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Tag: Ibidapo-Obe

  • Danjuma’s call not invitation to anarchy, says Oyebode

    Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, University of Lagos, Prof Akin Oyebode, has said Lt.-Gen Theophilus Danjuma’s advice that Nigerians should defend themselves when attacked is not a call to anarchy.

    Oyebode reasoned that people had to protect themselves when their existence is threatened.

    Last Friday, Gen. Danjuma (retd) accused the military of taking sides with a particular group and called on the citizens of the affected states to defend themselves from the attacks by herdsmen.

    Speaking at the maiden Convocation of the Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, he suggested that the Armed Forces had failed to protect Nigerians because they collude with the killers.

    Danjuma said: “The Armed Forces are not neutral. They collude …with the armed bandits that kill people and kill Nigerians. They facilitate their movement. They cover them.”

    The statement has generated a big row with the Army and Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, rejecting the former Minister of Defence and elder statesman’s claim.

    But Oyebode backed the General’s claim that the country had not demonstrated its capability to protect Nigerians.

    He said: “Nigeria being a failing state unable to render protection to its citizens cannot consider Gen. Danjuma’s call an invitation to anarchy. “Self-preservation is the first order of nature and people cannot stand idly by in the face of their decimation.”

  • Ajimobi appoints Ibidapo-Obe Tech Varsity’s council chair

    Ajimobi appoints Ibidapo-Obe Tech Varsity’s council chair

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has appointed a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, as the pioneer Pro-Chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council of the Technical University in Ibadan, the state capital.

    The appointment was announced through a statement yesterday in Ibadan by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Olalekan Alli.

    Also appointed as council members are: the Chairman of First Bank Nigeria Plc (FBN), Mrs. Ibukun-Oluwa Awosika; a professor of Agriculture Engineering at the University of Ibadan (UI), Abimbola Sangodoyin and Executive Vice Chairman of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, Dr. Tunji Olaopa.

    Included on the eight-member list are an oil magnate, Mr. Doye Ayoola; a former Managing Director of FBN, Mr. Jacob Ajekiigbe and UI’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo.

    Others are: a lecturer at the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, UNILAG, Dr. Adetona Oladejo and Dr. Mariam Abdulraheem-Mustapha, of the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

  • Osinbajo, 500 others inaugurate Alumni UNILAG North America’s Chapter Friday

    Osinbajo, 500 others inaugurate Alumni UNILAG North America’s Chapter Friday

    No fewer than 500 Alumni members of the University of Lagos would converge on the U.S. city of Houston, Texas, on Friday for the formal inauguration of the North America’s chapter.

    The convention committee said the first-of-its-kind reunion for former students of the University is expected to be attended by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, an alumnus of the institution.

    “We are very proud to have passed through the ‘campus by the lagoon’ and we hope this will be the start of a lasting effort to complement the efforts of the National Association in Nigeria.

    “This inauguration is in support of our dear ‘alma mater’ to raise its standard to even loftier heights in the coming years and decades,” the chapter said.

    It said the North American chapter was established in 2014 to provide alumni resident in North America a formal platform to support the university in multifarious ways.

    According to the committee, the convention is also a most befitting way to introduce the initiative to the wider public.

    The convention will be held on Friday and Saturday, and would feature several activities to commemorate the reunion for past students, their families, friends and other well-wishers

    “At the moment, the association has a strong and active membership whose geographical presence cuts across at least eight states in the United States and a couple of Provinces in Canada.

    “These include the states of Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Illinois, New York, Texas, Maryland in the U.S., and the province of Alberta in Canada,” it said.

    It added that there were “a couple of thousands of past students of the university” in the U.S. and Canada.

    Other dignitaries expected at the event are the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahmon Bello, former Vice-chancellor Prof. Ibidapo Obe and National President of the University of Lagos Alumni Association, Olorogun Sonny Kuku.

    It said the convention, on Friday, would be a session to consider the adoption of its constitution and the election of the first set of substantive officers to lead the alumni chapter.

    Guest speakers are Prof. David Olowokere, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Texas Southern University; Dr Vincent Olatunji, Director, Corporate Strategy and Research, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); and Ghaniyat Fajengbesi among others.

    The speakers will address the theme of the convention: ‘Digital Economy: Knowledge and Growth Innovation for Sustainable Growth’.

    “We hope this will serve as our token effort in helping Nigeria build up its capacity in the emerging field of digital technology to help boost economic productivity and growth,” it said.

    According to the committee, the convention would be concluded on Saturday night at a dinner banquet with award presentations to deserving alumni and presenting the newly-elected officers to the public.

    “This is a fantastic opportunity to renew our friendships with fellow Akokites resident in the diaspora, particularly in North America,” the committee said.

    It said the University of Lagos, founded in 1962, had for over five decades provided qualitative and research-oriented education to Nigerians and all those who have entered its domain in search of knowledge.

    “At its inception, the University of Lagos was empowered to produce a professional workforce that would steer the political, social and economic development of a newly independent country.

    “Over the last 50 years, the University has pursued the mission with vigour, excellence and panache.

    “The University has built a legacy of academic excellence and is now acclaimed publicly as ‘the University of First Choice and the Nation’s Pride’’.

  • Ibidapo-Obe seeks varsity status for poly, colleges

    Ibidapo-Obe seeks varsity status for poly, colleges

    Former vice chancellor University of Lagos (Unilag) Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, has urged the Federal Government to make the nation’s polytechnics and colleges of education degree-awarding institutions. This would enhance quality of education and proffer solutions to the problem of overpopulation in tertiary institutions, Ibidapo-Obe argued.

    Ibidapo-Obe delivered the lecture at the 15th matriculation of Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, at the weekend. The lecture had as theme ‘Attaining global relevance and national socio-economic advancement through university education.’

    He explained that access and quality are major challenges in the nation’s tertiary institutions, adding that parents prefer their wards in universities, despite space constraint.

    He disagreed with the notion in some quarters that quality of education in the country is falling. To Ibidapo-Obe, the standard is rising because most Nigerian graduates who seek further studies outside the country usually stand out among their contemporaries.

    Nonetheless, he advised the Federal to Government to show more commitment in tackling corruption, which Ibidapo-Obe said is in every facet of the society.

    “Corruption has been the bane of infrastructural development in the nation’s universities. The money that was supposed to be used in building infrastructure was usually embezzled by some of the leaders,” he said.

    He advocated increased funding for education if Nigeria must attain global relevance and become one of the top 20 economies by 2020.

    Addressing the new students, Chancellor of the institution, Dr David Oyedepo, stressed the importance of leadership in building the potential of Africans.

    He said the university came into existence as result of his passion for change, which stirred the educational revolution being experienced at CU, adding that sound education was a sure foundation for every great nation.

    Oyedepo, who admonished Nigerians to pray for the country, noted that the problem is not essentially religion but bad leadership.

    Earlier, Vice-Chancellor of CU Prof Aaron Atayero, congratulated the new students for making it, out of numerous candidates that applied for admission. He praised their parents for bringing their wards to the university that is working tirelessly to become one of the top 10 institutions globally by the year 2020.

    The university matriculated 1,974 students in the 2016/2017 academic session. This comprised 1,902 full time and 72 part-time students.

     

  • Honour for Ogunshola, Ibidapo-Obe, Ajetunmobi

    Honour for Ogunshola, Ibidapo-Obe, Ajetunmobi

    Former Chairman of Punch Chief Ajibola Ogunshola and two-time Vice Chancellor Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe have divulged the secret of their success. They owe it all to being  mathematicians, the duo said yesterday.

    They were conferred with the Fellowship of the Nigerian Mathematical Society, with Professor Michael Ajetunmobi, at the Nigerian Academy of Science, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    Ogunshola, who retired as chairman of Punch after over 24 years, in 2011, said Mathematics helped him to solve financial problems of businesses.

