Category: Campus Life

Authorities of the First Technical University, Ibadan, have not yet released the cut-off mark for admissions into the 2022/2023 session.

The university authority has thus refuted recent false reports circulating in some online media indicating the announcement of such a fictitious grade.

A statement  from the Public Relations Officer, Akeem Lasisi, quoted the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adesola Ajayi, as describing the publication as “hasty, speculative and unfounded.”

“Admission is still on at the First Technical University, Ibadan. But we have yet to announce our cut-off mark. We will, as usual, do so on our official website and other verified channels as soon as time is ripe.

“The university appreciates the fact that, due to its stable, uninterrupted academic calendar, as well as the growing reputation of Tech-U on the national academic landscape, more parents, students and other stakeholders are eager to connect with us. Tech-U, however, implores all interested applicants to please be patient for due admission process,” the Vice Chancellor said.

He affirmed that Tech-U had not announced the cut-off mark and any information contrary to this should be disregarded.

Within the five years of its coming on stream, the First Technical University, Ibadan, has grown into reckoning, grooming total graduates who are academically, vocationally, entrepreneurially and communicationally ready to uplift the national economy.

The institution with its  stable academic calendar and highly-digitised operations graduated its first set of students as and when due in March 2022. Their matriculation was in 2017. Twelve of its graduates who made First Class were also  offered automatic employment and an opportunity to pursue their Master’s programmes abroad.

Lagos State University (LASU) has employed a new security outfit to provide adequate security on  campus for staff and students.

This was made known in a statement by the management.

It also allayed fears of other security personnel, assuring them that their jobs were not at stake.

The statement reads: “Following a meeting between the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) Executives and the Lagos State University management on the recent appointment of a security outfit to beef up security on the university campus, management wishes to sensitise members of staff and students about the presence of the security personnel on the campus and assure members of staff in the security department that their jobs are not threatened in any way.

“The  appointment of new security personnel is on contract; members of staff in the security department of the University should not entertain any fear whatsoever about job loss;

“The personnel are employed to improve efficiency in the security service within the university; therefore, every member of staff should further feel secure in their presence.

“The security personnel is expected to complement the efforts of the university security department given emerging security issues.”

Meanwhile, the institution has partnered the Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, (HITS), India, to commence some exchange programmes. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to that effect last week.

The MoU signing was led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Adenike Boyo, and Prof. Selvamuthu Krishnan, Director of Sports at the HITS, at a brief ceremony on campus.

According to  the MoU, areas of partnership include any programme offered by LASU and HITS, deemed to   aid the development of the two institutions with special focus on collaborative programmes, exchange of faculty members/research scholars, exchange of students, academic information, joint research and cultural programmes, among others.

The VC expressed optimism on the success of the collaboration, adding  that the partnership would be beneficial to  both parties.

A member of the HITS team,  Dr Samuel Olalekan Adeyeye,  who facilitated the collaboration, said LASU was selected for being one of the best institutions in Nigeria and one of those offering Aeronautical Engineering.

The collaboration is expected to run for five years renewable by another five.

Vote-buying  is a form of sabotage to the conduct of elections in the country.

It did not start today.It occurred  during the Social Democratic Party presidential primary held in Jos in 1992. It was one of the justifications used by former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to annul the  June 12, 1993 presidential election.

If the  election that’s inarguably the freest, fairest and the most credible in the history of Nigeria could be alleged to have been monetised, then  what can one say of the elections that were conducted afterwards? However, this is not to say money and politics are separable, but following what the laws say on electoral spending should be encouraged by all.

Vote-buying took another dimension after the return to democracy in May 1999, from voters, joyously taking pictures and making videos showing themselves while they collected money and food  from aspirants and party candidates, and publicly demanding that their right(bribes) be paid before voting.

It is as if there is no law against vote-buying whereas the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is clear enough about its prohibition in article 130 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, which states that:

A person who — (a) corruptly by himself or by any other person at any time after the date of an election has been announced, directly or indirectly gives or provides or pays money to or for any person for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting at such election, or on account of such person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting at such election, or (b) being a voter, corruptly accepts or takes money or any other inducement during any of the period stated in paragraph (a) of this section, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.

Voters and vote buyers despite the aforementioned, fail to refrain from buying and selling votes. Nonetheless,  Nigeria  is not the only country in the world that uses either food or money to influence  voters as countries such as Great Britain, Argentina, India and the United States of America also influence voters to earn their votes.

A typical example is the election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, however, it was  not as awful as the one in Nigeria.

One of the implications of vote-buying is that it legitimises corruption and embezzlement of government funds which, in turn, result in the people living in abject poverty and deplorable conditions.

A report by the World Bank noted that the number of poor persons in Nigeria will rise to 95.1 this year. The number of poor people was 89.0 million in 2020. This would mean that 6.1 million more persons would have fallen beneath the poverty line between 2020 and this year, a 6.7 per cent increase.

