Category: Interview

Michael Ogwezzy, a professor of Law at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt hails from a family of academics. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, the professor of Public Law reveals the lifestyle that facilitated his rise to the peak of academic excellence. He also speaks about life on the campus, his childhood dreams and the strategy that has helped him to avoid scandals with female students.

Did you consider yourself a privileged child?

I was born in the early 70s at a town called Abbi in Ndokwa West LGA, Delta State. Abbi is the community where my late mother hailed from. My parents, Chief and Mrs Ogwezzy, were school teachers. I would have considered myself a privileged child because of the status of my parents as teachers, but I discovered that we lived like every other family in the community. We attended the same community primary school and secondary school and played together with the children of the less privileged too. Because of our lifestyle, I did not see myself as privileged.

What would you readily recall about your early life?

What I would recall about my early life is that my siblings and I were trained under highly disciplined parents who would not allow us to behave in a manner that was contrary to societal norms. They believed that you must work hard and that hard work is the only secret to success and enduring life. They believed that education is the key, and as a child, you must imbibe the value of hard work through education.

How did your early life influence the personality that you are today?

My childhood life influenced the person that I am today because I was made to understand early enough that it is only through education that one can achieve a sustainable living. They ruled out the short cut. My parents made us to believe that it takes painstaking effort to achieve anything worthwhile.Tell us a few things you remember about your childhood and your parents.

As a little child I remembered growing under my grandma while my mother was furthering her education. My grandmother nurtured us till death took her away around 1986. While we lived with her, she ensured that we didn’t miss school both at primary and secondary levels. She would not take any excuse for not going to school. In cases where we would have missed school because we were late and could be punished, the old woman would personally lead us to school and apologized to the teacher for our lateness. She always gave the moral backing. My parents were core disciplinarians and no-nonsense people. They believed that hard work is the basis for success.

In those days, polygamy was popular. Was that the situation in your house?

Yes, I grow up in a polygamous home. But it did not make any difference in my life. We lived in harmony with one another.

What decided your choice of academics?

Since I was born by educated parents, I think that influenced my thinking about making life through education. My parents made me to know that education was the only way I could achieve a sustainable livelihood. Education may not make one a millionaire but it will certainly make one a better person.

What motivated you to continue studying up to PhD level?

After Umia Primary School, Abbi Grammar School and Emu Secondary School, Emu-Uno, all in Ndokwa West LGA of Delta State, I moved to the premier university, the University of Ibadan, where I studied Law and graduated in 2001. I attended the Nigerian Law School, Enugu Campus between 2003 and 2004 to enable me qualify to practice Law.

Because I had always wanted to become a university professor, I proceeded for my master’s degree in Law at the university of Nigeria, Enugu Campus where obtained the LLM degree with a PHD grade in 2008. I also obtained the professional masters degree in Law and Diplomacy (MLD) from Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State. I later obtained the Master of Advanced Studies in International Organisation (MASIO) from the University of Zurich in Switzerland in 2011. I finally obtained a PhD in Law from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus in 2013. These citadels of learning left an indelible imprint on my life because I was inspired by those core university academics/teachers who trained me to become what I am today.

What is the correct way to address you now and how do you feel with such achievement, especially in Law?

The right appellation or title is “Professor”, and I think I should be addressed as such. I feel fulfilled that I achieved it at this stage in my life without blemish. I give God almighty all the glory. I am now Professor Michael C. Ogwezzy. I am a professor at the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt. Right now, I can say the long walk has ended.

Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced?

My challenge has always been to succeed with my academic endeavours. Money was always made available by parents and elder siblings.

You are the second professor in the family. How many more should we expect?

Yes, I am the second professor in my family. I cannot state the number to come. Almost everybody in my home has a postgraduate degree which qualifies them to engage in academics. So expect more coming up shortly.

How is life on campus? Isn’t it boring doing the same thing all the way?

Life on campus is interesting. I have studied in four universities and I have taught in four other universities, making eight. The university is relatively the only sane place in Nigeria of today. There is still some level of decorum on our campuses because the rules and regulations are still enforced even though a few persons flout them and get away with it.

How do you handle your relationship with female students?

I am very strict about this because it can easily rob you of all your efforts.  No university condones immoral relationship or behaviour. As lecturers, we are to ensure that we protect and uphold the university rules and regulations so that the university does not lose its place in our society.

Many lecturers pick their wives from the campus. Was that the case with you?

No. I met my wife at the Law School.

Who are your role models?

