The Nation Newspaper

Tag: dons

  • Dons, others for researchers’ conference

    The International Association of Research Scholars and Administrators (IARSA) will hold its Third Annual International Conference on “Global issues in multidisciplinary education, research and technology development” at the Grand Ibro Hotel Annex, Wuse Zone 5, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja between November 20 and 21.

    Over 500 experts in education and development, university leaders, research associations, foundations, agencies, policy makers, among others, are expected at the event.

    They are among those who will speak  on the latest in research and service improvements in 10 sessions at the event.

    The event would also feature debate sessions with the top scholars; five accredited training streams and receive 10 continuing professional development (CPD) points

    Lead Facilitator of the conference, Prof. Akin Ogunsakin, said the highpoint of the event would be presentation of awards to celebrate the achievements and leadership of individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to research and international education.

  • Buhari, Tinubu, dons mourn Oluwole

    President Muhammadu Buhari has extended condolences to the Oluwole family on the death of Prof. Sophie Oluwole, renowned philosopher and Nigeria’s first female doctorate degree holder in philosophy.

    Prof Oluwole died on Sunday in her home at Ibafo, Ogun State. She was 83.

    In a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President joined members of the family, the academia and other close associates in mourning the cerebral philosopher, who through her teachings and works celebrated the Yoruba culture, history and worldview.

    She reminded the world that within pristine traditions are values that promote the ideals of democracy, fairness, equity and justice, the President said of the deceased.

    Buhari said he has the belief that the deceased would be honoured and remembered for her commitment and skill in spreading the word about the good in promoting African tradition, culture, knowledge and languages.

    The President urged all who mourn Prof Oluwole to honour her memory by carrying on from where she left off in her zeal to promote indigenous knowledge, skills and discipline that could help us redefine ourselves as a people and a nation.

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu described the late Prof. Oluwole as a distinguished academic and Yoruba nationalist.

    He said the late philosopher; popularly called Mamalawo (female native doctor) would be deeply missed because of her commitment to the development of the Yoruba culture, tradition and philosophy.

    The former Lagos State governor said: “Prof. Sophie Oluwole was a distinguished academic, pan-African philosopher and Yoruba nationalist. As Nigeria’s first female doctorate degree holder in philosophy, she truly earned her stripes. She believed in and practised what she taught and preached.

    “She loved and celebrated Yoruba tradition and philosophy so much she was nicknamed Mamalawo.

    “Nigeria, the Yoruba race and all those who admire pristine traditions will sorely miss Prof Sophie.  Her teachings and works derived from the Yoruba school of philosophical thought. To her, the ancient African philosopher Orunmila was second to none.

    “I commiserate with the Oluwole family, the academic community, students who passed through her. I pray they have the strength and resilience to continue where she stopped. To the soul of the late Prof, I pray for eternal rest.”

    In the academic, the late professor’s community, her demise was described as a significant loss to Africa.

    The Dean of Arts, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Muyiwa Falaiye, who was late Mrs. Oluwole’s student and later colleague, described her as a brilliant thinker whose work on African philosophy rivalled world-recognised philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates.

    The professor of African Philosophy said: “She was my teacher and PhD supervisor. She was a mentor; we worked together for a long period first as a student, then as co-lecturers.

    “She was a role model, a good woman, an Africanist.  She is a big loss to the academia, not only in Nigeria but internationally.   She is well-known for her noble work on Orunmila.

    “It is significant work.  Many people had thought that no African had the capacity to think but Oluwole showed a lot of wisdom can be got from African philosophers that can rival what European Philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle did.”

    UNILAG’s Vice Chancellor Prof Toyin Ogundipe said the deceased added value in the university where she retired 18 years ago.

    The vice chancellor said: “It is sad that we had to lose her now; but we thank God for her life. She contributed effectively. She was former dean of students’ affairs. In the academic space she contributed very well.  She is a well-respected woman in her department and faculty.”

    Prof Ogundipe said the university’s programme to honour her would be dependent on her family’s plans.

    The Igbara-Oke, Ondo State Prof Sophie Oluwole, was the first woman to earn a doctorate degree in Philosophy in Nigeria.

    She studied History, Geography and Philosophy at UNILAG after which she was employed as an Assistant Lecturer in 1972.  She earned her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan.

    She taught African Philosophy at UNILAG between 2002 and 2008 and focused on the Yoruba school of philosophical thought that discussed the cultural and religious beliefs of Yoruba land.

    She was recognised for her activism for women in philosophy and education.

  • Dons to address religion in Africa

    Scholars in Nigeria will on Saturday, through public discourses, literarily flog the menace of religion in Africa.

    Scholars expected to speak at the event include Prof. Isaac Alaba, Languages and Culture Independent Consultant; Prof. Douglas Anele, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Gabriel Idahosa, renowned speaker on social esoteric issues.

    The discourse, tagged: “Soul’s Immortality and Universal Love”, will hold at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, from 9am.

    The special guest of honour is the Grand Administrator and Director, Supreme Board of the Rosicrucian Order (AMORC) Dr. Kenneth Idiodi.

  • Lagos, dons to partner on traffic law

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Ladi Lawanson, has called for a beneficial relationship between the academia and the government, especially in sustaining the Lagos Traffic Law.

    The commissioner made the call during a visit to his office by a delegation from the Department of the Urban and Regional Planning of University of Lagos, Akoka.

    “The government and the gown should work together to ensure that constant development and growth in all sectors of governance are regularly upgraded for the benefit of the citizenry,” he said to the group led by Prof Leke Oduwaye.

    While promising to explore the possibility of a collaboration in the training professionals in the ministry, Lawanson assured the academics of the state’s readiness to enlighten the citizenry on the need to obey traffic laws.

    He promised to work with the public towards inspiring their buy-in and, ultimately, involve them in the enforcement of the laws for the benefit and well-being of all.

    Earlier, Oduwaye congratulated the Commissioner on his appointment and promised a relationship between UNILAG’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Transportation Ministry.

     

  • Dons to Fed Govt: fund agric research

    Professors of agriculture in some universities of agriculture have called on the Federal Government to fund agriculture extension services and research.

    They made the call during a meeting with the Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development and other members of the governing council of Federal Universities of Agriculture in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Professor of Agriculture Extension Services, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Ike Nwachukwu, expressed regret over the constant neglect of extension services and the officers in the agriculture sector.

    Nwachukwu said funding would help to train and recruit more extension officers to educate farmers on best agronomic practices.

    “I want to say that there is no fund from the government for extension services.

    “The universities are unable to fund extension services and it is an integral part of agriculture,’’ he said.

    Prof. Kaka Bukar, a member of the Governing Council of the university, said funding research would help unveil current trends in agriculture and help attract youths into the venture.

    “Special attention should be given to research and extension services to promote agriculture in the country,” he said.

    Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Prof Alkassun Abah, said that unless agriculture was made a profession, it would not be attractive to the youths.

    Abah appealed to the Federal Government to collaborate with financial institutions to subsidise agriculture loans and ensure its easy access.

    Responding, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Chief Audu Ogbeh, assured the council of the government’s commitment to fund agricultural research and extension services.

  • Dons to Fed Govt: reduce oil losses

    Nigeria will not only  lose its top oil producing position on thec ontinent to Angola but will also find it difficult to meet its budgetary expenditure if the militant attacks which led to the shut-downs of its oil facilities continue, experts have said.

    They are Dr Adedayo Ayoade, Senior Lecturer, Energy Law, University of Lagos and Prof Adeola Akinnisju, an energy economist at the University of Ibadan.

    According to them, Angola has maintained a daily crude oil production of 1.672 million barrels per day (bpd), while Nigeria’s figure fell by 156,900 barrels per day to 1.269million bpd in March, from 1.426mbpd recorded last February.  Consequently, the country lost its status as Africa’s top oil producer to Angola, according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

    Ayoade said the loss of Africa’s number one spot to Angola by the country is not the problem, but that its ability to generate enough revenue for improved economic activities.

    He said the country has lost N83billion as reported by the media, adding that the economy would be in jeopardy if the trend continued. He said the Federal Government was finding it difficult to meet its budget proposal, due to fall in the international prices of crude oil, arguing the country would experience a dip in revenue in the event that the fall in oil output persists.

