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Tag: UNILAG

  • Akinfeleye, Omatseye, Dabiri-Erewa, others honoured at UNILAG

    Akinfeleye, Omatseye, Dabiri-Erewa, others honoured at UNILAG

    The Press Club of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has honoured the doyen of Mass Communication, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, and ace columnist Sam Omatseye with Fourth Estate Excellence Awards at the Fifth Ngozi Agbo Memorial Media Lecture.

    Also honoured at the event included the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to President Muhammadu Buhari, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and The Nation’s Online Editor, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin.

    The honorees were recognised for their contribution to the development of campus journalism and journalism in Nigeria. The lecture was in remembrance of the late Mrs Ngozi Agbo, the pioneer Editor of CAMPUSLIFE, a student- and youth section of The Nation. The lecture also featured essay competition and debate after which winners were presented with prizes.

    The guest speaker and award-winning journalist, Pelu Awofeso, speaking on the theme: Media campaign: A tool for activism and citizen journalism, advised students on constructive activism. He urged participants to use social media for personal and professional development.

    Otufodunrin, who is the patron of the club, emphasised the place of ethics in reporting, charging the young journalists not to trade the ethics for personal gains.

    Prof Akinfeleye said there was need for media practitioners to stand firm as members the fourth estate of the realm, noting that the responsibility of journalists is to preserve the cherished values of the society.

    Mrs Joy-Rita Mogbogu, the club staff adviser, said the Press Club would not relent in its responsibility to promote academic excellence and the school image. She said members would continue to uphold the legacy of the late Mrs Agbo.

  • Four UNILAG students arraigned for cultism

    The police on Wednesday arraigned four students of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, for allegedly belonging to a secret cult known as Aloral Bucania.

    Raheem Yusuf (21), Adedoyin Adeyemi Abraham (24), Olanrewaju Idowu (36), and Safraini Oluyemi Peters (24) were arrested by policemen from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba.

    “The quartet at about 9.30am, in Room 318, Biobaku Hall of UNILAG, , conspired among themselves to commit an offence likely to cause a breach of public peace,” police said.

    They were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Oluwayemisi Adelaja on Charge No: D/45/2016.

    They are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy to cause breach of public peace and belonging to an unlawful and secret society.

    The prosecutor, Mr. Adebayo Oladele, told the court that the offences were contrary to and punishable under Sections 409 and 42(a)(b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge to the charges.

     

  • Unilag to host Omatseye Thursday

    Unilag to host Omatseye Thursday

    The chairman Editorial Board of The Nation, Sam Omatseye, will be hosted by the department of English, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, tomorrow as he reads from his current novel, My Name Is Okoro.

    The event, scheduled for 10am will have Omatseye read from and discuss the novel, which highlights how some minorities fared during the Nigerian civil war.

    Omatseye, a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) is also author of the poetry books; Dear Baby Ramatu, Lion Wind and Other Poems, Mandela’s Bones and Other Poems and the novel, Crocodile Girl. He writes a feisty column, In Touch, on the backpage of The Nation every Monday, and some of the columns have been published in two collections – In Touch: Journalism as National Narrative and A Chronicle Foretold.

     

  • Unilag hosts Sam Omatseye for book reading

    The department of English, University of Lagos (UNILAG),  will be hosting the reading of Sam Omatseye’s books on Thursday, 8th September 2016. Although emphasis will be on his latest  prosework, ‘My name is Okoro,’ Omatseye is expected to throw more light on reasons for the book as well as a glimpse into the place of the minority in the Nigerian civil war  and more. The event is for 10am at the department.

  • FEC okays N3.23b contracts for U.I., UNILAG

    FEC okays N3.23b contracts for U.I., UNILAG

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday approved contracts for the University of Ibadan (U.I.) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    FEC approved the construction of a postgraduate hall, International House, for U.I., at a cost of N1.302,709,02.34, to be completed in 44 weeks.