My role models are my lecturers: Dr (Mrs.) Osifunke Ekudayo, later Prof. MOU Gasiokowu; Prof. Ifeoma P. Enemo; Prof. Obinna Okere; Prof. Robert Kolb and Justice Chima Centus Nweze. Meeting these people in the different universities where I studied through the years influenced what I am today.

What is your advice to younger people?

I would say that they should imbibe the idea of hard work and resilience in life. They should be focused from the beginning and be unweaving in character. They must be humble and respectful in their conducts. They should respect constituted authorities anywhere they find themselves. Above all, they should understand that education is the key to a sustainable life.

Former president of the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Sunday Bamgbose, recently delivered a paper on the nation’s outlook in terms of food security, which drew a rapturous applause. He elaborates on his position in this interview with PAUL UKPABIO and also speaks about issues concerning his private life and lifestyle.

Your organisation is made up of experts on food issues. How prepared is Nigeria for food sufficiency?

Sadly, Nigeria is far from food sufficiency despite the presence of many experts on food issues both on our platform (NIFST) and other similar or related platforms. This can be attributed to many factors, including insecurity, poor funding, lack of coordination among the various stakeholders in the food value chain, government’s lack of commitment to food sufficiency despite the lip service being paid to it and playing politics with food matters. These and other factors make the issue of food sufficiency to look like a mirage despite the availability of egg heads in our institute and other professions.

Have we ever had food sufficiency in the country?

It is obvious that we have not had food sufficiency in the past few years. From the report of the NBS (National Bureau of Statistics) in recent past, aside the fact that inflation has been on the rise generally, food inflation has been consistently above the average inflation. Foods have been scarce and very expensive. For example, I am into poultry farming. In the last one year, the price of feed has almost doubled due to shortage of major inputs into feed production, such as maize and soya bean cake. The irony of it is that we hear of billions of naira government is claiming to be spending to support food production. The pertinent question is why are these government policies, intervention and supports not resulting in abundant and cheaper food?

With the high rate of banditry and herdsmen attacks on farmers this year, what projection should we be looking at in terms of food in the country next year?

While I would have loved to project something positive, the reality on ground is very scary. Government needs to do more to stop the incessant attacks by herdsmen, bandits and Boko Haram on farmers in different parts of the country. Recently, 43 rice farmers were slaughtered on their farms in Borno. There have been similar attacks and kidnappings in other parts of the country. Can you imagine the impact of such attacks on the psyche of other farmers and aspiring farmers?

The curious thing is that the government is not showing enough will power to stop the incessant attacks. Or how do we explain the fact that in the five years of this government, no single person has been prosecuted for all these crimes. Rather, government seems to come up with excuses to justify the attacks or label them as farmers-herders clashes. You then wonder if all those gory sight of babies, children and women butchered were farmers clashing with herders too. Except something drastic happens, Nigeria should brace up for tougher times in terms of food sufficiency in 2021. I pray that something drastic happens to avert this looming food scarcity. But government should wake up to her responsibility of stopping these attacks on farmers.

Do you think that the effort of government towards production of food in the country is enough?

Any effort that does not yield positive results is obviously not enough or wrongly channeled or not sincerely applied. For example, this government has talked more about boosting food production than previous governments, yet more people are hungry in spite of all these efforts. I think what the government is doing wrong is that this government is not clear about what they intend to achieve with each of the actions they are taking to boost food production.

For example, if government has earmarked a certain amount to support farmers, a clear goal must be set for the percentage increase in production expected from such intervention. There must be a way of monitoring if the money got to the intended beneficiaries. Someone should be asking relevant questions. Why are prices of foods increasing when more production should lead to reduction in price? The issues of preservation of harvest, security and so on must be considered and solutions provided.

It seems the government is more interested in getting applause for efforts made than for the results obtained. That is why the government is intolerant of any form of criticism. That is why they are quick to reel out all the schemes they have on paper rather than the impact of these schemes on the lives of Nigerians.

The call in recent times has been for young graduates to go into farming. Fom your vantage point of view, do you think the call is achieving results?

The call though totally in order, is, sadly, not achieving the desired results because the enabling environment to encourage such venture has not been put in place. For example, sometime earlier in the year (2020), a video of a young lady went viral. She was lamenting the high cost of feeds for her laying birds, which she could no longer afford thereby watching her birds starving to death. In another documentary video somewhere in Oyo State, a young lady farmer was kidnapped while her fiancé was killed during the kidnap by herdsmen. Such stories are disincentive to young graduates going into farming. If government creates the enabling environment, it will be easy to attract young graduates into farming.

In what ways has your organisation been contributing to food production in the last few years?

At both the chapter and national levels, NIFST has been collaborating with other stakeholders to address the issue of food security. This collaboration cuts across government departments like the Lagos Safety Commission; the Ministry of Agriculture; regulatory bodies like NAFDAC and SON; research institutes like FIIRO, NSPRI and so on.

We have conducted trainings jointly or singularly to educate stakeholders along food value chain on safe handling and storage of food. We have organised training and enlightenment campaigns to address the issue of misuse of chemicals for food preservation. We have embarked on campaign to various markets in different parts of the country to address street food safety. I have personally been on 3 National TV channels on four different occasions to address mainly food safety. So also have several of our members been on different radio, TV and online channels to address issues related to food production, value addition in the food value chain, food preservation, food safety and so on.

Our institute partnered with Wageningen University & Research of Netherlands to conduct a research on improving nutrition through increase in consumption of vegetables in Nigeria. The research and the intervention programme were recently concluded. We are currently doing another project on street food safety in conjunction with the Lagos State Government and a third party. We are conducting training on different areas of food science and technology throughout 2021. The training timetable was recently released by the institute.

At what point do you think that the government should declare a state of emergency on food production?

I think a state of emergency should have been declared by now. It is already getting too late. Every available data is pointing to the fact that we are in a precarious situation already. Government needs to do something urgently to address all issues affecting food sufficiency.

Do you believe like some people do that the Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) programme of the Obasanjo-led military administration in the 1970s should be revisited?

Well, the issues we have on ground currently go beyond revisiting OFN. While I see nothing wrong with re-visiting OFN or any other scheme, if other issues like insecurity, lack of commitment, are not addressed, it will still not achieve the desired results.

The NIFST recently became a chartered institute. What advantage does that bring?

I think one of the best actions taken by President Buhari since coming to power five years ago was the signing into law the bill that established the council for the regulation of the practice of food science in Nigeria. Food is about the most important thing in life and it is important that the profession should be regulated. You may not go to the hospital or see a doctor for months or years, you may not take drug for months or years, yet you cannot practice as a doctor or pharmacist without the authorization of the relevant professional bodies. It is therefore a big omission to have allowed just anybody to handle food that we must eat every day without any form of regulations. This is putting so many lives at risk.

Therefore, the signing into law of the charter bill will bring lots of sanity into the practice of food science when fully implemented and will help to ensure safer food for Nigerians and even non-Nigerians because the food produced in Nigeria are now exported to Asia, Europe, America and other parts of the world. This will build confidence in food products produced in Nigeria irrespective of where it is consumed.

As a former employee of Coca-Cola, do you miss regular employment?

I would say to some extent, I missed the regular employment, especially after working for an international organisation like Coca-Cola. Like everything else, working in a corporate environment has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, working in an Organisation like Coca-Cola gave me the opportunity to meet some of the best brains around the world. It broadened my knowledge beyond my technical areas. You have the opportunity of knowing about marketing, human resources, sustainability and so on. You get opportunity to sit at meetings where all departments make presentations and opportunity to contribute. Beyond this, you are sure of regular salary, you enjoy travelling to different parts of the world, travelling business class at company expense, official car and stuffs like retreat where you can mix business with pleasure.

However, being on my own gives me freedom that is priceless. It gives me more time for my family, which I did not have while with Coke. Also, I hate the office politics that is very entrenched in the corporate setting. By nature, I don’t know how to pretend or do eye service; I say it the way I see it. Probably because of my absolute trust and dependence on God, I was not afraid of saying it bluntly the way I see it. I guess many didn’t really like such bluntness where many have learnt to conform. Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity I had working in a corporate setting, but I will not trade it for the freedom and flexibility I now enjoy working on my own.

How profitable has it been working exclusively as a consultant?

Well I have cause to thank God. I left the paid employment about six years ago, and my absolute trust in God has not failed once. Aside working as a consultant, I have a small poultry farm by the side. Funny enough, consulting was not part of my plan when I left Coca-Cola. By nature, I don’t like lobbying for anything, so I hate anything that will make me to go from office to office looking for contract and soliciting for business. So I told God, ‘since you know my nature, I can’t offer bribe and I don’t know how to beg, just lead me by yourself.’

The first job I did as a consultant came from my former Chairman at Lacasera. I got a call from him shortly after I left Coca-Cola. He said he heard that I had exited Coca-Cola. He asked me to go and bring proposals on different areas where I thought we could work together. The first job I did for them was on packaging. We were able to get an approval for their products, which they had been pursuing for about four years. I also supported them in other areas not related to my areas of expertise. I later got an opportunity to carry out some audits on behalf of Coca-Cola in some facilities supplying them raw materials. I later got a call from some of these facilities to conduct audits, carry out productivity improvement projects and so on.

In 2018, I got opportunity to work with UNICEF as a consultant on nutrition, which gave me the opportunity to work with other stakeholders in improving the nutrition of children and other vulnerable groups. My satisfaction is not in monetary value but the opportunity to add value; the satisfaction from the fact that I am still relevant in my profession.

How strong is NIFST in other parts of the country?

NIFST is currently made up of 11 vibrant chapters scattered all around the country. Each chapter is vibrant and carrying out activities relevant to their areas of coverage. The level of vibrancy may differ from chapter to chapter depending on the peculiarity of the area. For example, chapters in security-challenged areas may not be as strong as Lagos or Western chapter.

We know Nigeria can boast of good farmers. But how about food processing and preservation; where are we on that?

So far, emphasis has been on farming or agriculture generally. However, it is becoming clearer and clearer that a country can only prosper in agriculture through value addition. This value addition comes in form of processing and preservation. Sadly, because there has not been a conscious effort or policy to include this important aspect of food production and because of neglect of food scientists in policy formulation, Nigeria is not deriving maximum benefits from agriculture.

We have information that some of your members are calling on you to aspire to the national leadership of NIFST. Are you on that path?

Well, I am not aware of this and it is not an aspiration. Though I have been opportune to serve in leadership roles in various associations or groups that I belong to, I have never aspired for such roles. As per national leadership of NIFST, I believe we have many capable hands that are more competent than me. Left to me, it is not an aspiration and I can’t even wait to hand over the Lagos chapter to give opportunity for others to also serve. I don’t have a plan to contest any position at the national level, not to talk of the national leadership.

Apart from food business, what other things do you do and at your spare time too?

I think I spend most of my spare time going on evangelism and distributing tracts and flyers.

Between food sufficiency, production of electric cars, going to space and conducting a census, which will you advice the country to do now and why?

If I am to wish, I will want Nigeria to start producing electric cars. However, that is just wishful thinking. I will rather advise we focus on food sufficiency or conduct credible census devoid of ethnic or religious bias that can drive true development.

At this point in time in Nigeria, some notable voices in Benue State and other states have called for farmers to be armed when going to their farms. What’s your opinion on this?

I pray and hope that we won’t get to that stage where farmers have to carry weapons to the farm. But if it gets to that stage, then it means Nigeria is already a failed state. You don’t expect any meaningful development under such condition. I hope the government will do something urgently to tackle insecurity all around the country.

If you were not into your profession, what else would you have loved to be?

I would have loved to be a Formula One driver. I am sure if I had been born in another clime, I would have taken a shot at that.

Who has influenced you most in life?

Several people have influenced me at different stages of my life. That includes my mum, my former boss and former NIFST president Mr. Sola Olawale and my Spiritual leader Bishop Oyedepo. Aside these people, I have other people that have influenced me in one way or the other. From some, I even learnt from their mistakes on what to avoid.

Victoria Nkong is a woman of many parts. She is passionate about discovering talents, managing artistes and working with known brands like KORA Musk awards, Headies and more. She is also into Charity work, running an orphanage, caring for 23 Children and still having time for her busy schedule. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, she takes you into her world and the things that inspire and motivate her.

Tell us about the new things that you are working on at the moment?

I am working on several new projects, the most exciting one is a collaboration between myself and media mogul Olisa Adibua, more details will be revealed at the appropriate time. My company now represents a drink brand as well and this is a whole new experience for us. We also  just signed one of the X Big Brother Nigeria housemates under our management, and we are currently on the Production of the HEADIES Awards.

What has been the experience managing and working with artistes?

I actually manage talents generally not just artists. It’s been a roller coaster. Of course, you know that like  every business, some days are good and some days aren’t so good. The thing with Talent Management is that it takes a lot of selflessness and dedication on the part of the manager, however if the talent doesn’t play their part with the right attitude to work, all your efforts could be thrown in the bin.

It’s quite exciting to watch brands grow under your watch and strategy and it’s been very rewarding for me knowing that I’m directly impacting lives

I have had some really exciting moments and built some useful relationships as well while I’ve also had some really disappointing and heartbreaking moments.

