding, Hussein’s unwaivering sincerity and commitment to quality scholarship, patriotism and good governance remain indomitably outstanding till date in LASU. May his beautiful soul rest in peace eternal in Aljannah Firdaus. Ameen thuma amen.

• Tunde Akanni, Acting Head of Journalism Dept doubles as pioneer director of the university’s Digital Media Research Centre, DMRC. Follow him via: tundeakanni.com and @AkintundeAkanni(Twitter)

Factional President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Umar Farouk has called on the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to immediately resolve the ongoing strike or face mass action from students.

The students’ body also vowed to occupy the Federal Ministry of Education if the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu failed to resolve the strike.

Farouk stated this on Thursday while addressing reporters in Abuja.

NANS held its election recently and two factional presidents emerged, one led by Lawal and the other by Usman Umar.

Farouk said: “That Federal Government through the Ministry of Education should within a few working days resolve the lingering ASUU Strike.

“As we shall mobilise our students towards occupying the ministry of education until our demands are met.”

He also demanded that the federal government should set visitation panels to address issues of all politically expelled and rusticated students while calling on stakeholders to ensure education was given the desired attention by an increment of budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education in order to meet up with the UNESCO threshold.

Read Also: NANS gets new officers, warns impostors

He added: “The lingering fuel crises is not to be swept away easily as it keeps affecting the economic posture of Nigeria which is visible in the attendant hike in the price of, transportation, foodstuff, goods and services therefore a lasting solution is thereby required for our economy to grow and for our nation to thrive in Prosperity.

“There is rising unemployment that has affected the growth and development of the Nigerian economy thus it becomes important that the government creates a conducive environment.”

On February 14, ASUU declared a one-month warning strike that soon escalated into a full-blown strike.

The strike, which has kept public universities shut and academic activities grounded and students and Nigerians bewildered, is in its sixth month, with no end in sight.

The strike by the union entered its 207 day Today (Friday).

Some of the demands of the union included: funding for revitalisation of public universities; payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA)/Earned Allowances (EA); payment of salary shortfalls; stop the proliferation of state universities by governors; setting up of Visitation Panels.

Others are: renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement; adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a payment platform for university lecturers and payment of withheld salaries and non-remittance of check–off dues.

It was a joyous time for Nigerian Model High School Old Student Association (NIMOSA) as its 2002 set celebrated 20 years of leaving school in Lagos.

In his welcome address, Chairman of the planning committee, Mr Adebowale Adeyemi, who was the library prefect, thanked God for keeping them alive, though few among them had passed on.
He also used the occasion to honour them.

He said: “We all know why we are here. We are here to celebrate each other. For the past 20 years, many of us have had children who have completed their secondary school education. While some have children who are in the higher institutions. That’s why we deem it fit to celebrate ourselves. Many of us too have left this place. But we still thank God that anytime we call for one programme or the other we do see each other.”

He also stressed the need to have executives to properly administer the association.

“Again, another reason we are here also is for us to have executives for NIMOSA 2002. This will include the president, the vice president, secretary and so on. It is not very easy for two or three people only to be running such an online platform. There will be a proper election to choose them. By the time we do that it will be easy to run such platform,” he said.

Read Also:LASUSTECH students to Sanwo-Olu: fulfill your promises

The old students were delighted at reuniting after so many years. They stressed the need to assist each other.

Time keeper of the set, Mr. Peter Olatunji called for diligence and focus in their endeavours, saying better days were ahead of them.

He said: “I thank God for his grace over everybody’s life. I feel so excited to be here today. 20 years back and seeing ourselves today is a great joy. It is by God’s grace that we are celebrating 20 years of leaving senior secondary school.

“We should be focused on whatever we are doing in life, because I believe greater future is ahead of us. I also wish everybody well today. In all our endeavours, we should try as much as possible to keep doing well, keep influencing others positively.

Assembly prefect of the set, Mr. Oluwaseun Adegboyega, urged everyone to come together to share their problems and create unity.

” It is important for us to keep in touch regularly. If anyone has a problem, we should share it with each other. This is because a problem shared is a problem half-solved. You cannot solve the problem alone because no one is an island. We should unite to grow. No one can grow alone, you need to grow with people,” he said.