Nigeria Spur Magazine June/July 2012 Edition by Nigeria Spur Magazine

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NIGERIA

SPUR

‘UNILAG MUST REMAIN UNILAG’

EDUCATION LEARNING LEADERSHIP

AMERICAN UNIVERSITYof NIGERIA

A Nest For Breeding Change Agents

CHILDREN’S DAY: FIRST BANK CELEBRATES YOUNG SAVERS

PLUS IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY FESTIVAL OF CULTURE EVENING GOWN The perfect outfit for a dinner date

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MySpur Essay Competition www.spurmag.com/essay

CARDIAC ARREST All the delicate steps to avoid it ISSN No. 2276-9765

SCHOLARSHIPS Do They Still Exist?

I’VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPRESS A LITTLE BIT OF MY INSIDE – MOYO OYATOGUN

CONTENTS 18

COVER

‘Unilag Must Remain Unilag’

‘Reversing the Trends in Science Education in Nigeria’

‘Have An Ambition, But Don’t Be Ambitious’

Convention of Stakeholders at 2012 Oyo Education Summit

Scholarships in Nigeria: Do they still exist?

Igbinedion University’s Festival of Culture

AUN A Nest For Breeding Change Agents

Final Journey of Prof. Sofoluwe

Youthcentric 64 Feature Are you studying the right way? 65 Short Story The date with Courage 66 Interview You can make something out of your life – Ideh 68 Spur Career Microbiologist J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 0 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

Number one time-tested way to get the best out of education

re-Independence and about two decades after, Nigerians in general had one common level playing ground in education. In the then Western Region, it was doubly so; all because of one platform: Scholarship! Do we still need to stress the importance of education and by extension scholarship? Every day, new words are ever flowing to put shine on the importance of education. Today, we can rightly say that education is “the hope of all nations in all spheres of human endeavours.” Education is fundamental to all human operations. And one of the best ways to get the best out of education is the offer of scholarships to the best and brightest. This is a time tested way of raising the needed human capital for industrial and economic development of nations. There are sectors and there are sectors demanding attention of the government for funding, but education stands alone. It is peerless in purpose and indispensability. Every government on earth is supposed to give a larger chunk of its annual budget to education. The world’s best practice in this regard is 26 per cent as recommended by United Nations. At the inception of this magazine we shared with you in our Editor’s Note what

NIGERIA SPUR MAGAZINE PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faleye Davidson Olusesan EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Faleye Olubukola, Oluranti Agunloye, Ikpeekha Christopher, Alade Kayode, Owoeye Abimbola Olukunle Adeniji Ag. MANAGING EDITOR Starrys Obazei ASSOCIATE EDITOR Agboga C. Pamela

Tony Blair, British former Prime Minister, said about his three major priorities in government. He said: “Education! Education! Education! Having known that, how can we get the best out of education? As earlier said, education is much more easily optimized through scholarships which were more real, extensive and gripping four, five decades post-independence. Scholarships were doled out to recipients on the platter of competition, equity and transparency. The financial situation of one’s parents was never a deterrent. Governments (Federal, state and local) had scholarship schemes for Nigerians. Students’ loans which were never repaid added to government’s generosity to those genuinely in pursuit of tertiary education. All that is now history and most of the recipients are now seriously pained by the dearth or death of scholarships. All hopes are not lost as this edition you are holding has revealed what is happening in Rivers as regards scholarship. Femi Falana, Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, Nath Nabara, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa are calling for the return of scholarships to deserving Nigerians. Glo, MTN, Etisalat, American Univer sity of Nigeria,

Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, DTCA, among others, are all offering scholarships to Nigerians. What laudable act of patriotism from these corporate citizens, we hope Airtel will not allow itself to be left behind! What then is happening in all the scholarship boards in Nigeria? The former format and formula of offering scholarships can be visited and reintroduced for the sake of getting the best out of our educational system. It is very, very possible. Like Prof. Ibidapo-Obe put it, a lot of people managing these boards are not there for giving the best to Nigerians, but giving the best to their pockets. This lack of giving the best to your fellow man and the country, is the very cause of the ever blossoming corruption in Nigeria. This edition is really loaded with such stories as ‘AUN: A nest for change agents’. Also, Unilag’s name change has raised a lot of dust and all the students and alumni of the institution are insisting: ‘Unilag must remain Unilag’.

Starrys Obazei, Ag. Managing Editor

VOL. 1 NO. 5 JUNE/JULY 2012 www.spurmag.com

EDITORIAL Adeolu Charles Alupogun-Iran Patience Omeruo Omolola Ojo Sunday Sampson

INTEGRATED BUSINESS EXECUTIVE Itiola Abiodun

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & ADMINISTRATION Deborah Oke Oluwatoosin Adewuyi Oluwakemi Amusan Stephanie Nzete

CORPORATE BRANDING & CREATIVE CONCEPT CONSULTANT Olawale Olayiwola

SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY Adedoyin Adedeji

FINANCE & ACCOUNTING Akinbolusire Kehinde, ACA

CREATIVE/GRAPHIC CONSULTANT freelART®DESIGNS freelartdesigns@yahoo.com ADVISORY Bishop & Rev (Mrs.) Felix ‘Remi Adejumo

Copyright©2012 Royal Diadem Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or part is prohibited. Any infringement is liable to prosecution. Spur Nigeria™magazine and accompanying logos, designs and product marks are the trademarks of Royal Diadem Communications Ltd and are for use exclusively with its product and services. Office Address: 94 Yaya Abatan Street, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: 017101826, 07090067741. Emails:info@spurmag.com 0 4 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

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ony Elumelu, born March 22, 1963, in Jos, Nigeria, by Delta State parents, has made a great name for himself, but not without adequate preparation for toeing the path of successful career in banking. He knew what he wanted and deliberately armed himself with the requisite academic excellence in no other subject, but economics both at graduate and postgraduate levels. And to cap it all Mr. Elumelu is an alumnus of the prestigious business schools: Harvard (Boston, USA) and IMD (Lausanne, Switzerland). His meteoric rise in banking was not surprising. He backed his academic strength with industry, shrewdness and marketing that climaxed at the enviable height of becoming the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the UBA Group, a position he could still be occupying if not for the apex bank's mandator y retirement for chief executive officers of banks in Nigeria who have spent 10 years in the position. Elumelu pioneered United Bank for Africa's postrecapitalization/merger fortune to a new national and international profile with a network in African countries and a presence in the US and the UK. UBA's success story is completely part of Elumelu's biography, and that is a complete story of monumental achievements. A journey that began inconspicuously as a Youth Corps member at Union Bank of Nigeria plc 1985, laid the launch-pad for Elumelu. From that near insignificant start, the young man moved fast; in 1988-1995 he was in All-States Trust Bank where he held various important positions. Later, he left core banking briefly in 1995 to become the executive director of Linkage Assurance Company and chief executive of BGL Limited, an asset management company. Aware of what he had been cut out for, he returned to mainstream banking operation as executive director, Continental Trust Bank Limited, a position he relinquished in 1995 to join STB as managing director. Knowing full well the business terrain, he spread his tentacles to other areas becoming a director of ADIC and Standard Global Services Limited and Chairman of STB Capital Markets and Verticom Wireless, Flame Petroleum and Gas Limited; Standard Alliance Insurance Company Limited and all the subsidiaries of STB. Though now retired and still full of vigour, experience and burning desire to further impact on the society, he had veered off banking into a foundation poised from conception for an international spread in Africa â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Tony Elumelu Foundation, launched in 2011 and designed to improve the competitiveness of Africa's high-growth private sector businesses while

Tony

introducing some of the world's brightest young business talents to executive suites across Africa. Bent on his Afro-centric vision and driven by his vision of creating an institution which will be "a role model for African business," UBA was quickly thrust in the continent with a vigour unmatched by other banks and since out of office as UBA CEO, his African vision took a new turn with his Foundation. He is not a man without a stint in public service; in 1999, Elemelu was appointed into Nigerian Presidential Policy Advisory Committee. He was made member of the Federal Government Privatization Council Sub-committee (on basic metals). He also ser ved on the Presidential Committee on Interest Rate Moderation in the economy. He had also ser ved in various capacities in the public sector at the instance of the Federal Government and her agencies. T h e s e i n c l u d e M e m b e r, Presidential Committee for the Heart of Africa Project; Member of the Presidential Committee on NEPAD; Member of the Advisory Board of the Federal Capital Territory; and various other national committees. In the private sector, Tony Elumelu was a founding Director of Transnational Corporation Plc and he currently serves as its chairman; a member of the governing council of the Financial Institutions Training Centre of Nigeria; a Director of the Central Securities Clearing System Ltd., and President of the West African Bankers' Association. He is also Chairman of Heirs Holdings Limited, an African investment company deploying proprietary capital for the long term in the most promising sectors of the continent. In 49 years of his life's sojourn, Elumelu has roundly made his mark as an accomplished economist, banker, investor and finally a philanthropist. In 2003, he was accorded the National Honour -Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR). Known beyond Nigerian shores, Elumelu is also President of the West African Bankers Association (WABA), Chairman of Board of ValuCard Nigeria Plc, and a board member of Central Securities Clearing Systems Limited (CSCS - a subsidiary of the NSE) and United Bank for Africa (Ghana) Limited among many others. In November 2006, he won the "African Business Leader of the year award". October 2007, UBA and Tony Elumelu won The Emerging Global Bank award," UBA won the award in recognition of the bank's global expansion plans beyond Nigeria to other parts of Africa. Tony Elumelu is married to Vivian Awele, a medical doctor and specialist pediatrician.

ELUMELU

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face of

spur

Elorm

QUAYE Born on June 1, Elorm is the last born of three siblings. She hails from the Volta Region of Ghana. She holds a B.Sc. in Geomatic Engineering from the University of Mines & Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana and is currently studying for an M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering at the African University of Science & Technology, Abuja, Nigeria. She loves to play table tennis on Saturdays at sunset. She aspires to be a Reservoir Engineering manager and a consultant in the future. She says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am so passionate about the girl child and would want to be one of their advocates starting from my country to Africa and to the entire planet. But in spite of all these ambitions of mine, I have a good relationship with God because He is the Sustainer of my life, without Him I can achieve nothing.â&#x20AC;?

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 0 7

Facts File

The first country to land successfully in Mars was the USSR

A day on Venus is 243 days Venus is the only planet that on earth rotates clockwise as all the other planets rotate anti-clockwise

0 8 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

A sentence that contains all the 26 letters of the alphabet is called a pangram

Planet earth is the only planet not named after a god

The fear of food is known as cibophobia

Mars, also known as red planet, is named after the Roman war god, Mars

The rabbit can see behind its head without turning it

A group of whales is called a pod

The Olympic flag was first flown during the 1920 Olympic Games

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 0 9

Issues

'Unilag must remain Unilag!’ By Starrys Obazei Unilag must remain Unilag!' does not need any introduction as a topical issue now. In short, this was the reason for an emergency meeting of the University of Lagos Alumni Association on Sunday, June 3, 2012. This meeting was convened by the alumni of the University of Lagos (Unilag) against the name change of University of Lagos (Unilag) to Moshood Abiola University (MAULAG) The first words uttered at that Sunday evening meeting were: “Great Akokites!” The response was: “Great,” which ended up a chorus (riotous one) and became so throughout the meeting with the intermittent shouts of the song-like “Great Akokites!” This emergency meeting drew members from all over Nigeria. Viewing their response as a natural stimulus, the president said: “All over the world, alumni respond to the call of their alma mater.” As the meeting progressed, at a point, a speaker, an alumnus, a marketing bigshot at Uniliver took the stage and roused the crowd, saying, “let's bring down the roof.” He literally did as he rapped with the words “Great Akokites! God save Unilag!

1 0 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

God bless Unilag!” All the speakers were passionate, very passionate. Lashing at the spontaneity and unilaterality of the President Jonathan's decision to rename Unilag. The University of Lagos Alumni Association president, Prof. Olaide Abass, referred to another name change undergoing a democratic process in Britain in connection with naming a building after Queen Elizabeth of England on her diamond jubilee -60 years on the throne. “President Jonathan and his advisers should have known that Unilag was birthed through an act of parliament and a name change can only be an act of parliament. Also, he should have consulted us. We have bright minds among us, who would have told him the best way to go about it. “Which father will change the name of his 50-year-old child on his/her 50th birthday? Unilag is celebrating its 50th anniversary (golden jubilee)” The alumni association president spoke the minds of all the members when he called Unilag a strong brand whose rebranding “will cost billions of naira” to preserve its legacy if the name “change is allowed. Can we afford it? No federal university has been adequately funded since the structural adjustment in the 80's.” The alumni president continued:

“Every country… has star cities. One of the characteristics of a star city is naming a university after the city. Hence we have the University of London, University of Washington, University of New York, University of Nairobi, among others. The University of Lagos has become part of the identity of Lagos City just as its lagoon. “Changing Unilag to something else is similar to draining Lagos of its Lagoon.” The president then asked: “Great Akokites, will this be possible. Will it be possible to drain the Lagoon out of Lagos?” The answer was a deafening “Noooooooo” “Will it be easy?” he asked again “Nooooooo.” He concluded by advising the Federal Government: “Therefore, do not exchange the Peter of Lagos for the Paul of Abiola.” Other alumni also spoke in the same vein and actually brought down the roof with their infectious words of passion for their alma mater. The first speaker, Dr. M. Y. I. Salami, who was among the first intakes (Medicine) of the university in 1962, said: ”We have come together to keep the name of this great university. There are many things to name after MKO Abiola: Eagle Square, National Assembly, National Stadium, among others. We're not against

Issues Segun Aderibigbe, of 1974, immortalizing MKO Abiola, it is already Mechanical Engineering Department belated. We're against playing politics with reminded the audience of the action of the name change. We shall go about this Olusegun Obasanjo in changing College of matter in a legal manner. We shall use the Technology, Yaba to Yaba Polytechnic in National Assembly to get the right thing 1977/78. “The students took him to court done without violence. We know Mr. and they won and that was in a military President will ultimately use the National regime. We need to investigate this Assembly. We have many Akokites who are precedent. For example, the University of also members of the National Assembly.” Massachusset in spite of the contribution The second speaker, Oladipo Oduje, of the Kennedy family has not been graduate of 1969, a senator and former changed to Kennedy University.” president of alumni association, advised Yemi Adefulo, 1971 graduate, a former the alumni to pursue the matter primarily student union (1969/70) and past through the National Assembly and president of alumni association said, “it is through the court. He said that mistakes very easy for us to be emotional and there have been made. Going to court will take is every reason to be. We must handle this years, if we win, we disgrace the with a lot of comportment, care and doing government in court; if we lose, for the next so strategically… Our purpose is just. 10 years we will be at it. Another option is University of Lagos must remain University to give the government a soft landing of Lagos. This university does not belong through the to any person more National Assembly. than us. It nurtured us. There are different We must go to court. OUR PURPOSE IS JUST. ways to immortalize We need a strong UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS MUST Abiola –June 12 and contact group. We REMAIN UNIVERSITY OF Abiola birthday as must not appear to LAGOS. THIS UNIVERSITY national holidays. fight government We can use our DOES NOT BELONG TO ANY even though we're alumni in the Senate fighting.” Mr. Adefulo PERSON MORE THAN US. IT and House of read out a seven-point NURTURED US. WE MUST GO Representatives. We resolution he had TO COURT. WE NEED A may not be able to written and it was achieve much going STRONG CONTACT GROUP unanimously adopted. to court. That can be Ye m i W i l l i a m s our Plan B; our Plan suggested removal of A is to use our some points on how MKO should be alumni in the National Assembly.” honoured in the seven-point resolution. Also speaking, Wole Olanipekun, 1975 “This is not a political environment, they law graduate, the lead lawyer of more than created a problem; they should look for the 50-member team of lawyers for the alumni solution,” he said. association said, “Some refer to the change Engr. (Mrs.) Fauset Modupe Ola of University of Ife to OAU; there is a great Masha, 1976 said: “What the resolution has gulf between a military government and a given us is perfect. Many people out there democratically elected government. The think Unilag is against honouring Abiola. circumstance of change is different. The We need to remember MKO is a national only option open to us outside violence is hero and should be honoured with any legal. If we go to court that will make national monument and not Unilag.” government to stay action and we will start Prof. Ibidapo-Obe, (1971) alumnus negotiating. Since the government and former VC of the Unilag (2000 – 2007) believes in the rule of law, the best, first, said, “My reputation is based solely on this paramount and fundamental option is u n i v e r s i t y . W h e n I h e a r d t h e going to court. Government losing in court announcement, you should have had two or losing face does not arise.” deaths. Government was too insensitive at At this junction, the president said that time. It should have had many deaths there are three options: “One, court; the to cope with including that of M.Y.I Salami. I next option is lobbying; do you all agree know this people don't understand with these option,” and they all agreed, anything… (Someone shouted “off record,” shouting “aye.” If there is the third, I want to the Prof. replied, “no, let it be on record.”) hear it.” We've an opportunity within a democratic

setting. My Option A; Option B; Option C is the legal option. Let us teach them how to do things properly. We need 60, 000 signatures in case the President uses the National Assembly against us. Let's create a platform for collecting signatures from both Nigerians and non-Nigerians. We have to fight them intelligently.” B a ba t u n d e L a p i te , 1 9 7 1 C i v i l Engineering set: “I'm ready to take this case to any conclusive state. I want you to be patient. This is not an issue for our students. We're in the academic community and therefore should fight this case with our brain and not with our strength and I'm sure God is on our side. Then, this speaker, a marketing bigshot at Unilever had already written personally to the Nigerian president on his own on why Unilag must remain Unilag. This 'young rapper' in his 60's literally brought down the roof as he promised. He sang: ‘God Save Unilag, God Bless Unilag; Unilag, Unilag, Forward, Forward, Forever, Unilag.’ That is our anthem, nobody can take our anthem from us.” The songs were chorused with “Greeeeeeaaaaat” by the audience. He continued: “We're patriotic Nigerians; we love the President; when he makes a mistake, it is our duty as professionals, to educate... I have been marketing director, sales director, logistics director, President, National Institute of Marketing, President, Nigerian Institute of Management. Someone said, “what is in name? Why doesn't him call himself a dog? What is the whole purpose of this immortalizing Great Abiola? is it not the name they are trying to immortalize? Does it make sense to immortalize a name by killing another name? With due respect, Abiola did a lot for Nigeria; but branding is different. Unilag started 50 years ago; branding is not an unconscious act, it is deliberate. You invest, you research, you segment, you build brand equity, just to make the brand successful… After 50 years of investing in Unilag brand, and it has become a successful global brand, which is satisfying the needs of its target market, which is accepted as the best, yes, “First Choice” among students, “First Choice” among teachers, “First Choice” among parents, “First Choice” among employers… What is this MAU? What is this MALU? Unilag will remain Unilag.” The resolution ended in four words: “Unilag must remain Unilag!” J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 11