A political office holder who  paid his way through to office cannot afford not to recoup all the money invested during the nomination of candidates, party-primary elections and campaigns. It is business afterall and the primary aim of any businessman is to make a profit, which on the other hand, hinders good governance and dividends of democracy.

Vote-buying is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian polity making the illegal look legal. The electoral spending law could not  stop the two big political parties(Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress) from spending more than the stipulated money in 2015 and 2019 respectively. As the 2023 presidential election approaches, there is a need for us to sensitise the public, especially at the moment,  to desist from selling their votes for money or food.

The media and civil society organisations should intensify voter education and enlightenment campaigns on the negative impact of vote-buying, especially on how it  promotes political corruption and undermines good governance. Although vote-buying and selling in Nigeria are prohibited, the business goes on unchallenged.

Government  should strengthen the police and other law enforcers so that they will be able to arrest lawbreaker(s) and take them to court if found guilty.

The Federal  Government should also sensitise the police and the other law enforcers about the negative effects of allowing party supporters  share money at  polling stations.

The police should be aware  that electoral corruption is not specified to only when an individual snatches  ballot box(es), but also buying and selling of votes at the polling stations is frowned at by the Nigerian electoral law and it is  punishable by law.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has partnered with PressPayNg to develop a digital platform for young Nigerians to fund their tertiary education fees through target savings, scholarships, loans and crowdfunding.

The platform is expected to help over 1,500,000 million young Nigerians in the next three years to actualise their higher education dreams with less stress.

The convenient digital platform provides a transparent process where students/parents on their own can save towards paying for school fees.

In addition, individual philanthropists, corporate organisations and multilateral agencies can fund students through scholarships and grants.

Lenders, including FCMB, can also use it to provide funding and crowdfunding support to undergraduates.

The platform is a value proposition that will make higher education accessible to young Nigerians, reduce the dropout rate and ultimately boost human capital development in the country.

In addition, the student loan product will ease the financial challenges faced by parents, guardians and families trying to provide better education for their children and wards.

Speaking at a ceremony to launch the product in Lagos, the Managing Director of FCMB, Mrs Yemisi Edun, described it as the key that will unlock uninhibited access to quality education for young Nigerians from all walks of life.

She said: “We are proud to play another vital role in promoting education in Nigeria. Education is a critical resource for meeting the manpower requirement for national development. However, this resource has continued to be limited by the inability of most parents and youths to secure the necessary financial support to enrol in higher institutions and graduate successfully.

“As a responsive and caring institution, we are excited to partner PressPayNig to solve this difficulty by offering existing and prospective students a convenient platform and clear pathway to pursue their dreams in universities, polytechnics, and education colleges. Beyond the funding opportunities of this Tertiary Education Savings & Loans digital product, beneficiaries also have the privilege to secure holiday jobs, which will provide additional financial support and build their capacity. We are committed to helping students, parents, customers, and Nigerians succeed without any limitation”.

The Chief Executive Officer of PressPayNg, Mr Abiola Metilelu, said: “There is intensifying demand for expanded access to good quality tertiary education. This education savings and loan product from PressPayNg and FCMB is targeted at all levels of tertiary education in Nigeria. It will increase enrolment and retention rate, promote institutional diversification, strengthen the quality and relevance of tertiary education, and offer greater equity mechanisms to assist disadvantaged students.

“The corporate objective for PressPayNg is to empower the ambition of every Nigerian to become educated and flatten the curve of tertiary education dropouts by offering disruptive, innovative, and creative solutions. This partnership has given birth to a Silverbullet Solution, an idea whose time has come. Our message to parents, guardians, and students in tertiary institutions across the country is that with PressPayNg, you can dream again”.

Over the years, FCMB has reached out to over 100,000 Nigerians who desire higher education within and outside Nigeria through its Education Advisory Services.

In addition, the Bank’s Education Investment Plan (EIP) product offers loan support, counselling on admission processes, facilitation of school fees remittances and discounted student airline travel packages for a child’s education abroad.

With the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike still on, it is imperative for the government to address the challenges threatening education. Public universities are in dire need of infrastructure uplift. This not only impedes learning, but also discourages students.

Even after ASUU calls off its strike, observers say that the challenges of the education sector cannot be solved overnight.

Concerns  have  been raised and some students are  discouraged they would return to the same old cramped lecture halls and hostels. The problem of inadequate lecture rooms  and hostels has been existing before now.

A student, who expressed her displeasure on the inadequacy of learning spaces, said: “In my school,  lecture rooms are inadequate. They are too small to accommodate students, so   you find students cramped and some hanging outside the window during a lecture and  there are no   functional audio systems. When lectures are on, only those at the front can hear. There is also  no proper ventilation for the large number of students.”