Tell us about some of the memorable moments?

I remember when my artists Toofan had the highest nominations at the MTV MAMA Awards in Durban and we went there quite happy, eventually out of 5 nominations they didn’t win even one, I’ll never forget the pain that we felt in a hurry.

I also remember being in the studio in Paris with Harrysong and how blown away everyone in the studio was when he started performing.

What are some of the challenges?

Financing is always a big issue in Talent Promotion because the industry has taken a new turn over the years and you almost have to pay your way through every aspect.

Also a lot of the talents on this side aren’t used to structure, so it makes it quite difficult to execute plans towards set down goals.

In addition, you find that there’s no support from the Government so we are left to put everything in place by ourselves. Even though most of what we do is for the culture. The challenges abound but we just keep pushing.

What or who inspires the things you do?

I am inspired by different things. This includes  my children  as well as the desire to impart lives and be different

What  are some of the other things that occupy your time?

There’s a lot, because Talent Management is only one aspect of what I do

So just to properly introduce myself: I am the CEO of Qtaby Events. We are into Events Production, TV production, Public Relations and Talent Management. I am on the board of trustees of Jegede Paul Foundation and I also run an orphanage home where I have been the mother to 23 children in the past 9 years amidst other children that have come and gone for adoption or been reunited with their family.

Tell us about the people you admire?

It’s a wide range of people from different spheres of life: My mother comes first,  she represents strength to me and she was an exceptional mother to us against all odds. She built the foundation that prepared me for the life that I currently live. My partner at the orphanage, Mr. Jegede Abiodun Paul who despite his challenging schedule as the Chairman of Japaul Group has been steadfast in his commitment towards the children in the home and all the responsibilities that abound.

What would you consider as the turning point ?

A major turning point for me was the loss of my sister who died from a violent marriage. I think my life changed since then and the resolve to do more, be more, touch more lives and live while I’m here multiplied.

When it comes to career, I will  say that my initial employment with KORA All African Music Awards also marked a turning point in my career.

Did you feel like quitting at any point?

Of course, it’s the story of every entrepreneur. I can assure you that was a phase; especially in a country like Nigeria where it seems like everything is orchestrated to make our lives difficult. Doing business in this country is twice as hard and on several occasions I  quit mentally but when I remembered why I started, I bounce back and waxed stronger. Even with the orphanage, there have been very emotionally draining situations that have lead me to that point on a few occasions, one of it is the loss of a child with cerebral palsy that was in our care.

What are you looking forward to in the next few years?

Taking my brand to the next level, being able to help more creatives achieve their dreams and build their empire, I’m looking forward to a better structured creative industry and more sincere working collaborations across the industry where we support each other to grow rather than see one another as competitors. I want to see a Nigeria that works for us all where the son of a “Nobody” can become “somebody” without knowing “anybody” because he deserves it.

What advice do you have for young people who want to come into the sector?

You must be focused, maintain utmost professionalism, be true to yourself and your vision. Never get carried away by the razzmattazz in the industry. Show business is crazy but the people who finance the business aspect are not crazy. Ensure that your work and work ethics stand out always.

What is your definition of style?

Looking good without breaking a bank…lol…Generally, I love smart casual outfits, mini tunic dresses e.t.c which I could quickly switch up to look almost formal with the use of high healed shoes. My shoes, perfumes and my smile are the  most important accessories.

What are the things that you won’t do in the name of fashion?

I’m particularly against nudity, I don’t subscribe to the new trend of showing off too much skin just to appear sexy, I believe in modesty so anything that looks overboard won’t work for me because I know that less is more, I won’t undergo a cosmetic surgery for any reason, I never follow trends as it’s hectic to keep up with.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

My family and my Godfidence.

How would you describe Nigerian women in the entertainment sector today?

There are several Nigerian women who are doing really great stuff in the entertainment industry despite the fact that it is a male dominated industry. As a matter of fact, I dare say that the women are putting in an unprecedented touch of excellence through their work at the moment. Look at King of Boys by Kemi Adetiba? There are women who really make me proud of being a woman and there  are also a few misguided ones. Gone are the days when we are limited by our sex or considered as the weaker sex, at the moment women are taking several seats in front and in some cases teaching the men how it should be done.

On the occasion of his second anniversary as the Vice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof Suleiman Bala Mohammed spoke with LINUS OOTA on the journey so far and his efforts to transform the university into world class standard.

You recently introduced the whistle blowing policy in the university. How well has it worked so far?    