HARDPUNCH Nothing is sure in SURE Programme for the unemployed By Adeolu C. Alupogun-Iran

igerians got a New Year shocker concerning fuel price increase in January 2012 and suddenly, everybody, particularly government officials became petroleum economists. Motivated by passion for a prosperous Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala (NOI) and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS) were in the forefront asking us to see reasons. All sorts of media arrangements were adopted to make us accept the new price regime backed by the concocted SURE Programme, hurriedly packaged as publicly confirmed by President Jonathan. The Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Townhall meeting was about the most amusing. I was fascinated by Sanusi’s presentation, a satirical comedy with the likes of Femi Otedola seated as part of a front line audience. The CBN Governor intelligently and eloquently bandied figures here and there and I was bewildered by the twists and turns in the debate. The setting seemed perfect as a scene in a stage performance of ‘The Trial of Brother Jero.’ Except for those in government, some rented crowd and the gullible ones, most Nigerians were certain this was another ‘government magic’ though well intended, that would take us nowhere! With the partial deregulation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in January 2012, Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that Nigeria inflation rate jumped from 10.3 per cent to 12.6 per cent. Since the beginning of the year 2012, after the fuel price hike, it’s been tales of woe for fresh university graduates and those that lost their jobs. Unemployment is an over-flogged subject globally and Nigeria is not an exception. While topical issues like this are debated openly in other climes so as to arrive at a practicable and democratically acceptable solutions we often end up with an assemblage of ostriches in Aso Villa with heads buried under the table. I have often argued that there are very few true enterprises in Nigeria. Even those of us with elementary understanding of economics know it’s all about 'Crude Oil' and ‘Petrol’ here. Practically, all businesses are approximately and remotely built around this commodity. Very few Nigerians are so close to petro-dollar; and conservatively, nearly 90 per cent are distantly connected. It is this greater proportion living in the fringe of a fragile small scale enterprise and civil servants whose destinies are nailed to a minimum wage that fall off the precipice. The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) document being shoved at our faces by government publicists in a desperate bid to make us pay for the sins of the 'subsidy fat cats' provides for possible job losses, arguably, in the most unrealistic manner. The document envisaged that part of the funds saved from subsidy removal would be used to boost broadband connectivity at the transmission layer of the national infrastructure using fibre, with ICT connectivity provided in all tertiary institutions; by extension, the ICT initiative has the potential of providing 70,000 new jobs and another 350, 000 spin off jobs in the next four years. I am as certain as you are that this idea is a farce. The last time we checked the telecommunications sector is fully deregulated and government has no business with the propositions in Component H: ICT Project Section 46 of SURE – P. Recent survey by NBS revealed that unemployment rate in Nigeria hit 23.9 per cent in 2011; compared to 19.7 per cent and 21.1 per cent in 2009 and 2010 respectively. This survey further revealed that the rate is higher in rural setting (25.6 per cent) than urban area (17.1 per cent). Those report also indicated that 56.3 per cent of the unemployed Nigerians are those 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

between ages 15 and 64, the economically active population. Ironically, the authors of the 2011 Nigerian Unemployment Report laboured in its conclusion to create an impression that all is well by benchmarking our situation against South Africa with 25 per cent unemployment rate. This is the ostrich in us. Mid-Year population estimates of South Africa as at 2011 according to Statistics South Africa is approximately 50.5 million while we have 167 million persons living in Nigeria. We are more than three times the population of South Africa! The projected statistics on unemployment to many analysts is far from the reality. “Fifty per cent of Nigerian graduates every year are unemployed. The rate is above 50 per cent as far as I’m concerned,” John Okezie, told Nigeria SPUR. The seed of joblessness was planted earlier than SLS and NOI’s time, hence it would be unfair to put the blame entirely at their door steps. Prior to the ‘Austerity Measures’ of the Second Republic the textile industries were producing at about 100 per cent with thousands gainfully employed which made the sector the second largest employer of labour after government. However, the government appeared too busy to have noticed that the textile industry was already in a quagmire. The government seemingly looked the other way while reckless importation of textile products flourished. The closure of some of these textile companies aggravated unemployment crisis in the country. Between 2006 and 2011 there has been an average of about 1.8 million new entrants into the active labour market per year without corresponding employment opportunities, our youths are still in anguish with a handful taking to varying forms of crime: robbery, cyber scam, kidnapping, frauds and even terrorism. It is high time we looked at a realistic approach to this multi-faceted problem. Support for cottage industries and various forms of Small Scale Enterprise (SME) may be the way to go. Report has it that Small Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) contribute about 75 per cent to the GDP of most developing countries thus providing jobs for the people. Apparently, our SMEs have been crippled by epileptic power supply and lack of other infrastructure. For this same reason high profile corporate organizations are relocating, leaving job losses in their wake and the nation more stunted economically. Government’s disposition towards SMEs must be that of providing enabling environment. It is time to do away with half measures and our usual ‘fix it’ approach. Our sustainable development agenda should be premised on the formulation and implementation of sound policies and prudent budgetary plans. In closing, I am of the opinion that when things work here, the reason is because the Superintendents meant well. Though our security situation is still so daunting, however, the dimension of police harassment at road blocks is removed from the gamut of problems. Thanks to the IG who passed the directive that abolished road blocks. Similarly, I presume the SURE programme might perhaps record some success if we leverage on the credentials of NOI considering her untainted records, probity and sincerity of purpose. However, my fears that whatever purpose the SURE Programme is to serve would likely be short lived was confirmed when the President pronounced the current programme as unrealistic, and NOI opted to vie for the highest seat at the World Bank. Though she lost to world powers, I strongly canvassed her suitability for the World Bank job. But then, what became of all the passion she displayed at selling the SURE Programme to Nigerians who are waiting for SURE jobs before the World Bank President seat became vacant? There are reasons to be unsure about SURE job promises.

Lecture

Reversing the Trends in Science Education in Nigeria 124th Inaugural Lecture delivered by Prof. Christiana Nkechi Omoifo at the University of Benin By Patience Omeruo

cience and technology are the backbone of industrial development of a nation and science education plays a vital role in ensuring a scientifically literate society by producing sufficient scientists, technologists and science teachers to sustain our nation's economic

competitiveness. This knowledge led to the inclusion of science in Nigeria curriculum albeit in rudiment form in 1859; more than a century after, this field seems to have been permeated by certain trends which if not dealt with would prevent our nation from reaching its full heights in terms of economic and technological development.

However, erudite Professor of Science education, Prof. Christiana Nkechi Omoifo is set on the course to ensure that our nation is not left behind in the area of science as she has carried out research works to identify some of these worrisome trends and made recommendations to reverse the negative trends in science education in Nigeria. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 1 3

Lecture

(L-R) Prof. (Mrs.) Christiana Nkechi Omoifo, Prof. J. A. Okhuoya, DVC Administration and representative of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. E.A. Onibere, DVC Academic

Prof. (Mrs.) Christiana Nkechi Omoifo

Chief L. I. Omoifo & Rev. Father (Dr.) Innocent M. Osuagwu

(front row) Dr. (Mrs.) E. N. Ugwu, Dept. of English & Literature & Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Ogboghodo A. I.

Prof. Omoifo made this known while delivering the 124th inaugural lecture of the University of Benin titled 'Dance of the Limits- Reversing the Trends in Science Education in Nigeria' at the university's main auditorium on Thursday, 17th May 2012. She indicated that the field of science education which has been developing over 1 4 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

(L-R) Ehizomo P. Omoifo, Dr. Omoifo Osemekhlan & Mr. Omoifo Augustine (children of Prof. C. N. Omoifo)

Prof. E. A. Onibere, DVC Academics (L) & Mr. B. Ojanero, Ag. Bursar

the years has flourished especially during the past decade however there are issues that have arisen in science education in Nigeria over the years that need to be changed, hence the subject of her lecture. She went on to examine issues in science education tracing the trends that have been made in science education in Nigeria and presenting her research contributions

to the issues identified in this field. Speaking on the relevance of science in our world, she said â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śeveryone needs science to live efficiently and effectively. The future of any nation depends on knowledge; but the ability to generate knowledge and use it innovatively depends on having a scientifically literate population. Achieving scientific literate population depends on

Mrs. G. O. Ogboghodo, Registrar & Prof. (Mrs.) Christiana Nkechi Omoifo

(L-R) Prof. & Mrs. A. O. Urevbu & Prof. E. C. Ohamaka, Dept. of Surgery, School of Medicine, UNIBEN

Mr. H. O. Osarenren, Head, Public Relations & Protocol, UNIBEN

(R-L) Prof. Emmanuel Kubenije, Provost, College of Med. Sci, Rep. of Dean, Postgraduate Sch., Prof. Osagiede, Dean Faculty of Edu., Prof. M. Nwadiali

Dean, School of Dentistry, Prof. (Mrs.) Umweni & Dean Sch. of Basic Medical Sciences, Prof. V. Iyawe

good science education in schoolsâ&#x20AC;?. She also noted that the quality of teaching, teachers and even the curriculum were some of the factors responsible for the current negative trends in science per formance and enrolment and emphasized the need to reverse the current trends in science education in order to prevent further decline of Nigeria's future capacity to innovate and the threat to the acquisition of skills and knowledge that are essential for the future economic and technological development of our nation. According to Prof. Omoifo, the reversal of the current trends will require the collaboration of scientists, science

educators, science curriculum developers, science teachers, parents and other stakeholders in the science field and recommended certain actions which must be taken if we are to reverse these trends to include: parents and the society must begin to see and promote teacher education as a worthwhile profession; strong mentoring and support programs for students in science education must be developed; science teacher education programme should be restructured to help science teachers assess their knowledge and skills and government at all level should begin to provide adequate and good learning environment for InquiryBased Science Education.

Professor Omoifo was decorated as the 124th inaugural lecturer of the university after delivering her lecture amidst cheers from her family and friends. She started her career in science education as a science teacher teaching Integrated Science, Chemistry and Biology in secondary schools and colleges of education and has earned international fellowship in America, Japan and Germany. She joined the University of Benin as an assistant lecturer and rose through the ranks to become a professor. She delivered the first inaugural lecture by a female science educator in the department of educational psychology and curriculum studies in the faculty of education. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 1 5

(L-R) Prof. Julie Okoh, Director, Institute of Arts & Culture, UNIPORT, Prof. J. D. Okoh, Fmr. DVC Academic, UNIPORT & Dr. Charles Omoifo, Crop Science, A.A.U., Ekpoma

Prof. E. A. C. Nwanze, Vice Chancellor, 2004-2009 (R) & wife, Barr. (Mrs.) V. C. Nwanze (M)

(L-R) Prof. Bimidele Sanni, Prof. E. O. Egbochuku & Prof. T. O. K. Audu

(L-R) Mrs. G. O. Onibere, wife of the DVC, Academics & Mrs. Otasowie A. Oshodin, wife of the Vice Chancellor, UNIBEN

(L-R) Prof. J. N. Omatseye, Faculty of Education, UNIBEN with Prof. & Mrs. A. O. Urevbu

(L-R) Prof. C. O. Erezie, Inst. of Child Health, Prof. Emeritus N. A. Nwagwu, Faculty of Education & Prof. (Mrs.) C. C. Nwagwu, Institute of Education, UNIBEN

1 6 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Health Everybody is at risk of heart attack â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dr. Oluwatosin

Dr. Oluwatosin

r. Olusanya Oluwatosin is a medical doctor of about five years experience. Currently, he works for Layole Hospital, Oyemekun Road, Ogba, Lagos. He spoke to Starrys Obazei on what can be done to avoid heart attack. As a medical practitioner, can you say that the government is doing enough to sensitize the people about healthy living? Well, to be fair I will say that government has tried though not enough. There is a lot more to be done about individuals who are totally ignorant about their health. Even people in government themselves know very little about their health. There are lots of preventable diseases in the country now; a lot of people fall victims to them due to pervasive ignorance. What is heart attack? Are Nigerians at the risk of heart attack? Heart attack simply means lack of blood supply to the heart. You can liken the heart to a pumping machine that pumps blood to all areas of the body, even to itself. So heart attack is when there is something wrong in the body that does not allow the blood flow to the heart. The result of this disruption of blood flow is heart attack. There is a slight difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest. Cardiac (cardiac means 'heart', arrest means 'stop') arrest simply means that there is a problem with the pumping activity of the heart that does not allow the

blood to go round. So from this definition we can rightly say that heart attack is the cause of cardiac arrest. So, who are the people mostly at risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest? Everyone -young, old, men and women- is at risk because it is a general health issue. Do eating habits, alcoholism, smoking and sedentary life contribute to heart attack? Some form of diets cause heart attack and of course, cardiac arrest. Fatty foods and cholesterol can cause heart attack. Like I said, the heart is a pumping machine that pumps blood to other parts of the body and this blood contains some very important things such as oxygen nutrients and other metabolic things which the body uses. Now if there is any problem that makes the body unable to circulate oxygen, most especially to the brain, that causes the person to lose consciousness. That is the first thing you see with people that have cardiac arrest. So you may think they are dead, but they are actually not dead. It takes them maximum of about five minutes before they can recover. So cardiac arrest can actually be reversed by an individual who has basic knowledge. Having differentiated heart attack from cardiac arrest, who are those at risk? People who smoke, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exercise, live s e d e n t a r y l i f e s t y l e , o b e s e , h a ve hyper tension which can lead to Hypertensive Heart Disease. Again, diabetics and people with

history of heart attack or cardiac arrest in their family are also prone to it. There is something we call electrolyte imbalance. These are those little things that make us function in our bodies. Aside the blood, oxygen, we need electrolytes to function; so if there is an imbalance there, especially potassium, little or too much potassium in the body, can cause heart attack. Collapsed lung and injury in the chest are also culpable. However, the major cause of cardiac arrest is the heart itself. Other things that cause cardiac arrest are trauma, gun-shot; internal bleeding, from the esophagus down to the anus; electrical shock, drowning, over-dose of drugs, among others. We hear that secondary smokers are even more at risk than the real smokers, is it true and why? The danger is when a smoker is taking in the dangerous gas, he is not taking everything in and by the time he is bringing it out, it is everything; then the next person inhales all of that. Most of the cigarettes that people smoke, I'm sure you have heard about something 'filtered,' it means that those things that can cause cancer has been filtered, so by the time the smoke comes out, the one you are inhaling is not filtered, that makes you more at risk. How do we prevent heart attack? First, identify the problems. Some have what we call sudden cardiac death; these are the unlucky ones, and before help comes they are dead. If you are a smoker, stop it; stop excessive alcohol in-take; do more exercises and avoid a sedentary life style, and people with obesity should see their doctors for drugs and advice. Most important, too, is educating the public, like what you are doing now. People need to know about all these and the primary ways of preventing them. Eating right also matters and if you have any issues talk with a doctor. Does gender matter in heart attacks? From records men suffer more from heart attacks than women in 3:1 ratio. So it is more of males than females and their ages do not matter. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 1 7

‘

Have An

Ambition, But Don't Be Ambitious

’

Martin Woolnough is the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nestlé Nigeria Plc. Martin has served 29 years with Nestlé. He started with Nestlé in sales in Australia after which he embarked on a range of international assignments for the company including four years at the head office in Switzerland. He is an experienced expatriate having worked in such diverse places as South Africa, Thailand, China, Philippines, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Canada, Turkey, Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgystan, Azerbaijan), Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Nigeria. Born in England, Martin worked in retail for seven years prior to joining Nestlé. One of his notable achievements was sailing from England to Australia on a 10-metre yacht when he was 25. While Martin had been on management programmes at Westin University, Perth, London Business School and IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, he left school after his 'A' Levels and did not attend a university. Omolola Ojo reports:

REASON BEHIND PURSUING CAREER OVER A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION I chose to pursue work and it was a pure choice, it was part of my nature in terms of making decisions. I am a risk taker and that was a risk I took. The fact is that I was trying to go to school; I attended O’ levels, studying for A’ levels and was planning to be an architect. But I enjoyed working at that time at supermarkets, so I stopped studying and I went to work. I was tempted by a very clever man I guess who said there was a good opportunity in careers in super markets and I enjoyed what I was doing. I have been selling fruits and vegetables at the stores, since I was 12. For me, it was an easy choice, absolutely no regrets but it’s not something I will recommend for your children, especially in Africa. There was no pressure from my family. It was not because my folks could not send me to school, it was my decision. EXPERIENCE STARTING A CAREER AT 12 We had Saturday jobs or weekend jobs where you could earn some pocket money; most children would get a Saturday job just to earn little money. I was working, selling fruits and vegetables from the age of 12 in a fruit and vegetable shop. I like interacting with people, talking to people, 1 8 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Interview communicating and I found out that I had the gift of the gab, so it was a natural progression. The module of attraction that got me into the supermarket was very simple; it was a historic company full of old managers, something which today I use in Africa as well. But back then the manager that recruited me said 50 per cent of the managers in this company are going to retire, so it was a good option. So that was how I got the opportunity to become a trainee manager and it paid off. Within a short period of time I was running some of the biggest stores in the UK. There was a time when I was around 21 I was managing very big supermarkets like Shoprite here in Lekki; that paid off. My 23 year old friends who had gone to the university also did well at school; at that age I had more money than they did; But money was not key, but the satisfaction, getting on with a career. DEFINING MOMENTS The first one was the decision not to go to school, and that is not usual; that had to be a defining moment. If I had gone on to the university to become an architect I might be working for James Cubitt instead, I still enjoy architecture but that is a different path; so plainly that’s one. The second defining moment actually had to do with leaving work and going to sell. I quit work when I was 25 to sell around the world with two friends. That is not what everybody else will do, so I had a very successful career; I had the biggest store at the age of 23, I quit and nobody could understand. Now, I did not just quit, this is taking us back to decision making process, I was not discontent, I did not feel like something was wrong. I did not want to leave my job because I was unhappy, I just saw something else that I wanted to do; there is a difference. That was a defining moment! The third one actually came accidentally without any provocation because I only arrived in Australia and on the very first Saturday of arrival I met my future wife. Of course, I did choose to stop selling and I got married. You can go through looking at those key elements in your life, most of my time with Nestle has not been those moments because when you are working and moving in a company and getting offers of new jobs those are not defining moments. Defining moments are these really important times when you personally make a choice in your life. FULFILMENT AT NESTLE Nestle offers all sorts of possibilities and for me, I can still find fulfillment. The opportunity to do work is one thing but the opportunity to do fulfilling work is even more important. Managers get paid to make choices and decisions, the more decisions you take, the happier you should be actually. So the more problems, the more opportunities! The more you are responsible for ambiguous decisions, the more likely you are to be more paid because those are tough decisions. TIPS ON BEING A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR Number one, understand what the consumer wants; what exactly do they want? It could be a service or product. The next thing you have to do is that you must plan. You cannot have a business idea without planning. You need to have calculated what the odds are in your head or around you or what the situation analysis is. And that brings me back to my selling days. There are five golden rules in selling: Prepare, prepare, prepare, prepare and prepare. The first thing is know your consumers and the market place, the second thing is planning everything. How far out is up to you, but in Nestle we plan 10 years ahead. In 10 years’ time we want a strategy; we want to know the strategic direction of the company. And you’ve got to have vision. Vision is really critical to running a business; you have to visualize everything you want to do, and that includes part of making a plan. VISION AND FUTURE FOR YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU STARTED There is one thing which I teach all the people who work with me and

that is, do your job and do it well and everything will work out. That sounds crazy. One thing I have learnt is that it is very important to visualize what success means to you as everybody’s definition is different. The second thing, I will say is, be careful to refrain. Successful people fail and get up again. We like rugby in Australia, dropping the ball is a bad thing in rugby; when you drop the ball the game stops. And the other side picks up the ball. So we have the saying, ‘don’t drop the ball’ and if you do drop the ball pick it up and keep running. There is no use just having a plan and getting upset because everything stops or something goes wrong. If you cannot change, the world will change your plans. Having a plan is important, visualizing where you want to go is very important. I remember when I was younger, I felt confident that I was never going to be poor. I always felt confident that life would be okay and on the inside I felt I could always do more. When I was a sales rep I knew I could be a national sales manager, but I was not even thinking of being a CEO then. When I was in my 20’s, there was no way I thought I was going to be the MD; some of you can, some people do and they succeed good; but I did not. It was just a preparation of inevitable consequences. DEFINITION OF SUCCESS Success for me actually is like what my wife calls my fan mail. In all of the countries that I went to, as the leader of the business or manager of the business, I worked with a lot of young people and those young people do get inspired and then they stay in touch. So for me, success is seeing literally what these young people are doing and how far they are going and growing. I get mails from them. I appreciate the fan mails. CHALLENGES IN BUSINESS LIFE I get paid to make decisions and solve problems and have challenges around me. Actually what to other people might seem a little bit scary, to me it is fun, Therefore, challenges are relative to where you are in your life and I mean you could say that there are many challenges doing business in Nigeria, when you think about how to deal with those things there are solutions to everything including the difficult telephone calls you might get from the state governor or from someone in the presidential office, sometimes difficult issues that may have to do with something you have done, even if those things are there as challenges, that is part of why we get paid; that is part of why I get paid. QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER First of all, energy is the single most defining element of a leader. Energy is what you look into identifying people’s ability for the future; their energy and their renewal of self-energy is absolutely central. Selfesteem involves thinking well of yourself; you have to believe in yourself. So, if you do not have enthusiasm, obviously, there is going to be some trouble. Attitudes such as greed, envy, corruption erupt from the fact that people are in business for the money. These qualities can be insidious and damaging. A leader should be somebody who has ambition and not somebody who is ambitious, who goes around pushing and stabbing, trying to get that next job or promotion. If you are ambitious in a way, it does not work; but it does not mean you should not have an ambition, just as I said earlier, I knew I could always be a national sales manager and when I achieved that I knew I could always do more. I still feel I can do more. And I am not finished yet; by the way, I am 57 and I am not done. Having an ambition is fine but you do not need to be ambitious. 90 Minutes Speakers Series is a monthly forum hosted by Gbolahan Fagbure, where leading business people are interviewed as they share their business and life experiences with young professionals. It provides a unique and invaluable insight into the lives of people who have succeeded in their chosen fields, and it serves as a motivation for others to pursue their ambitions. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 1 9