    The contract approved for UNILAG is for a new library,  at the cost of N1.935,135,87.35 billion.

    The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting, said the UNILAG library, which was built in 1964, has not been expanded nor modernised.

    “So this new library is to augment the old one. Completion period is 64 weeks. Both contracts are to be handled by a local contractor,” he added

     The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said FEC also approved the renewal of a service provider for technology platform, e-wallet, for the delivery of seeds and fertilisers and capturing the database of farmers.

    He said: “The e-wallet is a programme of the old administration under the president of ADB. The programme ran well in 2012 and 2013 but had few hitches as the ministry got involved in trying to select the providers.

    “This led to debts of about N67 billion.

    “Council today approved the extension by one year of the service provider. It should, by the end of the year, transfer all data to an in-house  group to manage the system because the price is quite high, so we can monitor who gets what, at what price and keep an eye on cost,” Ogbeh said.

    According to him, the company’s quoted N884,799 million, but negotiated  downward to N380,512 million.

    The minister said: “They will work with us for one more year, teach our people how to do it, domicile the data of farmers,  20 million of them, and continue to work on how to get agricultural input to farmers and keep away those who tend not to deliver but make claims.”

    On his part, the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed disagreed with claims that FEC has become mainly a contract-awarding body.

    Stressing that the council kept to its promise during the 2015 general election campaigns, he said only policy-oriented contracts were considered.

  • Battle Of The Year to hold at UNILAG

    Preparations are in top gear for Nigerian break dancers to come and do battle against one another as this year’s edition of the Battle of the Year Nigeria Break Dance Championship which on the 17th and 18th of September at the Indoors Hall of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos.

    Activities on Saturday will begin with a One on One Battle session by 10am and the main event holds the next day by 1pm.

    According to organisers, the event will feature battles from the best B-boys, B-boy crews, Popping, Locking, and Krump style dancers in Nigeria. And the winner of the B-boy crew Battle will represent Nigeria at the International Battle of the Year in Germany. There are also cash prizes to be won.

    While the event will be hosted by Rapmania Tha X and PG Blao, on hand to provide the break beats will be DJ Ozee, DJ Mekzy and DJ Teckzilla, with special guest appearances by Illbliss, Mode 9, Terry Tha Rapman, Uzikwendo, AQ, Feco Th MC, Rezzi of Rap Culture on Rhythm 93.7fm and The Space Unlimited Bboy crew.

  • My third class degree from UNILAG turned out a blessing —Wakanow Executive Director

    My third class degree from UNILAG turned out a blessing —Wakanow Executive Director

    Mrs Toyin Odutayo is an Executive Director of IT with Wakanow, a front-line travel agency. With more than 17 years of experience in IT and management consulting gathered in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, she speaks with HANNAH OJO about her staying power in a male dominated field.

     

    JOURNEY to the UK in search of knowledge

    One of the reasons behind me doing a master’s degree was because I didn’t do too well in my undergraduate studies. I made a third class. I had always been one of these people that sort of looked at myself and felt the need to differentiate myself. I had always been ambitious, so I said let me go and do this master’s while I am more matured and focused, knowing what I wanted in life.

    I got into London Southbank University and I did a master’s in Information Systems Engineering. That was one of the most focused years of my life, because I knew what I wanted. I knew the impediments, given that I had a third class from my Nigerian degree. So I told myself I have to do really well to make sure that moved forward. So I had an MSc with distinction and literally that was what opened all the doors for my career advancement in the UK.

    What I did differently

    I will be brutally honest here. I also had a part time job while I was doing my master’s. What I did different was that I just read. Having said that, when I was in UNILAG, I noticed the time I was focused, I did very well. I was young then. You get into the university at 16 or 17, you want to play. So what was different was that I was completely focused. I knew what I wanted. I knew that to get a really good job, something should set me apart from the other applicants. I made my distinction and it really opened up lots of doors such that when I put in an application for a job, when I look at the ratio of rejection from when I had a third class to the number of  rejections that I had with having a distinction, it was crazy. Literally, if my CV goes anywhere, a door would open. I also feel that God was really on my side.

    Programming Experience in the UK

    I had a good project manager who looked at me after I had been in the UK for about three months and said I could be a team leader. I was in my early 20s and I didn’t have as much experience as the people on my team. What he explained to me was that there are people who are destined to lead and there are others who are destined to just be developers. I worked as a team leader for a company now called EDS for about two and a half years and I left to work in the retail sector. From team leader, I became a project manager by the age of 25. Having realised that somebody could have that confidence in me and realised my capabilities, I made a conscious decision to keep reading up and trying to make myself different. The Internet wasn’t rife then, so I just found myself investing in self-help books, and then I moved into the financial service sector and became a systems integrator. Again, I did that for about three years in the UK. I stayed in the UK until 2001. I was in the UK for about 12 or 13 years.

    Returning to Nigeria, a sanity break

    After working in the financial services sector, I began to get itchy feet. So I decided to leave the techie world behind to go for an MBA. That has to be the hardest year of my life. What made it challenging was that I am techie born and bred. With techies, it is bits and bytes whereas in the business world, one plus one equals two, but it could be two in a bit or slightly less than two.

    Going into business school was also my turning point. So when I left Nigeria in 1989, I left with the mind of going for five years, but five years became 12 years. The reasons why that was is because it was just very easy to go into the UK and fit since I had lots of Nigerian friends.  Although that ‘fit’ will always be fit in quote, because you look at your skin, you are a black person. No matter how English you try to sound, you are still a Nigerian.

    That realization hit me when I did business school, because there were many of us who came from Ghana, Namibia and other African countries. The kind of things they were talking about going to do back home prompted me, and I was like oh my God, I need to go back home and do something too. That was the turning point really.

    I wanted to make a difference and I know that would not be made working in the UK. I was brought home by the late Osaze Osifo, former MD of FBN Capital. I knew that after spending so many years in the UK, I would need the sanity break, and that sanity break was coming home to Nigeria.

    My experience coming back home

    I turned my back on the UK and came to live in Nigeria, and I have no regrets. I moved into Oando as the head of IT. It was extremely challenging. I would go in and talk the talk, but I am actually a leader by example. I strongly believe that your followers will have confidence in you if they see that you have proven experience and you are not afraid to get your hands dirty if you have to. I am an ED now but I still get my hands dirty. Not everyone has to be a leader that leads by example, but I think for me, that is what works and that is what has always worked.

    On the cultural shock when I came back, I am a Nigerian at heart. I may speak English in quote because the first 12 years of my life I spent in the UK, then I came back to spend another 10 years of my life and I went back to the UK. Coming home, I was not expecting 22/7 power. I was not expecting the roads to be fantastic. In fact, I think one of the turning points was when I came for my mum’s 60th birthday and that was when I was like you know what, Nigeria is not so bad, because we were trying telecoms wise.

    The biggest challenge for me with Nigeria was more communication rather than the power sector. In my own case, I was pleasantly surprised because when I came home, I was able to get a flat that didn’t have a 24 hours light but I was able to have light most evenings. This is the thing that I tell people that want to relocate. When you left Nigeria, how was Nigeria? Yes, you may have risen to a level where you can stay in an estate that has 24 hours power, but that is not reality. That is not how Nigeria is. So if you can just get your head around that.

    Career transitions and challenges in the IT field

    From Oando, I was approached to go to Virgin Nigeria, and that was like to be one of the pioneer people. I always like startups. Yes, I want to do things for myself, but I also want to make a difference in Nigeria. It is good to be part of a movement, pretty much like what we are doing in Wakanow. In the whole of my career, I have been a techie person; the only things that are challenging are the materials things. We need power to run. And again, because I’ve got varied experiences, I tend not to have people challenges. I think it’s because I am a reader. If I have a challenge, the first thing I will do is pray and then there is a book where somebody has gone through that challenge. So by the time I read how somebody overcame that challenge, it is usually very easy to resolve.

