The Nation Newspaper

Tag: excellence

  • UDUS VC seeks team work, excellence

    The new Vice-Chancellor of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, has pledged to further advance the university as a custodian of knowledge through collective responsibility.

    Zuru, who made the pledge during his maiden meeting with the management of the university shortly after assuming office, promised not to compromise the high academic standard to sustain the university’s record of academic excellence.

    Zuru assured of his readiness to work with the management team as a team towards attaining UDUS’ lofty goals.

    Until his appointment, Prof Zuru was the Vice-Chancellor of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero. He is also a former UDUS’ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Director, Sokoto Energy Research Centre and holder of Petroleum Technology and Development Fund (PTDF) endowment chair in Petroleum Chemistry

    Earlier, UDUS’ Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Lawal Amadu had congratulated Zuru, adding that the management was ready to work with him. He advised him to come up with decisions that are  in the best interest of the university.

    Amadu said management was looking forward to a prosperous tenure under Zuru’s leadership.

    Thereafter, the meeting featured handing over.

  • Ahmed: Celebrating excellence

    Despite the gloom that evil men have tried to cast over the nation by their acts of wickedness, the last few days have been one of excitement and rejoicing in Kwara State. Prior to the annual celebrations to mark the Children Day on May 27 and the anniversary of Nigeria’s current democracy two days later, the nation had been thrown into unimaginable confusion by the wicked kidnap of over 200 school girls from Chibok, in Borno State.

    This year’s anniversary marked the third edition of Democracy Day that the administration of Governor AbdulFattah Ahnmed would witness and but for the act of the insurgents, it would have necessitated the rolling out of the drums to celebrate a dream and a philosophy; the understanding that current administration can conveniently and comfortably  continue from its predecessor without the loss of progress that characterises succession in many parts of black Africa.

    But the dastardly act of the insurgents ensured that the usually boisterous Children Day celebrations was reduced to sessions of prayers and intercession by the youngsters and the banners some of them carried in support of the #bringbackourgirls protest only testified to the fact that these are not normal times for Nigeria.

    Few days before then, mothers in the state had gathered, under the leadership of Omolewa Ahmed, the humble and humane wife of the state governor, to send our heartfelt cries to heaven to intervene in the matters of the abducted girls.

    Yet despite the gloom, the people of Kwara still had reasons to celebrate. For the sake of moderation, the events lined up for the third year anniversary were significantly toned down. But it was the outward celebrations that were toned down, because as for the reality of progress on ground in terms of infrastructure and social amenities that the Maigida administration has added to the face of Kwara in three years, there was no way anyone could tone down those ones.

    There was no way, for instance, even the intellectually deficient  and jaundiced criticism of the opposition can tone down the reality of the 10,200 people the administration employed in the formal sector in the last three years. Indeed, 5200 of them collected their letters of employment on Democracy Day under the government’s Quickwin programme, a project designed take as many Kwarans as possible out dire unemployment.

    Or how could one tone down the reality of the two 2.5MVA, 33KVA/11kV Injection sub-station at Agunjin/Abayan community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state. That project, which cost a sum of N42.8 million, will provide electricity to some 36 communities. There is no way to tone down the quantum leap in sociability and comfort as well as the development that such a project would add to the people of the rural areas.

    And there was no way to reduce the intensity of joy among residents over the reality of the rehabilitated waterworks at Obbo-Aiyegunle in Ekiti Local Government Area. The project was first commissioned in 1977 and served the community for years before it broke down and was abandoned. But the Ahmed administration, with a policy of ensuring no resident lives beyond 500 metres of access to water, took up the rehabilitation.

    Again, except you would ask them to vanish into the thin air, there was no way to tone down the reality of the General Hospitals in Offa, Omu-Aran, Kaima, Share and Ilorin or the roads in Ijara-Isin-Isanlu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area as well as the rehabilitated Oro-Ijomu-Oro Road in Irepodun council area all of which are products of the three years of Maigida’s leadership.

    The various projects commissioned during the week and others before then are all proof of a promise fulfilled. As noted by both Ahmed and the Deputy Governor, Elder Peter Kishra while commissioning some of projects, they all represent the fulfilment of a promise made by the administration at inception.