This kind of situation causes  inconveniences, lack of concentration and discomfort.

A University of Benin student spoke about her lecture room experience — “Lecture rooms are totally not conducive from my experience. First of all, the issue of low  number of seats. Most times, the number of seats in a class is less than the number of students which makes students squeeze themselves into desks causing inconvenience. This particular situation also fosters rowdiness and lack of concentration.”

School authorities really need to upgrade lecture rooms. There are inadequate numbers of seats and this can be very annoying. Many  have to stand  during lectures, sit on the floor and strain their  ears.

There  should be an expansion  of  classrooms to fit the number of students that are taking lectures, provision of  a good sound system for everyone to listen to lectures.

Poor accommodation also hinders learning. Hostels provided  in public universities are  not  proportional to the number of students admitted. This is a great challenge that needs urgent attention. As this issue is   commonly associated with public universities, a larger percentage of  students are from homes that are not financially buoyant to seek accommodation off-campus due to the exorbitant prices.

Therefore, the in-campus accommodation is preferable and more affordable. However,  where there is  lack of adequate accommodation on campuses,  overpopulation becomes the order of the day.

First, this is a threat to healthy living. If  students cannot afford other   accommodation spaces, they are left with no other options than being cramped up  in school hostels.

Staying off campus is better because you can choose a place of your taste or even have your   own apartment, but it is expensive and most people can’t afford it.

School hostels should be  better because some people are forced to stay off campus not totally out of choice but, due to the poor  conditions of school hostels.  Also there  should be  more hostels to avoid squatting.

• Ojoye-Kehinde is Lagos-based Corps member.

Acting Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu, Lagos, Dr. Oluremi Olaleye, has said the institution is committed to the development and welfare of students through scholarships and library upgrade, among others.

Olaleye said the institution had scholarship awards for outstanding students to encourage them and boost their academics.

He spoke at a briefing on campus last week.

He said: “The scholarships are Tokunbo Abiru Scholarship, Eko Club scholarship, Southwest Games Scholarship and Badminton Games Scholarship to insurance students.

“In the last 18 months, the school has spent over 100 million in the development of its library.

“We also illuminated the campus with solar system with over 200 solar lights, and currently are upgrading students’ accommodation facilities through the support of the government.’’

Olaleye said his administration had built an information-driven institution by creating internet facilities for online distance learning, interconnectivity of administrative services, e-library and digitisation of lectures.

“This achievement is one of the nine-point agenda created for us to be globally-ranked the best polytechnic then.

“We were able to do that through the provision of internet by the management and support of council, which provided 512 megabytes internet.

“Other provision includes 50 megabytes bandwidth internet sponsored by Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, and 25 megabytes bandwidth by Nigeria Communication Commissions (NCC),” he added.

He noted the institution admitted about 800 students into its open, distance and flexible e-learning programmes before transmuting into a university.

“Within the past 18 months, we were able to achieve a nine-point agenda which includes students’ welfare, staff welfare, infrastructure development, increased internally-generated revenue. “Others are ICT development, partnering with developers all over the world, special interest in agriculture, research and innovations,”he said.

In February, the institution, formerly Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), was upgraded to a university, Lagos  State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH).

Vice Chancellor,  Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State,  Prof. Ademola Tayo has charged newly-admitted students to advance frontiers of national development and reshape the world for the good of humanity.

He spoke on Monday at the institution’s 23rd matriculation ceremony  held on campus.

The VC  urged the  3,139 matriculants  to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the university to be their best and live their dreams.

He said: “March through life with the power and audacity to advance the frontiers of national development. The world is in a mess today and you are one of the rare gems who will fix the rut through your sound academic, moral and spiritual touch.”

Tayo said the university’s faculty members and facilities were among the best in the country that can give them  quality education.

He urged the students  to look into the future and see themselves as part of the tool that would reshape the world for the good of the  common  man.

The VC noted   that education in Babcock deals with not just the learning of facts, but also of training the mind to think with a view to applying knowledge to solve social problems.

“You are today being matriculated into a functional education that equips you in intelligence and character to be locally relevant and globally influential,” he said.

Tayo, who  congratulated both parents and students,  reminded them that their choice of the institution was an acceptance  to be part of a network of scholars determined  to transform lives through quality education of the minds and hearts.

“We entreat our valued dear parents and guardians to cooperate with the university to make our campus a peaceful and safe environment for them to attain greater heights,” he said.

He pledged the  university administration’s  commitment to making  the institution  competitive for the enrolment of quality students and recruitment of high performing staff and faculty that are benchmarked with the best globally.

Highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of award of recognition to Ikonwot Ezekiel Uduak with the highest score of 325 in 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), among those who applied to the  university; Adebawojo Mosopefoluwa with the highest score of 15 points in Babcock University 2021 Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board(JUPEB)  programme and Okubote Ifeoluwa with the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of  5 .00 in Babcock University 2021 Pre-degree programme.

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board ,JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede was represented at the ceremony by the Ogun State coordinator of the the board, Alhaji Abdulkareem Balogun.

We live in a fast-changing world and are plagued by a myriad of challenges. These include juvenile delinquency, youth engagement in  criminal activities, human trafficking and insecurity.

What  future  for us? We only have today, tomorrow is not certain. Thus, it is highly beneficial for every human being in life to make hay while the sun shines. The sun does not  shine all through the day. It has its own specific hours, once they elapse, it goes off.

We must, however, place premium on the development of youths. It would not be out of place to create something like  Youth Benefit Scheme, a development campaign that would  cater for all-round youth development. It would be dedicated to youths entirely, irrespective of tribe.

It should not be a campaign that  government would implement once and hands off. The idea should be implemented across the 36 states of the federation. It would ensure  the future of youths is guaranteed and protected.

In a nutshell, it should be a development plan aimed at improving the lives of youths. It would reduce poverty, accelerate smallscale enterprise and also ensure peace and security.

It would be in  four segments that are crucial to attaining sustainable youth development: Vocational training enrolment fees, tertiary institution first payment grant and final year student grant, capital for investment grant for skilled youth and unemployed graduate business grant.

Observers note that young people within 15 and 29 years are assets to a country’s development, thus, they should be empowered to realise their potential. They are bound to make a befitting change to the society and are crucial and valuable investment for today and tomorrow.

Thus, it is essential for government to think towards the direction of a youth development plan (Youth Benefit Scheme).

• Abdullahi is a student at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has accredited 49 courses at the  Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

CAMPUS LIFE gathered that the university put up 51 programmes for assessment.

The Faculty of Law received back-to-back full accreditation for its programmes, the first-ever in the university.

The Director, Directorate of Academic Planning, Mrs. Olanrewaju Olanrewaju-John, said this marked the best-ever performance by a Vice Chancellor in their first year in office.

She said: “The Department of Nursing received full accreditation for the first time ever. All programmes submitted in the College of Medicine received full accreditation for the first time. The Department of Pharmacology received full accreditation for its very first accreditation programme ever. All postgraduate programmes in the Postgraduate School presented received full accreditation.

“Also, programmes in the Faculty of Management Sciences put up for assessment were accredited.

“The African Centre of Excellence for STEM Education received full accreditation, among others,” she said.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, thanked the Lagos State Government led by Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the unflinching support it gave the university before and during the exercise.

She hailed members of the university management and other officials of the university for their hardwork and commitment, which made the exercise  successful.

Olatunji-Bello expressed confidence that the achievement would make the university rise in future rankings. She noted that her administration would ensure that 100 per cent of programmes were accredited in the next exercise.

The Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, Education District 2, Maryland, Lagos, Mrs. Anike Adekanye, has underscored the need to integrate technology into learning. This, she said, would ensure better outcomes.

Mrs Adekanye spoke at the District’s  16th Annual Merit Awards in Oriwu Senior Model College, Ikorodu.

Speaking on the theme of the event: “Technology and excellence in service  delivery”, she noted that technology  would make teaching effective when educators align it with the curriculum.

“This year’s theme is to further emphasise the significant position that technology occupies in excellent education service delivery and impactful learning. In itself, education technology doesn’t result in effective teaching and learning, it still requires a guide(educator) and a purpose (related to the curriculum).Our concerted efforts, carefully and methodically strategised  are required to integrate it effectively into the learning process,” she said.

The Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, who stated that the event was aimed at rewarding teachers, administrators and pupils, explained that with the positive achievements of its pupils,the  District had  changed the narrative of technology being a distraction by deploying it effectively in enhance learning.

” Our intentional efforts are transforming the perspective of technology from being a distraction to an effective teaching tool with the positive achievements of our pupils. We are making significant progress in using it to expand classroom boundaries for teachers and learners. Ultimately,it allows both educators and pupils to expand their horizons by extending learning beyond textbooks and lectures and connecting it to the real world,” she said.

She praised teachers and pupils for being pivotal to the District’s quest to raise the bar of performance towards the actualisation of the THEMES agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu despite the terrible effects of COVID-19.

On the achievements of the District, she said: “We achieved 100 per cent success in the Basic Education Certificate Examination and 72 per cent record in West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination. The District emerged the first and only one in Lagos to successfully defend the one-day Governor title as Oriwu Senior Model College, Igbogbo produced the winner of the 2021 Spelling Bee Competition,among others.”

Chairman Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State chapter, Mr. Hassan Akintoye stressed the need for security of pupils and citizens. He urged the government to tackle insecurity in the nation.

The event also featured presentation of plaques and gifts to outstanding teachers.