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  • Why I ventured into furniture making at 27 – Ifeyinwa Ighodalo

    Why I ventured into furniture making at 27 – Ifeyinwa Ighodalo

    Ifeyinwa Ighodalo is the Founder and CEO of DO.II, a foremost indigenous furniture manufacturing company. She is also one of the founding members and immediate past chairperson of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ). In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, she talks about her experience as a manufacturer, how she started as a Co-founder of Design Options, which metamorphosed into DO.II, 36 years ago at the age of 27, the opportunities in the sector, mentoring and more.

    WHAT is your typical week like?

    Typically, after a restful night, my morning routine involves quiet time, exercise and lots of water. Exercise, lasting from a few minutes to an hour, energises me and clears my head. As I start my day, even during workouts, I engage in work-related activities, responding to messages and handling calls. I aim to be at the office an hour or two before my first appointment, though my work location has shifted, with more focus on the retail store closer to me.

    My schedule includes bi-monthly management meetings where I oversee operations and ensure everything is running smoothly. While I used to personally meet clients at showrooms, I have delegated this responsibility to the sales and projects team, freeing me to work online from various locations. I maintain a healthy diet, waking up between 6 and 6:30 am and allowing an hour for exercise before starting my day.

    On a good day, I leave the office between 5:30pm and 6 pm. But this can extend to between 7:30pm and 9 pm on busier days with meetings or projects. Previously responsible for driving, my current focus is on overseeing finer details and ensuring everything is in order. My day varies, and early mornings provide a time for clear thinking and strategic planning without external interruptions.

    Let’s talk about your work-life balance…

    Since the beginning, I have acknowledged the inherent challenges of achieving work-life balance. At a WIMBIZ conference held at Landmark Hall, the keynote speaker aptly expressed that the concept of work-life balance is a fallacy; something inevitably has to be sacrificed. This resonated with me as I have observed that while some highly successful individuals may excel in their careers, their family lives may not reflect the same level of happiness. Conversely, those not faring well professionally may find solace and joy in their family lives. True success, then, lies in the ability to navigate both spheres, even if the balance is not perfect.

    One of the driving forces behind starting my own business was the aspiration to have control over my time. However, the reality is that there are occasions when one’s time is not entirely one’s own, especially when attending events that extend into the evenings. Despite these challenges, my family has always been my priority, and I am fortunate to have an extremely supportive husband.

    The pursuit of a good work-life balance necessitates careful consideration of the choice of spouse. The truly successful individuals are those who manage to succeed both in their home lives and careers, showcasing the importance of aligning priorities for a fulfilling life.

    For quite some time, there has been a narrative about the limited representation of women on the boards of organizations. Did you perceive it as a male-dominated world, and if so, have you noticed any significant changes over time?

    In our current society, we are still entrenched in a predominantly male-dominated world, and thanks to forums like WIMBIZ, the stark numbers highlight this reality. Women continue to grapple with issues of pay equality, representation on boards and the overarching challenge of achieving work-life balance. Middle management, while featuring a significant number of women, experiences a decline as career demands intensify. The challenges become apparent in personal experiences, such as a mother’s departure affecting a child more profoundly than a father’s. The importance of a supportive partner becomes evident in navigating these challenges.

    Success, for me, involves taking measured steps back at times to allow my husband the space he needs. It underscores the mutual support required in a partnership. This collaborative effort extends beyond individual relationships, with many men, including my husband, actively advocating for increased female representation on boards through partnerships with organisations like WIMBIZ.

    The benefits of having more women on boards are well-established – loyalty, hard work, and heightened intuition. While progress is evident, especially in Western societies, there is room for improvement in Africa, and initiatives like WIMBIZ play a crucial role in fostering gender equality.

    What are the challenges with regard to government’s policy?

     One of the primary challenges we face is the importation policy, which proves to be very challenging. While we strive to source most of our materials locally, there are instances where diversification becomes necessary. However, existing policies can hinder these efforts, and we call on the government to review and improve them. The fluctuating exchange rates further compound the issue, leading to increased material prices and causing frustration among clients who witness price changes within a short period.

    The power situation is another significant hurdle for business growth. As we expand, the need to generate our own power becomes apparent. The cost of diesel, a vital power source, is exorbitant and eats into our profits. The government’s involvement in supporting businesses, especially in addressing power challenges, is seemingly lacking.

     Education is a critical area that demands attention. While we contribute to creating value and employment, the weight of responsibility is significant, considering the impact on the people and families we support. Adequate support in terms of education and skill development is essential for sustainable growth. Infrastructure is another pressing concern. Poor road conditions extend the delivery time for goods, as exemplified by a five-day journey to Jigawa due to bad roads. The state of the Auchi-Benin Road in Edo State is deplorable, almost impassable. The inefficiency of the rail system for transportation exacerbates these challenges, raising questions about why it is not functioning optimally.

    How would you assess the broader societal impact of your company on Nigerian citizens over the years?

    Our presence as a business has become a source of inspiration for many. People observe that a woman can lead and run a successful enterprise, and this visibility is crucial. While we have men as part of our team, being women-owned and women-run sends a powerful message. The impact of our story is amplified with the help of the media, allowing us to share our journey and inspire other women.

     Let’s talk about life as an entrepreneur and how it all started.

    I founded Design Options 36 years ago at the age of 27. I had a partner and we were together for 25 years.  She had an illness but she is okay now. We thank God but the casualty of her illness was Design Options, having run a business and built it up into a household brand. It is basically the same company but half of the leadership was put aside. After starting from scratch at 27, I had to restart from scratch at 52. What helped me was that I had the support of the team and two of them are now directors of DO.II.

    I have always harboured a deep desire to contribute to Nigeria’s progress. Even from a young age, I aspired to empower people, generate employment and create substantial value. It was crystal clear to me that this was my calling. In the initial stages, I contemplated venturing into interior decoration. However, when people mistakenly label me as an interior designer, I correct them promptly. I am, in fact, a furniture manufacturer.

    Upon exploring interior design, I pursued formal education in the field. During this time, a crucial realisation struck me: even if I crafted exquisite designs for various spaces, a fundamental question lingered: where would the furniture come from? Importing for every office project wasn’t a sustainable solution. Consequently, I pivoted my focus and resolved to dive into the realm of furniture manufacturing. The decision to switch gears marked the beginning of my journey into creating tangible, locally produced goods. This shift aligned with my vision of fostering self-sufficiency and contributing to the growth of our nation. Through this venture, I aimed to not only fulfill the aesthetic aspects of design but also provide a sustainable source of locally crafted furniture for diverse projects.

    What motivated your decision to establish your own business?

    Upon relocating to Lagos from the East where my parents and I resided, I secured employment at a furniture company. At the age of 25 or 26, after just a year in that role, I made the pivotal decision to venture out on my own. Despite my father’s reservations and constant admonitions, I persevered, and today, I stand here, a testament to God’s grace with a compelling narrative to share. I co-founded Design Options with a partner, and through dedication and hard work, we transformed it into a household brand, synonymous with locally manufactured furniture of exceptionally high global standards. Our clientele included major banks, corporations and even individuals, with a foundation built on serving expatriates. The expatriate market, demanding high standards, played a crucial role in elevating our craftsmanship; a standard we have maintained by the grace of God.

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    Following the liquidation, from the ashes emerged D0.II, symbolising the second coming of Design Options. Madam Chi and Madam Blessing, two remarkable ladies who migrated with me from the early days, now serve as executive directors alongside others. While the production team, sales, and white-collar staff remain my truck driver from Design Options, though it’s time for retirement, still faithfully navigates the roads. This journey is not just about furniture; it’s a testament to resilience, growth and the unwavering commitment to maintaining and exceeding the high standards set from the beginning.

    Can you provide insight into the annual DO.II Big Black Friday sale that your company has been hosting for the past five or six years?

    Every year for the past five or six years, we have hosted the DO2 Big Black Friday sale; a significant event held every November on Black Friday. Despite the official Black Friday being later, we intentionally generate awareness and hype in advance. The journey of DO.II began in the old Design Options room at 29/2C Ajose Adeogun, and after a few years, we relocated to 62D Akin Adesola.

    Our first major milestone was moving from a 300-square-meter space to a 1400-square-meter

    showroom at 642D, a flagship branch with four floors. This showroom, the first of its kind in Nigeria, offers a diverse range of office furniture, home furniture and accessories, providing a comprehensive solution for all interior needs, including ceiling, window treatment and air conditioning. The expansion to our new location, with a showroom, factory, and warehouse, was not only strategic but also felt divinely guided.

    In the ever-evolving industry, we pondered the necessity of physical branches in an era where online furniture shopping prevails. However, circumstances led us to believe it was a divine intervention, urging us to continue on this path. While we may not have branches across Nigeria, our focus is on dominating the online market. This launch marks the beginning of our Black Friday sales at the new Ikeja Showroom.

    Although not the formal opening, it signifies our commitment to expanding strategically, possibly to two other states. For now, our primary goal is to face and dominate the online market, making our furniture accessible to a broader audience. Whether you visit the flagship store at 642D Akin Adesola or the new location at 100 Kudirat Abiola Way or shop online, our Black Friday sales promise an energetic and vibrant experience.

    How do you get the raw materials for your products?

    I am not certain if upholstery materials are currently manufactured or produced in Nigeria, and I’ll need to verify that. Examining our input materials, take the sofa for example, the frame and foam are sourced locally while the fabric is imported. Occasionally, we import high-quality veneer for certain aspects. This commitment to imported materials is driven by our dedication to achieving global standards. Our approach is not merely about assembling and putting furniture out there; it is about ensuring quality, meeting international benchmarks and maintaining a commitment to excellence.

    How do you perceive the free trade zone project for Africa?

    I believe it is a fantastic idea. But honestly, I am facing challenges securing it. As I mentioned, I had to restart after 25 years. Just when we were at the point of dealing with importation and expansion, unforeseen circumstances arose. It was a devastating setback. To put it in perspective, it is not like having a baby now and having another one later; it is akin to your 25-year-old child, and then you have to start from scratch. Even if it means adopting a one-year-old, you would do it. That is the current situation, and despite the hurdles, I sense progress.

    The initiative for trade is commendable, and I hope it serves its intended purpose with the necessary support. Initiatives like these, though beneficial, often face challenges when human factors come into play. It is crucial that we maintain the essence of such programmes and work collectively to overcome any obstacles that may arise.

    What proportion would you say is sourced locally and what percentage is imported?

    Approximately 80% of our materials are sourced locally, with only about 20% being imported, and in some cases, the local percentage may even be higher. Primarily, our fabrics are sourced locally, showcasing a commitment to supporting domestic industries. However, when it comes to

    manufacturing, especially considering the broader aspects of our company such as accessories, lamps, and decorations, a significant portion, around 95%, is imported. It is worth noting that while our home furniture meets global standards, we had to delve into importing office furniture to maintain market competitiveness due to certain components and machines not yet available locally.

    In the past, we have had instances where expatriates were impressed with our products. I vividly recall furnishing the home of an oil company MD’s wife, who, upon leaving Nigeria, took some of our furniture back to America to showcase its quality. Despite such successes, our focus remains on continuous improvement. Discussions about expanding our capabilities began earlier this year, but due to the challenges of the past months, we strategically paused to ensure a successful execution. The process of placing orders, getting the lights on, and initiating operations took nearly three months to complete.

    This year has been challenging for many with the exchange rate. How has this affected your business?

    The current situation affects us across board—our component input, raw materials, and the

    exchange rates are all impacted. Initially, I resisted changing prices, asserting that we wouldn’t increase them. However, we reached a point where I received frequent emails notifying me of rising costs for various materials like foam and spray materials for wooden products. These increases, sometimes by 100% or 200%, have been consistent for every single material. I have conveyed to my team the necessity of adjusting prices to reflect these changes, but there is hesitation, with reluctance to raise prices beyond 10% or 15%.

    The reality is that we are often selling at a loss, even with the advantage of a rush of customers who can no longer afford imported finished goods. Despite this, the purchasing power in Nigeria, especially in Lagos, is nearly non-existent. Basic needs like water, food and rent take precedence over non-essential items like furniture. However, I remain hopeful that, by God’s grace, this challenging period is leading us somewhere positive. The resilience of our team and the loyalty of our customers are key factors that keep us moving forward.

    Furthermore, what has been the driving force that has kept you going, overcoming challenges like the liquidation?

    Firstly, being a woman in this industry is noteworthy, and I often start my interviews by emphasising that aspect. I am the eldest of three children, the first girl with two younger brothers. In the Igbo culture, I am known as Ada Ada, signifying the leader’s daughter or the daughter’s daughter, as I am the first grandchild on both my father’s and mother’s sides. Interestingly, when I was born, my father, expecting a boy, was surprised to find out I was a girl. He raised me not strictly as a girl but as his first child, imparting business knowledge to me. My mother, with a firm hand, instilled discipline and resilience.

    Growing up in a family with a furniture company, I witnessed the challenges they faced with both imported and locally made products. One notable instance was when I addressed issues with the tailor making curtains for the company. After working with them for a while, I expressed my desire to study interior design abroad, but upon my return, I shifted my focus to furniture manufacturing.

    Despite my father’s initial skepticism, he supported my decision. Moving to Lagos to start my business, he insisted I get a job first, which I did for about a year before founding Design Options with a partner. My determination and ability to navigate challenges have been crucial to my journey.

     While the manufacturing aspect of the industry is more male-dominated, particularly in the manufacturing sector, interior designing sees a higher representation of females. However, for me, it was the manufacturing side that captured my interest and passion.

    What kept you going despite all the challenges?

    Passion is the driving force behind what I do. Between Design Options and DO.II, what kept me going during the liquidation phase was my commitment to my people. At the point of liquidation, we had nearly a hundred employees. Instead of taking a break for myself, I thought about their families and responsibilities. Even during the challenging period of liquidation, I ensured their last salaries were paid, and I provided stipends for training sessions. Divine intervention and the determination to restart guided us through this tough time.

    We organized training sessions for both white-collar and blue-collar staff, securing a space on the island. From April to June/July, our first job after the setback was a library project for Lagos Prep School in Ikoyi. Despite not having a physical company, we managed to pay salaries and secure additional projects. A client in Abuja entrusted us with furnishing a block of flats. With renewed momentum, we acquired a new factory, and from there, we continued to grow.

    During the liquidation, strategic decisions were made, and although we didn’t have a showroom initially, we eventually secured one in January. Our journey involved starting from the scratch and carving out a small space in the factory for photo shoots. By February, prayers were being offered, and despite a modest start, we steadily progressed. Today, we have outgrown our previous location, showcasing the resilience and progress of DO.II to the glory of God.

    Managing artisans or blue-collar staff can present challenges. Could you share insights into how you handle this aspect of your workforce?

    Handling artisans with an iron fist is how we manage our workforce. And while it is challenging, it remains a necessary approach. The primary issue we are facing with staff, and it is a nationwide concern, is the Japa Syndrome. This phenomenon affects the availability of skilled blue-collar workers. Production levels have seen a decline because apprentices require extensive training and supervision, unlike skilled artisans who can complete tasks efficiently. To address this, I am considering the establishment of a training school once the situation stabilises.

    Our country possesses intelligent and capable individuals, akin to diamonds in the rough. Refining and educating our workforce will be essential to unlock their full potential. The prevailing focus on money over value creation needs to shift. Dealing with blue-collar staff is undeniably tough, but we have dedicated individuals on our team. Two ladies handle critical aspects—one oversees the blue-collar staff while the other manages sales and projects. The showroom we’ve set up stands as a testament to the effectiveness of our training approach.

    In sourcing skilled labor, some individuals turn to artisans from Benin Republic and Togo. Have you ever considered exploring this avenue?

    We have a few. To be honest, I wouldn’t lie, the other West African countries—Ghana, Togo, Benin—are very skilled. Usually, craftsmanship is a handed-down skill. You do an apprenticeship, you learn from your master, and so the better your master, the better your skills, the better your intelligence, and your devotion to your skills, the better your skills. That even says a lot about Nigeria. Our West African brothers and their artisans are really skilled.

    The option I remember was our master upholstery which really helped with the standard; he was Ghanaian, and he was very good. Eventually, he left to set up his own business. With Nigerians, the ideal thing, that’s why I said a training school is to get them, get skilled masters and trainers from anywhere in the world, whether it is West Africa or Europe or Asia. Get them skilled masters and train them. But you know the problem, like somebody said, Nigerians are always in a hurry. Before they finish the training, they are gone. We’re in a hurry; we don’t wait to finish learning the skill.

  • How one-way driver killed my husband in US auto crash, by widow of RCCG Deacon

    How one-way driver killed my husband in US auto crash, by widow of RCCG Deacon

    • Life unfair to me at old age, septuagenarian mother laments

    The auto crash that  recently  claimed the life of a 48 -year-old  Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) deacon,  Olusola Joshua Sowole, who was also an employee of United Parcel Service (UPS) in Atlanta Georgia, United States has left the family devastated, reports Taiwo Abiodun, who visited the mother of the deceased in Colorado, Denver, USA.

    The sad news of Deacon Olusola Joshua Sowole  who died  in an auto crash recently in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, was shocking not only to his immediate  family members, the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG) members  in Atlanta Georgia and co- workers but also to his aged mother who was also in America preparing for  her birthday when tragedy struck.

    The deceased’s wife,  Rachel Bolade’s  voice was laden with emotion as she spoke with the reporter in cracking voice, saying the whole incident still appeared to her like a dream.

    Rachael said: ”I still cannot believe this tragedy. I was shocked  beyond words. I cried and cried but my  tears  could not  wake him up.

    ”He worked as a Safety and Compliance Specialist at UPS  and  went to work around 2:30 am.

    “I recall that on that fateful morning, I received a call at 5am from Grady Memorial Hospital that my husband was involved in a car accident.

    “On getting to the hospital, they broke the bad news to me.

    ”I saw his lifeless body lying as if he was asleep. His identity card was on him.

    “Even when the accident happened, his watch called 911. His watch also sent me  a text message which he saved as Emergency Contact.

    “His phone sent me a text message that he was involved in an accident, but I didn’t see the text until morning because I was sleeping when he left for work.”

    Asked whether she had any premonition of Sowole’s death, Rachel said she never had any

    Providing insight into what actually transpired, Rachael said ”it was reported that the other driver wrongly drove on one way on the highway, facing my late  husband who was rightly in his lane, and this led to a head-on collision. 

    “It happened between 3 am and 3:30 am.The remains of my late husband were interred in Resthaven of Memory, Decatur, Georgia.”

    Asked why they did not bring his remains back to Nigeria, she said ”there is no sense in taking his remains  home.” She also declined making any comment on the errant driver of the opposite vehicle, saying that the matter was being investigated by the police.

    She would also not comment on the possibility of her husband or the opposite driver being under the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred, saying: ”My husband had never smoked or taken alcohol since I knew him.

    “He was a Deacon in the Redeemed Christian  Church of God, FamilyPraise Chapel Decacur, Atlanta Georgia here.

    “He was a mentor to many, especially the Young  Excited  Soldiers (Y.E.S) youths and the young adults (Hydration team John 7;37)”

    The mother of the late Deacon, whose hair is as white as snow, was met by the reporter reading some marked  Bible passages from her Apple iPad in her bedroom. Her eyes were heavy.

    Intermittently, she heaved a heavy sigh, shook her head or soliloquize.

    She paused several times as she read the Bible verses aloud. The moment she sighted the reporter, she had removed her reading glasses and gazed at the wall.

    “You mean I would never see my son again? Is this how life is supposed to treat me? It is unfair to have this kind of experience in my old age.

    “I am in pains and total sorrow. Why did death not take me away instead of my son?” she sobbed.

    Her questions would not be answered by the wall while the reporter could only tell her to take heart and that God knows best. 

    Intermittently, her daughter, Abosede, and her husband, Dayo, whom she stayed with,  would come in to check on the distraught septuagenarian in her room and console her. 

    Abosede, elder sister to the deceased Deacon, said the news of her brother’s death was shocking. She said she had to call her pastor to help break the news to their mother,  who lives with her in Colorado.

    “I didn’t want an outsider to break the news to her so I called my pastor and some elders to come and talk to her. I even called those  who know our movement,” she said.

    Recalling some of their last moments together, the distraught mother of the late Deacon said: ”I called my late son on the 15th of August, we exchanged greetings and I asked after his welfare. We spoke till 10 o’ clock in the evening until my daughter came to me.

    “There are some of members of his church who always sent me gifts. So I asked after all his church members.

    ”I reminded him that they should not do anything elaborate for my birthday but to give me money to send to the needy in Nigeria.

    “I even called his wife and told her not to send anything to me in December, the Christmas period, but to send money to me to give to some Nigerians who are in need.

    “I don’t know why death did not take me in place of my son.”   

    On how she received the news of her son’s death, she said: “My son-inlaw, Dayo, came to me and asked what I would eat. When it was 9pm, he asked me to go in.

    “Later, they systematically seized my phone. Suddenly, I saw our church pastor  who came unannounced. Then many other people were coming in one after the other.

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    “I asked what was the matter, they then broke the ugly news to me. I am very very sad.”

    Born on December 11, 1974 into the family of Johnson Adeoye Sowole  and Cecelia Sowole in Ijebu-Isara, Ogun State, the late  Deacon was a Theatre Arts graduate of Lagos State University (LASU).

    He later relocated to Atlanta Georgia where he bagged his master’s in Business and Health Care Administration in South University in June, 2018. At the time of his passing, he was a Safety and Compliance Specialist at UPS in Atlanta Georgia.

    He was married to his heartthrob, Rachael, who had two boys for him.

    A church member, Temiloluwa  who does not want her surname in print, wrote: ”Pastor Joshua’s smile reached his eyes. There was something about him that quickly put people at ease. He got along so well with all age groups at church: the children, the teenagers and  the young  adults especially.

    “Most people would tell you about his warm hugs that gave comfort and encouragement. He was God’s planting at RCCG Family Praise Chapel, the father, mentor and role model that God used to inspire us all to good works.”

    Another Church member wrote in the tribute that Pastor Joshua was many  things rolled into one. “He was our youth pastor, which is why many of us call him Pastor Joshua; a dedicated worker, an organiser and a servant leader who impacted every area of this church.

    “But we in the drama ministry had the honour and privilege of knowing him as a creative person.

    “Pastor Joshua was anointed by God with many talents: he was an  actor, a director, a writer, a host/MC, a comedian, a dancer, a singer, a producer and a cinematographer.”

    A member of Hydration Department and one of his co-workers at UPS, Michelle (surname withheld), wrote: ”I am honoured to have met and worked with you at UPS  and I am saddened to hear of your passing. I will never forget how rewarding our conversations about Africa, God, work and society were, and I thank you for being both my brother and friend.

    “I will most definitely say your name when I journey to Africa. Rest on my brother.” 

    His elder sister, Abosede, described his brother as a special human being who was caring and loved everybody.

    She said: ”I will miss him, my family will miss him, the church will miss him. He was our family pillar. Our mother cries every day here in Colorado, and we always console her.

    “But what can we do? We cannot query God. He knows best.”

    Roland Ifedayo Kayode (JOKS), an in-law to the deceased, described the late Deacon as a man of impeccable character.

    He said: ”My late brother-in-law was a Deacon in RCCG. He used to come here to see her mother in Colorado. He called his mother on the phone almost every day while my wife, his sister, called him every day too.

    “I am completely down and confused as I ask myself why do good people die early?”

    In her tribute, Rachael, his wife, wrote: ”Hmmmmmmm. Olusola mi (my Olusola), I do not know how to write this, but I will try my best.

    “My dear husband, you left us unexpectedly after a ghastly car accident by a wrong-way driver. You were the only man I have ever known because when I met  you in 1999…… I knew I need not to look any further.

    “Thank you for  the brief time we spent together as a family. You showed me what true love meant. You would never say no whenever I asked you for anything.

    “Thank you for embedding such Godly principles into our boys….I remember my 40th birthday, how you celebrated my birthday for five days with different activities and unforgettable surprises.

    “Last week, you asked me what I wanted for our wedding anniversary on September 1… Sweetheart if tears could bring you back  you would have been back.

    “I love you more than words could express.You were the true definition of a complete man.You made marrying you a blliss.

     “Life can never be the same  without my loving husband, However, I take solace in knowing that you are in the bosom of the Lord.”      

  • Why I opted for male-dominated course – Oduduwa University best graduating student

    Why I opted for male-dominated course – Oduduwa University best graduating student

    It is rare to find females in the Computer Engineering industry. But in an instance of departure from the norm, Moshood Kausar, the best graduating student of Oduduwa University,  Ipetumodu, Osun  State, shares her story with GBENGA ADERANTI as to why she ventured into the field.

    HOW was your journey into Oduduwa University?

    My journey into OUI was quite unexpected, as attending a private university was never in my plans. Upon graduating from secondary school and waiting for acceptance from a Federal University, the process seemed to be taking longer than expected. One Sunday morning, my dad switched the TV channel to LTV, and an advertisement for ongoing admissions caught our attention. Jotting down the contact number displayed, we headed to Egbeda the next day to obtain the admission form. I took the screening test on a Thursday and received my admission letter, marking the beginning of my journey as a student at OUI.

    How many times did you do UTME and what were your scores?

    I took the UTME twice. The first attempt was during my SS2 year, resulting in a score of 245. The second attempt took place in my SS3 year, with a lower score of 205.

    At what point did you decide to opt for OUI?

    I chose to enroll at OUI primarily because it was a private university with tuition fees that were manageable for my parents. Additionally, I reached out to various students already studying at the university, and they all attested that the quality of education offered was very high.

    Why did you decide to opt for Computer Engineering?

    To be honest, I never initially considered studying Computer Engineering. When I visited the admission office, I inquired about the availability of Medicine or Nursing courses. However, as Nursing wasn’t offered at the time, I randomly selected Computer Engineering, considering my prior exposure to computer training. Little did I know that there was more to the field beyond my previous computer training experiences.

    What were the reactions of your friends and parents to your choice of course and school?

    My parents desired the best for me, and surprisingly, they did not express any complaints or objections. They believed it was my decision to make and wanted me to select a course in which I would excel, rather than one imposed on me by them.

    Computer Engineering is a field dominated by men. Why were you attracted to it and what can you do differently in the field?

    I believe the dominance of males in the field of Computer Engineering might stem from the perception that engineering, in general, is a demanding and challenging domain tailored for men. While I once shared this belief, I decided to take the initiative to delve deeper into the subject and challenge myself to understand its complexities, striving to prove that these stereotypes could be overcome.

    Were there sacrifices you had to make to emerge as the best graduating student?

    Emerging as the best graduating student was not a fleeting accomplishment but rather a five-year-long journey fueled by unwavering determination and passion. Inspired by the achievement of a lady who graduated from Afe Babalola University with a perfect CGPA of 5.0, I silently vowed to attain the same. Although I couldn’t reach that exact goal, I dedicated myself to each course, striving to push my limits and maintain exceptionally high standards throughout my academic journey.

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    During my time in school, my routine was structured around attending classes regularly, frequenting the library, and seeking additional guidance from my professors during their available hours whenever I faced challenges with specific topics, even after discussing them with my peers. I prioritised early morning studying as it was the time I found myself most receptive to learning. However, achieving this came at the cost of sacrificing my usual sleeping comfort. Waking up as early as 3 am every day was not an easy adjustment, but it ultimately proved to be a worthwhile sacrifice.

    What was your social life on campus like?

    My social life on campus was a harmonious blend of academic commitments and recreational activities. I frequently attended parties organised by the school, and I enjoyed embarking on food adventures with my friends. While I was actively involved in social gatherings, I also remained focused on maintaining a balance with my academic responsibilities.

    What were the challenges you encountered as an undergraduate?

    I would say my undergraduate years were relatively smooth, with minimal challenges, except for the time when my hostel teller went missing. It was a significant setback as I had to pay again, while the investigation into the missing teller took about six months. I am grateful to my roommate, Hafsat, for providing me with support and assistance during that trying period.

    What would you be telling other ladies, especially those who want to attain your kind of feat?

    My advice to other women would be to aim for the highest goals and never limit their potential. No course should be perceived as gender-specific. It’s crucial to continually challenge oneself to achieve excellence and ensure that your voice is heard. Be confident in who you are and what you can accomplish.

    Any regrets attending a private university?

    Absolutely not. I do not regret attending a private university. In fact, I am immensely grateful that I made the right decision by choosing a private university for my education.

    If you had not studied Computer Engineering, what other course would you have preferred and why?

    If I hadn’t pursued Computer Engineering, I would have opted for Nursing. My inclination towards caring for people and tending to their needs would have guided my choice in this field.

    What are your plans after  service year?

    My plan entails working in a tech company while simultaneously pursuing a Master’s degree in either Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning or Engineering Management. My goal is to delve deeper into the field of technology and contribute my expertise to further advancements in the industry.

  • Autonomous status granted Ahun-Ekiti well deserved – Oba Adelowo

    Autonomous status granted Ahun-Ekiti well deserved – Oba Adelowo

    October 12, 2023 made it a year since Oba Jacob Adelowo ascended the throne as the Alahun of Ahun-Ekiti, Efon Local Government Area, Ekiti State. Before ascending the throne, he had worked with the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State. In this interview with RASAQ IBRAHIM, he speaks about his journey to the throne and sundry issues.

    It is almost one year since you were officially recognised as the Alahun of Ahun-Ekiti. How would you describe your journey to the throne?

    Well, I can only thank God, because it is a 16-year battle. I also thank the Ekiti State Government which granted full autonomy to Ahun-Ekiti and recognised me as the paramount ruler of Ahun-Ekiti. The people of Efon Alaaye wanted to turn the issue to something like Ife and Modekeke. I almost lost my life to the struggle because it was a fierce one. There was a time I had eight cases in court, which were instituted by some ungodly and wicked people, who believed they had all in their hands to frustrate Ahun-Ekiti people’s agitations for autonomy.

    But it would seem that the leadership of Efon local Government Area has not been giving Ahun-Ekiti due recognition in spite of the autonomy granted to the town by the state government…

    I can boldly say the Alahun of Ahun-Ekiti has been attending the meeting of the majority Obas in Ekiti State without any obstruction, and I have been getting my salary promptly. My chiefs’ salaries have also been implemented even though the authorities of the local government still do not believe that there are two Obas in Efon local government area, because the money that is being given to a high chief in Efon Alaaye, which is 4%,  is being given to all the Ahun chiefs; both the high chiefs and the kingmakers.

    As I rightly said, you can see that the Chairman of Efon Local Government Council is not here despite the fact that a letter was written to him and an invitation was sent to him. The Chairman is still dealing with only the Alaaye in council and not the Obas in council, because for the past one year, no statutory meeting of Obas in council was held as it supposed to be and as it is done in other local governments.

    They prevent me from even knowing the allocation accruing to the council, not to talk of the 7% being appropriated for the Obas in council. So, I am only sent whatever they like. The local government authority has also been excluding me from attending government activities. They openly told me that the Kabiyesi Alaaye of Efon said they should not invite me to any occasion; that if such a thing happened, he would not attend. Since then, the chairman of the local government prefers inviting the Alaaye rather than me.

    In view of your alleged exclusion and non-recognition by the authorities of the Efon local government, what do you want the state government to do?

     I want the Ekiti State Government to please come to our rescue. Ahun community is being cheated and deprived of its rights. Despite the government pronouncement granting Ahun-Ekiti autonomy, it is quite disheartening that the authority of Efon Local Government Area has refused to give due recognition to me as a king in that local government. That is just my appeal to the government.

    What other areas do you want the Ekiti State Government to intervene?

    I want the local government to come to our aid in terms of amenities. There is no water despite the fact that the reservoir feeding Efon Alaaye is erected on Ahun land. Up until now, you cannot see tap water on our land. We only rely on stream water because there is nothing like pipe borne water and this usually causes diseases in the community.

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    The situation usually gets worse during dry the season because the stream water we rely on would dry up and there would be nothing for us to drink. We also need a functional health centre. There was a clinic at Ogbake, but immediately Ahun-Ekiti was pronounced autonomous community, the people of Efon Alaaye, through the instrumentality of people in government, relocated the health centre to one of the quarters in Efon for reasons best known to them.

    The people of Efon have kicked against the recognition of Ahun as autonomous town and your appointment as the king of the community, claiming that the matter is still pending at the Supreme Court. What is your take?

    It is a fallacy. Before you leave my palace, I will give you a letter that discharged me of the High Court matter. The issue of Supreme Court, only the government and the Obalu people were served; the Ahun-Ekiti was not served. I am supposed to drag them to court and institute a legal action for going public that I was involved. The parties to the case were five in number, and you cannot find the Ahun-Ekiti there.

    How true is the argument by Efon people that Ahun is a single family community and did not deserve the autonomy granted it by any measure?

    It is very wrong to say that Ahun did not deserve the autonomous status granted by the Ekiti State Government. Without any equivocation, we merited the recognition by all standards. We are the original owners of Efon Kingdom. I only accommodated the Efon Alaaye people. The Oloja Ahun was the first settler in Efon Kingdom, who came with royal insignia from Ile-Ife. The land at that time was virgin but full of animals, mainly buffalos. So, Alahun Mokamoye, been the first settler in Efon, had to contend with animals. It was later the Ogboni Aganji, who is now known as Obaloja, and several other traditional rulers came to Efon.

    The threat of the wild animals prompted the duo of Oluji Oba and Oisinkin Aaye to meet with Mokamoye to find a lasting solution to the animals’ threats. Mokamoye, a very powerful native leader, gathered the buffalos and marched them to Oke Ahun. So, many years after, people from Ipole Iraye, Ile-Ife came to the community, which was already in existence. When they arrived, Ijiemigun, a prince from Ile-Ife who stole a crown and ran to Ekiti land, sent one of his followers to trace the smoke he saw in the low land and to know the people living there. On his arrival, the person he saw was Oluji, who took him to Ogboni Aganju at his court yard and they later went to Oke Ahun to meet the Alahun Apakorowonuado, who reigned in the place of Mokamoye, who had joined his ancestors.

    In principle, Alahun Apakorowonuado refused Ijiemigun’s request because Alahun had foreseen what is happening today. But after several contacts and appeals, Ijiemigun promised to make covenant with Alahun and all items to be used were listed for Ijiemigun. They are my visitors, but it is pity that today a tenant wants to be a landlord.

    As at 1931, the Alaaye of Efon was not on the Obas list. It was the late Oba Adesoji Aderemi that made appeal that they should allow the Alaaye of Efon Alaaye to wear his crown as a descendant of the Oodua. But today, it’s pity he calls himself the Obalufon Alayemore, which is not founded in Ekiti.

    Ask them who named the place Itamesi and why the place is called Itamesi; why the Alaaye of Efon should not see Ahun masquerade and why Ahunn children shouldn’t off their caps and kneel down to talk when they get to Alaaye palace. At the demise of the first Alaaye, they appealed to Alahun to be coming for their burial. It was our masquerade who buried Kabiyesi Alaaye Aladegbemi. As at today, Alaaye has no palace. The owner of that place that they stay is Ogboni. The palace was the burial ground of Ogboni people. Somebody who says he came and formed Efon Alaaye. Is Efon Alaaye a company? Up till now, they have no palace.

    What are the historical ties between Ile-Ife and Ahun-Ekiti?

    Ahun-Ekiti people immigrated around 1050AD from the Ogboru Adimula Ooni Ilare Ruling House in Ile-Ife where the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, was born. To prove that there are existing strong ties between Ahun-Ekiti and Ile-Ife, three traditional rulers came from Ife and the Ogboru Ruling House sent a 39-member representative to attend my one year coronation anniversary.

  • Barbara Soky: How I survived challenges that come with fame

    Barbara Soky: How I survived challenges that come with fame

    It is exactly 30 years since one of Nigeria’s most sensational and celebrated TV soaps, Ripples, was rested. And one of the most glamorous and charismatic actresses on that show, Barbara Soky, has resurfaced after vanishing from the theatre scene for three decades. She speaks with Edozie Udeze about her odyssey and what she has chosen to do afresh now that she is back.

    In the late 1980s and well into the mid-1990s, there were but a few dazzling television shows that held Nigerian viewers spellbound. And there were also some actors and actresses who made those programmes delightful to teeming Nigerian viewers. Some of those soap operas were created essentially to keep Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) channels busy for the sake of promoting local contents. From The Village Headmaster, The New Masquerade and Tales by Moonlight to Inside-out and later Ripples, Nigerian artistes proved that acting was one of the best ways to keep the home together at TV prime times and hours.

    For some, the TV soap series called Ripples was one of those favourite programmes on NTA during those years. One of its most notable characters, one who interpreted her role with unbridled professional dexterity was Barbara Soky. An amazing and delectable lady of the tube, Barbara Soky used her role not only for effect but to attract attention to herself. She was indeed an enviable personality. She carried herself well on TV. She demonstrated to the full what is described in theatre parlance as being in character. In and out she was always in character, bristling in her role.

    But as soon as the soap was rested, she disappeared from the theatre scene entirely. Many who were aware and conscious of her professional antecedents began to wonder what went amiss. Even as the Nollyhood industry opened in earnest and began to blossom, Soky was yet nowhere to be found. Then when some of her old colleagues in the rested soaps like Insisde-out, Mirror in the Sun and Ripples started featuring in some Nigerian movies, Soky remained incommunicado.However, last week, at the National Theatre, Lagos, within the precincts of the National Troupe of Nigeria, this reporter chanced in on her. She sat quietly inside the hall while the rehearsals for the play called Fajuyi went on. She sat completely glued to the activities and movements of the artistes. You could see those serious and professional eyes of a keen and committed artiste. She smiled and grinned. Perhaps she was happy to be back; to join the train, this time, on stage.

    It took the intervention of Professor Ojo Bakare, who was directing the rehearsals, for the reporter to duly recognise her. But she smiled immediately, showing that impeccable showbiz posture of an artiste. Wearing a low cut hairstyle with her facial make-up still alluring, Soky agreed to grant a few minutes interview.

    Ironically, she was the first to ask the first question. “What do you want to know?” she asked. As she said so, her impulse rose as her quizzical gaze travelled well into time, probing. That usual effusive smile appeared on her lips.

    “Where have you been all these years?” was the question put to her.

    ‘No, I didn’t disappear. I just took a break. You see, I am not going to talk much.” Again that piercing voice that projected her far ahead of others boomed with authority. Her eyes glittered as if delivering one of her lines.

    “Okay, my career, right? Yes, Ripples is back now. We did a remix of Ripples. It is now showing on African Magic. This is happening after 30 years. Okay, you know when we started, Daphne Cole was a Barrister. But now she is a SAN. So that’s where we are. That is it for now.

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    “Ripples was a big break as it were. Like I said, I think it is a feat, you know. It is quite large, you know. This is the first time in Nigeria you have a series come back after 30 years, I suppose. So it is showing now on African Magic on Wednesdays for 9pm and on Saturdays for 5:30am.”

    But what did the break give you? What did you learn anew? The reporter asked. “Well, it was just personal. I just needed it for my own good, for my own sanity. I think it is worth it, yes. But I am passionate about theatre. And I think it is that passion that has been keeping me really. Anything I do, I am passionate about it.

    “When it comes to theatre, when it comes to acting, I am passionate about it. I give it all I have, all I am, the whole of me. Yes, theatre is in me.

    “Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it because financially I really have not made big bucks as it were, as I should. Yet the passion keeps me going, you know. I am just happy to be alive and healthy.

    And what was it like while she was busy ‘rippling’ Nigerians (laughs)?

    “Oh, well, even before then, there was Mirror in the Sun, there was Inside-out. I featured in Inside-out. That was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. When we started, it was NTV and not NTA as it is today.

    “So before Mirror in the Sun, in those areas like Benin, Aba, Port Harcourt, Warri, there was Inside-out. And in-between it, I did one other before we came to Lagos to do Mirror in the Sun, then other series and movies in-between.

    “Yes, being in the limelight has never been easy. Locally and internationally, it has not been easy. There has been a lot of pressure particularly when one is young and beautiful.

    “And if you don’t have grace and mercy, a lot of people have gone the wrong path. A lot of people have died of depression and frustration. A lot of people are no more in the picture due to all these.

    “Abroad it is different and here in Nigeria it is different also. A lot of people will come to you with different motives and intentions. So if you are not properly managed or if you do not manage yourself well and properly, it could be disastrous.”

    She went on: “But I thank God that somehow I survived the hurdles, the challenges that come with fame and popularity. I am a living witness. To God’s mercy and grace… in fact, I am a product of mercy and grace.

    “There were lots of challenges. Some have been very tough. But like I said, I know and I love my job. And again I guess there was a connection between me and the grace God has for me. I am just a woman working and trying to make a living. So there have been good times and bad times, you know.

    “Yes I am part of this Fajuyi production,” she replied to a question, immediately blinking her eyes. For one thing, Barbara’s voice is powerful, it penetrates; it registers. It is unmistakable, always evoking lots and lots of administration each time she pronounces a word and projects her message.

    “Yes, by the time Prof. comes back on Monday, I will know the very role I will play in the production. But for now, I think I will pair with Shodimu. I have done stage before at the National Theatre with the late Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi. So stage is not new to me. 

    “Yes, stage will now make me bubble. I am looking forward to it. Theatre is lovely; it is life because it is one-on-one. But TV it has to go on for editing. But on stage you can’t afford to mess up.”

    What then would she tell younger artistes?

    “Oh, they need to be encouraged. I was once young. They should know that life happens. Life is not always all about fame and stardom. They should know that life is real. It might not be as they want it because every young girl or boy looks forward to making it fast or, in their language, to blow.

    “But me as a parent I just wish them well, want them to be guided physically and spiritually. So let them come to terms with the realities of life. Most importantly also, to guide themselves against bad company.

    “You see, wrong association is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. I don’t even wish it for my worst enemy. Some of us have made the mistake of associating with wrong people. But God pulled us out. I am one of those people God pulled out.

    “Let young people learn from the experiences around them. What I do these days when I meet young people is to mentor them, advise them.

    “The words of our elders are always words of wisdom. There are lots of evil out there. These days some young ones try to influence themselves or even allow others to influence them wrongly. But in all these, young people have to take it easy while also trying to be careful.”

  • These Nigerian students built low-cost device to clean petrol-polluted water

    These Nigerian students built low-cost device to clean petrol-polluted water

    By Omolola Afolabi

    Nigerian students, Ayomide Obikoya and Kehinde Ajasa were just teenagers when they designed an experiment that got the attention of the organizers of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

    The teenagers, who were students of Jakande Estate High School, Lagos,  said the oil pollution in the district where their school is located inspired them to develop the water purifying system.

    Many underground water sources such as wells and boreholes in estates in Jakande and surrounding areas in Baruwa have been polluted by oil for decades. Residents and scientists have traced the problem to petrol leaks that happened in the 90s after vandals attacked oil pipelines located in a section of the community.

    Residents say the water contamination has affected their health.

    “We discovered that our classmates who lived in the area had to miss school because they contracted diseases and skin infections from the contaminated water,” Ajasa said.

    “Some of our teachers’ cars also had the paint peeling off due to constant washing with petroleum-polluted water,” he added.

    Ajasa said their science teacher encouraged them to put in their water purification chamber for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

    “Time constraints proved a big challenge as we had to juggle our regular schoolwork with laboratory experiments for about six hours daily,” Ajasa said.

    He noted that although they started with 10 students, some abandoned it along the way as they could not cope with the stress.

    He recalled that the team also needed a lot of guidance on the experiments as they were only taught theories in their previous classes but never practised them.

    “During the first stage of the experiment, after several hours of rigorous tests with moringa leaves, we discovered that it was moringa seeds, not the leaves that could remove microorganisms from the contaminated water,” Obikoya said.

    Obikoya said they were running low on cash to replace raw materials like activated charcoal, the purifying apparatus.

    Potable water in Lagos and Nigeria is a challenge.

    The water contamination in parts of Jakande and Baruwa mirrors the challenge of resident’s access to safe drinking water. According to UNICEF, about one-third, representing over 133 million people in Nigeria drink from contaminated water sources.

    The Experiment

    The students told The Nation that their school laboratory was poorly- equipped, and they had to build the purification apparatus at a neighbourhood carpenter’s workshop.

    “Although the final result appeared clean, it was still very polluted because we tested it with blue and red litmus paper (the most basic test) and discovered that the water was still not drinkable,” Ajasa explained.

    “We needed more than a litmus paper test to confirm it was pure”

    He told The Nation that a lecturer at the University of Lagos helped them verify their results.

    “Afterwards, the result came out with a pH of 7.1 or 7.2. We had to continually test and go back to UniLag. The university was accessible to us only because of our contact there, this is also the reason we were not asked to pay,”

    “The final step after this was distillation,” he said.

    Distillation is used to remove microorganisms and ensure that the water is safe for use. It was also difficult to get a distiller.

    “Our school had a distiller but it wasn’t working,” said Obikoya.

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    She added that the school’s electricity voltage was too low to power the distiller, so they had to build one with the help of a welder with recycled materials like aluminium.

    “It was however not a perfect distiller as the feature that converts vapour to liquid was not present,” said Obikoya.

    They improvised with an ice block to condense the vapour to water – a very slow and tedious process.

    How The Project Can Help Baruwa

    The students said their Natrifier can be made into smaller containers to help Baruwa residents filter their water on the go.

    “We thought that if phones could be made mobile, then we could imitate that to create a mobile filtration apparatus,” Ajasa said.

    “This would serve the entire Baruwa,” Obikoya added.

    They would have it replaced at it every four months.

    The student’s project is a temporary succour for Baruwa and its residents. The community yearns for a permanent solution to its water problem.

    Seeking Intervention for Two Decades

    James Oyewole, 85  said residents in Baruwa and Jakande environs have been writing to both Lagos and federal government officials to intervene and provide water for the community for more than 20 years.

    “NNPC eventually provided a borehole in 2002 but the community has never put this into use”, recalls Oyewole. He noted that the borehole was installed without a treatment unit.

    “The treatment plan comes with a borehole installation to ensure water coming from the underground water table gets completely purified before it comes out of the taps”

    He recalled that although the PPMC rose to the occasion of the oil leaks at its first detection in the late 90’s, there had been no changes.

    “After their intervention, the vandalised pipelines stopped leaking but the damage has been done as several barrels of oil has gone into the ground”

    Oyewole says the Petroleum Products Marketers Corporation has been very unresponsive for a long time and that after several promises, it’s been years since any effort has been made to help restore potable water to Baruwa.

    After several calls and emails to the corporation and the agency, the reporter also didn’t get a response.

    Oyewole said the contamination is spreading as residents from neighbouring estates have reported to him that water from their well smells of petrol.

    He noted that the Lagos State Water Corporation intervened by giving the community water for a couple of years, afterwards they stopped.

    “We contacted Lagos State Water Corporation. We took the samples to the corporation. They examined it and confirmed the pollution was caused by the PMS product of PPMC,” Oyewole said.

    “Everything is now at a standstill. Everyone is now unbothered, there has been no feedback from the government institutions we contacted”, he says.

    “Purification of the water is one of the ways to tackle this problem. Creating a system in which residents around the area will be able to afford portable water through the use of natural resources,” Obikoya said.

    The students know their experiment is a temporary fix. They hope someday, clean water will run through Baruwa and that their experiment will inspire other students to find solutions to their communities’ challenges.

    “The Mobile Natrifier we have created will fix these gaps by empowering families to purify their water on their own using the mobile water flask system. (Natrifier),” Obikoya emphasized.

  • ‘Why bandits, kidnappers, illegal miners are biggest threats to solid mineral sector’

    ‘Why bandits, kidnappers, illegal miners are biggest threats to solid mineral sector’

    The quest by the federal government to diversify national economy through exploration of solid mineral resources is becoming a mirage as bandits have taken over the mining sites. A miner, Daniel John Baraya, spoke with Kolade Adeyemi in Jos about the activities of saboteurs in the sector. 

    AS a miner, do you think the federal government is serious about its avowed plan to exploit solid minerals as alternative to crude oil?

    The federal government is serious, but there are lots of problems sabotaging government policy on economic diversification. Indeed, government has a realisable dream, but they need to go the extra mile to bring that dream into reality.

    What exactly does it need to do?

    One is in the area of security and amendment of the Act on mining. In all the sectors of the national economy, it is mining that suffers the most because it is not done in cities but inside the bush, and the base of bandits is in the forest just like farming, especially in the 19 northern states. Bandits stay in the bush, and our business is also in the bush. So we found that we lost a lot of people who needed to go there for their daily income but fell victim to the activities of bandits. These bandits have grown so strong and formidable that they are now demanding and collecting royalties and basically exploiting legitimate mining companies. It is either you pay or you will not operate. So most people just quietly leave, and the bandits take over the sites. Now, lots of mining sites have been fully occupied by bandits. So, the government really needs to do something about that so that you can go into the bush, do your business and come back safely.

    The most pernicious part of it is that they brought kidnapping into the whole mix. If by chance they catch anybody and realise that the person is a miner, they feel that they have hit a goldmine. If that avenue is locked up because of insecurity, it means that investment is gone. So, if the government is serious about it and they want investment in the sector, they have to do something about it.

    The second issue sabotaging government interest in solid mineral is illegal mining. Illegal mining obviously disturbs both the government and even the operators. You spend a lot of money securing the site during exploration, prospecting and identifying a mineral. The moment you get to a point where you are supposed to actually start enjoying the benefits, illegal miners will flood into the place, sometimes with the backing of the traditional rulers. Now you find it challenging to actually evict them because you cannot muster the kind of resources required to get the law enforcement people into the place. And even if you do, some of those places are very challenging by nature. Mining is not done in cities but in the bushes, so you can’t say you are going to the police station to report. How many police people will follow you into the bush? So we are hoping that the government will really look seriously into the issue of illegal mining and make sure that at least there are mechanisms in place to make sure that it does not even happen in the first place.

    The third issue is that of Minerals and Mining Act of 2007. That Act needs to be reviewed if the federal government is to realise her dream in economic diversification through mining. Our experiences as miners have shown that the provisions of that Act are not enough with the modern realities on the ground. The Act is not capturing the actual operational problems that we are facing. I will give you an example. You can go to a place and identify a mineral and you are expected to start exploration. Now, when you do that, you’re supposed to go and file an application with the ministry. But before they give you any licence, they will expect you to go to the community and obtain their consent; which is good. Now, the problem with that is who is in the community? Sometimes there is a landowner who farms on the land or does activities on the land. It is his land. Maybe through history and tradition, it becomes his land. And then there are traditional rulers.

    Now, there is always a problem. If you collect the consent of that land owner and take it to the ministry tomorrow, somebody will come up and say he is the paramount ruler in the community; he has not given you any consent. And the law, as it states, is that you seek consent from the landowners. Now, on the basis of the paramount rulers’ complaint, your licence gets revoked, and the law does not recognise that. So, what we are saying is that one of the key areas that they can help us with is clarifying this point and making it okay. If we are going to seek consent from the community, from whom, and which one will protect our interests? If they say we are to work with the traditional institutions, fine. That means nobody can come tomorrow and say, I’m a landowner, it’s my father’s land, and I did not give you consent.

    If they also say we should work with the landowners, fine. We will work with that. Nobody would come and write a petition tomorrow and say I am the chief, so I should have a say in the matter. Once that is clarified, it helps and makes it easier. Also, we know what we are doing. And the ministry should take a very strong stand to make sure that this issue is clearly spelt out for the operators to understand so that our business can move forward.

    Having identified the challenges, what do you think is the way out?

    One, the federal government needs to get more serious with her dream on the solid mineral sector. It is not just enough to issue mining licence; the federal government should be more interested if the miners are on site. And if the miners are not on site, find out the problems and address them. Does government need to come to the aid of the miners? There are enough to mine in this country. We have only been scratching the surface so far, and we have been doing that mostly without government support. Now that the government has decided to come in and support us, it’s a good thing. It’s a welcome development. Our only prayer is that they will touch those areas that are really the main choke points that are disturbing the industry. The pronouncements so far that the government has been making are very encouraging. And the area we hope that they will focus on is number one: the regulatory environment. That is the main problem holding this industry back.

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    Is it true that state governments are also frustrating activities of miners in their various states?

    In some states, there is controversy over who controls mining between the state and the federal governments, and this is somehow unhealthy for the development of the industry. And that was why I talked about the mining Act. The confusion between the role of the federal government and the role of the state governments is a source of concern to most of us in the industry. This current Act has not addressed that.

    Now, you are all aware that some state governors have taken it upon themselves to ban mining in their states, which, to the best of our knowledge, is on the exclusive list of the federal government. They have no business doing any of that. But they are doing it and so far, nothing has been done to stop it or to challenge it. So, it confuses everybody in the industry. We are here, we know that we identify these minerals, we go to the ministry to apply, and they give us a licence. We wake up one day and discover that our investment in billions is being put on hold, banned or challenged by the state government.

    If government is considering changing the laws to allow participation by the state government, what is expected is that they will give us some advanced information so that in our planning we will take into consideration the effect of state government participation. But that is not the case; you will find out about a project that has been going on for years, and one day somebody will wake up and make a pronouncement, saying I’ve banned mining activity within my domain for some reasons.

    For the industry to move forward there has to be a strong action on the part of the federal government. They either involve the state governments and work together with them, and let us know that now that things have changed, we have to work with the state government, or they will clarify these things as clearly as possible to all the players so that we know who we are dealing with.

    The industry is no doubt capital-intensive. What do you think government can do to motivate investors in this regard?

     I told you that we have barely scratched the surface in Nigeria. Mining, as an industry, is a very big part of the economy of Nigeria, not because we don’t have the resources. The resources are there. We are blessed with mineral resources. Every state you can count on in this country has abundant mineral sources on the ground. Now, the challenge is that you need certain steps to move it from where it is on the ground to where it is useful.

    For instance, you say there is copper here. How do you prove it to that person? For instance, I see some signs that tell me there is copper, and I come to you. I want you to help me so that we can explore these resources. Well, how do I prove it to you? You see those other countries that have developed their industry, they have an entire value chain built around supporting this industry. We have people who are specialists in drilling a particular type of rock; we have specialists who have skills in aero magnetic service; and we have people who are skilled in interpreting data. Once you collect the data, you have specialists, and you have specialist labs. Now, if you pick a sample, to get an accurate and recognised sample that is ISO recognised, you have to send it to South Africa and other places. We don’t have that in Nigeria.

    So, one of the critical things that we have to do is get our industry to the level of South Africa, Australia, and Canada in terms of infrastructure. I am talking about assay labs, building the manpower and the skill level that are required in our geologists and mining engineers to be able to come up with reports that you can take outside of this country, and they will agree.

    If the mining sector is properly positioned in Nigeria, how much do you think it can fetch Nigeria in terms of revenue?

    Well, I give you an example of Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. The average capital market capitalization of one or two of those averages is about $200 billion, $100 billion, or $150 billion. Now, if you convert that and compare, which company in Nigeria has that kind of market capitalization? None. If you add all the companies in Nigeria, they are not up to half of that. So that will give you an idea of what mining is about. We have these resources. For instance, if you discover an iron ore site that has a billon on the ground, that will give you an idea of the effect mining will have on our economy.

  • Women Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy: I’m always eager to cook for my husband

    Women Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy: I’m always eager to cook for my husband

    • Says ‘he’s my first baby’
    • Vows to turn women folk into men

    The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, unveils her plans for the womenfolk in this interview with Assistant Editor JIDE BABALOLA. She also reveals her strategy for keeping up with her matrimonial responsibilities in spite of her busy schedule.

    I‘m on mission to turn womenfolk into men

    Mark my words, I’ll make impact full change in six months

    My husband is my first baby

    What are your plans for the Nigerian women in the context of the renewed hope agenda of the Tinubu administration?

    As Minister for Women Affairs, I am here to mobilise and teach women how to become more focused and determined such that when they step out of their homes, they become lions. We don’t want mere lionesses anymore. When you are at home, you should be a mother to your children and even to your husband. But when you step out of the home, that is when you go to work for your livelihood or in roles to protect your family or the nation, you must act like a man!

    I am introducing a different and sustainable way of women empowerment. We are saying no to handouts from donors. We have been doing handouts for over two decades but what have we achieved?

    Rather, things were getting worse. For instance, female genital mutilation expanded from five to nine states. They can hold their monies instead of giving us handouts, and we will manage ourselves.

    But there is prevailing poverty; a problem that developed over the past few decades before the current administration came in. Obviously, things can’t be changed overnight…

    Who told you that? Even if it is not going to be overnight, we are going to make real, impactful change in six months. Mark my words! When I was campaigning as the only female presidential aspirant, I said so, and here now, I am saying it now that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given me the chance to be Minister of Women Affairs; that within six months of our administration’s efforts, things will change.

    Now, we have a President that will use strategic thinking and experience to make people-focused change possible. Nigeria is blessed and the narrative of how things are being done must change. Without collecting handouts from donors, we can still survive and make things happen.

    In this ministry, I do not need too much to make impact because, firstly, I will not tolerate inflation of contracts. It is one of the things that is killing us in this country. Something that could be done with N100, they will tell you that it is one million. When we spend that way and deprive ourselves of other projects that the expenditure can fund, where does it lead us? Nowhere! So, no inflation of contracts here, so that we can have enough to invest on women empowerment towards the economic growth of the nation.

    How would you empower the women?

    I have asked them that those that have village meetings with firm rules and regulations should let us turn them into cooperatives. We will empower them with production machines such that each will produce what they are good at or use raw materials within their easy reach. Women groups in some parts of the north can do production of tomato sauce, onion powder, rice packaging and so on.

    In the East, I have said that they can go for items like toothpick, cotton buds and so on. But some people were wondering why the minister is telling our people about producing mere toothpicks. How myopic can we be? Nigeria imports toothpick; is that not a shame? We import cotton buds, sanitary pads and other things for which we have raw materials to produce in this country. We can even fabricate some of these machines at the cost of N350, 000, two million or some other costs that are affordable to this ministry.

    If we can produce these things, we can supply our hotels, corporate bodies and homes. It takes drops of water to fill a bucket, and these kinds of business fill up a bucket eventually. So I am very much interested in it.

    What about the issue of infant and maternal mortality, which are big developmental challenges?

    My dear brother, the kind of economic empowerment that I am talking about is not just about encouraging production; it is also about building women’s self-confidence. This can totally solve the problem of infant and maternal mortality. When a woman is empowered and making money through our partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Investment, traders associations, foreign bodies and exporters, by the time we do all that and these cooperatives are sharing out money to all the women who are involved, we will significantly reduce situations where a woman dies because she lacked money to go to the hospital or buy needed medications.

    That way, we will not only add to the quality of life for women and children but also add to the quality of life for men. Many men also die out of frustration because they carry all the burden. But when we empower women, we would be saving a lot of lives.

    Estimates indicate that Nigeria currently has about eight million out-of-school girls and there are many related problems like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage…

    With regard to FGM, we are arranging for mobile courts. They’ve been working on this for close to two decades but its prevalence rose from five states to nine states. It is not as if our people and the donors have not been working hard, but they have been using a wrong method. You can’t ask people to stop certain things without enforcing the rule of the law. Punishments like going to jail or paying fines can be good deterrents.

    But can you do such without first empowering them? No. You have to empower them first, then you educate them. You don’t do these things without getting the mobile courts ready or else, it’ll go down the drain like it has always been; spending all the money on advocacy and achieving nothing.

    This time around, we will do things differently. We will use the local languages that they understand. We will use their own people to talk to them. Let them use their own cultural ways to transmit to them. Whether you have access to radio or television, you can still get a town crier who can reach people in some villages at the time they have retired home and let them know too that erring leads to fines or sanctions and that there is justice in the whole issue.

    Will such sanctions also apply to issues like out-of-school girls and child marriage?

    Let me land on this… We are also going to encourage whistleblowers so that more people can talk when some people do those things again after we had done empowerment, sensitization and introduction of mobile courts. By the time a few face justice, many will run away from the crime of FGM.

    Now, regarding the issues of out-of-school children, the empowerment of women, who are the mothers of these children, will drastically bring down the percentage of children that are out of school, because when most of these women are not doing anything that is economically productive, the men are overloaded with burdens. When we equally empower the women, we give the woman a voice to assert that ‘No, my daughters should go to school, and if you don’t want to pay, I’ll pay’. So, it will equally reduce the number of out-of-school children and early child marriage.

    Vocation is part of what will help us curb early child marriage. I am applying to the Ministry of Education to enable us have a day to focus more on vocational education in our secondary schools. When a child comes out of secondary school with vocational skills, you build up her self-confidence and enable her to start off. By the time they have such power, who would force them into child marriage? And remember, if you had already empowered her mum, the mother will support her and both of them will stand against child marriage.

    In parts of the country, culture and tradition plays a role in perpetuating child marriage. We must note too that it has been very difficult to get some states, especially in the north, to buy into the Child Rights Act. How do you hope to address such a complicated problem?

    Thank you. Our northern brothers and elders are sensible human beings, and I believe that the success of many things depend on the approach. When you know somebody, the person becomes your friend. We intend to approach the challenges in a different way because we are sure that we can get listening ears. We are going to approach them in ways that they understand and carry them along on this issue.

    Read Also: Stop impeachment moves against Akeredolu’s Deputy, APC orders Assembly

    Don’t be surprised if it becomes necessary for me to go to Sokoto, have a meeting with all the Sarkis and kneel down to talk to them about out-of-school children, child marriage and other challenges, I will explain to them, and I will directly find out what they need and desire most and I will encourage that donors do it for them, get them to be happy and motivated to help us look into what we are saying and how to get it done. I am assuring you that they have good hearts and they will listen to us if we approach them by doing things right in their own way.

    Over the years, on individual and collective levels as well as from governance perspective, we seem to have a poor attitude towards mental health. Even in situations of post-partum depression where a woman does something nasty to her new-born baby, she is taken to police cell rather than given psychiatric care…

    But some people do such things out of sheer wickedness. So, how do you go about it? It’s just like the Calabar case: if you say that you were sexually abused and they just sack the man, does it solve the problem? It doesn’t. Another person would say at the most, they’ll sack me, and still do the same thing.

    Sometimes, you have to do serious medical and general investigation that also covers the person’s past. If not, some will commit crimes and come out with claims of having mental challenge. It happens in some foreign countries.

    But the fact remains that we do not give much attention to mental health issues in Nigeria…

    You are right, and it will be looked into. But I want you to note that Nigeria and overseas environment are not the same. Out there, a lot of them are generally going mental because life is too good for them (laughs). So, they end up getting in all sorts of things. And at times, they get frustrated with just the bills. Many of us here do not understand what they sometimes go through over there. If you don’t work for just one week, you could end up on the streets and without a home, and nobody cares. Lots of them are sick in some different ways but have no way of going to hospitals. Some end up living on alcohol or some other intoxicants so that they can keep living on illusions.

    However, in most African countries, including Nigeria, what mostly frustrates us is poverty. Most of the people with mental ill health, possibly about 70 per cent, if you change their lives, economically empower them and make them lead better lives, things would change. Not when they sit down and keep hearing about billions when they can’t afford one thousand naira. Such situation is enough to send someone crazy. When your mother is dying of illness and both you and her cannot afford common malaria drugs, you will begin to wonder what you are living for. Out of desperation, some of them start taking drugs or just start having mental illness due to pressures.

    So, if we sort these things the way this administration is eager to address it, those who want to go to start economic ventures or go to school can access loans, improve themselves and be able to repay such loans and then aspire to buy houses, cars and such other aspirations. Madness go go!

    It is amazing that while you were in school as a 21-year-old, you confronted a lecturer on sexual harassment and won…

    Exactly! This has been me. I have always had that self-confidence and I never fear anybody. I only respect people.

    So, how did you become a politician and how does your husband cope with the peculiar pressure of a politician’s life and schedules?

    I have a friend as my husband – my best friend who supports me in anything in which he feels that I will do well, and that by getting involved, I will make a mark – an impact that can spread across and impact many lives. He has always supported me as my friend and he likes being with me all the time. But he sacrifices part of it for the nation because he knows that the nation needs help from every home, especially with the new President that is eager to take this country to a higher level despite so many odds. Mr. President needs all patriots. He needs all of us to actualise his people-focused agenda. That is how my husband understands the need to sacrifice part of the time to be with me, to enable me do this work.

    As to the issue of being a politician, I joined politics solely to help positively change the narratives so that people’s lives will be positively impacted. Apart from that, I do not get involved in any other thing that many politicians do.

    I was there when you came into the venue at the International Conference Centre where APC presidential aspirants were collecting nomination forms. Nobody seemed to see you as having any chance to be where you are now but you proved them wrong…

    Yes, they did not want to see me, but I forced them to look and recognise me. Some of the men did not want to believe me until they saw my payment slip for the nomination form that I came to collect. That is where the issue of lack of fear comes in. Respect people; don’t fear them. I remember one man who was saying that in a race with the likes of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the then Vice President, you have the guts? You can imagine. Why won’t I have the guts? 

    So, what lesson do you think that your experience in political arena offer the current generation of young Nigerian women?

    It is that they should look at themselves as lions. When I was having meetings with them, I told them not to see me as just any other woman but as a lion for our cause. I told them that we are all fighting for the same cause and that when you keep looking at yourself as the weaker sex, you should only become the weaker sex when you are with your husband. For you to build your home there must be peace. There is a neck and there is a head. The men are the head while we are the neck. We are the ones carrying you people.

    What do you love doing when you are not in the office?

    What I love doing when I’m not in the office? You won’t believe it!

    First and foremost, when I’m not in the office, I’m looking forward to spending time with my husband. You will not believe it, and I don’t know how to explain it. He is my main, main first baby.

    That is the first thing I look forward to. Then, I love to cook for him personally. There is no day I don’t prepare something for him, even if it is only spaghetti. That is why I always come to work early. By 8am or 8.30am, I’m here, and by 5 pm, I must have rounded off what I’m doing and I go home to make some food for my husband and my children. I have a cook but I have these special meals that I usually do and some of them don’t take long to get prepared and ready. I bring out the food, serve and we eat together and gist.

    If it is dancing, I dance. Spending time with my husband and spending time with my children is the major thing I do when I’m not working in the office. Of course, there is also the charity work. When I close from this office today, I’ll be going to see one Mary who is at the Federal Road Safety Corps Hospital with some serious injuries. She never knew me, but I am going to surprise her and also pay the bills. When I go home, this sort of thing helps me to have joy in my home. When you do such things, there is something it does to your life. That is what many rich people do not understand. Share your money with others in need and it will bring great joy into your life. I do that and I have joy.

    My children have never seen me quarrel with my husband. What for? All it takes is “I’m sorry” for quarrel not to come up. And what does saying sorry cost you, what does it do to you? Will it kill you? It will not! I have peace, I have a good home and I am happy. Touching lives enhances my peace and my happiness in my home.

  • Why foreign hospitals prefer Ghanaian doctors, nurses to Nigerians’ -Ex-UK varsity don

    Why foreign hospitals prefer Ghanaian doctors, nurses to Nigerians’ -Ex-UK varsity don

    The Director, Comfort Eduserve Limited, Babatunde Olawore, lives in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. A teacher at the University of Portsmouth until he resigned some months ago, he supports students in Nigeria through his Comfort Eduserve Limited to study in the United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, he talks about living and studying outside Nigeria, his fears about the standard of education in the country, and why the ‘japa’ syndrome may not abate any time soon. Excerpts.

    It has become a fad for many Nigerian parents to send their children abroad to study. What could be responsible for this?

    I don’t want to say that there are factors responsible for sending people abroad. We know the state of education in Nigeria.

    One of the reasons I went to study abroad was to have an international exposure. I wanted to see how things were done differently in other climes. I wanted to meet different people from different countries, which is part of learning.

    For most people, it is because of the quality of education. For example in the UK, it is called experience-based teaching and learning.

    In Nigeria, you just go to school, cram, write exams, pour, and get your degree. In the UK for example, they teach you what you will be doing in life. If you are a nurse, they teach you how to be a good nurse. If you are an engineer, you have a lot of equipment; they teach you how to use them. You use them while studying.

    You are not only focusing on give me the theory perspective, let me cram it. Let me write the exam and I have to write what the lecturers copy out or give to me. No! You are there to build experience. They call it capability- knowledge, skill, and experience. There, it is more of experience-based teaching and learning than the lectures we do in Nigeria.

    People want their children to have that experience. I have seen many parents who have businesses here and they want their children to have the experience of learning abroad. So whatever they can gain to do whatever they want them to do, to have competence in it, they will be able to do it better.

    In Nigeria most of the time, we are more concerned about the qualifications. We do not have the requisite skills, experience, and knowledge that add value to any person who wants to employ them. That is one of the factors.

    Some might want to do it because of the number of years people use to study. For example, you can get enrolled in any university in Nigeria and you might say a five-year programme, but you don’t know when you will finish because of lecturers’ strikes or other problems in the society. In the UK for example, they will tell you when you will start and when you will complete your studies, and it will not change. Their three years are three years. I have done that and I have many students who have done that too.

    Some people want their children to go abroad, finish within a possible short time, and then get into work. Some people like to live abroad; they want to see what is happening elsewhere. They have heard a lot of stories about the so-called paradise, though on many occasions it is not always like that. But some see it as a class thing, and when they finish, they get a good job.

    Organisations in Nigeria tend to value foreign certificates. If someone is coming from Portsmouth, Oxford or Cambridge, organisations in Nigeria prefer to give them a job not only because they can do it better, they have the skill, but because they believe they have exposure and they can add value to them.

    Talking about Nigerian employers preferring graduates with foreign degrees, do you think this is a good development?

    All over the world, including developed countries like Canada, the US, and Australia, for example, I studied in the UK. Many Canadian citizens are studying in the UK, and most universities in the UK have what you call a study abroad programme. You study for one year in the UK, you study for another two years in Canada, and they call it Erasmus. Many Americans are studying in the UK. Many UK students are studying in America. It all depends on individuals’ choices.

    They give opportunities to people to decide where they want to study, where they want to live, and what they want to study. Sometimes courses take people to study elsewhere. For me, it is not a bad thing. Since the formation of Nigeria, people have studied abroad, and they have come back and added value to Nigeria. Even now, when a student is completing an application form to study in the UK, they would ask you, what would you do after you finish your studies? What they want to hear is that “I would go back to my country and add value to the society.” 

    But it is just that some people feel after their studies they want to stay in the UK. That is where the problems are now. This is a result of many factors, including insecurity, lack of social amenities, and also lack of good jobs. If you finish in a UK university, you can get an offer of 6,000 pounds per year, and when you get to Nigeria you get N200,000, definitely, there will be a difference in what you can afford.

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    Though that is not straightforward, there is what they call purchasing power parity, which is what a pound can buy in the UK, and what it can buy in Nigeria. If I want to eat breakfast in the UK, I will spend 10 pounds. That is about N9,500 here but, I have taken five people to a top eatery in Ibadan, we did not spend up to that and we had good meals. There are lots of things that can make people go and study abroad. But I can see a lot of people have a passion for the country and after their studies, they want to come back to Nigeria and work.

    Most of the time the jobs are not there. But with the way you are talking, degrees in Nigeria would in the near future be worth nothing. Nigerian graduates won’t be able to compete. Most multinational companies prefer graduates with foreign degrees…

    Even now, 99 per cent of Nigerian graduates cannot compete with international qualifications. I have vast experience in education. I studied here. I did OND, HND, PGD, Masters1, Masters 2. In my set, I had the best Master’s project while at a Nigerian university. I applied to another university in Ontario, Canada for another Master’s and they asked me for a sample of what I did before. I said with excitement that in my thesis, I scored 75 per cent from the University of Ibadan. They assessed everything and they got back to me that it was substandard. They said when they assessed my thesis it was below expectations.

    Even now, Nigerian graduates are struggling with foreign qualifications. I’m not talking about Ukrainian certificates; I’m not talking about Russian certificates. I’m talking about studying in Germany, in the Netherlands, in Irelands, in the UK, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, and in the US and other Western countries. You cannot equate what they have there with what we have. They focus more on employability; they focus more on the theoretical aspect.

    A computer scientist or somebody who has a degree in Computer Science here does not even know how to do some things related to computers.  But when they go abroad, they are exposed to a lot of things.

    What makes that so is there is a lot of support from the academia. If you taught me in class and I’m not clear with what you said, I can book an appointment with the lecturer. You are allowed to do that. If you give me an assignment that I will submit at the end of the month, I can get a draft and say, “Please help me check this. Am I in line?” The lecturer will comment and say “look at this area, look at that area.” They want you to learn through that. And mostly, they don’t write exams; they do coursework. They give you a lot of support.

    One thing I know is that if you go to the University of Ibadan library, you will still see 1959 textbooks there. In my own university (University of Portsmouth), every five years, they turn out books from the library and get new ones there, and you have access to millions of academic papers, quality papers with high impact factor. As a student in the corner of your room, just google and put University of Portsmouth library. Every book will be assigned to you, and you can read them online.

    Talking about not being able to compete, most Nigerian graduates, especially those in the medical fields, excel when they go abroad.

    I will disagree with you. I’ve been staying abroad since 2011. They accept Ghanaian nurses more than Nigerian nurses. They prefer Zimbabwean qualifications to Nigerians’. Ask anybody who is living abroad.

    There, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has a standard. Many Nigerians are struggling to pass the IELTS. Many organisations in the UK go to the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh to go bring in nurses than Nigeria. I can tell you anywhere; you can verify it. And they accept more Ghanaian qualifications than Nigerian qualifications when it comes to medical practitioners.

    All over the world, especially in the developed world, they need medical personnel because, Britons, for example, most of them love management and finance. They don’t normally like medical areas, which is why they take people who are medically inclined all over the world. If you count the number of nurses from Nigeria in the UK to the number of nurses from Zimbabwe, it is half.

    We are not saying we are doing badly, but there are lots of things our government should put in place to shore up our academic qualifications. It is better to have experience in Nigeria and try elsewhere. I have done that.

    What is the way out?

    The way out is a bit complex.

    One, universities need to do a lot of things. Parents, government and students have a lot of roles to play. I will take it from my parents. When I was growing up I remember reading a Yoruba book written by J.F. Odunjo where I read about the virtue of hard work. In the book I read,  ‘Ise ni ogun ise, mura si ise ore mi…’ In summary, what that means is that hard work is a virtue. Unfortunately, the virtue of hard work has been eroded in our society. People are cheating even at the common entrance now. Go to unity schools, whenever they want to do the exams, parents drive their children to the exam centre to cheat; likewise in secondary schools. Imagine students will have an exam in an hour’s time, they will be playing football.

    When I was growing up, churches in my village would advise us not to read too much so that we wouldn’t run mad. This is because people spent time preparing ahead. They wanted to read and become something in life. But now in Nigeria, the majority wants to cheat, and teachers are also involved.

    Cheating has reduced the value placed on our education. If you see people with As and Bs, less than one per cent of that population did it themselves. The value of hard work has been eroded. I was in UI sometimes, and the slogan among the students was ‘Education is a scam’. They will tell you that after this education what will you get? Yahoo Yahoo (Internet fraud) is more viable. What they are telling you is why are you investing in studying hard? At the end of the day, it doesn’t determine who you are in the future. It is only in Nigeria I hear that.

  • Why students nicknamed me headmistress – UNIBEN VC

    Why students nicknamed me headmistress – UNIBEN VC

    • Says strict upbringing saved her from becoming drug addict
    • Recalls memorable encounter with first female VC Alele-Williams

    Prof. Lilian Imuetinyan Salami is the 10th Vice-chancellor of the University of Benin, and the second female Vice-Chancellor of the university after Prof Grace Alele-Williams, the first female Vice-Chancellor in the university and in Nigeria. In this interview with Southsouth Bureau Chief, BISI OLANIYI, Prof Salami speaks about the hostility she experienced upon her appointment, how the “Japa” syndrome can be eradicated and other issues of national interest.

    WAS your growing up rosy?

    I am the eldest of 18 children in a huge family of the late Mr. Benjamin Idemudia Emovon and the late Mrs. Alice Omoariagbon Emovon. I was born in Jos, Plateau State 67 years ago. I did my first few years of primary education in Jos. But with the outbreak of the civil war, we the children were relocated to Benin City. So, I completed my primary education in Benin City and also attended secondary school there before I moved to the United States of America (USA) where I did my first and second degrees: B.Sc. in Home Economics and M.Sc. in Nutrition.

    I returned to Nigeria and moved to the then University of Ife in Ile-Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Osun State to teach, after which I moved to the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), with a teaching career of about 10 years, after which I relocated to the University of Benin (UNIBEN). I have spent almost all the remaining years in UNIBEN, save about three years between 2016 and 2019 when I stepped out and became the Director-General/Chief Executive of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Ondo City in Ondo State, which is a Federal Government owned institution.

    How was your stay at NIEPA?

    When I got to NIEPA, there were problems, as could be found in every normal institution. I was the first non-indigenous director-general/chief executive of the institute, but I was determined to make a mark. So I did everything possible to rewrite the narrative of NIEPA, which I repositioned, and I got so close to the indigenes of Ondo City. Within two months, I was honoured with a chieftaincy title in Ondo City by the Osemawe of Ondo, because of the works that I did at NIEPA. Everyone was quite impressed. The Osemawe of Ondo even said that my tenure was the first time they had peace at NIEPA, without any intervention.

    I also had a good working relationship with the former Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, in my determination to rebuild NIEPA, which was a learning ground for me in terms of administration. I am surprised to hear that the institute is now having crisis.

    Then you became the Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN…

    I was lucky to be appointed the 10th substantive Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN on October 26, 2019, while I assumed office on December 2, 2019, for five-year non-renewable tenure. My appointment as UNIBEN’s vice-chancellor came after a thorough and tough interview process. We were 31 that applied for the job.

    What are the values you got from your parents?

    Hard work and being very strict. Those who grew up at my time in Jos would confirm that there was a woman with Opel Record, one of the best cars in those days. But my mother would keep a cane by her side as she was driving, acting like the mother of all the children in Jos. The children who had earlier encountered her would start running to their homes, while the children who had never encountered her and playing away their precious time climbing trees would be thoroughly flogged by her, and they would carry their bags and run away. She would always say women must be mothers to all the children. Some parents would bring their children to my mother for punishment when they did something bad in their schools. My siblings always say that I am a replica of our mother, because I do not give my children any room for nonsense. My mother was very strict, and I thank God for that.

    I got to the United States of America as a teenager. While my roommates were smoking opium, now called heroin, they would give to me, but I insisted on not smoking it because of my mother. It was always as if her cane was waiting for me.

    While my siblings and I were returning home on holidays, our mother would send her housekeepers home, for us to work, and we would do everything. As a teenager, I learnt from my mother how to sew clothes. She would cut the cloths and ask me to sew everything, which she would insist on wearing the same evening. At times, I could be nasty with the sewing. I would sew it wrongly or turn it upside down, but she would ask me to loose everything and resew. But my father was her exact opposite. He was very gentle. I grew up in a very strict environment.

    On your return from NIEPA to UNIBEN as Vice-Chancellor, did you not meet a hostile environment?

    I wouldn’t say nearly hostile environment. But having competed with 30 other equally qualified persons, with 29 of them actually resident here (UNIBEN), we were all hopeful. But when it did not get to some persons, questions were asked. But not for so long, as some of them were appointed into positions, and they had to accept the fact that there could only be one vice-chancellor at a time.

    How did it feel to be the 10th substantive and second female Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN after the late Prof. Grace Alele-Williams?

    Sometimes I asked myself whether it was actually true. But it was true. My appointment as vice-chancellor was applauded within and outside Nigeria, because that was after 35 years of the late Prof. Grace Alele-Williams being UNIBEN’s vice-chancellor. She was a wonderful woman. I watched her from afar, and got a little bit close to her before her demise.

    Stepping into the shoes of the great and strong woman made many people to ask if I would be able to surpass her achievements. I needed to prove that I could do like her, if not much better. She said to me that she was always praying for me to succeed and surpass her achievements.

    What did you learn from her?

    Not only was the late Prof. Grace Alele-Williams committed to her job, she was a very stern person in terms of decisions. The first time I met her, I said to her “wonderful woman,” in view of her good works in UNIBEN. But she stated that she was not sure I would have liked her, as I was then at UNIMAID. That is how blunt she was. She also said she never took nonsense from anyone. She was honest, dedicated and passionate about what she was doing. She was ready to crush anything that stood in the way of her achievements.

    UNIBEN has two campuses at Ugbowo and Ekehuan/Ekewuan/Ekenwan, both in Benin City. On assuming office, you were accused of felling the big trees at Ugbowo Campus at a time of global campaigns for afforestation. You were also accused of neglecting the campus the university started from while concentrating your development and transformation efforts on the main campus at Ugbowo. How would you react to these allegations?

    The Ugbowo campus of UNIBEN has more trees. The Ekehuan campus is more serene in terms of plants and trees. Some of the trees were so old. There was a particular big tree that fell in the Faculty of Social Sciences of UNIBEN and destroyed five vehicles, because some of the trees were as old as some of the buildings here, which are crying for renovation and refurbishing. Imagine the trees that had stayed for over 50 years of UNIBEN’s existence, thereby creating dirt instead of the ambience that we needed. So, they had to give way. The replanted trees are now grown trees.

    The critics, who felt that I was against the green energy drive by cutting trees, must acknowledge the fact that UNIBEN is now so green and very beautiful. We do not celebrate mediocrity in UNIBEN. We have quality lecturers and other staff in the great citadel of learning. The students and members of the alumni association are also wonderful. We are also being supported by Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and other friends of the university.

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    You spoke about quality lecturers in UNIBEN. But there are cases of randy male lecturers sexually harassing female students, many of whom also dress seductively. How are you tackling the challenge?

    We are humans. So, you cannot have 100 per cent toeing your line. We are bound to have some of these deviants. We have clearly stated to our students and staff members that this administration has zero tolerance for education corruption. We will not tolerate sexual harassment. We have policies in place for gender equity  which also frown at sexual harassment. Anyone who goes contrary to that will face the law, which is so clear in UNIBEN. We had two cases that served as deterrent to others. We have also told our students to speak up, because we are not magicians to know what is happening in their little corners if they do not tell us the story.

    Since I came on board, we have had a hotline tagged “See Something, Say Something”. That is still on, and the Vice-Chancellor responds to it 24 hours. We also have dress code in UNIBEN. The university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, champions it. Not all the students will want to adhere to the dress code. To a great extent, we do not see the students going with skimpy clothes. We also want to thank some of our lecturers, who would not allow skimpily-dressed students into their classes but always send them out to dress properly.

    A lot of parents must also do due diligence from their homes. You do not expect us to change an adult that is already 18 years old even though we are getting them much younger now. We are trying as much as we can to protect our young students and lecturers.

    UNIBEN was notorious for cultism, which you tackled head on when you assumed office. Why are there still cases of cultism at the two campuses of the university?

    While coming on board as the vice-chancellor of UNIBEN, it was one of the things that I also had in mind, especially how to tackle the menace. It was one major problem that the late Prof. Grace Alele-Williams had to face as vice-chancellor, and he tackled it head on. We still have pockets of cult groups, but not as bad as some people may want to project. Security men on campus and the security agencies have brought the situation under control. Examinations are ongoing, and everywhere is quiet. We have tight security on our two campuses.

    What of examination malpractices, sorting through sex, cash or other gift items, and admission racketeering in UNIBEN?

    We cannot be 100 per cent proof. Anytime those things happen, we always tackle them head on after thorough investigations. We do not hesitate to rusticate or dismiss the errant students.

    Fraudsters are mostly behind admission racketeering, but security agencies are on top of it. We always advise members of the public that we do not sell admission in UNIBEN, but sometimes, they still fall prey to some of these desperate tricksters and notorious groups in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria, with some of them apprehended by security agents and monies refunded. Gradually, members of the public are becoming more sensitive to the fact that admissions are not sold in UNIBEN. Sorting is also not allowed in this university. This administration has zero tolerance for any form of education corruption.

    How can human capital flight/brain drain, now popularly referred to as “Japa,” be reduced or stopped outright in Nigeria, in order not to continue to lose the best hands and well-trained professionals, almost in all fields of human endeavour?

    Institutions of higher learning, including UNIBEN, are the mirror of the larger society. Educational funding is a major problem in Nigeria. In a better environment, you will excel. I schooled abroad and in Nigeria, and I know the difference. Professionals and other people relocating abroad for greener pastures know that there are better chances of doing better and earning better, as well as more conducive living. Lecturers in Nigeria work round the clock, but are being paid little. In overseas, you can put in less hours of work and you are paid more. Of course, you will take the better offer. Many professionals in Nigeria are getting frustrated. We cannot continue like this.

    The way out is to have a change of mind. We are hopeful that things and salaries will improve, the environment will be safer, and we will have more equipment to work with.

    The student-to-lecturer ratio must also improve. There are lecturers who teach up to 6,000 students in a class, and they have to mark the scripts manually, but they are not paid commensurate to the hard work that they put in. The likelihood will be for them to relocate overseas where they can teach 50 students in a class and get paid more. Let us be hopeful that things will change for the better.

    You are the Chairperson, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities; the Vice-President, Association of African Universities; and a holder of the Oganete of Igarra Land chieftaincy title in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, Edo North Senatorial District of Edo State. How do you cope in the midst of mostly men, who can be very critical of your activities?

    I have done the learning process in UNIBEN. So, it is not as bad. A typical African man is the man who must be the head, and must be heard. But we are beginning to shift a little, as women executives are getting the rightful positions and the right respect that they deserve, as much as such respect should also be given to the men.

    I am even being overpampered by the men that I am closely working and relating with in the committees, groups and associations in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. Igarra’s eminent monarch and other progressive indigenes of the ancient town are also very wonderful and so supportive.

    You are well travelled, as a fellow of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (FNSN) and the International Federation of Home Economics (IFHE). In your frequent travels within and outside Nigeria, doesn’t the home front suffer neglect?

    My children are now men and women who are focusing on building their families.

    You are an indigene of Benin Kingdom. How has your closeness to the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, helped you in providing good leadership at UNIBEN?

    I am always very conscious of the fact that I am from a tribe where we must continue to project civility, show humility and always make Edo people proud. I am the first female, a core and pure Benin, to hold the position of the vice-chancellor of UNIBEN. So, I must not fail, and I must deliver.

    As the first female Professor and first female Dean, Faculty of Education, UNIBEN, can you share the experience?

    I became the first female Dean of UNIBEN’s Faculty of Education with just one vote. It was that tough. When I became Dean, we had five departments, but when I was leaving, we had ten. My legacies are still in the faculty, because I transformed it. I do not compromise when it comes to integrity, cleanliness and hard work. The students had to nickname me: “Headmistress,” because if I saw you dropping a piece of paper on the ground or floor, you would pick all the papers that I could see. The students eventually loved me for being strict and maintaining discipline. I left the faculty to become the director-general/chief executive of NIEPA.

    You have publications in excess of 75 reference articles and proceedings while you have served as editor, co-editor and consulting editor to many journals nationally and internationally. What are the benefits?

    Writing and editing are highly rewarding, as they help academics and others to progress and grow.

    You said earlier that Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, is supportive of your administration. But he is currently engaged in a deepening face-off with his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu, over his successor. How can there be peace in Edo State, ahead of next year’s governorship election?

    I am apolitical. Everyone is my friend, but I am not a politician. The Edo State Government has always assisted UNIBEN. We are very grateful for the support and assistance.

    How do you want to be remembered at the end of your five-year tenure at UNIBEN, especially in relation to the fulfilment of your initial promises and having legacy projects that you would be proud of?

    When I came on board, we had seven pillars by which this administration would be guided. The seven pillars consist of the ambience of the environment, quality teaching and training, safety, welfare of staff, and security, among others. There is no part that has not been touched. The greatest joy that I have is the fact that digital learning and teaching has become an issue that will remain with us. Thanks that COVID-19 brought it to most universities.

    UNIBEN is doing very well. Our ranking was very low when I came on board. But right now, we are in the double digit. From 2000 in Africa, we are now hitting 17th. It brings joy to this administration. We are able to drive digitalisation into teaching, learning, publications and collaboration with other institutions to share ideas.

    Prior to rounding off my tenure, once you enter UNIBEN, the wifi must pick. We started with 170 students, today we can boast of over 60,000 students. The lecturers then were about ten, while our staff strength is almost 8,000. We will get better. We are also collaborating with other universities in Africa and beyond.

    The alumni of UNIBEN have been so nice and very supportive. They should continue to give back to their alma mater for it to grow and become their pride forever.

    The students must remain focused on the primary reason for being in the university and avoid the use of drugs. The lecturers must be more dedicated and continue to put in their best. The same lecturers are currently teaching two sessions in one session. They are a special breed. They must continue to be committed and upright.