    For instance, the provision of water was a promise Ahmed made on May 29, 2011 when he took over from the administration of Senator Bukola Saraki. Kishra was proud of this in his speech at Obbo-Aiyegunle: “when we assumed office three years ago, we made provision of potable water one of our core priorities. This decision was borne out of the conviction that water is life, it has no enemy and its availability and accessibility enhance good living. We pursued water supply programmes in all nooks and crannies of Kwara State and most of such projects have been delivered for the use of the people”.

    According to the Deputy Governor, government has in the last few years been able to achieve a radical improvement in water supply situation in the state such that today, the water accessibility gap has reduced to 700m in 2011 down from 3,500m across the state. “The present administration”, he pointed out, “has continued sustained effort in this direction since inception. In 2012 government unveiled a programme to rehabilitate not less than 34 of the existing 94 water works spread across the state. While the scope of works in some of the waterworks was to upgrade them to their designed capabilities, works in others were actually to expand their capacities. The first phase of the programme, comprising 14 water works has been completed.” There is no way to tone down the reality of such achievements.

    Nor can any one  tone down the Joy of Mr and Mrs Abdullahi Yushau of Kuntu in Ilorin who had the first baby at the remodelled Ilorin General Hospital and got automatic employment from the state government in addition to the N200, 000 support for the family from Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

    And as the governor himself pointed out, the achievements of this administration are not on paper but on ground; they are not lip service political sloganeering but projects that anyone can verify. As he has done in the area of rural road and electrification, so has he done in the area of health and human capital development.

    Hear him: “While we have left no one in doubt as to our determination to build our people’s human capital through functional education and entrepreneurship, we are equally resolved to complement that drive with access to quality healthcare. This is because there can be no development without a healthy population which is the most critical factor of production”.

    How can one tone down the joy of the people of Offa who thronged out en masse to celebrate the commissioning of their rehabilitated, modernised and equipped general hospital? The words of Hon. Justice E. A. Adegbite, speaking on behalf of Offa community, that “we are overwhelmed. We are grateful that our perceived political difference has not influenced the Governor Abdulfatah’s administration distribution and spread of infrastructure and other dividend of democracy” cannot be vague.

    Ahmed insists “ with all sense of pride” his administration’s reform and promises are not mere lips service, but are visible and concrete all over the state.

    The concrete evidence surely include the State-of-Art Kwara Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin, recruitment, training and re-training of health personnel and expansion of Community Health Insurance Scheme across the three senatorial districts among others. At all the occasions, during the week, he promised to do more.

    And when you realise that the current successes have come within a very constrained funding allocation, then one would surely rise up to salute the financial wizardry of Maigida. And as the saying goes, Kwarans can take the governor’s promise “to sustaining the current upgrading of infrastructure across all sectors” to the bank and come back next year to reap the yield.

    Surely, in Kwara, it is good here.

    • Oba is the Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
  • VC tells freshers to pursue excellence

    VC tells freshers to pursue excellence

    The Vice -Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Prof Femi Mimiko, has urged the newly admitted students of the university to embrace hard work and culture of excellence as they resume their academic journey in the university.

    The VC, represented by his deputy, Prof Rotimi Ajayi, spoke at the orientation held for the fresh students.

    He advised the students to shun act that may jeopardise their admission, saying the university does not condone examination misconduct, cultism, indecent dressing, rape, theft, and other forms of vices.

    The VC noted that there had been increase in the number of candidates applying to the university because of the qualitative teaching the institution is known for.

    He said: “First, students receive a world-class and qualitative education at the most affordable cost. It is on record that this university charges the least school fees in Nigeria, making the university an institution of choice for many applicants.

    “We are noted for a culture of excellence and we strive to be on top all the time. The university was adjudged by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the best state university in Nigeria in terms of the quality of academic staff. This month, an American Agency, United States Transparency International Standards, ranked AAUA as the best state university in Nigeria in its 2013 co-ordinated school survey in Nigeria.”

    The Acting Director of Health Services, Dr Grace Ajayi, who spoke on health matters, advised the freshers to shun self-medication, urging them to always visit the health centre whenever they encounter health challenges.