AUN

A NEST FOR BREEDING CHANGE AGENTS

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Dr. Margee Ensign, AUN President

By Adeolu C. Alupogun-Iran

niversity is a nest of ideas and ideals; it is home to budding dreams and above all a citadel of knowledge and ivory tower to the society. Universities all over the world are the same, they seek to impact knowledge and equip students with requisite analytical skill capable of inculcating a high sense of independent thinking and freedom. American University of Nigeria, however, is not by any means different. American University of Nigeria is committed to high standard of education with the American system as a model. In the face of unstable academic calendar often associated with Nigeria universities, AUN strides in academic milestone. The glow on the faces of parents at the 4th commencement ceremony of the institution is a sign of approval that the institution has not disappointed them. American University of Nigeria 4th commencement has the highest number of graduands since inception seven years ago. About 300 students from the Faculty of Arts and Science, Business and Entrepreneurship, Information Technology and Computing were awarded degree certificates. Addressing the 4th commencement ceremony, American University of Nigeria's President, Dr. Margee Ensign sensitised the graduands of huge challenges that lie ahead, “we are sending you graduands to a complex and often troubled nation, and often trouble world and because this is a graduation ceremony, it is a time of reflection just as university is a place of reflection. Nigeria is a country with enormous potential... Nigeria just like many other countries, much of those potentials are yet to be realised. People are poor who need not be poor; people are ill who should be healthy, people are illiterate, who should be able to read, people die who need not die.” Furthermore, she charged the graduands to wake up to their responsibilities as educated citizens. She urged them to hold firm the values the school has put into them to create a good society. Reeling out some of the attributes of good society the graduands have been woven over the past four years, Dr. Ensign reiterated that a good society is one where people, though always different in many ways, respect one another regardless of those differences; a good society is one that works endlessly to make life better and secure... The work of creating and sustaining a society is never done, the work of the citizen is never done. With this I 2 2 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

challenge you as educated citizens, to create and support change wherever you find yourself. As part of the commencement activities, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah; the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Musdafa, and a founding board member, Dr. Robert Alan Pastor of the American University, Washington, DC, were conferred honorary degrees of American University of Nigeria. Speaking during the conferment ceremony, AUN President Dr. Margee Ensign, said that the honorary degree is the highest honour that the University can bestow, given only to individuals who have reached the pinnacle of their careers, and have also made significant contributions to humanity, either in terms of philanthropy and public service or have demonstrated outstanding leadership. “The award entails a formal ceremony, formal robes, and the actual conferring of an appropriate honorary diploma. The degree is awarded with the approval of the University faculty, Senate and Board of Trustees,” she added. Those honoured were meant to be role models for the students of the institution; their values exemplify the university's core values. The commencement speaker 2012, Dr. Alan Pastor urged the graduands to be independent minded and be battle ready to scale through the hurdles of life after school. He said, “if you can't find a job, try to create one; if people tell you that Nigeria is corrupt or that Africa is poor, remind them that change has begun because you all will be the agents of change.” American University of Nigeria has a unique tradition, the resolve of the school to always celebrate their champions as well as spurring other AUN undergraduate students to academic excellence has yielded more results than ever imagined. Prior to the commencement day, an award dinner night was held in honour of the “Class of 2012”, where 20 students who had distinguished themselves in four categories [Academic, Community Development, Leadership and Sport] were awarded. The new Lamido Aliyu Musdafa auditorium venue of the event stood in ovation for Ms Maryam Awaisu, the best graduating student of the “Class of 2012” as she clinched almost half of the awards. From every indication, AUN is set to break new ground as the school will commence postgraduate studies in the summer of 2012. The founding Dean of the School of Graduate Studies who made this known to pressmen, said the school would award Postgraduate Diploma [PGD], Master and Doctor of Philosophy. The school would kick off with three programmes this summer while the Executive Master Degree programme would commence later. Dignitaries include the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah; Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Musdafa, and a founding board member, Dr. Robert Alan Pastor of the American University, Washington, DC. Other VIPs in attendance include ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the AUN Founder; wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Amina Sambo; wife of Adamawa State Governor, Mrs. Zainab Nyako; Irish Republic Ambassador, Dr. Patrick Fay; Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed; former Chief Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais; Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), Accra, Ghana, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede; the Adamawa State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; Vice Chancellors and Commissioners, among others from across the country.

HRH Alh. Mohammadou Aliu Musdafa being decorated by Dr. Margee Ensign & Alh. Ahmed Joda

Prof. Robert Paster being decorated by Dr. Margee Ensign & Alh. Ahmed Joda

Bishop Kukah being decorated by Alh. Ahmed Joda

His Eminence, Bishop Matthew H. Kukah and HRH Alh.. Mohammadou Aliu Musdafa, Lamido Adamawa

Fmr. Vice-President and Founder, AUN, Alh. Abubakar Atiku and Wife

HRH Alh. Mohammadou Aliu Musdafa and Prof. Robert Pastor

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Mr. Abubakar A. Tahir, Asst. Vice-President Public Relations and Communication, AUN

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Mr. Ichull and his son Aondosoo Ichull

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HRH Alh. Mohammadou Aliu Musdafa, Alh. Abubakar Atiku and his wife during the Commencement Auditorium commissioning

[M-L] Cynthia Okoye and Obinna Udeogu

Mrs Owolabi celebrates with her son Subair Owolabi

Stephanie Anwunah with family

Santali Mohammed Salihu, President AUN Student Government Association

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AUN GRADUANDS RECOUNT EXPERIENCES

Muhammed Santali

Denis Chinda

MUHAMMED SANTALI He is the President, Students' Government Association of American University of Nigeria, Class of 2012. Muhammed wished there would be a day he won't have to leave AUN, but for the call of progress he cannot ignore. “What has a beginning surely must have an end,” he said. “American University of Nigeria has been my home and my family; I feel saddened now that I have to leave.” Some of the students felt he was leaving behind a very big shoe; he won't just hear of it; rather, he said,“I leave behind big opportunities.” He received the President Leadership Award of Class 2012. Muhammed Santali feels comfortable more with himself being the number one ambassador of American University of Nigeria.

Natural and Environmental Science. Daniel captioned his stay at the American University of Nigeria [AUN] in three words, “Interesting, Challenging and Worthwhile.” He is grateful to the diversified academic programme of AUN, which he said, has made him not only educated but prepared to face the storms of life. If I could be an undergraduate again, I would come to AUN.” He benefited from the tuition free scholarship programme of AUN.

DENIS CHINDA DANIEL Here is a chap who found it difficult to use his laptop as a fresh student at American University Nigeria [AUN]; often he puts it away safely in his locker while he begged his colleagues to help type his assignment, but today he is the Class of 2012 Speaker. He picked up the challenge with the help of his Professor; he conquered the troubled waters of ICT application. “Today you dare not try me,” he said with a blush. He is a graduate of

ABOK SAMUEL AYU American University of Nigeria has baked me not just in academic sphere, but also to be a leader with a difference through its structure which accepts people from different parts of the world, your religious backgrounds notwithstanding. “The belief that AUN is a school for the rich turned him off. American University of Nigeria provides scholarship opportunities for students rich or poor; what matters is your intelligence. Here, there are vast opportunities, your social class is no yardstick. ” ANIH REGINA She is definitely a brain to look out for in Nigeria's emerging Information Communication Technology industry,

Abok Samuel

Anih Regina

specifically in the area of security technology. Regina holds dear moment of handshake with her Professors at the American University of Nigeria. “I came to AUN with the conventional belief, but found the culture different; here is a place where you walk up to your Professor for a handshake. Honestly, it went a long way to motivate me. AUN has exposed me and I am grateful, I will relish the wonderful experience everyday.”

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Maryam Awaisu AUN's best graduating student

ar yam Awaisu is a graduate of Business Administration with concentration on Marketing from American University of Nigeria. The quiet but brilliant lady is the undisputed champion of American University of Nigeria 'Class of 2012'. Her intellectual prowess has been tested both nationally and internationally; this evidently marked her out for a postgraduate scholarship at the American University, Washington D.C. ADEOLU C. ALUPOGUN-IRAN of Nigeria SPUR magazine caught up with her during her commencement ceremony at the American University of Nigeria, Yola and she shed light on her experience as an undergraduate. Four years at American University of Nigeria, how was your experience? It was stressful; very challenging and at the same time fun filled, especially the past year which was very colourful and exciting. The courses were intense and challenging. 2 8 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Reading among Nigerian youth has been relegated to the background; how was the studying habit at American University of Nigeria? A lot more studying went on at American University of Nigeria than I had expected to see. It was amazing how widely students studied and how very dedicated they were to studying. It was not uncommon to find students exploring more than what was done in class, just out of curiosity. You were taught by professors with foreign accents, how did you cope? Understanding accents was not a problem for me for the most part because I went to a high school where we had teachers of different nationalities and with different accents. But for some it was a challenge they conquered with time. Student-teacher relationship is a very important factor that aids learning, is it obtainable at American University of Nigeria? Yes, definitely. For most instructors, oneon-one attention was not uncommon. They have office hours during which students can meet them in person. They also give out their phone numbers and

emails addresses so that they are reachable at any time. This was not only responsible for excellent performance of students but it also boosted the level of confidence common to all students of American University of Nigeria. How will you describe the courses offered at AUN? The curriculum consists of general education courses that span outside Africa. Also, most courses relate the material to Nigerian society as well as international contexts. The curriculum combines both theoretical and practical aspects of learning. You demonstrate your knowledge through the practical as an indication of full grasp of the topic. Nigerian institutions or education policy makers can learn from this by focusing on application of the concepts rather than learning by rote. This gives a more lasting and in-depth understanding rather than mere memorization by students just for the sake of passing the course. What major challenge did you face as a student? I would say academic grievance issues. Academic grievance policy is the procedure for sorting out grading disagreements between professors and students here at AUN. I believe that the academic grievance policy of American University Nigeria has a long way to go in order for it to be fair, especially to students. How did American University of

Event Nigeria impact you as a person? I would say it reinforced my focus on community service and giving back, which was first instilled in me by my high schoolEssence International School. I also learnt here that quality of friendship is more important than number of friends, hence my limited number of close friends but many acquaintances.

Literary Club, Bisrod Football Club and International Relations Club, I founded Strut Club on campus and I also took active part in community service through out my entire stay here. For instance, I bought and distributed textbooks, notebooks, stationery and snacks to students at Wuro Chekke Primary School to create a 'recess' experience last year and I also, volunteered weekly at the TulsiChanrai Eye Clinic, where I worked as a How did you balance academics and secretary, organized the patient queues social life as an undergraduate? and assisted the I always studied d o c to r w i t h just at the last It was an experience that recordings for a moment and that gave me plenty of motivated me in all spheres s e m e s t e r time to juggle of life, because it stretched (approximately 40 everything else. hours). You can see, me beyond my comfort my academic sojourn Unlike most people, I studied z o n e . I t w a s f u n a n d here is well laced with right before enlightening. I will be going other activities apart exams. Many from academic. back on scholarship for my consider this Would you ascribe dysfunctional, Master's degree. A m e r i c a n but that was my method. Efforts University of Nigeria as a school for the rich? were not always propor tional to No, there are lots of scholarships for the performance, and that was where God's less privileged, ranging from partial to full help came in. scholarships and so not only the rich have access to AUN. Was it all work and no play as a student? No, not at all! I'd even say that I sometimes Were you on any form of scholarship? starved my studies for extra-curricular Yes, I was on full-scholarship, my entire activities. I was a member and President of stay at American University Nigeria. This the Students in Free Enterprise club (SIFE) I scholarship covered full tuition fees and served as Treasurer of the Thespian and

required a 3.0 CGPA for renewal each semester. You went for the student exchange programme, what's the experience like? I was at American University, Washington DC where I experienced different cultures and had classes that were far more demanding than what I was used to. Student life was extremely rich, with many things to do every single day. It was an experience that motivated me in all spheres of life, because it stretched me beyond my comfort zone. It was fun and enlightening. I will be going back on scholarship for my Master's degree. You won many awards, how would you describe the feeling? It was nice that my efforts reaped such outcomes, despite all the hurdles on the way. What was your best moment here at American University of Nigeria? Probably my third year when I got really close to the few friends I had here and many significant others. What is your message to the students you are leaving behind? Whatever they choose to do, there is no bigger joy than doing it. They should be themselves at all times.

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NIGERIA IS A LEADER IN AFRICA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DG, DTCA

frica cannot develop without the full employment of science and technology. Foreign experts may cooperate with her, but African scientists (at home and in the Diaspora) are the ones to develop Africa. African best brains are scattered around the world; what can be done to get their help in technical cooperation in our academic institutions and industry? Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, DTCA, comes into the picture with Nigeria taking the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat as revealed by DTCA DG, Shuaibu Suleiman, who spoke to Stephanie Nzete at Abuja. Who opted for the idea of technical cooperation in Nigeria? The idea for technical cooperation in Nigeria and indeed Africa has been around for a while; technical cooperation has been an ongoing thing. Even in traditional communities, when there were problems, people came together to try to resolve such issues, that is technical cooperation at that little traditional level. In 2001, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, had a meeting with the then President of South African Thabo Mbeki and they came to a conclusion that there was need to give impetus to technical cooperation initiatives among African countries. In so doing they decided to encourage every country in Africa to have what they called a Ministry of Cooperation and Integration in Africa with the sole aim of promoting integration, technical cooperation and sustainable development of the African continent. Having looked at the entire continent and discovered that there were challenges of 3 0 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

development and opportunities that individual nations on their own cannot manage, they saw therefore the need for cooperation and collaboration in tackling the multifarious issues of development. A clear example is related to desertification and floods which do not respect international borders. Another clear example is the Lake Chad Basin which is surrounded by four countries namely; Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon Republic. The Lake Chad has about 30 million inhabitants within its wider basin and 20 million of these are on the Nigerian side. The basin as we know provides means of livelihood to all the inhabitants of the basin. Recently we discovered that the Lake Chad itself has shrunk from its original size of about 25,000km2 in the 1960s to less than 3,000 km2 today. The implication of this is that the water required for irrigation is depleted, the environment is devastated, the annual rainfall has decreased and there are lots of challenges with food security within the basin. If nothing is done about this issues, the tendency is for the

inhabitants of the basin from Cameroun, Lake Chad and Niger Republic to flood into Nigeria, and that will be a very serious security challenge for us. In fact, very recently some discoveries were made that relate to the security challenges in that section of Nigeria bordering the Lake to some of the challenges facing the basin. Now imagine if people surrounding the Lake from Cameroun, Lake Chad, Niger Republic, decide to flood Nigeria, we will have both security and socio-economic challenges to contend with. It therefore makes sense for Nigeria to do whatever it can, through the instrument of technical cooperation to ensure that we do not have such eventualities. Let me also mention the fact that there are other opportunities, for example, the River Niger crosses about nine countries or thereabout, if there was no cooperation between the countries through which it flows, Niger Republic or any of the upstream countries can decide to build a dam; in fact, there is that controversy now. Perhaps, it is one of the reasons Nigeria gives

Event electricity to Niger Republic because one day Niger Republic can also decide to dam the river and harness electricity. If they do that the water level we have running at the Kainji and other dams will be depleted; it is a big challenge. In other words every country along the River Niger can decide to build a dam, and then what happens? It therefore makes sense to say these countries through which the River Niger flows should come together through technical cooperation and ensure the river is harnessed in such a way that every country is a beneficiary of the resources in the river and the basin. Technical cooperation therefore makes a lot of sense. It was because of this that in 1999, Nigeria established the Ministry of Cooperation and Integration in Africa, which took-off effectively with the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa as one of the parastatals under the ministry. But government in its own wisdom, and very debatable too, decided to merge the Ministry of Cooperation and Integration in Africa with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that is where we are today. Technical cooperation is a concept as well as a practice indirectly from the NTCF, which has remained a that can effectively, practically and sustainably catalyst for facilitating Nigeria’s technical promote development on the African continent. cooperation programme. I can mention quite a It is therefore necessary for countries in number of countries. Prominent among these Africa to explore this vehicle of technical were Sierra Leone which the Nigerian c o o p e r a t i o n a n d e n s u re s u s t a i n a b l e government through DTCA has given development of the continent. No nation can do scholarship to 12 students at Post Graduate it for us again. Even Europe and the United levels in Petroleum and Petrochemical States are currently going through their own Engineering at the African University of Science challenges now, therefore, it is unlikely that they and Technology (AUST) in Abuja, Nigeria: Also will overlook their own challenges and come to being trained at the AUST are four Postresolve Africa’s challenges. It is necessary for us Graduate Students from the University of to call on countries in Africa to look inwards and Malawi Chancellor College who are currently start to relate with each one another to ensure receiving training in Information and sustainable development of their nations. Communications Technology (ICT). About 292 What other countries have benefited from students from Francophone West African the technical cooperation programmes of Countries namely Chad, Niger, Benin and the DTCA? Cameroon have been trained in English Quite a number of countries have benefited Language prior to their admission into from technical cooperation programmes that Institutions of higher were funded by Nigeria learning in Nigeria through the DTCA. Let and elsewhere in ...In June, we are going to me explain that. For the Africa. Others include Nigerian government have a programme here Institutional support to facilitate its technical that is very dear to us. It is in providing two c o o p e r a t i o n experts in curricular programme, it set up c a l l e d t h e B u s i n e s s development and ewhat we call the Nigeria Opportunity Seminar. We governance, to the Technical Cooperation A f r i c a n Re g i o n a l Fund (NTCF)- a funding are going to be hosting it Centre for Training in window at the African together with the African A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , Development Bank Research and (AfDB). It is a US$25 Development Bank. Development million facility to be (CAFRAD) in Tangier, expended at a Morocco. You know depletion rate of CAFRAD is a college US$2.5 million per year. It has a life span of 10 that trains public servants from all over Africa, years and it is subject to replenishment. The and so we see that also as a very viable technical fund is coming to the end of its first life cycle in cooperation programme. We have had cause to 2015. Using the facility of the NTCF, Nigeria has send experts to do programmes on short term been able to effectively reachout to other basis. African countries. In fact, virtually all 54 African You will remember Nigeria was at the forecountries have benefited either directly or front of making sure that peace was restored to

Liberia when it had crisis. After the crisis, there were lots of things that needed to be put right and the Nigerian Government through the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa is undertaking two projects in Liberia. One of these is the resuscitation of the University of Liberia College of Medicine (UCLM), which was devastated during the civil war. We are in the process of making available to them four professors in various fields of Human Medicine to work with UCLM. The second project we are undertaking in Liberia has to do with the Liberia Institute for Public Administration (LIPA). One of the institutions that were truly devastated during the Liberian civil war was the public service. There was therefore the need to rebuild the public service system, and having discovered that Nigeria has a very stable and vibrant public service system the Liberian government requested for Nigeria’s help. The Nigerian government through the Directorate is helping Liberia rebuild its civil service system. The Directorate is doing this in collaboration with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), in Topo-Badagry. The summary of it is that there is no nation in Africa that has not benefited from Nigeria’s technical cooperation programme, either directly or indirectly. Let me also inform you that in June this year, the Directorate will be organizing a programme that is very dear to us called the Business Opportunity Seminar. The event is being organized by the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa in collaboration with our partner the African Development Bank. This is with a view to sensitizing the public in Nigeria and indeed all of sub-Saharan Africa and making available to them vital information on opportunities available in the DTCA and AfDB. In fact, there are so many opportunities out there, particularly in the African Development Bank that Nigerians and Africans are yet to be aware

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of, or tap into. For instance, Nigeria is a major contributor to the AfDB, and there are funds that have been reserved for Nigeria, but because we are not aware of these, nobody is looking that way. It is important therefore we make it known to the public the many opportunities located at the AfDB that can move Nigeria and indeed Africa forward. We intend to host that programme alongside the annual Nigeria Diaspora Day which is held every year on July 25. The Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa has always collaborated very effectively with the Nigeria National Volunteer Service (NNVS) in organizing and hosting the annual Nigeria Diaspora Day. During such occasions Nigerian Diaspora from all over the world are invited back home to discuss opportunities and how they can be involved in the development process of the nation and Africa generally. This year God willing, it is going to be a big event because we intend to combine two events – that is, the Nigerian National Diaspora Day and the Business Opportunities Seminar. It is a very critical seminar because it speaks about opportunities that are available, waiting to be harnessed. Perhaps, one thing to mention also is that, even though some people know about the opportunities available, they do not know how to access them. That has been a big challenge, thus we see this as an opportunity to expose people in terms of procedure and process of accessing the opportunities that are available on the African continent, but with particular emphasis on the resources available at the African Development Bank as well as the need 3 2 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

for potential clients to get registered on AfDB’s Database of Consultants (DACON). It is unfortunate that the Inter-Africa Convention which establishes an African Technical Cooperation Programme; a veritable platform of ensuring effective take-off of an Africa-wide technical cooperation programme and which has been around since 1975 (about 37 years ago) is yet to fully takeoff, as only five African countries have ratified the convention. This is a very important instrument that is needful for Africa as a continent. Is the DTCA mainly targeted at professionals in Diaspora or do you not think there are many African professionals resident in Africa? Let me say the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, when it was set up had a two-pronged mandate. One is to mobilize, harness, marshal, and unleash the expertise and professionalism of African experts into the economy of Africa. The emphasis is on African experts who may be in the Diaspora or back in Africa. Our focus is essentially on Africans irrespective of where they are currently domiciled. In other words, we believe that right out there, even within Africa we have very profound professionals and experts that will stand out and measure up anywhere in the world. It makes more sense therefore to say we will partner with the developed world rather than depending entirely on them to develop Africa. We have a cliché in DTCA that says, “only Africans can develop Africa sustainably, others can only partner with us”. So our focus is on

Africans promoting technical cooperation for Africa. They must rise to the challenge and assume active ownership of the development process of the continent. Second is through Institutional capacity building initiatives all over Africa, for which the Directorate has now carved a niche for itself through the numerous interventions it has made across Africa using the NTCF funding window. Some of these interventions have been mentioned earlier. Is the DTCA actually on course to achieving its set objectives? I would say very much so, we have put in place quite a number of programmes to be able to achieve them. Like I said earlier some of the programmes that we have on ground are pointing in that direction. One, we have a virile advocacy programme aimed at mobilizing Africans wherever they are and exposing them to the opportunities and the development challenges we have in Africa and what we believe they can do to facilitate the development of the continent. We also tell Africans wherever we find them that the sustainable development of Africa is their responsibility. Therefore, wherever they are in the world, we are not necessarily telling them to pack up their bags and come back to Africa, but while they sojourn overseas, they should remember Africa, remember home and remember that one day, either willingly or otherwise, they will have to come back to Africa. And when that happens, their comfort in Africa will depend on what investments they have

Event made in Africa before their return. are about 115 medical professionals, 174,000 IT In terms of other programmes too, we have professionals, 87,000 pharmacists, 49,500 a database known as Database of African engineers, and over 250,000 real estate and Experts. This is a record of Nigerian/African financial related business professionals. These experts that are willing to serve in Africa. It is not are the kind of numbers we are talking about. It just an open database, you must of necessity be is said that if you are to withdraw them from the willing to be of service to Africa. Whatever your economy of the United Kingdom (UK), it will field of endeavour, you can be accommodated collapse the medical system. We are not saying on our database as there is a country that needs we want to withdraw them, but all we are saying your expertise or services. The period of is that with Africa having very serious medical engagement on a project can range from two challenges, we need all the manpower and months to three years, depending on the efforts towards the development of the health duration of the project. In other words we have sector. It is necessary for us to devise means of the possibility of having projects all over Africa telling African professionals in Diaspora that through the NTCF where we deploy there are opportunities and chances for them to professionals and experts to handle such engage with Africa. And one of the things we do, projects and programmes for us on short term like I said earlier, is that we have a database or long term contracts. But for you to be where we encourage them to register which is a engaged you have to be on our data base which bee-hive of activities and interactions between is linked to DACON, that is, Database of us and the Diaspora. And let me say, we also Consultants at the have a Diaspora African Development Affairs Department Bank. So far about One of the objectives at the in the DTCA , 3,500 experts have b ecause we directorate is that we try to registered on the discovered that for reverse the brain drain into database, and most of them in the whenever we have a Diaspora, they brain gain through attracting p r o j e c t o r come back ignorant them. In other words, that is the programme in any of the system, second mandate, to make the part of Africa we go ignorant of what to back to that database do to settle down environment attractive for and consult such properly, and many Africans to be able to people; if they are of them easily get available we deploy participate in the development frustrated. What we them. We also have do here is that we process what we term as p r o v i d e a n technical and opportunity for collaborative programmes which we network people coming in from the Diaspora to engage with other agencies and organizations that with us and through such engagements we’ve share synergy, of mandate with us. So far the had quite a number of them established DTCA has successfully collaborated with over 20 properly in very legitimate and profitable international and local agencies, organizations businesses. and institutions to execute programmes for the I will mention just a few of them for the development of Africa. records. There is Prof. Manny Aniebonam, he is the President of African Hub LLC; an ICT Training Africa’s emigrants to the United States Institute located at AP Plaza in Abuja. He has contribute 40 times more wealth to America done exceptionally well, coming from the than to African economy; first of all, how has Diaspora. As at the last count, over 35 this impacted the economy using Nigeria as a universities in Nigeria have benefited from him case-study and also what strategies are being through building of ICT centres for the put in place by the directorate to ensure that universities on a build-operate and transfer this wealth is retained in Nigeria? (BOT) basis. And right now I am made to One of the critical mandate areas of the DTCA is understand that he wants to extend into other to see how we can turn around brain drain into countries in Africa; he is into a legitimate brain gain and brain circulation. Now, it is true business. There is what we call NiDAN- Nigeria that Africans have contributed immensely to the Diaspora Alumni Network, where Nigerians who western economies and like you rightly said came back from the Diaspora and who are about 40 per cent more than they do to Africa. engaged in very legitimate businesses have One thing we are careful to do is not to say, networked themselves into this association and disengage and come back.’ It is not going to be are doing very well. And we find cause to send a possible, in other words, our point of emphasis is number of them to other African countries. On that you may not completely relocate to Africa this note, I will like to plead very passionately but, even when you are in the Diaspora ensure with our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora by that before your productive years are over, add way of advocacy to say, whatever skills they have value to the economy because soon you will they should please oblige Africa. I was told of a discover yourself back home. story when the then President Chief Olusegun It has often been said that in Europe there Obasanjo was in office, there was this argument

on Nigeria Railways. They wanted to rebuild the railways in Nigeria and it was said that no Nigerian could do it. In fact, no African could do it. And somehow it was discovered that the number two railway engineer in the USA is a Nigerian. Yet we say we don’t have experts to handle our own development challenges. Africans are all over the place and let me say, sometime last year a Nigerian won the contract for the development of the railway system in Bagdad for US$500 million, yet we are having challenges with the railways in Nigeria. It doesn’t speak well of us. When you have a challenge, the first place you run to is your father’s house, but unless your father’s house is built you will have no place to go. Let me say with all sense of responsibility that many Africans who live abroad have begun to discover that there is a time you’ll over-stay your welcome, you will no longer be useful and they will want to get rid of you. Why wait until you over-stay your welcome when your own home is yearning and willing to receive you and give you opportunities to thrive. We are not saying our people should not go out, but they should go out and do exploits for Africa. In doing this, they should ensure that something is sent back to Africa, so that upon their return, there is a place to call home. One of the objectives at the Directorate is that we try to reverse the brain drain into brain gain through attracting them. In other words, to make the environment attractive for Africans to be able to participate in the development process; one way to achieve this is through the NTCF which gives them the opportunity to serve in other African countries. Compared to other African countries how can you describe the level of progress made in Nigeria in terms of technical education? Well the truth is that Nigeria is well ahead of many countries in Africa, with over 37 federal universities, 37 state universities, over 50 private universities, 20 Federal polytechnics, 27 monotechnics and over 60 colleges of education, no nation in Africa has as many institutions as Nigeria. We have made tremendous progress that even some of the products of these universities find themselves in other countries in Africa and are excelling. Also a number of inventions and innovations from these institutions are also finding their way into other African countries. Africa has vast opportunities and unfortunately we are yet to put our acts together in terms of utilization of the vast human resources available to us. Our inability to put our acts together has been a source of concern to us in the Directorate. Nigeria is well ahead of other African countries. Nigeria has done relatively well, particularly in the area of technical cooperation. Quite a number of other countries also do have outfits for promoting technical education. I know Tunisia has, Egypt at a time had and they made quite some good efforts, but in terms of outreach Nigeria has done better than any other country in Africa. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 3 3

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Final ourney of Prof.

By Omolola Ojo

t was a gathering of 'who's who?' in the academia when late Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe was laid to rest on Thursday, May 31, 2012. Even the Special Senate session which formed part of the burial arrangements was so well attended that the University of Lagos Registrar, Olurotimi O. A. Shodimu Esq., could say: “The University of Lagos had never recorded this number of Vice Chancellors and representatives at any event, not even at convocation ceremonies. This has made it clear how important Prof. Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe was to the academia.” The session, which held at the magnificent Senate House on May 30, 2012, witnessed a large turn-out of Vice Chancellors, professors, alumni and other important personalities in the academia. It also provided an opportunity for different groups in the academia to pay their last respects to the late Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sofoluwe. Dr. Wale Babalakin, who is an alumnus 3 4 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

of the University and the Chairman, Committee of Pro Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities, led the train of those paying tributes. He acknowledged that the death of the late Vice Chancellor was a great loss to the academia and the country as a whole. He added that his death came at a time when the nation could not afford such a tragedy. He, however, commended his accomplishments in Unilag within the short period he served as the Vice Chancellor and concluded by saying that “Prof. Sofoluwe was a great man and scholar.' Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin on behalf of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, also paid homage in a tribute entitled 'Such is Life.' He described the late Vice Chancellor as, “a doyen of intellectualism, a distinguished colleague and ally in Nigeria, especially Africa at large has lost a rare gem in the global harvest of intellectual diamonds. He conducted his activities with sincerity, generosity and a deep sense of humanity,” said Prof. Oloyede.

Late Prof. Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe Fmr Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos

The Ag. Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. R.A Bello also referred to the late Prof. Sofoluwe as “one of the finest gentlemen ever crafted in the true image of the Almighty God. He believed in the University of Lagos and lived University of Lagos.” He recounted that, “it is on record that the relative peace enjoyed during his period culminated in the stability of the academic calendar which has become the envy of other tertiary institutions. Prof.

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The wife of the deceased, Dr.Mrs. Funmilayo Sofoluwe

The Diocesan Bishop, All Saints Church, Yaba, Rt. Rev. Adebayo Akinde

Prof. R. A. Bello, Ag. Vice Chancellor, Unilag

Mr. Oluwarotimi A. O. Shodimu Esq, Registrar, UNILAG

Rahman said that the late Professor Sofoluwe stabilized electricity supply on Unilag campuses by facilitating the purchase and installation of two units of 2mw generators in the main campus and one 2mw generating plant at the Idi-Araba campus which replaced the old ones installed in 1978. The two old distribution panels have been replaced with state of the art ones, making electricity distribution more efficient. The Ag. Vice Chancellor noted that

Prof. Adetokunbo Sofoluwe's impact on both staff and students of the University of Lagos during his short reign was not quantifiable. On Thursday, May 31, 2012 the burial ceremony commenced with the lying-instate at the University Sports Centre where family, friends, staff, colleagues and students had the opportunity to see and pay their last respect to late Prof. Sofoluwe. Afterwards, everybody was conveyed to All Saints' Church, Yaba for the funeral service.

The Diocesan Bishop, All Saints Church, Adebayo Akinde, in his sermon acknowledged the contributions of the late Vice Chancellor to the field of Computer Science in Nigeria. He recalled that he fondly called the late VC, Prof. Laide Abass and Prof H.O.D Alonge, the 'Three Musketeers of Computer Science.' “In deed, Sofoluwe's death is a great loss to Unilag and the nation at large,” Prof. Akinde said, adding that, “I'm deeply saddened by the loss. Sofoluwe was a J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 3 5

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His Excellency, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Governor of Lagos State

(L-R) Prof. Amos Agbe, Deputy Governor, Delta State; Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, wife of the Lagos State Governor

Prof. O. B. Oyewole, Vice Chancellor, FUNAAB

Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe & wife at the funeral service

(L) VC of the Redeemer's University, Prof. Z. Debo Adeyewa

Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Comfort Ekpo (R)

beloved brother, friend and gentleman. He lived a simple lifestyle and always had the interest of others at heart. I've known him for three decades. He was one person that had a conscience. You can say he was very ethical.â&#x20AC;? The clergyman also described late Prof. Sofoluwe as a philanthropist. He offered scholarships to indigent pupils. Recently, he deposited N350, 000 in the account of his alma mater, CMS Grammar School for the sponsorship of a student. 3 6 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Late Prof. Sofoluwe was greatly loved by students, staff and colleagues as they came out in large numbers to mourn a father and a friend. The wife of the deceased, Dr. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Sofoluwe and her two children were also present at the burial. The clergyman, however, consoled them and urged them to be strong. The late Vice Chancellor was buried in a private ceremony at the Ikoyi Vaults & Gardens that same day. The large turnout of dignitaries

included: The Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, his wife, Dame Abimbola Fashola; the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; the Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama; former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Donald Etiebet; Pro Chancellor, Unilag, Dr. (Deacon) Gamaliel Onosode; Wole Olanipekun (SAN); former Unilag VC, Prof. Ibidapo Obe; Vice Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Prof. Sidi Osho, among others.

Prof. Akin Oyebode (R) during the funeral service

Prince Segun Adesegun, Deputy Governor, Ogun State

Prof. H. O. D. Alonge (L)

Prof. Oladipo Aina, Vice Chancellor, EKSU (M)

Dcn. Gamaliel Onosode, Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, University of Lagos

(L-R)Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & Research) Prof. Babajide Alo with Prof Is-haq Oloyede, Chairman, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 3 7

Prof. Ralph A. Akinfeleye, HOD, Mass Communication Department (R)

(L) Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Ndufe-Alike, Ebonyi State, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe with Dr. Wale Babalakin, Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors

Prof. Chioma Agomo HOD, Commercial and Industrial Law, UNILAG (L)

(L) Prof. Peter K. Fogam, Faculty of Law, UNILAG

Chief Jonathan Olopade (M)

Prof. Sola Fajana, VC, Joseph Ayo Babalola University & Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, former VC, University of Ibadan

ABUAD Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sidi Osho (R) 3 8 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Dr. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Sofoluwe during the Special Senate Session

Some family members during the Special Senate Session.

(L) Representative of the Chancellor of UNILAG, The Attah Igala, Alhaji Aliyu Obaje at the Special Senate Session

Some Pupils of the University of Lagos Women Society Children School

Students of CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos.

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 3 9

Interview

‘I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPRESS A BIT OF MY INSIDE’

oyo Oyatogun is that lovely voice that comes on air every weekday morning on radio. She is the co-host of one of the most interactive programmes -'Daily Guide'- on Star FM. She is also the head of programmes on StarFM. In this interview with PATIENCE OMERUO and ADEDOYIN ADEDEJI, she travels down memory lane revealing her experiences as a broadcaster. We want to start from the very beginning, so we want you to tell us about growing up? I was born in Ghana and my parents were based in Ghana then. When I was about five years old we came back to Nigeria. I attended Mainland Preparatory School. I also attended Queens College and then University of Maiduguri. During my NYSC I was posted to Taraba, but I couldn't stay there, so I had to move to Port Harcourt. I didn't want to be a broadcaster because I noticed that my father was not rich and I wanted to be rich (laughs). So I tried my hands on public relations, hotel management and eventually my Mom convinced me that if I wanted to make impact and be successful, I had to do what I was born to do. Eventually, I had to try broadcasting. I then decided to try out at some radio station but I wasn’t taken. At last, I found my way to Star FM where I met with Tayo Balogun. He was then consultant to the station. On auditioning me, he found me very suitable for the news and I started working in Star FM. I have been here and it's like yesterday. This year is going to be my 12th year here. This is a place that builds me up; this is the place that has given me a platform and I will always remain eternally grateful to Star FM. No matter what I'm doing anywhere else, I have this place very much at heart. How has your career improved over the years since you started – from the very first day till now? When we came out of school we discovered that a lot of what we were taught were just theory and even part of the theory couldn’t be implemented. So I had to do a lot of self-development, selfgrowth. I exposed myself to the Internet, to materials that can help and also in this place we have collaboration with the BBC. A lot of times you find yourself going back to the basics that we were taught in schools and developing on those basics to bring out novel ideas. I will say that I have developed along the areas of novelty. I have explored novel ideas that have made impacts. In terms of novelty, not doing things the way every other person does it, in terms of the passion that I bring to bear, in spite of the obvious challenges to the job. I think these are the areas I have been able to develop. What are the challenges you have faced in the course of your 4 0 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Interview career? Well, there are a lot of challenges, but I give God the glory because in my career, the challenges have not been such that they are impossible to overcome. I'm quite a malleable person. When I came here to Star FM, there were practically no structures, the morning belt was very shallow and the money then was very thin and there was nothing going on. We started out with the news at 6.30a.m., it was very difficult coming for the news at 6.30 but we used to come. I remember then if you are not at the gate, this same gate by 6 o'clock, Tayo Balogun would lock it and take a day's pay out of your salary and how much was the salary? You wouldn't want anything to affect your salary so I used to leave home by 5 o'clock and I would get to Maryland, because we were living at Gbagada, so when I get to Anthony Oke, to make my way down I would have to pass under the bridge. I would stand on the bridge and start shouting from there, 'yeah, my bag o,' sometimes I would be shouting, 'Jesus! Jesus…!' You know, so that anybody that would have any bad plan there would think that a mad person was around or passing by, so I never got molested. It was always dark when I was coming and I would always make it to work on time because Uncle T told me then, 'your resumption time on the radio is 6 o'clock and you have to be here by 6.' We had problems with logistics; we had problems with research; people wouldn't talk to you, so it was very difficult. We also had problems with security officials. Just recently, we went for an event and I was talking with the Honorable Commissioner of Agriculture and then his aides came over and said, “Hey madam! You are not supposed to be here.” It's painful, after all these years in this career! There was even a time when a

policeman lifted me and threw me on the floor at an event. So we have a problem with that – people don't respect journalists in this country. And of course, poverty is a very present reality in journalism. These are the issues. But in mine own case, I really give God the glory. I have been blessed. The chairman of this place has really given me the opportunity to express myself, to mould myself such that today, I have a name out there. Even top sponsors say to me, 'your name is really strong in this country.' It's been 12 years and it's like I started just yesterday. So I really give God the glory. What can you say has been the most rewarding aspect of being a broadcaster? It depends on how you look at it. Some people in broadcasting have built fortunes, people like Larry Izamoje and we also believe God that we are on our way to such fortunes. But where I stand right now, the most rewarding part has been when you have lots of things inside you and you cannot express these things or find an expression for them, you tend to be frustrated; you tend to do the wrong things. And sometimes you even find yourself on the wrong side of the law. But I give God the glory that on my own side I have been able to give a little expression to what is inside me. Because otherwise, it would have been eating me up on the inside and then I would start doing all the kinds of things I shouldn't do. So I thank God that I have been able to express a bit of what is inside me and I look forward to expressing much more. Who are your mentors? Mentor in the sense that you go to them for advice! Tayo Balogun is one of my key mentors, basically, it is him and of course, the chairman of MITV/Star FM is also my mentor, my GMs, Mr. Kunle and Mr. Tunde, they are my mentors. Do you have any role model(s) in the broadcast field? I respect every broadcaster, is it Bode Alalade, Fabian Olanipekun, my father, I respect everyone of them because I know what they have gone through. I respect even the young ones that are coming up behind us because it is really not a very easy terrain to pursue. Talking about equipment challenges, power challenges I learn from everybody. I listen to other radio stations; I learn from them, I hear what they are doing. I learn from everything; so I don't have a particular role model as such and of course, I also learn from the foreign media. Talking about professionalism in broadcasting, some people have blamed the lack of proper On Air Personalities to the fact that today we have people go to the higher institution and study anything and graduate and want to become a broadcaster; what is your view about people who are not trained professionally? Well, broadcasting is not strictly based on paper qualification. It has to do with talent and your flair. Supposing you have someone that studied English language or Mass Communication and when on air, cannot really appeal to the audience; it has to do with talent and what you have the flair for. But along with that the mistake we have made over the years is not to take training seriously. These are some of the problems associated with the industry because we need to be trained. A lot of people sit down in their house and they see a newscaster and they think it is just to wear a gorgeous dress and sit in front of the camera, but it is not so. Some people also wonder how newscasters read and look straight into the camera without looking down; they are not aware that there's a training that newscaster receive that enables them do that. There is the aspect of training that goes along with it; the industry has missed it in terms of that. We all need to be trained, every single one of us. There are some stations whose personnel are not trained; they just put them on air and then expect them to perform magic, and I feel so sorry for them. It is true that this people have talents, but we need to train them. I am happy that a lot of schools are coming up and training people. If you are aspiring to be a broadcaster, get proper training or at least, get the basics. Tell us about your defining moments in life? One of my defining moments was when I got into this place. I didn't really know what to do apart from reading the news and they put me on the press review. So when I started the press review I saw how my colleague Babs Daramola was going about it. I learnt a lot from him and I made use of my flair also and I combined the two together and I found out that I enjoyed doing the press review so much. People would come into the newsroom and say, 'ah, that lady that did the press review, in fact, she tried.' So it was a defining moment in the sense that I learnt that you could use innovation to change what normally is being done and you will make impact. It is just being creative and I have never ceased to continue on that track – using innovation, using creativity to push already existing ideas. A lot of people say, 'we heard that J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 4 1

Interview story elsewhere, but the way you said it was so different,' so doing the press review was a defining moment for me. Another defining moment was when I met with Mr. Tunde Lemo of Wema Bank. Wema Bank remains one of our sponsors, and has remained with us. A month after starting the programme they handed us our first cheque. When we came back, we told the chairman and showed him the cheque; he gave us a commission and said, “you guys are good. You have been on for just a month and you have been able to start making money.” He was really surprised and very happy. That was another defining moment. What is your most interactive or your favourite programme on radio? I don't think I have my favourite programme on radio yet. My favourite programme would have been an opportunity to go extremely crazy, an opportunity to be out of the box. But now, no matter how creative I am I have to respect the sanctity of the news because I handle news programme. I would love a programme where I just put on the microphone and start singing and just keep on singing and people would call me and we would all sing; you know, just do all kinds of silly things and be very happy. All I'm saying is that I don't have a favourite programme, but there are favourite aspects of our programme – 'Daily Guide.' For instance, on our show, there was a call from Barrister Ubani, one of our very prime listeners that a guy wanted to commit suicide because he did not have a job and it didn't take five minutes. When he called back, it was to tell us that three people had offered jobs to this guy who wanted to commit suicide; these are moments that I love to look forward to. There was also a guy that gave a woman almost N300, 000 to pay the school fees of her children; these are great moments and there are other interesting moments and I'm beginning to enjoy 'Owambe' seriously. Last month, we had two of our parliamentarians doing stuff for two weeks straight; for two weeks I was attending one party or the other and it was good. These are good times and then of course, some of our parliamentarians are running for certain offices, these are the moments I enjoy. I don't have a favourite radio show yet, but I have moments that I really enjoy. And of course, on the 'Daily Guide,' we have the opportunity to make the news interesting and that I enjoy.

outside. Therefore, any point in time if you choose to go by what is inside you, you make a meaning of the mess that is outside. Will you describe yourself as being successful? Well, to the degree that when people see me they want to take a picture with me; I remember there was an office I went to, quite honestly, I didn't want to cause any problems and immediately I mentioned my name people came over and some wanted to take pictures. Some were calling their spouses to talk to me and all that. Eventually, I couldn't get anything done and I had to leave. So to the extent that I affect people and I think people love me, to that extent, yes, I think I have attained a level of success. How do you handle male fans? (Laughs) In those days before I got married it was a bit of an issue, but because I am so focused and most of the time I am working hard, I used to tell them I work very hard – extremely hard. In the midst of that – so much work and the things I do, there was really no time to pay attention to such trivial things. It surprises me really because I would have thought that as a married woman most people would respect my status, but the society has gone to a level of shamelessness. I think that it's good to let people know exactly where you stand; as for me, I'm a Christian, I'm born again, once people realize that you are focused they let you be, but again I must say that a lot of Nigerian men are also very decent, they know their limit.

BUT FOR ME, SUCCESS IS TO KNOW WHAT DEPOSITS YOU HAVE INSIDE AND BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE THOSE DEPOSITS INTO IMPACTS ON YOUR SOCIETY AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT

What is your definition of success? It does not necessarily have to do with cars or how much money you have in your bank account, though that is also some measure of success. But for me, success is to know what deposits you have inside and be able to translate those deposits to impact on your society and your environment. In a way that is also money. But mostly it has to do with influence. Success is being able to identify what lies inside of you, the greatness that lies inside of you and then advancing in that to better the society. I must also say that success is an on-going thing. It doesn't stick in one place as such you keep identifying yourself in different areas and keep increasing your influence in those areas. In Nigeria we find that the environment is not really fertile, fertile to ideas and creativity, it is quite a hostile environment. I also know that the force that is inside us are greater than forces that are 4 2 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Have you had any experience of sexual harassment on the job and how have you been able to handle it? Yes, but with wisdom, God helped me to deal with it. I have had on the job, people say that they will deny you of one thing or the other because you refuse to sleep with them, but God has helped me to deal with it with wisdom. So for any lady that is going through that, I will say pray, God has a way of dealing with it such that whoever it is will just leave you. Honestly, it can be very unpleasant and they can actually withhold things that ought not to be withheld, but with prayer you will be able to break the back of that wickedness. It is

wickedness! Ten years from now, where do you see yourself? Well, these last ten years have been discovery period and with God there is always more; ten years from now I see my creativity translating into greater financial gains. I see myself exploring more of the greatness that God has put inside me – touching lives, translating potentials into more tangible results for myself, children, family and the society. Ten years from now, I see myself much bigger than this by God's grace and I see myself doing greater than what I am doing right now. I also see my abilities blossoming to greater realities. What is your advice to young people who aspire to be broadcasters? Most successful people will tell you to find your niche. It is what is inside you that will lead you to greatness. In the world of today, you have to be careful. Don't get distracted. Don't go the way that every other person is going. If you follow what you have in your heart, together with knowledge and training, you will move on that path to greatness.

Event By Omolola Ojo

he former Secretary General of United Nations, Kofi Annan once said that education is a human right with immense power to transform and on its foundation rests the cornerstone of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development. Little wonder why most African countries including Nigeria are striving to develop the standard of education. Oyo State which is popularly known as the pace-setter is living up to its slogan by vowing to restore the glorious state of education in the state. The state which was the first to introduce free primary education in Nigeria, organized a three day summit at the prestigious Premier Hotel, Ibadan from May 23 - 25, 2012 after a baseline study was conducted by the ministry and it revealed a number of pertinent challenges facing the education system in Oyo State. They include: high failure rate in all externally conducted exams (WAEC/NECO), poor work ethics, inadequate staffing, infrastructural decay, absence of state-owned vocational and skills acquisition centres, among others. Consequently, the summit convened stakeholders in the sector in a bid to address the challenges facing the development of education in the state. It is important to note the efforts of the Oyo State government particularly the Ajimobi administration in improving the standard of education in the state. The state has a well-organized educational structure and institutions that monitor education and learning in the state under the Ministry of Education. First, is the SUBEB (State Universal Basic Education Board) which ensures that each child acquires appropriate level of literacy, numeracy, communication and social skills as well as the ethical, moral and civic values. Another member of the education family is the TESCOM ( Te a c h i n g S e r v i c e Commission). It was commissioned for the purpose of catering for the welfare of the teaching and nonteaching staff in the state. Sen. Abiola Ajumobi

CONVENTION OF STAKEHOLDERS AT 2012 OYO EDUCATION SUMMIT The Ajimobi's administration trained over 5, 000 staff since May 2011 and over 1, 000 staff have benefitted from the car loan this year. Also, the Oyo State Scholarship Board has excelled over the years in giving hope of a tertiary education to citizens who are indigent. The present administration is in the process to effect the disbursement of the year 2011/2012 bursary to more than 25,000 Oyo State students in all tertiary institutions nationwide. Again, the Oyo State Library Board provides world class library services obtainable in the best libraries in the world. Currently, prototype librar y/civic centres with Internet connections are at various stages of completion in each of the 33 local governments of the state. The board boasts of three first â&#x20AC;&#x201C;of-its-kind facilities: A Braille library at Dugbe, a 50-seat IT centre and a video

Executive Governor, Oyo State

library. In addition, BOTAVED (Board for Technical and Vocational Education) ensures that the courses offered in the technical colleges and vocational centres conform to the state policy. Part of the great achievements of the board was breeding employable youth as 45 per cent of these trained graduates are now gainfully employed by leading corporate organizations. Furthermore, the Oyo State Agency for Adult and Non-formal Education was birthed with the sole aim of eradicating illiteracy among adult populace, which is set to be achieved by equipping adult learners with useful skills such as sewing, cookery and weaving for functional and productive existence. In addition, the First Lady of the state, Chief (Mrs.) Florence Ajimobi has an initiative themed 'Educate a Rural Child.' Its objective is to promote in the rural areas the same academic excellence that obtains in the metropolis. Other members of the education family are the ter tiar y institutions - The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo State; State College of Agriculture, Igbo-Ora and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho (LAUTECH). Consequently, the purpose of the summit was to leverage on the expertise and experiences of all participants by providing platforms for robust discussions that will yield pragmatic and enduring solutions to the challenges of the education system in Oyo S t a t e . Applying and implementin g these solutions in the existing s t r u c t u re s will help the administrat J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 4 3

Event

[l-R] Chief Moses Adeyemo, Rtd Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Sen. Abiola Ajumobi and his Mrs. Florence Ajumobi

Rtd Gen. Yabuku Gowon with Senator Ajumobi

ion restore the lost educational standards of the state. In his address, the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi commended the efforts of the Ministry of Education in restoring education standard in the state. He recalled that Oyo State was one of the best academically in Nigeria until recently when it was rated 35th position out of the 36 states. He highlighted strategies his administration had put in place to reinstate 4 4 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Mrs Florence Ajumobi and Mrs Monsurat Sunmonu, Speaker Oyo House of Assembly

education in the state. Among many others, his administration introduced remedial classes for students in their final year in secondary schools; tuition fees in higher institutions were reduced, establishment of a technical university as an increasing effort in the human capital development. He used the opportunity to formally appreciate the National University Commission for approving the establishment of the technical university.

Also, skills and vocational centres are being built in the secretarial centres in the state. He added that â&#x20AC;&#x153;this summit is a wakeup call in the education sector; it's not the solution to all the challenges facing the Oyo State education; but it is a meeting of minds to rise to the challenges.â&#x20AC;? Furthermore, he reiterated the fact that many unemployed youth are unemployable, therefore there is a need to impart in them necessary skills.

Event Advising the stakeholders, he said, “We must ensure we develop the right curriculum and train the trainers. Also, we must develop an enabling environment for students to learn and study,” adding that, “we must clearly define achievable and sustainable plans to restore education in Oyo State. It is time for change; the period of starvation of education is over in Oyo State.” Plenary sessions also formed part of the summit. The sessions provided a platform for stake-holders present at the event to discuss burning issues with the lead speaker and discussants. Some of the issues addressed during the plenary sessions include: Curriculum development, capacity building and development of performance based system for teachers and educational administrators; impact of societal values and ethics in the decline of educational standards. Others are the role of ICT in the educational transformation and delivery process; the way forward for the vocational, technical and special needs for economic transformation for societal relevance, among others. The vision of the Oyo State Ministry of Education is that by 2015, the state would have developed an education system that is all inclusive; to achieve technological and economic breakthrough, using strong financing policies, functional physical resources and infrastructure, and well trained personnel in order to attain sustainability, self-actualization, moral uprightness and an egalitarian society whose hallmark is progressiveness and rapid growth. If the solutions suggested during the summit are applied appropriately, the Oyo State Ministry of Education will not only bring its vision to reality, but also be at the fore-front of educational standards in Nigeria.

Ahj Waheed Akin Olajide, Secretary to the State Government. Oyo State and Hon. [Mrs] Adetokunbo Fayokun, Commissioner for Education Oyo State

Fela Durotoye, Motivational Speaker & Business Strategist

Event

photography by Sunday Sampson

NBTF's 11th Nigeria International Fair

…Bringing books closer to people By Patience Omeruo

he need to promote reading in Nigeria is imperative as the reading culture especially among youth has declined when compared with what obtained in the past and even those of our counterparts in western countries. This has brought about the saying in some quarters that if you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book. The Nigeria Book Fair Trust has as part of its objectives to empower Nigerians by improving their reading culture and bringing books closer to people for better education and self improvement. In its bid to achieve this, Nigeria International Book Fair is held yearly providing an avenue for publishers, book sellers, authors and relevant stakeholders in the industry to exhibit their books thereby forming a meeting point between them and the general public. This year the Nigeria Book Fair Trust held its 11th Nigeria International Book Fair in May, 2012 with the theme “The state of infrastructural development in Africa and the future of the book trade,” at the Multipurpose Hall, University of Lagos. There was quite a lineup of events alongside the book exhibitions by various publishers and bookstores as there was the international conference/award presentation at the Afe Babalola Auditorium in UNILAG, special education workshop for schools, children's programme, authors' groove and editors' training. 4 6 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

The international conference served as forum to bring together stakeholders in the book industry to discuss topical issues that border on the stability of the industry. Prior to the commencement of the conference, there was a free medical checkup by May Clinics Limited for the first 50 people. Mr. Samuel Kolawole, chairman of Nigerian Book Fair Trust, in his welcome address at the International conference on the second day of the fair, said the conference theme was aimed at addressing salient factors of lack of basic infrastructural development plaguing the book sector in Africa and coming up with how best we can make use of the available infrastructural resources to bring positive change to the book trade in Africa. He also spoke on the choice of Mr. Richard Crabbe as the key note speaker, saying “Mr. Richard Crabbe has been deliberately chosen for his expertise and driving passion to develop a crop of high-class authors in Africa and also to see their books compete effectively with the world. Being an African, he knows and understands the level of infrastructural development in Africa and how this affects the book trade in Nigeria…” Mr. Crabbe did not disappoint as he did justice to the subject examining the challenges and opportunities provided by trends in publishing and offering ideas to facilitate the transformation of the African book industry to enable it compete effectively with its counterparts around the world. At the award presentation ceremony which also held on the second day of the book fair, Chief Michael Akinleye, the first

Eveht Managing Director and Chief Executive of University Press Plc and Prof. Felicia Adetoun Ogunseye were honoured with life time achievement awards for their contributions to the growth and stability of publishing and book trade in Nigeria. The children's programme, sponsored by the University Press Plc, took place on the fourth day of the book fair; Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo, writer and English professor, led the children's session as she read from two of her works, a book entitled 'Fire From the Holy Mountain' and a poem from her poem collections, 'Cloud and Other Poems for Children.' There was also cultural display by some students; the highlight of the day was the presentation of gift items to the winners of the quiz competition for students in the senior secondary schools in which New Estate Baptist School, Surulere emerged winner, while Harmony Land College and Binta International School came second and third respectively. The author's groove which was sponsored by the

Mr. Mukesh Dhruve, representative of REPRO India

Mr. Abiodun Omotubi, NBTF's Executive Secretary

Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA) provided a forum for authors, poets, publishers and performing artistes to mingle as there was musical performance, poetry performance and book reading sessions. Speaking to Nigeria SPUR magazine, Mr. Samuel Kolawole, chairman of Nigerian Book Fair Trust said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This year's fair is an outstanding success , we have more people participating from outside the country, not only that it is better organized and power is more stable this year, the atmosphere is a lot better than the last fair ...â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Nigerian Book Fair Trust is the umbrella body for all stake-holders in the Nigerian book sector, made up of Nigerian Publishers Association, Nigerian Booksellers Association, Nigerian Library Association, Nigerian Book Foundation, Association of Nigerian Authors, Association of Nigerian Printers, and the Academic and Non-fiction Authors Association of Nigeria.

Mr. Samuel Kolawole, Chairman Nigeria Book Fair Trust

Mr. Tunji Okegbola, Pioneer Exc. Sec., NIBF (l) & Prof. Lenrie O. Aina, Dean, Faculty of Comm. & Info. Sciences, Unilorin J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 4 7

L-R - Richard Crabbe, late Amb. Segun Olusola & Mr. Samuel Kolawole

Mrs. Folake Bademosi (r) and Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo

4 8 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Chike Ofili, (L) Former chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors

Barb & Marilyn

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 4 9

Cover

Scholarships in Nigeria

Do they still exist?

Education is fundamental to all human operations and it is very expensive both to parents and governments. Many students' prospects have either been stunted or truncated because of inability to finance their education, but scholarships came to the rescue of many in the past. Starrys Obazei reports.

arly devotees on the altar of education in Nigeria had a one-way thought: “education must be acquired” with or without the availability of finance from their parents. Government scholarships were then completely nonexistent. Such strong advocates of education were some of Nigeria's founding fathers. Zik and Awo, as they were succinctly known, did the impossible to get educated. Zik stowed away to the United States of America, (he could have lost his life –thrown to sharks as was ruthlessly meted out to stows-away by ship managers then) just to get an education. And education he did get. Awo, on his part, as the story goes, was even spurred by Zik's educated status, and he went full blast for the Golden Fleece, his financial inadequacies notwithstanding. As Marxist Kola Edokpayi put it in one of his write-ups: “Awo was self made; he prized education, knowledge, scholarship and excellence... “ Zik and Awo were of poor parenthood, but they refused to give up on education, and blind chance and sheer determination compensated them with successes. Do or die, they went for education and got it. They were really optimistic and dared the world like James Branch Cabell said: “The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true." 5 0 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

One thing –an indispensable facilitator– was missing in the lives of Zik and Awo, they did not get scholarships to achieve glories in education. Azikiwe paid his way by doing a variety of jobs including washing cars and working as a kitchen assistant. Awo's financial situation was not different. At first he was a teacher at Abeokuta, but after acquiring the knowledge of short-hand, he became a clerk, and when he could not get the means for his education in the UK, he went into many ventures and found his way to London. The fact that one was an indigent student does not mean that one's children should also be indigent students, when one (now a father) can make things easier for one's children. Obafemi Awolowo was a father that made things easier for his Western Region 'children' and the lasting benefits of his free education programme have entrenched the Yorubas in many sensitive positions among Nigeria's intelligentsia more than any other tribe. Also, in the evolution of human societies, things are always getting better. That is why much importance is now attached to education for national, not primarily, individual glories; and governments around the world have devised means to help their citizens in order to achieve the desired quantum and

quality in education. No longer leaving the acquisition of education to the whims and caprices of parental situations, governments and individuals began offering scholarships to the best and brightest, poor or rich students. Many indigent students in the past got scholarships and escaped from the shackles of poverty. It is still happening today, though with limited sources from Nigeria. A recent example happened in Kogi State and it aptly showcases what is needed in Nigeria's education system both on the part of the government, corporate organizations and the students themselves. Master Abel Adama, won a scholarship worth over $228,472 (about N34m) over a four-year period to study in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America. “Such life changing opportunities should also be available in Nigeria for our deserving teeming undergraduates,” a student who learnt about Adama's fortune, told SPUR. Adama's story is a story of choking poverty; at a time, he resorted to selling sachet water to augment his mother's income from the sale of bean cake. He, however, remained a grade 'A' student. This is the point that should regularly etch on the minds of students, who want to get something out of the scarce scholarships available to Nigerians.

Cover Adama, while in secondary school, we learnt, came in contact with the Rochas Foundation College, which offered him full scholarship for his academic brilliance. It was after his secondary school that he was introduced to the services offered by Education USA Advising Centre of the US Embassy in Nigeria. If you are not searching for a hidden treasure, when you come in contact with it, you may not 'see' it and your intuition will be far removed from it. Adama did something that scholarship seekers must always do. He says: “My search for a scholarship brought me into the United States Students Achievers Programme. The centre assists highly-talented, economically disadvantaged straight 'A' students to identify and apply to US colleges and universities that will offer them admission with full scholarship.” You must search for scholarships online or from whatever sources available, if you are first and foremost, qualified. And just like Rochas Foundation College, many individuals in Nigeria have also offered scholarships to deserving and indigent students. Late Chief Gani Fahewinmi, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN); and a host of other philanthropists offer scholarships to Nigerian youth on yearly basis, filling the gap, as it were for the drought of bountiful scholarships from the government. Scholarships are not only for the indigent students, but for all who are grade 'A' students and who are so selected after another rigorous examination in most cases. A beautiful case is that of Misan Rewane, from the popular and affluent Rewane family in Delta State. Misan was so brilliant that she was at one of the elite universities in the world –Stanford. After graduating, she came down to Nigeria for the compulsory National Youth Service. She took part in the 7UP Harvard Business School (MBA) Scholarship examination which though open to the general public, is always meant for one person –the best– to win. She won. There are many students who do not know about the opportunities for scholarships, just because of the pervasive feelings that there are no more scholarships. In the case of the indigent scholar from Kogi, he diligently sought for information and applied as at when due and the story is now different for him. Many students do not read newspapers for such relevant information and when they browse the Internet, a lot of these young ones miss a lot of scholarship opportunities

Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo because they are grossly engrossed in the social media alone. Scholarship remains a time tested way of raising the needed human capital for industrial and economic development of nations. Another educationist of national cognizance, who breathed, lived, ate, slept and dreamt education and scholarships was the late Tai Solarin. He so much valued scholarship that its source never mattered to him. He once encouraged that “if the Devil gives you scholarship, take it.” Beyond the odium for the Devil, Solarin was merely hammering on the need for scholarships and more scholarships for Nigerians! As far as Solarin was concerned scholarship was

Late Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe

sacrosanct and very, very desirable, its source notwithstanding. There are sectors and there are sectors demanding attention of the government for funding, but education stands alone. It is peerless in purpose and indispensability. Every government on earth is supposed to give a larger chunk of its annual budget to education. The world's best practice in this regard is 26 per cent as recommended by United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). And according to African Union and United Nations' charters, every child has a right to basic (primary) education. In some countries of the world, including some states in Nigeria, secondary education is free while tertiary education is open to only those qualified and can afford it. But some of the best brains –children of the poor– may not afford university education, and how relieved they can feel to find a lee-way in scholarships that are absolutely based on merit! That was widely practised in Nigeria in the past. All of a sudden or inexplicably this good aspect of our national life disappeared. Accusing fingers had been pointed to military interregnum and after blames upon blames, nothing much had been done for redirection. You did not need to know someone then at the scholarship boards before you could be listed for scholarship. Nobody was bribed to dole out scholarships to any person. Those qualified through their distinctions in general examinations like West African School Certificate Examination or Higher School Certification Examination or GCE Advanced Level or other special tests were 'whisked' from their parents and taken care of by the three tiers of government, corporate organizations and foreign institutions. Western Region then under the leadership of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who did not enjoy scholarship himself, glorified scholarships more than in any other region in Nigeria. After the national examination qualification, Western Region still organized their special examination for scholarship. “It was perfectly seen to be based on merit. That examination meant so much to me. Even though I had a Federal Government scholarship, I so much adored the Western region scholarship. I was happy to prepare for the examination and my joy knew no bounds when I eventually got it. I felt fulfilled,” Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe related. Prof. Ibidapo-Obe was an alumnus of the University of Lagos and later became J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 5 1

Cover the Vice-Chancellor of the university between 2000 and 2007. Scholarships were won on a platter of gold for only those qualified, based solely on merit. What a beautiful platform then! The absence of merit based scholarships as government's spoken or unspoken policy, is very worrisome to some oldies, who are not in positions of power to bring about the old order, hence SPUR magazine is asking and finding answers to the thematic question: Scholarships: Do they still exist? This question may have just one answer: “No,” as far as the youth are concerned. They might have heard about the Federal scholarship and state scholarship boards, but they might not have seen someone who got a scholarship from these boards. Most of these young ones also get put off by the corruption and bureaucracy at those boards when they try to apply. The boards exist without much meaning to the younger generation of Nigerians. The lull in the award of scholarships by governments has therefore put the shine, sort of, on MTN, Glo, Chevron, Mobil and countless corporate organizations' scholarships. Without knowing the true history of scholarships in Nigeria, children born in the 80's, 90's and 21st century may not really be interested in scholarships any longer. However, those that were in the secondary schools in the 50's, 60's and 70's and many, who got scholarships to study in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad, can say almost unanimously and without equivocation that the days of real scholarships are gone. Whenever scholarship is the topic in public discussion, these people feel nostalgic about the openness, ease, merit and multiplicity of scholarships in the past; and they can assert any time you talk with them that the time of scholarships belongs only to the past. “The euphoria of scholarships have already evaporated in Nigeria,” they are all seemingly saying. So, history actually reveals that scholarships in the past were too pervasive, palpable and pragmatic; scholarships were so gripping generally all around Nigeria to be ignored or go unnoticed. Then Nigeria was poorer, but more honest and organized as regards scholarship awards to deserving youth. Now with petro-dollars that run into trillions of naira, the scholarships are seemingly no more. Something is really wrong; something is amiss. Without the backing of data one cannot say for sure whether the same percentage of those who got scholarships in the past are still getting 5 2 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

scholarships today. However, from the responses to our question on the real existence of scholarship today, it is regretted that with our explosive population now scholarships are no more as they used to be. Nigeria SPUR magazine spoke to some awardees of scholarships in the past and all of them are not happy about the dearth or near-death of scholarships in our national life. Is there hope that the old order can be restored? Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe says yes on some conditions. On June 9, 2012, at an exclusive interview at his Lagos residence, he said (as a recipient of many scholarships) “it is absolutely disheartening that Nigeria now in a richer state and run by many who were elevated through scholarships, can no longer give scholarships to her deserving children. (See his opinion on page 54). He observed that the structures for scholarships are still there, but absolutely with no sense of direction or organization and transparency. Nath Abara, a distinguished banker, who enjoyed two scholarships in the secondary school, local council and Federal Government scholarships during his first degree course in Nigeria and Master's in Britain, aptly asked at a public forum he organized with Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa on how to provide access to fund for financing students: “Where now are the scholarships?” With a plain hearted depth of nostalgia, he related how the poor citizens grabbed opportunities for further education through scholarships in the past. Mr. Abara regretted that “our society has gone down as regards the offer of scholarships. Your circumstance and means should not deny you tertiary education. In the past scholarships did not allow that to happen. Availability of scholarships was inspiring and spurring. Scholarships made many children of the poor to work hard and excel in academics.” His partner, Ohuabunwa, also had a similar experience. Ohuabunwa is very much concerned about revolutionizing education through funding to make things easier for those who want tertiary education. Access to fund, he said, will make studying more comfortable as regards feeding, clothing, social life and other necessities of life. “Studying at tertiary institution should not be a sentence to hardships,” he said. Scholarships in the past made things easy for the students, he said and asked: “Where are the scholarships from local governments, state governments, Federal Government and corporate organizations?”

He even remembered how “students' loans” were available and never repaid. (Read more about this on page 53) Femi Falana, also spoke at this public forum. He was forthright as usual and appealed to the governments to bring back scholarships to Nigerian students and to do so with honesty and transparency. (His full story is on page 53) Falana, human rights defender and legal luminary in Nigeria, pointing to corruption and lack of transparency in the award of scholarships at the federal level,, narrated the story of Cuban scholarships given to the children of the rich selected as against competition and winning through merit. The awardees of those scholarship eventually got to Havana and had much money to play with as their well to do parents kept spoiling them with more money than they actually needed, thereby financing their propensity to reckless, boisterous, loud and debauched lives, all to the chagrin of their native counterparts who were very quiet and naturally very modest. The Cuban government, he said, rounded off the hooligan students and deported them to Nigeria, insisting, “we don't want this kind of students. Please, give us the children of the poor.” It was obvious to the Cuban authorities that those students were definitely not properly chosen and that the real deserving brilliant students (children/wards) of the poor were ostensibly abandoned. The representative of the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Richard Ofuro, also drew attention to the revolution going on in that state as regards free education and scholarship awards. Femi Falana also confirmed the story of Rivers State's positive drive in education and recommended the model to other states in the country. (See story on page 53) With the fore-going, all is not well with scholarship schemes as operated by the government (federal and state) As pointed out, scholarship can return as practised in the past and operate more fully for the benefit of teeming Nigerian youth who definitely will be the ones to man all aspects of Nigeria's industrial and economic development. Meanwhile, the following scholarship schemes are available for Nigerians: Federal and state governments’ scholarship award schemes, American University of Nigeria 2012 scholarship for Nigerian students, and British-America Tobacco of Nigeria, BATN. Others are: Etisalat Nigeria, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Glo and other international organizations.

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Scholarships can return to Nigeria –Sam Ohuabunwa

azi Sam Ohuabunwa has a foundation for supporting students financially. He is not doling out scholarships yet, but he wants every stakeholder in education to find out a workable modality for giving scholarships to Nigerian students again. On June 7, 2012, he held a conference to search for the modality for scholarship to return to Nigeria: I have an NGO for empowering people. To empower humans, education is central… My focus is on how to help the country to achieve its vision. We now have a vision 20-20-20. The question is: How do we get there?Central to that is the human capital; and that is why education becomes very central. You may have gold, calcium, diamond, oil, gas; all those things come to nothing without human capital. We need human capital to transform them to something. And that is why I believe that I can support my country in realizing its objectives. Educational system in Nigeria is crying for need. We agree that much more ought to have been done than it's being done now. For some time the government abandoned education, so it deteriorated. Though there is an effort being made to re-invest in education, the effort is falling

Mazi Ohuabunwa behind need. And we feel that if it continues like this we can never get to 2020-20. I think that much more work is required, much more investment is required and that is why we are talking

about funding. Funding is very critical in achieving the kind of educational system that we want. Scholarships can return to Nigeria. It ought to have returned… In the 60's and 70's when scholarships took the centre stage, how much money did Nigeria have then? And yet we were able to offer those scholarships. Now, we have a lot more money. There is no reason scholarships should not return, even if we maintain the same percentage of population. If in the past, 10 per cent had it, we can still target 10 of our present population. For now we don't have one per cent. Let us even start from one per cent and progress. More people should have access to scholarships. That is why we are holding the conference on access to International Student Finance. We hope to do another one early next year.

Bring Back The Scholarships, Femi Falana prays!

agos lawyer Barr. Femi Falana, who was one of the lead speakers at the conference expressed the above statement and cited the child right act 2003 and article 17 of the African charter on human and peoples' right as the crux of his speech. He said in accordance with the law every African child is entitled to education at the expense of the state. He laid emphasis on the fact that the first nine years of every Nigerian child in school must be paid for by the Nigeria state. he asked rhetorically, “why do we have children on the streets, while they are supposed to be in school? “In the days of our fathers' scholarship award was a common thing and were usually gotten without hassle. During this period the cases of drop-outs among students as it is now due to financial constraints, were usually minimal. These days, it appears as if all those scholarships awards have faded away while throngs of under-privileged students bid education farewell because they cannot afford it. This appalling situation created a huge vacuum in our education sector, a condition Femi Falana major stakeholder declared unacceptable. “Those who have benefitted from scholarships as well as well public spirited people should give back to the society. Most of our current league of leaders enjoyed the best of education and

scholarship in Nigeria; they should reciprocate the gesture, so that others can benefit from them. Good education is the thrust of national development; perhaps, unarguably the best way out of poverty. The latest statistics on poverty released by the government shows that states with high education have the lowest rate of poverty. “The Federal government should actually bring back the scholarships of those days and must follow due process and transparency in awarding the scholarships. There is this story of lack of transparency that backfired in the award of scholarships. Cuba offered scholarships to Nigerian students; instead of selecting the awardees appropriately, the rich and powerful cornered the slots to their children and wards, given without reference to due process. The awardees of those scholarship eventually got to Havana and had much money to play with as their well to do parents kept spoiling them with more money than they actually needed and thereby financing their propensity to reckless, boisterous, loud and debauched lives, all to the chagrin of their native counterparts who were very quiet and naturally very modest. “The Cuban government, he said, rounded off the hooligan students and deported them to Nigeria, insisting, “we don't want this kind of students. Please, give us the children of the poor.” It was J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 5 3

Cover obvious to the Cuban authorities that those students were definitely not properly chosen and that the real deserving brilliant students were children/wards of the poor. “So, we need the scholarships back and only the best and the brightest should get them based on merit and transparency.” “Something is happening in Rivers State which was once at the bottom of states’ academic development in Nigeria. Without much praise-singing of the best school development in Rivers State, there is free education at primary and secondary school level. Free books, uniforms, bags and sandals are given to pupils and students.

“Rivers State is the only state that has invested massively in education. Their primary and secondary schools are comparable to any in Europe and America. “I commend the Rivers State Government for their landmark in education in the state. Rivers State is now a model for all other states. I was not just told about what is happening in Rivers State. I visited the state on my own without the knowledge of the state government. I saw things for myself. I commend the state and I am beckoning on other states to emulate Rivers in order to further expand the frontiers of literacy in Nigeria.”

We were begged with scholarships - Ibidapo-Obe

cholarships: Do they still exist? What's your opinion? Nigeria SPUR asked the erudite scholar who was a recipient of many scholarships while studying at the University of Lagos and later went to Canada on Commonwealth scholarship. Excerpts: Sometimes that makes me so unhappy about this country; there is the Federal Scholarship Board which still very much exists in Abuja, but we don't see the output. We see that things are done in a hurry, hurry manner. There is absolutely no need for that. The scholarship that I used at the University of Lagos as an undergraduate was a Western Region scholar ship, it was highly competitive. You wrote the examination and if you met the criteria they would give it to you. Because of the rigours passed through for a Western Region scholarship I preferred it to the Federal scholarship which I also had. It had more prestige to be a Western Region scholar than to be Federal Government scholar. Maybe because Western Region had little to give that they ensured they gave the right persons. There was not a whiff of rumour that it was a case of man know man. People took time to prepare for the Western Region scholarship but in the case of the Federal Government scholarship you just filled the form; you didn’t do an examination as was the case with the region. I get passionate about Nigeria because of what we had enjoyed in Nigeria in the past. Then it was not just possible that because you know Mr. A, therefore, you got scholarship; it was not possible then. It will interest you to know that all these processes were taking place in Ibadan, not in Lagos or Abuja. People, who did not make it would look up to people who made it with respect. Scholarships were all over the place; companies would come to beg you with scholarship, but you have to pick the most 5 4 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe prestigious of them. Teachers were given scholarships just to do education related courses and that was why you have the set of brilliant Nigerians in education. So we need to create a competitive system to get the best out of it. I'm sure there are scholarships now, even as ViceChancellor at University of Lagos you will be told scholarship is coming, we would advertise, collate the forms and would take them to Abuja; as a matter of fact, we tried to create the competition then. The one I can talk about quite well is the Exxon-Mobil scholarship. I saw that as an opportunity for the university to compete and we started from 2000, 2001, but virtually not having more than a sprinkle of students getting the scholarships; by the time we finished in 2007 majority of the scholarships were gotten by the students of University of Lagos because they were the best in terms of coming into the university. It has been organised by the Students' Affairs office in charge of scholarships. They had to mobilise the best students so that they could apply for the scholarships, fill the forms properly and submit the forms at appropriate time. Some of the difficulties we have are more of synergising, ability to organise and have a focused way of getting things done. I see those things we enjoyed gradually taping off, dying as it were; it's quite painful. Maybe, if I didn't go to university in Nigeria

and I didn't see how these things were done during our time, may be, I would not have felt so badly. Most of our current leaders got the best education in Nigeria via scholarship in their time, why is it that these set of people are not enhancing the scholarship scheme like the founding fathers did for them? You are right! It is a shame that those who had benefitted from scholarships from public fund when it was even much harder to get the funds are not promoting scholarship schemes now. Even the Commonwealth scholarship that I enjoyed was because Nigeria is a member of Commonwealth nations and had paid subscriptions to it. That was not money from oil and gas; it was money from cocoa, kola-nut, palm oil; agriculture basically, a hard way of making money as it was then in Nigeria. We have a responsibility to put things back to what they were in the past; but firstly how are these opportunities created? People say we got a dislocation from the military interregnum whereby people who were making decision did not even know the processes involved. A military man would just put any man there; there was no history, Nigerians seemed to forget history very quickly in various institutions. People are not given the opportunity to be their best. I mean if you have a scholarship and no one even recognized that you had a scholarship, nobody cares or bothers if you have a scholarship. What the people running the show are after is probably to take over the place and make money for themselves and stuff like that; in such a situation what do you do? You keep away, you are not invited; you are not wanted. There is a need for reorientation. As a matter of fact, I think that is the beauty of democracy, within a democratic set up, we will start asking ourselves questions about how to make things work again in Nigeria as regards scholarships.

Event

IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY's FESTIVAL OF CULTURE By Patience Omeruo

rior to the colonial administration, Nigeria's rich culture was evident in the way of life that existed at that time, although the tribes existed in isolation. With over 250 tribes and culture, Nigeria indeed has a rich cultural heritage. However, the colonial era introduced civilization which made it a necessity for Nigerians to learn the western language – English. In the process of learning the language Nigerians began assimilating the western culture. This assimilation process birthed a generation of Nigerians who hardly communicate in their local dialects or wear traditional attires; thus the rich culture of Nigeria began fading away. Igbinedion University, Okada in a bid to revive and sustain Nigeria's cultural heritage among the youth for the second year running held a 'Festival of culture' for students in the university to enable them display their unique cultures in songs and dance. The competitive event, which formed part of the line-up of events to celebrate the university's anniversary, took place this year in May, 2012 at the Crown Estate campus of the university.

This year's Festival of Culture featured six of the students' association in the university. They were the Delta State Students Association, Ondo State Students Association, Arewa Students Association, Igbo Students Association, Ijaw Students Association and Osun State Students Association. The students were colourfully dressed in their native attires, dancing and singing in their various dialects. They thrilled the audience with their cultural displays and at the end of the competition, the Osun State Students Association emerged winner; they went home with a cash prize and a trophy while Ijaw Students Association and the Igbo Students Association took second and third place respectively and received cash prizes. The president of the Osun State Students Association, Olabisi Afeez, speaking with Nigeria SPUR on their victory, said: “It is not a surprise that we won because people know that Osun has a very rich cultural heritage. We exhibited the display of Sango, one of the fore-fathers of the old Oyo State from where Osun State was created in 1991.” At the end of the festival the students went on to have fun as they danced to contemporary Nigerian songs. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 5 5

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ATTENTION! Corporate Players In Insurance Industry! Are you a reputable Insurance Company with innovative products and services? Are your Insurance Policies education friendly? Are your products and services beneficial to the Nigerian youth and other stakeholders in the education sector? If you subscribe to the above highlights, then we invite you to be among insurance companies with education friendly products and services due for publication in Nigeria SPUR in July/August, 2012 edition. The special focus promises to be very enriching for stakeholders in the education sector to make informed decisions. Call Dele -08139001539; Stephanie 08077777891. 5 8 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

spur

fem nine Are you wearing the wrong bandeau size? By Omolola Ojo

f you find the word ‘bandeau’ quizzical, let me quickly inform you that it’s all about ‘bras’. I am certain this subject would tickle the fancy of the male folk for obvious reasons but this is feminine business – our privacy, hence courtesy demands the guys flip over to sections on politics or technology. Possibly, my publisher would consider a sport section as compensation. Now, girlfriend, it is about that piece of linen garment, an essential item in a lady’s closet often taken for granted. This core lingerie traceable to a patent awarded to a man, Luman L. Chapman, in February 15, 1853 today reinforces our confidence, keeps us smart and take years off our looks when properly fitted. In this edition, we would look at essential tips on how to spot if our bra fits properly or not, for example, bras not staying in place or having a small cup, which causes what I call 'double boob' when you're spilling over the top. Although some mothers and guardians are quite helpful, the ‘burden’ of getting the right fitting size is still ours. When I was in my teens I just guessed my size and bought bras that seemed okay. Finally, when I was in my 20’s I had a proper bra fitting and I found out my correct size. Some have argued that the average bra size in Nigeria has been on the rise for some time. Whatever the true average is, one thing is sure - the size of the back band is smaller and size of the cup bigger than in previous generations. It may be due to a combination of reasons such as better nutrition, more people getting accurate fittings and humorously, improved engineering of bras. Average size or not, a good bra is about a really good fit, giving excellent and comfortable support.

wrong—your bra is too big, says an online source. Wearing the bra lower on your back with a smaller band size will completely eliminate the back fat. * If your strap falls down, that means your bra band is riding up and you probably need to go down a band size. Proper Positioning After getting the size right, there’s the physics to placing and positioning for load balancing like in a cantilever. According to expert opinion, the perfect position for your breasts is midway between your shoulders and your elbows. And your bra should be level front to back. The idea is this, “keep the back lean and small so as to lift the bust.” The bra band is like a bridge - if it's properly planted at the base, it can lift.” Maintenance Just like cars you’ll need to make your purchases with maintainability at the back of your mind. My research findings suggest that, "When you buy a bra make sure it fits you on the loosest hook. That way you can tighten the bra to the second and third hook as the bra ages and retain the firmness and the lift.” Furthermore, in order for the bra to keep its shape and support, you should change bras throughout the week. Experts have suggested that a bra needs a day of rest. The Styles and Brands in your cart Bra manufacturers are as unrelenting as mobile phone makers. The list is endless. Allegro range of luxury bra includes Classical Rondo and Miracle Dream. Vanity Fair has Verity Pink Full Cup with double-lined back wings and a silky, soft fabric that provides superior support and comfort. Gemm embroidered is quite popular with encapsulated bras. Goddess

Keira, Panache, F & F, Bonmarche, and Mademoiselle may interest you if you are on budget. Depending on where you shop Jasmine Bra by Pamela Joseph could cost up to N10, 000 each. Treasure Chest Lingerie lineup includes Amanda, Bronwyn, Denise, with Catherine Bra leading the pack at about N15, 000. Amoenia Mia is also in this category. Victoria’s Secret parades the world most expensive set of bras – from Black Diamond Fantasy at $5 million to Red Hot Fantasy at $15 million. Amazingly, they cost more while covering less! While it is not out of place to covet various range of designers, these styles and brands all look different on you; therefore, we should be more adventurous in our shopping. There is a need to always try new things once we’ve got the correct size sorted. An opinion poll by my friends showed that many have over 20 bras stashed in their underwear drawer. Even many mentioned they have a range of sizes.I prefer to have half the number of well-fitted, long-lasting, comfortable and lovely looking bras, rather than double the number that don't fit so well, or just don't give me as good a shape as the last one! Whatever number we keep is a very personal choice and it is pointless breaking a bank to own an arsenal loaded with all sorts, and I can bet Victoria's Secret range is not on Dame Patience’s wish list. Maybe you love keeping up with the trend. Maybe you like duplicates of a good one. It is good to try them on now and then ensure they are giving the best support. Whatever you choose to wear, you're likely to feel better in it if it fits and supports you well. Changing your bra could indeed change your life! Afterall, like we know, a good bra is supportive, comfortable, always lifts you up, never leaves you hanging and is always close to your heart.

Sizing Statistics have shown that eight out of 10 women wear the wrong size of bra! Bulges under clothes at the back, parts of the bra cutting into your skin, marks around your torso or your shoulders when you take off your bra are all signs of an ill-fitted bra. The following tips provide guidance on getting your sizing right: * If your cups runneth over, it's time to go up a cup size. * If your cups dimple, it's time to go down a cup size. * If you have the dreaded back fat, you probably think your bra is too tight, but you're J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 5 9

Evening Gown The Perfect Outfit For A Dinner Date By Patience Omeruo

ou have been thinking, when is he ever going to ask me out and he does finally, then you are faced with the dilemma of the appropriate attire; you need not worry as the evening gown comes to your rescue. Evening gowns are outfits worn to formal occasions such as dinner dates, weddings, award night, and red carpet events. Originally, evening gowns were loose flowing gowns made from luxury materials of the finest fabrics; Today just as fashion has evolved so also has the styles of evening gowns. An evening gown is particularly distinguished from other conventional wears by the fabric and design. They are made from fine fabrics such as velvet, French lace, chiffon, silk, taffeta and even our own Ankara fabric. Evening gowns are made in a variety of styles among which are: Sheath: A fitted gown made to fit the 6 0 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

body of the person. Trumpet/Mermaid: This is a gown that has the shape of a mermaid, the gown is fitted to the hips, while from the knee to the feet is designed to look like a mermaid's tail or a trumpet. A-line: Just as the name suggests is Ashaped, tight at the waist level and spreads out at the bottom, like a bell. Empire: Here the waistline comes under the bust and from there downwards is straight and loose. Dropped waist: This type of gowns, the waist line starts from the hips and not the waist as is expected and can be flared or fitted. All of these styles can come in either halter neck, sleeveless, strapless, mono strapped or with spaghetti straps and could be long, knee length or short. When it comes to choosing an evening gown to buy or make, things you should consider include first the occasion- how formal is it? The appropriate thing would be the more

formal the occasion, the longer the dress and simpler the style. Secondly, the fabric and colour- choose a fabric you are more comfortable with and a colour that blends with your skin tone. Light complexioned people should go for dark or cool colours such as black, olive green, while dark complexioned people should wear bright coloured dresses. The third thing to consider is style; pick a style that accentuates your beauty and curves and hides all your 'flaws'. If you have got beautiful skin and legs, by all means flaunt it but PLEASE don't torture us with hairy, 'tooth-pick' legs. Most importantly buy a dress within your budget, there is no need to spend so much on a dress when your rent will be due in a few weeks. Having picked up the right outfit to suit you, accessorize with the right set of jewelries (of course nothing too heavy), pay attention to your hair, makeup and do not forget a matching purse and pair of shoes. Above all wear the confidence and attitude that would make him ask you out on another date.

Relationship By Dora Ndidi

emi had started out with Ben as undergraduates in one of the universities and fortunately for them, they ended up being posted to the same local government during their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. This was the second year in to their relationship; he was a gentleman who had courtesy in excess. He showed so much attention she couldn't help admiring him. He walked her home from work every day and waited by her front porch to see her walk into her house. He was there always to pick her to work in the morning. He never missed a day, always calling, pinging and sending expensive gifts. He was in time for everything; so punctual and perfect. At first Kemi thought he was trying to help her become a better person. He would say she was too timid and wasn't putting in enough at work, or that she didn't have the composure of a mature lady. But she soon realized that he always bantered how she wasn't doing this enough, or that enough. This was not about making Kemi a better person, she realized. It was a complete unacceptance of who she was. For all it was worth she was not going to go on this way. Ben grew up with parents who loved him. He clearly didn't understand what being adopted into a family too busy to care was like. He would tell her how she wasn't as smart as other ladies in the office and how she was always too afraid of doing anything because of the fear of failure. The thing was that Kemi knew she had those challenges but for someone to rub it in her face that she was far from perfection was something she couldn't handle. If he really loved her, he would be more interested in helping, not hounding her. Kemi had tried all she could to win Ben's approval. Nothing she did was good enough no matter how hard she tried. The response was always the same, 'You should have done it the other way.' Kemi realized that with Ben, there was no end to her trying to be perfect. Even if he was God himself, she was better off without him. She couldn't put up with Ben any longer. The Break up For the first time in two years, Kemi felt like she just began to breathe again. All along she had hoped that Ben would love her for who she was and she was willing to be better. In spite of pressure from home and office. But he didn't, and it was time for her to be strong; time enough to save herself from needless hurt. When Kemi met Sam one year later in her new office she was skeptical. At first, she hadn't even noticed the soloist in her church. Not that she was a regular member. Fortnightly was good enough. After all what does God need a flawed person like her for? In spite of her being a top shot in her office, and being a celebrity magazine's most prized writer, she couldn't think past that nagging feeling- she wasn't good enough. After all, why would her foster parents not think much of her? Sam's confidence made him seem a head taller than the other guys around. It wasn't long before Kemi herself noticed and when he picked her from the crowd to come out to lead the closing hymn one evening, she felt her knees buckle. How could he? Well, he noticed her queasiness and spoke up. Not to worry, you just help me out. I will lead. Of course, she had to come out but there was nothing to worry about, after all, he led the hymn, her voice barely coming out from under. Sam's invitation that evening would mark a turning point in Kemi's life. They became friends and one could tell that Sam was really caring. She put up her walls, determined that no one would

‘He wanted perfection from me’ make her feel stupid anymore. She was always so defensive and Sam would notice that she always tried hard to do things to win approval. He told her one day, ”please, do me a favour. Stop trying. You whittle yourself to fit into everyone's expectation.” Other times he did say to her that God's love does not look out for perfect people, instead, it loves imperfect people into perfection. You can't earn love, just accept it. He told her once, ”you are important even when you don't think you are.” It was all so contrary because she remembered that Ben used to say to her, “you are as important as you think you are.” If what Sam said was anything to go by, she was really important to God and maybe him. Slowly, Kemi's facade and her timidity began to give way to a peaceful, glowing beauty. With Sam's help, she found her way to God, knowing that the love Sam told her was real. It was the force behind his confidence, the strength behind his composure. Love made all the difference. It wasn't hard to tell too that Sam had fallen in love with her. He had believed in her when no one else did, but it wasn't just that now. There was a sparkle in his eyes when he was around her, he didn't have with any other girl. And she knew. So everything he said over dinner on Saturday night didn't really surprise her. But it didn't mean it didn't overwhelm her all the same. When I chose to make you see how special a person you are, I knew there was a lot of beauty inside of you, but I didn't imagine also that this beautiful gift was what God had been keeping for me. ”Kemi, will you marry me?” What could she say to someone who had shown her a different kind of love than she had known before? A love that saw her promise beneath her pain, a love that reached out to her in spite of her imperfection! J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 6 1

Nigeria SPUR Magazine Competition THE WINNING ESSAY

Social Media & Students: Friend or Foe?

ocial media include webbased and mobile technologies which are u s e d t o t u r n communication into dialogue among By Richard Oti organizations, communities and individuals. Simply put, social media is the platform that allows a relationship between a network of people. Thanks to the invention of social media, young men and women in Nigeria now exchange ideas, feelings, personal information, pictures and videos at an astonishing rate. A rating done by Alexa global traffic rank provides the top five social networks in the world. They are; Facebook (750 million users), Twitter (250 million users), LinkedIn (110 million users), MySpace (70 million 500 thousand users), Google Plus+ (65 million users). The most commonly used of these networks by Nigerian students are Facebook and Twitter. We also have other social media applications like 2go, black berry messenger and what’s app which are quite popular in this part of the world. According to statistics from socialbaker.com, Nigeria currently has about 4 630 560 Facebook users in the country. Of this number, 1 667 002 are people between the age group of 18 – 24, 251 528 are people between the age group of 16 – 17 and 92 611 are people between the age group of 12 – 15. This shows that almost half of the Facebook users in Nigeria are students, all other things being equal. On one hand, the positive aspect of social media is that students can utilize it for academic assistance and support. Due to the ability of social media to enhance connections by making them easily accessible, social media can yield many benefits for students, including providing a virtual space for them to explore their interests or problems with similar individuals, find academic support, while also developing their online communication skills and broadening their scope of knowledge. Students who may be reluctant to speak up in class are 6 2 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

actively participating in social media discussion groups and find it easier to express themselves there. Social media provides students another platform to make friends from all over the world and many seize this opportunity effectively. Yes, there are many laudable benefits of social media to students, likewise many negative impacts too. Everyday, many students spend countless hours immersed in social media. One major reason they do so is because social media allows you to take up any personality you want. You can say what you want, be who you want and even go as far as having m u l t i p l e personalities, making It is easier to make a lot more friends than you easily would. This has made a lot of students find solace in one, two or more social media platforms. Most students spend more time communicating this way than they do communicating with real people. This has been proven to have a negative effect on behavioural skills. Many students can effectively communicate via these networks, but can’t do so without them. There’s also a downward trend in the written English of Nigerian students, both at the secondary and university levels. The social media is largely to blame for this. The last National Examination Council (NECO) result shows that 87% of the candidates failed English Language. Many unconsciously used and now use social networking languages to write their examinations and test. Using the social media languages makes communicating easier and faster, but at an expense to many students. Procrastination is commonly defined as one saying they would do tomorrow what they said yesterday they were going to do today. Most students are addicted to social media and as such, they keep procrastinating more important things

that they should do, such as reading and even doing their home work. I dare say some students are addicted to the point where they might experience some emotional withdrawal symptoms if their phones are taken from them and they cannot access one of their favorite social media sites for just a day. Also, its common for many students to be seen accessing their Facebook page, pinging or chatting on 2go while lectures are going on, while reading and also while doing their assignments. It’s a known fact that it is absolutely impossible to do two things at the same time with an equal a m o u n t o f concentration. The social media always tend to have the upper hand most times on the concentration scale. The resultant effect is the poor academic performance of a lot of students. A study released by Ohio State University reveals that University students who utilize Facebook and other popular social media applications spend less time on studying and have lower grades than those who do not. Despite the negatives, we need to keep in mind that interactive technology when used in a positive way can be an extraordinary tool. As many say, money is not good or bad, it can be either, depending on whose hands it finds itself. The same applies to social media. It can be a friend or foe, depending on how you choose to manage it. Mr. Richard Oti is a NYSC worker.

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Are You Studying The Right Way? The Date With Courage

‘You Can Make Something Out Of Your Life’

Vanessa Ideh

Feature

Are you studying the right way? You can do anything that anyone can do, only you can do it better ÂŻ Dr Ben Carson. By Patience Omeruo

xcelling in school is the desire of every good student hence the need to brace up and study hard. However, despite studying hard, some students still end up with low grades; this could be attributed to bad study habits. It is not enough to study hard, in fact, you may not even need to study hard, what is most important is for you to maximize the available time and study right. Achieving success is therefore dependent on your study habits. How do you study? 1. Know thy self: This is very important and the first step if you are ever going to excel in your academics. Understanding oneself is very important when deciding on a study pattern. Are you one that study for hours at a stretch or in bits? Do you study in a very quiet environment or not? Do you have to read through a subject twice or more before you grasp it? These are just a few of questions you need to ask yourself before you start; this would help you identify with a unique style of studying that will suit you. The truth is if you follow a friend's pattern, probably this friend can study anywhere and then he is studying on the playground and you can only study in a quiet place like a library; both of you have your books in front of you but he understands what he is studying while you are only wasting your time. 2. Have a regular time and place for study: 6 4 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Irrespective of whatever study style you adopt, have a regular time and a place for study. This will help you be consistent as your brain already registers it such that once you are at that location at that time, your brain switches to 'study mode,' making it easier for you to understand what you are studying. This technique is especially effective if you find it difficult to study. 3. Study each day: Many have testified to the fact that studying each day is a vital ingredient of success. Imagine what would happen if you studied only once a week, you would probably have forgotten what you studied the last time; you have to start all over again wasting precious time that should have been used to cover more grounds. Therefore, study each day, even if it is only for a short while. 4. Stay ahead in class: In most, if not all schools, a scheme of work is usually given at the beginning of the term; most likely, the student has an idea of what would be taught in class during a particular subject period. Read ahead of your teacher, the advantage of doing this is that while your class-mates would probably be learning about the subject for the first time, you already have a pre-knowledge of the subject topic and you can ask questions on the difficult parts you encountered there in class, that is if you still do not understand it after you have been taught by your teacher. 5. Avoid cram work: Never indulge in cram

work. A couple of students brag about cramming to pass their examinations. The bad side about cram work is a that it only produces negative outcome which is a lose-lose situation. You could go into the hall and forget what you have crammed or you may pass your examinations and then few weeks after, you don't recall a thing. Such people may end up graduating from school but with not much knowledge. 6. Attend class regularly: No matter the study technique, you have to attend classes regularly and update your notes. First, it puts you in the good books of your teachers and authorities in the school, portraying you as a disciplined student and most importantly, it affords you the opportunity to listen to your teachers and ask questions as opposed to one who has to 'get it' from a third party. 7. Have a study pattern: Studying is an individual thing and methods vary; what works for one may not work for another. Choose a style that works for you and STICK to it. Remember the popular saying that 'what you do for 30 consecutive days becomes a habit.' The reason some students excel while others do not is not because the successful ones are more intelligent; far from it! The excelling students have simply understood themselves and formulated a reading pattern to help them study right and this of course, transforms into high grades.

Short Story

The Date With Courage By Oluwakemi Amusan Note: Human qualities are personalified for their desirabilities and necessary refinement. I didn't quite get it. Why would someone as strong and desirable as Courage ask to take me on a picnic to the Special Land of Pleasure? I mean there were girls like Melody, with the sweet voice; Graceful, with the cat walk; Fun, with the zest for life; who would easily be compatible with him, and would flow with his kind of people. I was just Timid, the girl with the feeble knees, weak eyes, thin arms, and tiny legs. I didn't have Beauty's sweet smile, nor did I have Virtue's strong arms. But I went with Courage all the same. I was too stupefied to know that he liked me in spite of my many shortcomings to think of any other response but a 'yes'. And Courage did take me to places. But he did not take me through the easy path that leads to The Special Land of Pleasure. Rather, we went along tight ropes of pain, across the mighty ocean of despair; he took me through tunnels of doubt, and rocky paths of challenges. My feet were sore, and my legs ached from climbing up hills of hopelessness, and walking through valleys of self pity. After that, we began treading the unfamiliar paths of uncertainty. I regretted that I agreed to go with Courage, and was even more vexed when I realized that the content of the picnic basket was not real food, but faith, perseverance, grace, determination and passion. Amazingly though, what he fed me at each point on our journey was just exactly what I needed. However, very far from what I wanted. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, and we had already gone up and down more ravines of mistakes, across little streams of being humbled, up another hill of putting in more effort, and over logs that lay across the absolutely unpredictable stream of waiting; we finally got to our destination. Seated on a mat at the picnic spot, were two other couples: Romance and Fun; Beauty and Excitement. They were friends of Courage, who never seemed to notice me. But to my surprise, as we approached the mat, Courage's arms supporting my tired back, Beauty said, Timid, “is that you? You look so different. You've got a twinkle in your eye, and oh, my gosh, whatever you did to get rid of that pale skin of yours must be so powerful.” Looking at Courage, she continued, “Courage, which path did you come through? We searched for you, everywhere on The Easy Path, but didn't find you. Really Courage, that Easy Path was boring without you.” The others nodded in agreement at that. “Well,” Courage replied, helping us both to our seats, “Timid and

Miss Timid I came in through the paths of Trouble.” And may I ask, “why?” Excitement inquired. “What Timid needed was to go through some excitement, surprises, and you know, just get out of her comfort zone.” “Wow, Courage, you are so amazing. Timid doesn't look like Timid anymore, I think she should be called Daring henceforth.” “ Yes, it is true. I kind of envy her. Her beauty has become more intense than mine. A far cry from the weak eyes, pale skin, ugly face, and crooked walk she used to have,” Beauty said, examining my newly acquired strong limbs from climbing the mountains. “And look at all these beautiful things they picked from their walk through Trouble Land,” Romance showed each of our souvenirs to the others, while Courage and I, ate delight out of the picnic tray.”Isn't that the most exotic flower I have ever seen? And look at that goldfish. Jeez, these gemstones are so incredible,” Fun was saying, in utter admiration at the things Courage and I had got from Trouble Land. It was funny how we were enjoying all the delight and pleasure, and they all were gazing at us in amazement. “Fun and Beauty, what do you say? The three of us could go back home through the Land of Trouble, and have our pick of these lovely souvenirs,” Romance asked. “Yes, I agree,” Fun replied. “It would be .” As if going down memory lane, she continued, “You remember how we all were, before our first time in Trouble Land? Beauty was just another Plain Jane, I was Boring, and Romance was Stale.”I “Concur,” Beauty said, “but the Land of Trouble is so full of pains and challenges. My smooth skin is certainly going to get jagged and roughened, by the many thorns that line the path.” After a pause, she continued,

“in the end it is going to be worth it, I guess. I would really get to be stunning and not just beautiful. Besides, Courage would be with us all the way.” “You are right, Beauty. Courage makes the difference. I am afraid my idea of what is fun will be challenged, and my mind will be exposed to truths that may be too bitter to swallow at first. But tell you what! I'd give anything to dig deeper and go beyond my shallow way of thinking. And when that happens, I will not just be fun, I will be Intensely Exotic'. Fun ended, and we all giggled at that. Looking at Romance, and being more daring than ever, I asked Romance, “What do you look forward to achieving in the Land of Trouble?” And with all eyes on him, Romance spoke, “well for me, going through that dreadful Land of Trouble with Courage, will help me face the truth about myself and my friends, so I could learn new things and be more loving. Seriously, I would rather be called Romantic Love, than just Romance.” Then I surprised them all by offering what I hoped to achieve in Trouble Land, “I would love to experience things that would help me be Passionate. I thank you all for choosing to change my name from Timid to Daring, but I want more. I want to be called Passion. I know my back still aches from my not too far away walk through the valley of self-pity, hills of hopelessness, tight ropes of new things, swampy ground of the unfamiliar, but hey, I can't bear being ordinary or becoming stale again.” Everyone was silent after that. They probably felt I was being too ambitious. “That is really laudable, Timid, oh sorry, Daring,” Courage said, breaking the silence. “We all must strive to improve always. And to that effect,” he paused, fixing his dark eyes on all of us. I dared to look deeply, and saw something new, a new Courage. I saw a new Courage that didn't just want to do heroic acts for its sake. A Courage that stood for something very significant! So, I wasn't surprised when he finally announced that he wanted his name to be changed to Love. “Because,” he said, “I want to be able to go all the way for my friends, and help them be all they can be, without caring about who gets the glory, but doing all as if I were doing it for God.” We were dazzled. We all thought having Courage was enough. Now we realized that Love was more heroic in fierceness, more compassionate in giving, and more gentle, yet efficient in rebuking. Armed with our new resolve, we went through the Land of Trouble more purposeful than ever. And as usual, Excitement tagged along. This time, it was so much more; adversity spiced up with adventure was what we fed on, and drank the bitter water of truth, sweetened with friendly support in the cup of fantasy and a plate of life's harsh realities. It was worth it, as we all got what we wanted, and so much more, on this other date with Courage. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 6 5

Interview

Vanessa Ideh â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You Can Make Something Out Of Your Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

anessa Ideh is a student of Baylor University, Texas, USA. Intelligent, young and passionate about young people in Nigeria, she founded Prodigious Mind, an initiative aimed at bringing young wandering minds to a place of focus through public speaking; as such she takes out time every summer to give talks at schools, youth conferences and fora to young people. She reveals more about this initiative in this interview with PATIENCE OMERUO. What inspired the initiative 'Prodigious minds'? I like to know about things around me; what goes on in my country though I am not here at the moment, so I was doing some research with my Economics professor, Dr. Ssozi, who is the only African professor at Baylor University, brainstorming on how we can push Africa forward and we were doing this research on Nigeria and I found out that only 31 per cent of students who wrote the WAEC examination in 2011 passed with five credits. This means Nigeria will be in trouble if these ones cannot move from secondary school level to the higher institutions and then we would have higher a level of illiteracy. The reason being that they are distracted by a lot of things the society has to offer today and they don't seem to see the need for an education any more. You have a 16 year old saying, 'why do I have to go to the university when I can get involved with 'Yahoo,' or a girl whose life ambition is to marry a rich guy that would take her shopping. Where will Nigeria be in the next 20 years if we keep going like this? I thought about these things and decided that in my little way, I could enlighten people. 6 6 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

As a young person, they can relate to me and see me as a role model more easily because I fit in with them as I am on the same boat facing the same storms. When I talk to them, I feel like it will be easier for them to get inspired by my story, challenges, and the information I have. I am at a stage in my life where I am still acquiring information, but I am not selfish with it as I am willing to share with young people. What is the initiative all about? It is a student-led inspirational initiative that is aimed at bringing young wandering minds to a place of focus. It is aimed at fighting certain plagues such as negative peer pressure, alcohol, drug abuse, teen sex and academic nonchalance; although I have a broader vision for it. It is an African thing because Africa has so much potential. Young Africans are so intelligent and talented in America, they are the ones making waves. We have so much potential here in Africa, if only we realize the power we have. I want to talk to young people and make them realize that they are more than what they think they are. Irrespective of your background or what you have faced in life,

you can make something out of your life. What are some of the challenges you have faced as a teenager running this initiative? The students are the major challenge I face. It is much easier to walk into a board meeting and talk to them but when it comes to the students, keeping their attention, keeping them interested in what I have to say is an issue. The principals want what I want to offer their students but having them pick what I have to say has been my major challenge. You walk in there, the boys are saying, 'look at this fine girl' and the girls are like 'what is she feeling like?' They are not as mature as the older audience you talk to before you meet the students; those ones are eager to have you talk to their students but the young ones are not. Have you been able to surmount this challenge? I am still working on itâ&#x20AC;Ś Where do you see this initiative going in the future, say 10 years from now? I see it being part of the schooling system in Africa, probably a subject, because we can't just teach students Mathematics, English; we also need to teach them morals too. How have you been able to combine your academics and the initiative? Well, I plan my time well. It all starts and ends with time management. In school, I face my

Photography by Sunday Samson

Interview academics; during the semester, I study, doing my school work because truth be told, I have to keep my grades at a certain level to keep the scholarship. As It is, if I make straight C's, I will get kicked out. So I know I have to maintain good grades, as such I have to manage time. During my free time, I am not one to party or play around because I have the things I want to achieve at certain points in my life. So I don't watch television. Little holidays like last semester I had spring break for ten days and all my friends were going wild, you know, taking a break from all the school work but what was I doing with my time? I was sitting down and writing the speeches that I would give in Nigeria when I come back during summer. I plan such that for five days I’d write my speeches and five days I’d write my music as I am also a song writer. I am working on all those things within that time and school starts on Monday and I drop all of it and face school work. My summer started at the beginning of May, from May to June, I know in Nigeria, Internet fluctuates, so I stayed to do the work I had to do before coming back. But as soon as my summer is over, I am going back to school being a full time student. You are on a scholarship to Baylor university, how did you get this scholarship? It is the second largest scholarship my school offers. It is called the provost gold scholarship given to me by the provost of the school solely on merits. At D-Ivy College, I was the top of my class and I graduated as the best overall student, not just in academics but it included in character and then I went on to write my SATs and I did exceedingly well, plus the recommendation letters from my school. That was the criterion and they looked at everything and said, 'bring her.' I was barely 16 when I started. Right now, I’m 19. What does the scholarship entail? It covers a huge chunk of my tuition, but I have to maintain a particular grade to keep it. I cannot make below a B average and in my school Bs start from 80 per cent. How has the scholarship affected you? Well, having to keep my grades up. It has taught me a lot of things, like time management. I had to learn it. The average person doesn't really care about managing time but I have to because I know what I can lose. It has taught me discipline, time management, responsibility because I know that I can lose something if I don't keep up and it has also taught me that I can encourage other people. How did you become an A student? I can't tell my story without talking about the D-Ivy College, Mr. Oluwaleke Ilo, his mom and

mind-set. My ambition then changed from my Math teacher in the D-Ivy. I think if anyone dying to graduating from Harvard and being a has really impacted me academically in this very important person in Nigeria. All that I am life, it is Mr. Funmiluyi. Although it seems now doing are just baby steps to getting to where I like I am an intelligent individual. When I was want to be. Although God and life have their in JSS 1, I was meant to repeat but I told my roles to play, like I wanted to go to Harvard but mom that I didn't want to, so she took me to DI ended up in Baylor which is still prestigious. Ivy college and I wrote the exam and barely But then you play your role and God plays His. passed, but D-Ivy accepted me and said they But when you have no plan and your mind-set would see what they could do with this one. is messed up, that is when you have a problem. I was barely an average student studying to make a C at that point and then in SS 1 and 2, I became a poor student because I got As a female, has your gender in any way prevented you from accomplishing a set distracted by the things I talk to young ones goal? about today, beauty, fun, and boys. I would come to school late. I just wanted to be a ‘big My gender did not affect me back then in secondary school because the person at the girl’. In SS 2 I got this lesson teacher who was my Math teacher. He knew me as an average top of my class before I upstaged her was a female. She had been coming tops from JSS 1 student in class but because I was not doing so well in Math, I told my mum to employ him to to SSS3. I think it is common in Nigerian teach me after secondary schools. classes. When he got By the end of SS2 I was still an W h o a r e y o u r closer to me, he saw that there was more average student, but I wrote my mentors? to me and he said to IGCSE examinations first term M y m o m i s m y me, “Vanessa, why number one mentor SS3 and that was where my because she is the are you at the bottom of your class transformation started. And strongest woman I when you can know, for her to single before I knew it by the end of handedly raise me actually be at the top. Susan and those that and my siblings and SS3, I was at the top of my class. come tops don't still be able to run a know these things ministry and do very you are saying.” well despite losing her husband. She is indeed So he started teaching me and the strongest woman, I know. Ngozi Okonjoencouraging me, saying, I was intelligent. Iweala is also my mentor because when I Nobody had ever told me I was intelligent became ambitious, her resume is what I was before then because I had no result to show trying to imitate. She went to Harvard, then for it. He made sacrifices because he saw MIT and became vice president of World Bank potentials in me and he still does. He made me and then a minister in Nigeria. I don't know realize I was more intelligent than I thought. about her personal life but her career, I love it. And before I knew it I was top of the class in She studied Economics too. She is my role one year. By the end of SS2 I was still an model. There are some key things about her average student, but I wrote my IGCSE life that I have tapped into and I want to be like. examinations first term SS3 and that was where my transformation started. And before I Twenty years from now, where do you see knew it by the end of SS3, I was at the top of my yourself? class. First, I will be a mother and a wife and then I was also a poor student for so many probably be the president of World Bank. other reasons. I was struggling with depression because I lost my dad when I was What is your philosophy? 10, but people lose their parents and not With determination and sacrifice, anybody can everybody goes through what I went through. become somebody. I was very depressed to a point where I became suicidal. It got to a point where I Your advice to young people who want to attempted suicide, but it didn't work. I ended excel academically? up in the hospital and it was a lot of pain, that Determination and sacrifice is the key. Know was when I woke up and said, 'wait, I have been exactly what you want. Have short term goals chasing death and it has not occurred' and and long term goals, so you can hold on to that made me realise that I wasn't supposed to them and work towards them. When you have die, that just maybe there was something I was goals then you can be determined to achieve supposed to do here on earth. these goals, but that is not where it stops, you I think that was where my life changed have to make sacrifices. When your friends are and I started seeing things differently. After I partying you have to sit down and study and survived the suicide attempt, I went back to very important, pay attention to the God school in SS3 with a completely different factor. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 6 7

Spur Career

Microbiologist By Patience Omeruo

n this edition, our career choice is a microbiologist. A microbiologist is a scientist who studies microorganisms and their effects on other living organisms. Microorganism is an organism that is so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eyes. These organisms are responsible for all infectious diseases, as such a microbiologist has the job of studying the growth and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. To qualify as a microbiologist, like every other career, takes years of committed training. It starts with taking interest in Integrated Science, Mathematics and English language in Junior Secondary school and then in Senior Secondary School, Chemistry, Physics and Biology as you would need to have at least credits in five subjects at one sitting to include Mathematics, English and Chemistry to study Microbiology in the university. Universities in Nigeria offer Microbiology as a four year programme after which a graduate becomes a trained microbiologist. Most microbiology degree programmes teach general science and math courses during the first two years, while courses pertaining specifically to microbiology are taught during the last two years. Typical coursework includes subjects such as microbial genetics and cellular physiology, as well as pathogenic microbiology and organic chemistry. As a microbiologist, you could work in Medical, Biotechnology, or Environmental protection fields. After completing your Bachelor degree, you can further your studies to a Master's or Doctoral degree level as this would enable you to become a specialist in a particular field such as in environmental, food, agricultural, or industrial microbiology. During your post-graduate studies, you will learn how to design and execute laboratory experiments and share your findings with other researchers. Most schools also require you to research an original topic. A Master's or Doctoral degree typically leads to employment as a biochemist, bacteriologist, or immunologist. You can be employed by both private and governmental agencies and you can secure a lecturing or research job after you have gained sufficient work experience if this is something that you enjoy. You

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can also end up self-employed if you have the resources to set up your own laboratory. Upon completion of your formal education, you can go ahead to seek professional certification, this always gives you an edge in your career. Microbiologists play a very important role to human existence as they help prevent nations from being wiped out by diseases. The likes of Louis Pasteur, an accomplished microbiologist, who was famous for his work in cattle where he was able to prove that vaccines could protect against the deadly disease, anthrax and started the new field of medicine called immunology; Alice Catherine Evans ,whose work led to the identification of bacteria in fresh milk and improved the treatment of epidemic meningitis ; Edward Jenner who created the vaccine for smallpox and cowpox; Margaret Pittman who Identified the cause of whooping cough, which led to the development of an improved vaccine, are just a few of the microbiologists who have affected human existence. In Nigeria, we have Gabriel Adegoke, Professor of food safety and food microbiology in the University of Ibadan, who was on the mission team of the World Health Organization that introduced the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to Nigeria in 1996. Also, Igietseme Joseph, chief of molecular pathogenesis laboratory at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Atlanta. His research focus is basic and applied immunology and microbiology, infection and immunity and vaccinology, identification of correlates of protective immunity, elucidating the cellular, molecular and biochemical mechanisms of immunity and designing effective delivery system for vaccines against Chlamydia, herpes simplex viruses, neisseria gonorrhea and other microbial agents of sexually transmitted diseases. If you choose to become a microbiologist, then hard work with determination is very important; stay focused in school and in a few years from now, our nation will celebrate another genius in this field.

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FirstBank C Celebrates Nigerian Young Savers At Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Carnival

By Patience Omeruo

hildren are the future of every nation and this is indisputably accepted worldwide hence the setting aside of a specific day to honour them. In Nigeria, May 27 (Children's Day) is set aside to celebrate these future leaders each year. First Bank in line with its commitment to leading efforts geared towards preparing children for a brighter future on the platform of the HiFi Young Savers Account celebrated Nigerian children by sponsoring the 2012 Inspiration FM Children's Day carnival. The event which was an all family fun fair held at the RCCG City of David Car Park, Victoria Island on May 28, 2012. The children had so much fun as they were involved in the various games and activities lined up for them. There were dance and singing competitions where the children displayed their skills; there were also loads of games. At the end of the day, lots of children went home with free gift items. Everybody was in the mood to dance to great music provided by a rock band, the JFC musical band; Fuji group, Tope Hallelujah and the Chef Crew, and Uwem, a rap artiste for lovers of contemporary music. Parents and children were seen dancing to their tunes and even singing along with them. Aside the lined up activities, other facilities were also put in place to ensure that the children had a memorable day as the children were seen playing the Bouncy Castle, rock climbing, soap football. In addition to the fun, they had train rides and video games. The party was complete with the provision of food for the children's satisfaction. The children were also exposed to mind development activities while having fun constructing buildings with the Lego blocks and drawing their favourite cartoon characters. Parents had the opportunity to learn about the FirstBank HiFi Young Savers Account and sign their children up for a secure financial future. The HiFi Young Savers Account which was introduced three years ago is a special account for children aged 0-17 years. The essence of the account is to enable young ones cultivate the saving habit and also help parents plan towards the future of their children and wards. Features of the account include minimum opening

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and operating balance of N5, 000; lodgement of cheques and dividend warrants in the account; cash loan (with collateral) up to 80 per cent of account balance and conversion to a checking account when the child turns 18. Aside all these, account holders with account balance from N750, 000 and above are eligible for a N1million raffle draw. First Bank through the HiFi Young Savers Account also supports other platforms that enhance financial education of parents, guardians and children in order to prepare them for a brighter future.

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Red

Cross!

…35 Vivian Fowler students join the largest NGO in the world By Adedoyin Adedeji

elfless service to humanity is one of the most fulfilling activities anyone can engage in. It is with this sense of purpose and passion for humanitarian services that 35 students of the Vivian Fowler Memorial College for girls were inaugurated and inducted as members of the Nigerian Red Cross society. Delivering the Chairman's opening remarks, Engr. Chinedu Divisional Chairman, Red Cross, Surulere, said: “Joining the Red Cross is the best decision young ones like you can make. When you begin to serve humanity and you bring out your best towards humanitarian services, it is one of the greatest things you can do for people in need. Most of us in the Red Cross have served in one capacity or the other and I started just like you and have been in the Red Cross for almost 27 years.” He congratulated the students saying, “I congratulate you all for joining the largest NGO in the world and in everything you do; you must remember you are part of an organization that serves humanity. The reason the Red Cross is unique is that it is a universal organization, wherever you go around the world, just locate and identify with the Red Cross there.” Mrs. Eseuohare, one of the parents present at the event, said:

“I have always been a member of the Red Cross right from when I was 11. Being a Red Cross member is a great privilege and I am so glad that my daughter has decided to make a commitment to serve the nation. Today is a big step in our lives because it is like an oath that she has taken that she wants to serve humanity. I guess she chose to be a Red Cross member like her mother because she has seen who I am and she understands my character. My daughter is someone that likes helping and giving her energy to good things.” Sarah Abu, the student coordinator of the Vivian Fowler College Red Cross Unit, while speaking with Nigeria SPUR said: “Before you can be considered as a Red Cross member, you have to be inaugurated and I am glad the Red Cross club in my school is being inaugurated today. I chose to join the Red Cross because I like helping people and Red Cross is a club that gives me that opportunity.” During the induction ceremony, the Red Cross officials present at the event inspected the students' Red Cross outfit. The inspection was followed by the induction of 35 student members and three patrons; official Red Cross certificates were presented to the students and patron. The day ended with a group photograph of the students, Red Cross officials and staff of the Vivian Fowler Memorial College. J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2 S P U R M A G . C O M 7 5

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Mr Kalu Kenneth - