Faculty of Management & Social Sciences - On the move

Introduction

The Faculty of Management and Social Sciences (FMSS) is growing in size and the quality of its personnel and products have been impressive in the past few semesters. Aside the eight Undergraduate programmes of Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Management, Economics, International Relations and Diplomacy, Mass Communication, Psychology and Sociology and Anthropology; the Faculty has also increased its stable of new Post-Graduate programmes all fully approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC). The Post-graduate programmes currently running are M.Sc in Accounting, Management, International Relations and Diplomacy, Mass Communication; Security, Leadership and Society, Intelligence and Global Security and Public Administration; while others scheduled to commence in January 2023 include PGD in Accounting, International Relations Diplomacy, Business Management, Economics, Mass Communication and Public Administration and Ph.D programmes in Business Management, Economics, International Relations and Diplomacy, Mass Communication and Sociology and Anthropology. In addition, the Faculty now has approval to run a B.Sc Programme in Political Science. An undergraduate Programme in Public Administration has been running since 2011. These past few months have been eventful for the Faculty with the recruitment of high caliber academic staff and the elevation of five others to the Professorial cadre. As a result of the mounting of the new Post-graduate programmes and the increase in student population; the Faculty has had to recruit more experienced hands. The Department of Psychology achieved full accreditation status, and is awaiting NUC’s approval to commence PGD, MSc. and Ph.D. in Clinical and Developmental Psychology, early next year. The Department graduated students with high class degrees and in the 2021 Convocation produced the best graduating student in the whole university. The tracer studies on the performance of graduates in their places of work have also been commendable. This Department also has a unique utility value to other departments in the university; and just recently, it added the teaching of courses in the Faculty of Medicine to its mandate. The Department of International Relations and Diplomacy has been engaging students in activities outside the university including field trips and study tours to important organizations. The idea is to enhance student’s practical knowledge beyond the classroom. Some undergraduate students led by the Department’s Coordinator for Study Tours Ms. Mercy Kwabe attended the Diplomatic Career Mentorship Session for Students facilitated by Diplomats and Expatriates at the Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence in 2021. During the session, the work and life experiences of Diplomats were shared by Guest Speakers from the Norwegian Embassy, and students were allowed to ask questions. (see Fig 1). Some Postgraduate (PG) students led by Dr. Tanko Ahmed a senior staff in the Department also visited the Army Resource Centre in Abuja in March 2022 (see Figs 2&3). Other PG students also went on a courtesy visit to the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in February 2022. The delegation was led by Dr. Abubakar Yusuf, one of the academic staff.

One of the high points of this period was the appointment of one of the staff of the Department, Dr. Gbara Awanen as a Honorary Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari (see Fig 1). The Faculty and Department congratulate him on this appointment and are convinced that it is a recognition of competence, diligence, patriotism and service, and wish him a successful tenure.

Fig 1 - Students of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at the Norwegian Embassy, 2021

Fig. 2 & 3 - Post-graduate Students of IR&D at the Army Resource Centre in March 2022

Professor Osita Agbu of the Department, and Dean of Faculty, delivered a Lecture entitled ‘Nigeria’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy: An Analysis’ to Participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course Fifteen (EIMC 15) at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) on 6 July 2022. The Lecture was well received by the Institute.

Fig. 4 - Dr. Awanem Agbaara Nador of Baze University receiving his Letter of Commission from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Geoffrey Onyeama Fig. 5 - Prof. Osita Agbu after the Lecture at NISS Abuja, 6 July 2022

*Prof Osita Agbu is a Professor of International Relations and Dean, Faculty of Management & Social Sciences.