    “I am very happy about the award. I am a business professional, but I have been trained to apply mathematics to business and that is what I have been doing all my working life. My mathematical background has been of tremendous assistance in solving financial-related challenges, which I have to handle in various areas of my life,” said Ogunshola, who had his first degree in Mathematics at the University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeria’s premier university.

    Thanking the Society for honouring him despite spending most of his active career as an actuarial scientist and not a pure mathematician, Ogunshola pledged to support its development.

    “There is no body that I belong to that I have not tried to make a difference. I will find a way by which I can assist the Society,” he said.

    Like Ogunshola, Ibidapo-Obe said he started out as a mathematician but veered into civil engineering because it provided a bigger opportunity to apply mathematics there.

    “I started out to make a career in Mathematics but because of the larger exposure I enjoyed, I saw what Chief Ogunsola saw and decided that Mathematics is better in the applied mode. Mathematicians are careful, disciplined,” he said.

    Ibidapo-Obe advised young people to embrace mathematics which he described it as an easy subject.

    He said:“Mathematics is fundamental to other disciplines. More so it is very important to have a calculative analytical mind where everything has to be measured; the economy has to be measured, productivity has to be measured, and it is not difficult. My message to the young people is that it is not difficult. It is probably one of the easiest things to do, something that we do every day.”

    Ajetunmobi thanked the Society for the honour.

    NMS President Prof Ninuola Akinwande said by the investiture, the fellows had been conferred with the life membership of the 35-year-old body.

    He urged them to contribute to the development of mathematics, noting that the Society needs a secretariat and sponsor postgraduate students to its conferences.

  • Ogunshola, Ibidapo-Obe, others become Mathematical Society’s fellows

    Ogunshola, Ibidapo-Obe, others become Mathematical Society’s fellows

    Three distinguished mathematicians will be conferred with the fellowship of the Nigerian Mathematical Society on Thursday.

    They are ex-chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe and Prof Michael O. Ajetunmobi. They are among the 18 Fellows approved by the council of the society.

    The event will take place at the conference hall of the Nigerian Academy of Science at the University of Lagos.

    The conferment ceremony for the other Fellows had taken place at the 35th anniversary conference of the society at the Federal University of Technology in Minna.

    The 2016 fellows are Prof. K. R. Adeboye, Prof.  A. U.  Afuwape, Prof. M. O. Ajetunmobi, Prof. N. I. Akinwande, Prof. U. I. Asibong-IBE, Prof. C. E. Chidume, Prof. G. O. S. Ekhaguere, Prof. J.

    1. Gbadeyan,  Prof. O. Ibidapo-Obe, Prof. F. I. Ochor and Chief Ajibola Ogunshola.

    Others on the approved list are Prof. J.A. Oguntuase, Prof. S. S. Okoya, Prof. P. Onumanyi, Prof. M. O. Osilike, Prof. B. Sani, Prof. A. R. T. Solarin and Prof. A. A. Tijjani.

    The Council of the NMS, which was founded in 1980 to promote teaching, research and scholarship in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria, instituted the FNMS award in 2015 with 12 beneficiaries. They were Prof. Iya Abubakar, Pastor E. A. Adeboye, Prof. J. N. Adiche, Prof. E. A. Akinrelere, Prof. S. A. Ilori, Prof. O. Akinyele, Prof. J. C. Amazigo, Prof. S. O. Iyahen, Prof. M. O. Kenku, Prof. A. O. Kuku, Prof. E. O. Oshobi and Prof. K. E. Osondu.

  • How to make education functional, by Ibidapo-Obe

    For a nation that seeks development, provision of quality education remains the key to unlock its potential, the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Ndufu-Alike (FUNAI) in Ebonyi State, Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, has said.

    He spoke at the N200 million fund raiser dinner at Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Tower in Ikeja, organised by the Old Students Association of Olivet Baptist High School in Oyo State to mark the school’s 70th anniversary.

    The spoke on the theme: Education and the change mantra.

    Ibidapo-Obe, who was accompanied by his wife, Sola,  an alumnus of the school, said the curricular of basic and secondary education are dysfunctional and useless, and that the education system has failed to impart knowledge on pupils.

    He condemned the replacement of merit in admission into higher institutions using catchment area, observing that such policy had further eroded the values of education. According to him, due to emphasis on catchment area education had been taken out of the reach of deserving students.

    To the former VC of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the practice of converting blocks of flat to classrooms by private school owners is an aberration that negates the essence of outdoor education. According to him,  pupils could only learn better in a setting where they could freely relate with natural environment.

    He said: “We educate people so that they can be functional. Education that has no function is a useless education. I can see that we have a lot of useless education in this country. We have to change it because the whole idea is to affect national development. And we know that, to achieve national development, knowledge is key. Education must impart knowledge to bring about positive thinking and emancipation. If that is not there, then it is useless.”

    In his view, education will be functional if the society payed attention to public education by recruiting quality teachers and providing good curricular. He added that there should be mass public education of illiterate adults to solve insecurity challenges facing the nation.

    Ibidapo Obe called for the merging of Federal Ministries of Education and Science and Technology to properly inculcate modern method of instruction in young generation. He said the government must implement the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act of 2004, which makes school attendance compulsory for all children.

    Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, who was chairman of the occasion, said the solution to identified problems in education remained a challenge for local intellectuals without shopping for solution abroad.

    Earlier, President of the old students association, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, said the lecture was a wake-up call to the government and the people to save public education from its steady decline.

  • Ibidapo-Obe seeks new methods of teaching

    Universities have been urged to adopt new methods of teaching to produce engineers needed in the 21st century.

    Former Vice-Chancellor University of Lagos (UNILAG) Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, said this at a three-day workshop on capacity building for engineering and technology educators in tertiary institutions, held at Julius Berger Hall of the university.

    The seminar was organised by African Engineering Education Association (AEEA) in partnership with UNILAG.

    In his keynote address titled: ‘Educating 21st Century Engineers’, Ibidapo-Obe said the status of engineering had become a cause of concern in the country.

    He, therefore, advocated that universities move away from the Multiple Choice Questions, which he considered obsolete, to a new teaching method that would help graduates  think for themselves.

    “We need to change the Multiple Choice Question (MCQ). It is not the way to go in our universities. You do not actually get the best out of the students in terms of them playing a bigger role in the country.

    ‘I suggest virtuous style of new learning which are motivation to teach how to think and not what to think,” he said.

    This new paradigm shift, Ibidapo- Obe said, should be accompanied with good learning environment, computer work stations, laboratories, technology projects, and small group tutorials, among others.

    He explained that industrialisation, which is the bedrock of a nation’s progress, is not evident in engineering courses in the nation’s universities, which according to him, still struggle with low funding, outdated laboratory equipment, and low remuneration, resulting in drop in students’ enrolment.

    The second keynote speaker and Chairman, Promaco Associates Limited, Dr. Olumide Philips, lamented that the disconnect between universities and industry is the result of non-partnership between the two. He advised universities to collaborate with industries to enhance productivity.

    “Companies have to focus on addressing consumers’ problems rather than being theoretic. Academia should please come and relate more with the industry. Whatever theory or costly research you do, if the industry cannot translate it into money then it is of no value. It is the industry that can translate your development.”

    He continued: “We need support from technical centres, technical colleges, and polytechnics. Whatever you teach in the university cannot survive well in the industry. Motivate them to know that they are not just taking it as a degree but also to practise it.”

    The President, Nigerian Academy of  Engineering (NAE) Prof. Rahmon  Salawu, urged schools to do more of project works than classroom notes.

    “Engineering education needs more of project works and not writing equations on the board. I found out that the full time students are actually doing part time because what they need is just note. They need to get involved with class project works. When you as a lecturer write a note, students give same note back to you during exams,” he said.

    The UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahamon Bello, said the new learning strategies, such as project-based learning, problem-based, team-based, as well as flipped classroom, would enhance knowledge acquisition and improve the quality of graduates with relevant skills needed in the industry.

    He added that the university would give its support to develop capacity in engineering education which is pivotal to the country’s development.