    Ayoade said: “The price of oil picked at $57 per barrel. When that happened, Nigerians were elated as well as believing that problems such as low revenue and its attendant impact on the economy would end soon. We should forget the loss of top position to Angola and focus on how to boost production to generate more revenues and further meet our fiscal needs.’’

    He said the loss in Africa’s top spot to Angola was a wakeup call for the industry to redouble its efforts, through production of crude oil, urging the Federal Government to provide a more conducive environment to enable operators to produce more oil and drill new wells.

    This, he said, the indigenous oil exploration and production companies and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) could only play well when the disruptions caused by militants in the region is minimised.

    Also, Akinnisiju said the reduction in crude oil production would lead to a corresponding decrease in revenue accruable to the Federal Government and by extension the external reserves.

    He urged oil firms to increase production to bring the much- needed growth to themselves and the country.

  • Dons share MIT experience at teachers’ summit

    The approach to teaching should be problem-solving, not just based on theoretical definitions, says Prof Fransica Oladipo, Head of Computer Science Department at the Federal University, Lokoja.

    Prof Oladipo spoke at the Empowering The Teachers (ETT) summit organised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Total at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, last Tuesday, during which she shared how participating in the ETT programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) changed her orientation.

    The ETT initiative done in partnership with MIT, United States, exposes doctoral degree teachers in Science and Engineering Education to effective teaching delivery.

    Prof Oladipo said her one semester at MIT showed her the huge disparity between the undergraduate programme in Nigeria and that of the U.S.

    “The first shock I had was like ‘oh, there could be so much difference between the two undergraduate programmes.’ As a professor I had to sit in an undergraduate class. What I saw in comparison was just two worlds apart. I could see the sharp contrast and I had to ask myself if it is the same course I have been teaching for over a decade now? There, I saw the sharp difference in standard and delivery method. It is not just about the technology, many of the lecturers still use the chalk like we do here but the content and the pedagogical skill is just way apart,” she said.

    Prof Oladipo advocated the replication of the US teaching methodology in Nigeria.

    She said: “Prior to MIT training, many of us were teaching the way we were taught when we were young. But now we have learnt new skills that we are going to transfer to our students. So, if any of them come back to the academic system to teach, it is going to be like something new. So eventually we are going to have a phase of Nigeria filled with change agents who are adopting and practicing innovative and teaching problem solving style.”

    Prof Oladipo also called for the reformation of the university curriculum, noting that the industry should be major contributors to the curriculum in order to guide the experts to include the needs and problems of the industry.

    Another MIT Fellow, Dr Victor Ogunmuyiwa of the Department of Computer Science, University of Lagos (UNILAG) noted that commitment is the key to actualizing an effective teaching method.

    He said: “The first thing is commitment to excellence. If you are not committed to excellence, you will find it difficult even when you are given the right method to apply.  Over there, they take their time and it involves a lot of energy.  When you are training students, it is not just about going to class and giving lectures. You should give assignments, then go through them and give the students feedback; you even design assignments and projects that are relevant to what they will see in the industry. It takes a lot of energy.

    “I had a European experience while I was doing my PhD but going to MIT was indeed different. When I got there, I saw how students are being prepared when they enter classroom to do a course. They enter like novices but after the course, they come out like experts in that course. Seeing how they were able to do it, the teaching method, evaluation, the kind of projects they work on, it changed my orientation. How do you set expectations for students? When you set the right expectations for students and you create a process and put them through that process, at the end of the day, you can get the result. I think it is working because I am applying the same method and I can see the result.”

    The Managing Director, Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mr Nicholas Terraz, noted that the programme had 50 fellows to its credit who have become change agents.

    He also said the company has impacted over 30,000 people through various capacity building projects since inception, adding that Total will continue to support the country’s development not just through its business activities but also in developing the capacity of Nigerians.

  • Six-week energy audit training for dons at UNILAG

    No fewer than 25 graduates and professionals of Electrical Engineering are undergoing training on energy audit and management at the University of Lagos, Akoka.

    The progamme tagged “Training of Trainers” is funded by the European Union (EU), the German government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

    For six weeks, the professionals would be trained on the analysis of energy flows and energy conservation in a building, process or system in order to reduce wastage such that they would be able to apply their knowledge in the field and the classroom.

    Project Director, Mr Felix Nitz, said the participants who are professionals but have background in teaching were selected after they applied for the programme about three years ago.

    “This training is not an ordinary technical training but a training that will empower people, institutions who are determined to deliver training on their own. Our intention is to empower certain institutions in the country to deliver courses related to energy. All are graduates, who are also professionals and have not only graduated but have years of experience and also have a background in teaching,” said Nitz.

    He added that the Nigerian education system needs to address the    gap between what the institutions teach and what industry needs. He said the gap shows in graduates who can teach but cannot apply it on the field.

    Nittz said: “The teachers in Nigeria have a tendency to be theoretical and what the industry wants are those who have the knowledge and are ready to apply it. This is different from teaching, different from research.  University education in Nigeria prepares people to become teachers and researchers but there are no people on ground who can apply that knowledge. There is a deficit in practical skills; and we have trainings that will empower them to be able to apply this knowledge.”

    The Director, National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (NCEEC), Prof Abiola Kehinde, whose centre is hosting the training, said Nigeria needs to key into energy auditing to reduce wastage as well as conserve energy.

    “We should key into this laudable initiative in this recession period so that we are able to judiciously account for our enegy usage as well as reduce wastage,” Kehinde said.

    One of the participants, a graduate of Electrical Engineering who lectures at Covenant University, Ota, Miss Olayinka Ayo, said: “One thing we are lacking in Nigeria is that there is so much energy wastage. We have a shortage of electricity in Nigeria but this knowledge can help us manage what we have if we can carry out audit of our systems and manage what we have.  We have more than 50 per cent people living in the rural areas that do not have access to electricity.”

  • Dons, students hail Fafunwa Foundation for developing education

    Dons, students hail Fafunwa Foundation for developing education

    NIGERIANS have hailed the Fafunwa Education Foundation (FEF) for contributing to the development of the education sector.

    Speaking yesterday at the Annual Awards Ceremony of the foundation held at the Faculty of Education Auditorium, University of Lagos (UNILAG), they said FEF over the years, had made a lot of impact in the education industry.

    The people, comprising students, academics, entrepreneurs and others, said the topic of the 2016 lecture titled: “tackling the problem of unemployment in Nigeria” was relevant to the recession the country was experiencing.

    They said if the recommendations to be made by the foundation are implemented, they will proffer solutions to unemployment.

    The Post Doctoral Award in Education was won by Dr. Olabisi Adedigba of the Faculty of Education, (Department of Teacher Education), University of Ibadan, Ibadan with the topic: “Efficacy of Literature-Based Instructional Strategies on Pupils Awareness of and Attitude to Child Right in Kwara State, Nigeria; who went home with N250,000.

    Dr. Bivese-Djebah Philomena Anwulika of the Faculty of Education (Dept of Educational Foundations), University of Lagos, Akoka emerged second with the topic: Effects or Cognitive Restructuring and social support on Marital Instability Among Selected Working Married Women in Lagos State, Nigeria; and carted away N150,000.

    Dr. Toju Toritseju Eyengho of the Faculty of Education (Dept of Art and Social Sciences), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife came third with the topic: “Assessment and Implementation of Primary and Secondary Schools Curricular and Co-Curricular Activities in Southwestern Nigeria; and got N100,000.

    In the Best Performance in WASSCE (May/June 2015) category, Abia State came top, followed by Anambra State and Edo State.

    The awards were presented by the chairman of the FEF’s Academic Committee, Prof. Kayode Alao, of the Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

    The FEF, a non-government organization, was established in January 1995 to provide fresh insight and practical ideas on improving education in the country.

  • Promotion for LASU dons

    The Governing Council of Lagos State University at its 111st statutory meeting on May 31 2016, elevated Rotimi Williams Olatunji to the status of professor of Mass Communication (Advertising).

    Olatunji, whose promotion was back dated to last October 1, became the third professor of Communication Studies in LASU School of Communication.

    Also, Dr. Yinka Alawode has been elevated from Senior Lecturer to Associate Professor, Mass Communication.

    Olatunji, while thanking God for the elevation, appreciated his mentors and professors from whom he said he drew inspiration.