  • Reward for excellence

    Reward for excellence

    Student-contributors to CAMPUSLIFE were honoured at the Fifth CAMPUSLIFE Award held in Lagos last weekend. FEMI OGUNJOBI (400-Level Language Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) PHILIP OKORODUDU (500-Level Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, Delta State University), EDDY UWOGHIREN (100-Level Medicine, University of Benin) and KINGSLEY AMATANWEZE (400-Level Material and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka) report.

    There was silence in the hall decorated in red and white to reflect the brand colours of the sponsors – Coca Cola Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Bottling Company Limited. The students, who are writers from different higher institutions, smartly dressed – some in suits and others flowing gowns – moved quietly into the hall.

    They were all anxious, because they could not tell who among them would win the coveted prize – Reporter of the Year. The welcome speech by the compere, Ayo Owodunmi, a presenter with Radio Continental, invigorated the atmosphere.

    Welcome to the Fifth CAMPUSLIFE award, a yearly event organised by The Nation in conjunction with Coca Cola System in Nigeria to reward student-contributors to CAMPUSLIFE.

    The event with the theme: Challenges and prospect of university administration in Nigeria was held at the Lamboghini Event Centre in Lekki, Lagos.

    Prof Pat Utomi, the guest lecturer’s entry excited the students. Charging them to provoke debates on how the nation could move forward despite its limitations, he said he was thrilled to know there were students who still possessed progressive thoughts about the declining education system.

    Utomi looked at the university administration system in the past, saying admission regulation in universities, such as University of Ibadan, was strict compared to schools in the United Kingdom.

    He said: “In our days as students, the educational system of Nigeria was so strong that it was easier to be admitted into Harvard University than to be admitted into the then University College, Ibadan. The future of this country depends on the knowledge of the youth and the values they uphold. Our colleagues who went to London to study were seen as average students who could not meet requirement to study at home.

    “But today, there is no such thing again. The drop in quality of education has watered down the process of administration in our universities. Gaining admission into a Nigerian university is as easy as you can ever imagine. All those strict admission regulations have disappeared; a student cannot just apply to any school in London, he must fulfil the admission requirement.”

    Recalling how as an undergraduate he challenged the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, the late Colonel Joe Garba, on Nigeria’s foreign policy, which, he said, prompted the minister to visit his school to address students, he wondered why the youths of today are reluctant to read.

    Utomi said: “As students, you have as much part in determining the future of the country as anybody in positions of authority.”

    He charged the students to use their articles to expose the ills in the society, saying everybody cannot be leader at the same time. Utomi, who left after the lecture, presented prizes to two winners. He congratulated the students on their achievements, urging them to use the award positively.

    At the end of the lecture, Utomi asked: “What is the mission of your generation?”

    Mr. Clem Ugorji, the Director of Public Affairs and Communication, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, challenged the students to follow Utomi’s path. He stressed that the strength of any society depended on the values its youths uphold, adding that Coca-Cola would not relent in investing in programmes that would add value to the youths.

    He said: “You are planting a seed in your life that only you will harvest in no time. We believe we are investing in people who are going to fix the wrongs in the society.”

    Things changed when it got to the award stage. As the categories were being introduced by the compere, the students became nervous.

    The award was divided into seven categories of Culture Report, Campus Sport, Personality Profile, Opinion, Investigative Report, Entertainment Report and CAMPUSLIFE Reporter of the Year.

    In the Culture Report category, there were three entries with four nominees. The nominees were Gilbert Alasa and Tolulope Ogunleye with entry report For their culture, they rise, which they co-authored; Taiwo Isola, a student of University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), with the entry Cultural display at its best and Johnpaul Nnamdi, a Corps member, with the entry Projecting African culture in French language. Johnpaul picked the prize.

    In the Investigative Report category, Kamaludeen Abubakar, a 200-Level Geography student of Nasarawa State University in Keffi (NSUK), won with his entry, Who killed them?

    Kemi Busari, 400-Level Political Science student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, won the Entertainment category with his entry, A comedy taken too far.

    Gilbert Alasa, 400-Level Foreign Languages, University of Benin (UNIBEN), won the Opinion prize, with his article titled: “We need a new amnesty”; Tolulope Ogunleye, a graduating student of Mass Communication of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) won in the Sport category with “A race of life”, while Uche Anichebe, a student in Nigeria Law School, Lagos campus, won the Personality Profile prize.