The whistle blowing policy is one of our overall agenda. It falls under the context of trying to fight unethical conduct on the campus because we observed that there were lots of unethical conduct going on among the staff and students. We don’t have so much worry about students, because they appear to be powerless. Once a student engages in exams malpractice you can bring him/her before the committee, and if found guilty, we can expel them.

But for staff it is a bit difficult. For lecturers who lecture through proxy and there are those who mark exams through proxies while some don’t even submit results on time. What we have done is to look out for such lecturers and non-academic staff. We must be ethical and must do our jobs properly. If we don’t, the victims are the students and the general public and they should have the courage to complain. It is a policy that was launched with the aim of exposing our teaching and non-teaching colleagues who are unethical in what they do.

Has it yielded any result?

Fantastic results! In fact, we have seen results that are very impressive. One, I like to say that it has already been able to serve as a deterrent. The mere fact that we launched that policy has made a lot of our colleagues to retract from what they were doing, and I have evidence all over. People have come here to thank me for what I have done.

Number two, from the dedicated ones, we are able to receive quite a number of complaints and we have been able to track some of them and found them to be genuine. They are now at various levels of investigation. We will investigate them and those found culpable will be put through the disciplinary process.

Do you have the specific number of culprits?

I don’t have the number, because it is Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics that is handling it. But approximately, about five or six are under investigation.

Recently you constituted two committees; one for the Faculty of Engineering and the other for the College of Medicine. How far with the two committees?

So far, so good. The committees are actually not meant to submit any final reports. We are actually supposed to be working with them until we admit students in October, 2021. It is a committee that is supposed to assess what we are doing and submit reports. They have submitted their first report, which actually dealt with the schedule we submitted to them and their overall observations about our regulatory agencies. We have got those reports and we are working with them.

Our plan is that the committee is made up of experts—professors as well as practitioners—and we are supposed to be working with them based on what we have in place. They will make their own observations and contributions so that by the time we set or we begin these programmes, they will be among the best in the country.

We have received one observation, which is very good. They told us that Edo State University has one of the best faculties of engineering and medicine, and I have sent a delegation comprising the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, the Registrar and the Dean of Engineering to go and observe it, and they said it is marvelous. We are going to pick some of the best practices there.

So, are the faculties taking-off in 2021?

Yes, they are taking off by 2021. We have done a schedule, where we hope that between now to the end of the year, w are going to advertise and recruit staff. We are also going to work on the take-off sites, and by early next year, we will invite the NUC (Nigerian Universities Commission) to come and do visitation. Once they visit, hopefully they will give us the go ahead so that JAMB can include them in the brochure for next year’s admission, and we will admit by October, 2021.

How many people do you intend to recruit?

There is usually what we call BMIS (Basic Minimum Standard) that NUC normally put in place, which deals with the number of staff, equipment, library materials and so on per department. We are actually guided by that. In addition to that, we are also guided by the professional body for engineering, which is COREN. For Medicine, it is Medical and Dental Council. The two have to come and do our accreditation and we are working closely with them. In fact, in our steering committees, we had representation from these two professional bodies.

From experience in other state owned and private universities, they would admit students into the college of medicine and by the time they get to 300 level, they switched them to other disciplines related to Medicine. What is the guarantee that such will not be the case in this university?

Incidentally, I had that kind of experience at University of Abuja where I came from. At the University of Abuja, we set up the College of Medicine. We were very ambitious. We also set up faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Engineering. Four at the same time! And we ran into the problem of funding and facilities, and the students wanted to demonstrate on the Abuja-Lokoja highway. It caused a lot damages. The federal government had to intervene and they assisted us in solving the problems.

And the problems we also had, we cannot fund the students in other universities because there is a limited number that every college of medicine can accommodate. So the option we had was to distribute them. Of course, we had candidates who will tell you I have been admitted into MBBS and I won’t do any other thing except MBBS. Of course, they have the right to ensure justice.

In our own case, we are thinking not of that. We have done our planning in terms of staffing. We are able to work with the government and we have the approval of the government and that of our visitors. In fact, when the conference of Nigeria Alumni Association went for a meeting, what they said is that they are going to give 100% support to ensure that our programmes in engineering and medicine take off. So we have that support and we don’t have any issue with recruitment of staff.

The other one is the issue of building. For engineering, our site is in Gudi. A complete school structure was handed over to us. The state government built that structure for the disabled, but they have handed over the structure to us. So what we require in that place is simply to realign the structure to meet the need of engineering and make additional workshops. So we have a good structure for engineering.