    When you build up to a level that people have confidence in you and they know that when you go to complain or talk about a challenge, everyone knows that the challenge is genuine. When I was younger in my career, if I had a challenge, would rather go and meet my mentor. Before I take up the challenge of heading an organization, I have mentors who I could talk to and ask questions. It is all about what I call effective networking. I may never have met someone before, but I will look for someone who knows that person and say look, this is the role that I am going to take, I need help. I just need someone to sound me out.

    Wife, mother, woman

    I honestly don’t believe these days that Nigerians believe it is a big deal for a woman to be something. I have gone to so many women conferences and I see so many amazing women around. I think it is now becoming the run of the mill for women to succeed in their careers and businesses. You just need to look at Ibukun Awosika for instance. She is a major role model.  Some of these things were instilled in me when I was growing up. You can still manage your home, be a good wife and a good mother. Not everybody has the same resources, but there is juggling and in fact, if there is one thing I always say, it is all about investing in yourself. It may mean that I sometimes get four hours sleep instead of six or eight, but it is knowing why you are making these sacrifices. In terms of my work ethics as a person, it has always been to deliver. So it also depends on the kind of environment you find yourself in.

    When people realise that your work ethics is to deliver to the best quality, people will make concessions to the fact that you have to rush out sometimes for your child’s event. It is all about doing what you want for yourself and making those moves to get it. It is the socialising aspect that I really cut down on because I have to manage my life and my career is also important to me.

    Faith and mentoring

    I was brought up to know that God is always first. Through a lot of reading and my formatting career in the UK, one thing I never used to do was mix career and religion. I am a Christian, my parents were Muslims, but I was brought up in a situation where because there was no mosque surrounding where I grew up in the UK, my parents were of the opinion that we had to grow up as God fearing children, so we used to go to Sunday school. If there is one thing that I believe I have learned from this, it is that openness and knowing that there is God.

    I mentor young people on a constant basis. The generation gap is huge and expectations are very different. If you really want to do well at something, it is important that you are doing what you like.

    Marriage…God intervened at my hour of need

    I actually met my husband at work, which is very strange because I remember a friend of mine once asked, ‘You spend so much time at work. How are you going to get married?’ Honestly, this is where I said faith comes into play. I strongly believe it really was God. God intervened at my hour of need and gave me an absolutely amazing husband. I got married quite late probably because I was focused on my career. My husband understands the fact that I have a demanding job. He also has a very demanding job himself and somehow we have just been able to make it work. It is really God being the pillar of that relationship and it’s just been so good.

    It’s hard for me to talk about my marriage without smiling because I have a lot to smile about and I am really grateful to God. I just got a hundred per cent completely supportive husband. I also do my bit as well. It is really important that I also support him in the way that I can. So I have got an understanding husband, a nice family. I’ve got an eight years old and it’s been fun. I am just lucky that I am able to juggle work and career and family.

  • Unilag, 3T Impex to train exporters

    As Nigeria seeks to build and expand her exports base, two foremost human-capacity development institutions, University of Lagos (Unilag) and 3T Impex Trade Academy, have reached agreements to launch a comprehensive certification course that will impart necessary knowledge and skills on existing and potential exporters.

    The 3T Impex Trade Academy, an arm of 3T Impex Consulting and Unilag would develop and run various Diploma programmes in international trades in Nigeria. These include Executive Diploma in Export Business Management and Executive Diploma in Export Trade Finance

    These certificated programmes have been designed to provide detailed knowledge and skills to students in such a way that they will become the export champions for Nigeria as government seeks to unlock the export potential of each sector of the economy. The programmes will lead to award of certificates that bear testimony to the professional qualification of the bearer in the area of international trade and finance.