    Gilbert won the coveted CAMPUSLIFE Reporter of the Year with his report titled: “Wild world of campus pimps”, which was rated best by the judges.

    The gathering rose as the compere announced the overall winner. With measured steps, an elated Gilbert, walked to the podium to receive the prize. As he made his way through, others stood up to honour him. Gilbert made history; he is the first student-writer to win the prize twice.

    Editor of The Nation, Mr Gbenga Omostoso, praised the students for keeping faith with the newspaper, which, he said, has provided a platform for youths to contribute their quota to educational and national development. He also thanked the sponsors for keeping faith with the project.

    In attendance were the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), Prof Boniface Egboka, represented by former Head of Mass Communication, Prof Kate Omenugha; Vice-chancellor of Bells University of Technology in Ota Ogun State, Prof Adebadoyo Adeyemi, represented by Dr Adebowale; Head of Mass Communication Department of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr Charles Oni; country coordinator of Enactus Nigeria Mrs Adesuwa Ifedi; Online Editor, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, Editorial Page Editor Mr Sanya Oni and Managing Editor, Mr Waheed Odusile, all of The Nation.

  • Redeemer’s runs for excellence

    Redeemer’s runs for excellence

    Less than 10 years after it was licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Redeemer’s University (RUN) is accelerating its academic excellence to attain a world-class status.

    Last week, the institution won the coveted World Bank’s $1.54 million research grant to fund the establishment of African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) to combat lassa fever and other parasites causing terminal illness in Nigeria. The feat, according to the Vice-Chancellor, was as a result of culture of excellence the founding fathers of the university had entrenched in its system.

    The news was announced after the meeting of African Centre of Excellence Project Steering Committee held last week in Dakar, Senegal. The Secretary-General of Association of African Universities (AAU), Prof Etienne Ehouan Ehile, who broke the news, said the selection was based on recommendations of experts on the field after a transparent and rigorous evaluation exercise for 52 institutions in Africa.

    RUN was adjudged the best in community health programme and its proposal to implement the project in Nigeria scored 82 per cent Evaluation Score, the highest among all institutions rated, including University of Ghana in Legion, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, University of Jos (UNIJOS), University of Benin (UNIBEN), and Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal, which had 74.3, 74, 72.8, 72.2 and 62.9 respectively.

    Concluding the evaluation process, the experts said of the RUN: “As a young university, your proposal is visionary in scope as with most ‘leapfrog efforts’ in development and scientific endeavour.”

    Attesting to the commitment of the university to research, the experts noted that the recent award of $1.8 million Human, Hereditary and Health (H3) Grant by the United States National Institute of Health to RUN bore witness to the seriousness of the faith-based institution to development and eradication diseases.

    Christian Happi, a Professor of Medicine and Dean of Post-graduate College, is the head of the RUN team that wrote the proposal for the World Bank grant. He is a world-class researcher, who had carried out several studies in genomics and diseases eradication.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Debo Adeyewa, described the feat as a testimony to culture of academic discipline and erudition, which the institution practises, saying the grant would make the university to double its efforts in eradicating lassa fever and other life- threatening contagious diseases found in Nigeria and African soil.

    He said the university’s effective community engagement in its health programmes and campaigns were paying off, nothing that the institution had taken students as partners in carrying out researches and awareness programmes in the host communities.

    He praised the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Adejare Adeboye, for supporting the management with prayer and personal resources, saying without God, the institution would not have achieved the feat.

    He said: “In Redeemer’s University, we believe that one person cannot do everything all alone. This is the reason we always collaborate with other like-minds in our research activities and make progress together in areas of common interest. We believe students are partners in this regards and we need them to gather materials and analyse data.

    “While we thank God for this feat, we have a firm belief that our success in this short period of time we started is as a result of dynamism and erudition we have encouraged in this institution in line with the vision of the founding fathers and Visitor to the school, Pastor Adejare Adeboye.”

    The coordinator of the university’s Research Centre, Dr Onikepe Folarin, a Molecular Biologist and Biochemist, who was part of the team that won the grant, said the feat had ended the era of sending research samples abroad for analysis was over. She said the grant would be deployed to provide facilities that would proffer solution to challenges of infectious diseases affecting Africans.