For medicine, we have awarded the contract for the construction of the first phase of the college of medicine. Meanwhile, we have identified a new site for the faculty of environment. So we want to use the old site for the faculty of environment as the take-off site for the faculty of medicine. So we are going to sort the issue of staffing, we are going to sort the issue of facilities and we are going to sort the issue of  books. We believe that we are good to go. We are going to have this inspection early in the year 2021 and we can now have approval to start.

The state government has just given directives that tertiary institutions in the state should resume. How prepared are you?

We are prepared. We have been working with the state government, first as a team with all the tertiary institutions in the state. We are also working together with the ministry to ensure that there is safe resumption. In the course of our working together, we discussed with the government on the need to assist the institutions to get the health protocol facilities required by the task force of the state and the federal government. We have worked with the government and I want to report that they have given us that assistance.

Government has also taken up the responsibility of fumigation or disinfection of the environment. They have also taken the responsibility of training our health staff and others on the health protocol. That is why virtually all the tertiary institutions in the state have announced the dates for their resumption. College of Education Akwanga, the polytechnic and College of Agricultur, have announced their dates of resumption.

In our case, we are having a challenge with the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). We are hopeful that this strike will end very soon. They are meeting soon and we hope that they will find a common ground. I am sure the pressure is on both ASUU and the Federal Government. Our students have been at home for a very long time now. Once the strike is suspended, we will call the Senate meeting to look at the calendar. We have to amend it.

Looking at your five-point agenda for this institution and considering that you have three years left, which of them have you achieved to the letter?

Well, there are supposed to be ongoing projects which we were supposed to achieve at the end of the first year. Some of them are not something we can conclude, but we have set the machinery in motion. For example, we want to build a university system. Building a university system, you have to have a system which is guided by the rule of law. Being guided by the rule of law means that the regulations that are so stated are the ones that will guide the relationship between all the staff of the university.

We also said the system has to be based on accountability and transparency. In building that kind of system, it is not something you can say will be done at the end of one or two years. Our expectation is that over time, we will be able to have a university where people can say if you come to Keffi, your ward, I’m sure, can go to class based on timetable, take his/her lectures, write exams based on timetable, if he/she deserves accommodation, he/she will easily get accommodation, and if you graduate from Nasarawa State University and come to collect your transcript, you will just go online and get it.

In other words, we want to see a system that is guided by rules and regulations and there is some openness in what we are doing. This is one of the core tasks that I set for myself. We have been working on it and it is really work in progress. My expectation is that we will keep improving until the time it becomes so obvious to the public.

Another issue is on ICT. You cannot build a 21st Century university without having an effective ICT unit. It is work in progress. I want to place our appreciation to TETFUND who gave us a new befitting ICT block. We have an ICT block that can sit about one thousand

The Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria Massimiliano Spalazzi was barely a month in office when the business world was ravaged by the Coronavirus pandemic. Appointed in January to head the Africa’s largest e-commerce giant, Spalazzi, in this interview with select journalists, spoke about the challenges facing the business world. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO was there.

BUSINESSES are facing some challenges at this time due to the pandemic that has hit the global space. In Nigeria, there is currently a recession. Do these pose any challenge for e-commerce operations in the country?

I think we need to split the macroeconomics and what is happening online. So, I’m clear of the view that the situation is hard for many businesses. But at the same time, the penetration of e-commerce in the country is actually increasing by the day. So I would say that the key impact of the current recession on e-commerce is probably a slower growth which is contrary to what was forecasted. Not to cut numbers but I recently read an article about the penetration and the increase of mobile subscriptions in the country, which means that more subscribers are actually using phones to engage Jumia platform. It’s a really powerful moment and potential for growth for brands to come from offline to online. So answering your question, it is a tough time. But e-commerce is growing and that is probably why more brands and vendors are dealing online now.

There has been a record of low patronage from brick and mortar stores. Do you think e-commerce has an impact on this?

For us, it is more like a change. We can’t say that things are not fast actually but rather maybe a change in what people have been buying. So right now, online, they are buying foodstuff like rice which is very scarce in the market and we offer some great deals on the platform. I would admit that the amount of excitement that there was last year, for example, the need to acquire devices e.g. laptops, phones, TVs, is not as profound. Nevertheless, the platform has been consistently growing. Jumia is putting in good work with local vendors, offering them more engagements for the goods and services they offer.

How are the vendors reacting to these changes? Has there been an increase in sales?

There is inflation in the market, but at the same time, it is a moment in the year where consumers are coming on board because of the festivities. We’ve done Black Friday and now Christmas sales. Vendors who understand this also understand the potential of e-commerce. Let’s keep in mind that this year has been very important for brands because we did see a shift in their interest and much more focus on what’s happening online and in the e-commerce sector. Every brand started doing their marketing and commercial e-commerce strategy and started thinking with Jumia on how to achieve this strategy. But then they understand that the highest number of consumers are actually ready to buy during this period. Vendors understand the importance of giving the right prices and offerings to the consumers. So I would say, to a fault sometimes, of course, you have to adjust the price and understand the trend and also understand that volumes will make a difference, which is what’s happening now with Christmas sales. They maintained the prices and people have been really happy about it.

There’s this transition of moving an offline business online. Do you encourage vendors to trade on Jumia platform?

Absolutely, this has been a trend that started in March and kept going throughout the year. There’s the first part of this trend where we simply endorsed vendors for regular online selling on Jumia. They understood that wow this is actually what’s happening, there’s an increased growth of digitalization happening both for the consumers and vendors. I noticed that quite a number of vendors were selling essential goods and day to day needs—groceries and the likes.

It was also discovered that some vendors and also most of the big brands did not have a strong online presence. They started shifting to e-commerce faster in the second half of the year. Presently, we have wonderful conversations with brands thinking about what we can offer next year. Some of the examples to make you understand how fast this is going and how we are adapting to the consumer needs of our vendors now is a kind of offer we are giving not only in our prices but also their official needs which brands are responsible for, like good quality products which is really appreciated by customers, thus creating engagement and as a result, all parties are very happy.

Is there something you’ll like to share on e-commerce?

Yeah, what we’ve seen at least this year has been how relevant and important e-commerce was in serving the population during these tough times. We’ve seen many different situations happen from COVID-19 which obliged people to be locked down and having to purchase their goods in a safe way. On the other side, as a result of the fostering of local businesses online, they can make more sales now because of less dependency on the dollar. I think all of these have been happening in an advanced system, which is good for Jumia, and is still happening online. What we saw also was that people wanted to start using Jumia Pay. They found a lot of safety in it because of our push towards contactless payment with Jumia Pay and ensuring that these customers use it. I think we’ve experienced a tough year, absolutely, but a very relevant year where e-commerce, I’d say helped it.

How did Black Friday improve your sales, considering that people waited for the big moment to shop for themselves, their families, friends at the best prices?

People have been waiting even more than before for this year’s event and they have been really engaging with Jumia these last months. What did change though is the kind of products that were being bought; the kind of good and services within the past months and this year in general as a result of how COVID has impacted everyone’s life and people started to buy much more essential goods and day to day needs, and this has reflected in the kind of goods they were looking for when shopping during the Black Friday campaign.

We saw how Jumia exceeded and created adoption with customers and vendors and as a result of this, more vendors began engaging much more with our platform. They’ve seen the strength of users buying online and they wanted to partner with Jumia and build their presence online. And Black Friday has been an enhancer and an enabler for this strength.

So I’d say that the trend didn’t change but the nature of products changed. We sold much more essentials and day to day goods, for example fashion, beauty, groceries. Of course, you have to use your phones, TVs and laptops. But there’s practically more attention on this site and brands understood this and came onboard offering the right things which customers can experience.

This takes us to the question: was there any need to reduce or increase discounts during this Black Friday?

I think in general, Jumia has vendors that are selling on their platform and prices are changing every day because vendors are changing prices every day. This is the same across all months. However, what we do ensure that for the Black Friday specials there are certain things and certain goods and certain services which we discussed with the vendors for long. We started this conversation in the first half of the year.

We make sure these goods are secured and actually in the warehouse where we can offer customers JumiaExpress(faster delivery) and we keep the prices at the same level throughout the whole campaign. So, typically, the flash sales, the treasure hunt; the biggest viewers will find and keep those prices. But in general of course, Jumia is a reflection of the economy. As a result of the pandemic, vendors are changing prices.

How did this affect consumers’ reaction?

I think the top deals, we call them the anchor deals, the deals that we think are the biggest ones, they kept to their pricing during the event. So, actually, we saw customers engaging with their brands more, finding the offers on Jumia very interesting even more than usual, because the context we actually described exceeded their expectations while on the other side, we were trying to keep to the schedule offering discounts for our Christmas campaign, which is ongoing right now.