    The programmes will enable the students to demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding of complex issues relating to export trade and finance. As such, they are ideal  for people new to export and experienced export companies because they will provide successful experts with a thorough grounding in the key areas of foreign trade.

    Managing Director, Unilag Consult, Prof Bola Oboh, said the partnership was in line with the national economic agenda and the charge of the foremost citadel of learning to provide knowledge and skills to facilitate economic development.

    She described the arrangements for the programmes as comprehensive and impressive, noting that 3T Impex Trade Academy has the faculty, experience and credibility to jointly make a success of the programme.

    Lead Consultant, 3T Impex Trade Academy, Mr. Bamidele Ayemibo, said the programmes were basically designed to provide the country with a steady stream of competent men and women with the necessary knowledge, skills and foundations for a wide range of rewarding careers in the rapidly expanding world of exportation.

    According to him, the programmes were designed to provide all the knowledge, tools and techniques necessary to manage all the technical aspects related to export trade business operations and financing.

    The target audience for the programmes include: bankers, commercial banks, developmental banks, exporters, importers, young graduates, farmers, miners, government agencies, and manufacturers, among others.

    Upon completion of the course, students would become valuable talents for export and import companies planning to set up export business while those with work experience are equipped with skills that empower them to favourably compete for trade-related jobs in the global space or set up their businesses.

    Each of the training programmes is divided into about three modules. Each comprises about six subjects or topics that address specific areas of export trade business.

    To be eligible for these programmes – Executive Diplomas in Export Business Management and Executive Diploma in Export Trade Finance, the student needs to hold a bachelor degree or advance or higher diploma in any discipline with or without work experience. Those with cognate work experience in banks, importing and exporting companies and other related institutions may also be considered.

  • UNILAG final-year student shot in hostel

    UNILAG final-year student shot in hostel

    A final-year student of Economics Education in the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos (UNILAG), was shot by an unknown gunman around 8:46pm on Wednesday.

    The student, simply identified as Bayo was reportedly shot in front Biobaku hostel near the school gate.

    Bayo was said to be resident in the hostel.

    The perpetrators were said to have escaped in a tainted-glass car.

    But, some sources confirmed they were from rival cult group, who came for a reprisal attack.

    According to eyewitnesses, the victim displayed smartness to avoid being shot dead.

    A student, who craved anonymity, said the victim was aimed in the head, but hit in the neck.

    Bayo has been transferred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) from the schools’ medical centre.

    “Although it was not clear whether he (Bayo) is a member of any cult group, but one of his course mates, who was at the scene said there was a rift between cult groups who are not students but come around to have fun,” he said.

    He said Bayo was only being too forward in delving into a discussion that does not concern him.

    Bayo’s action, according to him, infuriated the aggrieved group, who had come for their target.

    Some students said more crises may be looming with that attack as he (Bayo) is being described as “warlord” in the hostel.

    “Some residents of the hall have been embroiled in fear of further attacks as they said some suspected cultists are hell bent of attacking more of their targets who are non-student residents in the hall,” a student said.

    UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Prof Rahamon Bello, said the university was investigating the incident.

    “I heard about it and we suspect it was cultism-related. We are fighting it. The security unit and the police are investigating. The boy survived. He was rushed to LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital). The cultists went for his head, luckily the bullet only scrapped his head,” he said.

  • Unilag hosts Lola Shoneyin

    As part of efforts to revive the readings tradition, the Department of English, University of Lagos, will host Nigerian writer Lola Shoneyin in a reading session.

    The event which is open to the public takes place by 11am on Friday, August 19, 2016 at the Board room of Faculty of Arts (RM 401), University of Lagos, Akoka-Yaba.

    Lola Shoneyin is a poet, author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, and the convener of Ake Arts and Books Festival which holds annually in Abeokuta, Ogun State.