    She explained that the research grant would enable the institution to collaborate with hospitals and primary healthcare centres across the nation to generate a method of using a single panel to test for all infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid and lassa fevers, with an objective to accurately cure precise ailments.

    “We are going to gather information on all these common infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and other diseases, with a view to build a panel that will test for all diseases together and detect which particular one is causing illness in a patient. If this is done, we would have solved health challenges facing people in this part of the world.”

  • Reward for men of design

    Reward for men of design

    An award to reward excellence in designing and architecture has been held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. NNEKA NWANERI reports.

    ON Saturday October 5 , the maiden edition of the Interior Designers and Excellence Awards (IDEA) held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    It was to advance the profession through international recognitions and reward those who have excelled in the field.

    Earlier, the second yearly IDEA conference held at the same venue. Notable speakers from across the globe discussed issues affecting the sub-sector.

    Founder of IDEA in Nigeria Mrs Titi Ogufere said the conference was necessary to promote interaction and exchange ideas.

    The dinner that evening was what they needed to relax and unwind. It was exciting, informative and entertaining.

    The ambience was right. It was a black tie occasion and guests were resplendent in their dressings. While the men wore black suits, white inner shirts and black bowties, the women were charming in black, long and short gowns. Those who came with their spouses clutched them close to their sides and walked through a black carpet that was laid for them. Some others stopped and posed for snap shots by the paparrazzis.

    Soon, an artiste, Dare Art-Alade brought guests back to reality with his sharp voice. He led others in the rendition of the National Anthem. From then on, he became the Master of Ceremony (MC) for the evening.

    The cultural group of the Crown Troupe of Africa set the tone of the event with a colourful performance.

    There was also a documentary on IDEA.

    It was followed by the first set of awards:The Architecture Awards, which came in quick succession.

    The Design Group, which built the Intercontinental Hotel, got the award for Best Hospitality Architects; Best Institutional Architects went to James Cubitt for designing the Civic Centre on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Lagos. It also received the award for commercial architects for Diamond Bank Drive.

    Other awardees were: Tarino Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, which recieved Consultants Collaborative Partnership Award for Best Architectural Flats. The Hagin got the ACCL Best Domestic Architects and the Young Architect of the Year was MIA with his Home project.

    There was a break, during dinner where a pretty diva, Zaina, performed. She appeared in a shiny white gown and thrilled guests with her sonorous voice.

    There was laughter galore when award-winning comedian Bovi mounted the podium; he thrilled with his rib-cracking jokes. The audience gave a resounding applause.

    The second part of the awards was for interior designs.

    The Best Interior Architects award was bagged by AD Consultant for its housing project in Victoria Garden City (VGC); Best Show room award was won by Agatha Interior Designs; Best Retail Designer went to Episode Interiors; IO Furniture bagged the award for Best Residential Designer, Best Hospitality Design with Pearlwort Hotel and Best made-in-Nigeria furniture.

    Omar Gardens went home as the Best Garden Designer. It designed the Residential Development in Lekki while the best Product of the Year is Ill Bagno Showroom in Lekki.

    The climax of the occasion was the musical presentation by Olubankole Wellington with the stage name Banky W. He thrilled with his ‘Yes-No’ hit, which guests hummed.

    Among personalities at the event were President of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers, Shashi Caan; National President, Nigerian Institute of Architects, Ibrahim Haruna and others.

  • Students urged to target excellence

    Students urged to target excellence

    Former Vice-Chairman of Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Pastor Joseph Adeniran has urged students to aim for excellence.

    He was addressing students of McPherson University, Seriki-Sotayo, Ogun State, during the maiden Students’ Week.

    Adeniran, a journalist, said Nigeria remained backward because excellence had been sacrificed for mediocrity. In his presentation entitled: Excellence: The relationship matrix, he said excellence could be achieved by devotion to study, stressing that students must be the driver of their destiny.

    “You can become an expert in anything you can devote 10,000 hours of practise to. The 10,000 hours are a great wand for expertise, greatness and excellence,” he added, urging them to be leading lights as pioneer students of the faith-based university by sticking to excellence and doing a common thing in an uncommon way.

    He, however, cautioned the students against vices that may terminate their academic pursuit.

    Other speakers at the event included the university Chaplain, Reverend Ezekiel Abikoye; Deacon Bisi Afolabi and Dr Abikoye Aderounmu.

    Afolabi spoke on Academic excellence: Pathway to greatness while Aderounmu lectured the students on You and your health.

    Elijah Fadare, 100-Level Accountancy, said the Week was impactful. His colleague from the department of History and Diplomatic Studies described the programme as worthwhile.

     

  • Rededicating students for excellence

    It may not be wrong to assert that Nigerian students are disadvantaged to be studying in the country’s unorganised education system. The sincerity of this opinion is reinforced by a statistics that stated that over 71,000 Nigerians, who are studying in Ghana pay about N155 billion annually to benefit their host country’s economy.

    This amount is more than Nigeria’s annual budgetary allocation to the education section. It is, therefore, clear that to attempt to make progress without a well-planned education policy for Nigerian institutions and students will always end up in futility.

    Students are major stakeholders and, as tomorrow’s leaders, the inheritors of whatever institution, be it political or educational, to which any nation lays claim. Therefore, government must take steps to reform education system and draft new curricula to replace the old syllabi most of our higher institutions still use to teach students today.

    Meanwhile, analysts have said the quality of education being received by students in Nigeria cannot make them compete with their peers from other countries because of the advanced techniques being employed to teach in those countries.

    According to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a world university ranking body, only University of Cape Town, ranked 156, is capable to effectively teach science and technology in Africa. Is this not a damning verdict against Nigeria’s education system?

    Also, the Network of Migration Research on African (NOMRA), a research body, said over 10,090 Nigerians were granted visa into the United Kingdom (UK) in 2009 and they all paid N42 billion to their host country. The fact remains that Nigerian students do not enjoy to qualitative education.

    This, perhaps, informs why Nigeria’s literacy level is low. A large percentage of the population do not have knowledge of what the nation’s Constitution say about education, let alone charging the government to deliver those ideals.

    But this is government’s fault; what about students? The curricula of Nigerian schools do not focus much on morality, character-building, innovation and entrepreneurship. In most cases, schools’ syllabi are loaded with what is called “general studies”. Not subject or course for students to diversify to other area to be independent after school.

    Large number of students are keen about making quick money, which has led most of them to commit crimes such as Internet fraud, cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and social media crime. They cruise around in exotic cars, visit clubs to drink with girls and deal in all sorts of hard drugs. All this, sadly, will not take students anywhere.

    During the recent matriculation ceremony held for freshmen admitted into Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), the Rector, Dr Margret Ladipo, reiterated her administration’s stance on misconduct such as consumption of alcohol by students and its sale on campus. She assured the freshers that any students caught in such act would be shown the way out.

    For students to be rededicated to knowledge, the country must have to instill morals and characters. This may have the reason YABATECHA bans the sales of alcohol on campus. There is no student that will concentrate on his study if alcohol is in his system.

    Other institutions should emulate this example so that the needed change can be generalised. The ban on alcohol should also be applicable to teaching and non-teaching staff too. If anybody wants to take alcohol, let the person do that in his house and not on campus.

    The government and private sector should assist in the campaign to re-orientate students and make them do away with intoxicants. This will enhance a better life and make graduates of our higher institutions complete human being. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should also assist in this direction.

    While urging the government to formulate a policy that will make willing students to work during their studies, it is my candid opinion that effort to rededicate students towards excellence is a collective responsibility of parents, teachers and the society.

     

    Mark, 300-Level School of Technical Education, YABATECH

  • Rededicating students for excellence

    It may not be wrong to assert that Nigerian students are disadvantaged to be studying in the country’s unorganised education system. The sincerity of this opinion is reinforced by a statistics that stated that over 71,000 Nigerians, who are studying in Ghana pay about N155 billion annually to benefit their host country’s economy.

    This amount is more than Nigeria’s annual budgetary allocation to the education section. It is, therefore, clear that to attempt to make progress without a well-planned education policy for Nigerian institutions and students will always end up in futility.

    Students are major stakeholders and, as tomorrow’s leaders, the inheritors of whatever institution, be it political or educational, to which any nation lays claim. Therefore, government must take steps to reform education system and draft new curricula to replace the old syllabi most of our higher institutions still use to teach students today.

    Meanwhile, analysts have said the quality of education being received by students in Nigeria cannot make them compete with their peers from other countries because of the advanced techniques being employed to teach in those countries.

    According to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a world university ranking body, only University of Cape Town, ranked 156, is capable to effectively teach science and technology in Africa. Is this not a damning verdict against Nigeria’s education system?

    Also, the Network of Migration Research on African (NOMRA), a research body, said over 10,090 Nigerians were granted visa into the United Kingdom (UK) in 2009 and they all paid N42 billion to their host country. The fact remains that Nigerian students do not enjoy to qualitative education.

    This, perhaps, informs why Nigeria’s literacy level is low. A large percentage of the population do not have knowledge of what the nation’s Constitution say about education, let alone charging the government to deliver those ideals.

    But this is government’s fault; what about students? The curricula of Nigerian schools do not focus much on morality, character-building, innovation and entrepreneurship. In most cases, schools’ syllabi are loaded with what is called “general studies”. Not subject or course for students to diversify to other area to be independent after school.

    Large number of students are keen about making quick money, which has led most of them to commit crimes such as Internet fraud, cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and social media crime. They cruise around in exotic cars, visit clubs to drink with girls and deal in all sorts of hard drugs. All this, sadly, will not take students anywhere.

    During the recent matriculation ceremony held for freshmen admitted into Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), the Rector, Dr Margret Ladipo, reiterated her administration’s stance on misconduct such as consumption of alcohol by students and its sale on campus. She assured the freshers that any students caught in such act would be shown the way out.

    For students to be rededicated to knowledge, the country must have to instill morals and characters. This may have the reason YABATECHA bans the sales of alcohol on campus. There is no student that will concentrate on his study if alcohol is in his system.

    Other institutions should emulate this example so that the needed change can be generalised. The ban on alcohol should also be applicable to teaching and non-teaching staff too. If anybody wants to take alcohol, let the person do that in his house and not on campus.

    The government and private sector should assist in the campaign to re-orientate students and make them do away with intoxicants. This will enhance a better life and make graduates of our higher institutions complete human being. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should also assist in this direction.

    While urging the government to formulate a policy that will make willing students to work during their studies, it is my candid opinion that effort to rededicate students towards excellence is a collective responsibility of parents, teachers and the society.

     

    Mark, 300-Level School of Technical Education, YABATECH

  • Fidson rewards workers for excellence

    Fidson Healthcare Plc has taken another step in its effort to ignite the passion for excellence among its employees with a newly instituted staff award.

    Named the Acknowledge and Celebrate Excellence (ACE) award, the maiden edition was attended by the company’s staff, who came to the venue from different parts of the country, wearing dark suits and ties.

    The Managing Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr Fidelis Ayebae, congratulated the staff on their commitment to duties in 2012, adding that the six recipients of the award, displayed exceptional performance.

    “We are here to acknowledge and celebrate the best among the best – our teammates who have shown exceptional capabilities in the course of a very challenging financial year in 2012. You nominated them for this award. You have shown exceptional team spirit by nominating them. They are being celebrated today because you not only played with them, but you played for them. You have lighted their candles. They sparkle today because of the light you shone on them. You are all worthy men and women of excellence”, he said.

    Six staff won in different categories of the awards. They are Mrs Adejoke Alli, Corporate Impact; Mr Kunle Ajayi and Femi Ajala joint winners in the Customer Services Excellence category; Mr Rotimi Afolaogun in the Leadership Excellence category; Mr Abubakar Elemeje Process Improvement while Mr Sunday Adeyeye the Role Model Award.

    Mrs Joke Alli, the Training, Learning and Development Manager, was nominated for the ACE, for starting the department from the scratch.

    Mr Kunle Ajayi, Credit Controller and Femi Ajala, Product Manager received the award for their exemplary performance in customer service.

    Rotimi Afolaogun, Divisional Manager (North and West) also won an award for his outstanding leadership qualities. According to the citation, he transformed the northern sales team from mediocrity to excellence and winning the Best Region Award consistently in the past two years.

    He was said to have instilled confidence and zeal in his team during a period of intense crisis in the north and leading them to expand the organisation’s business in the region.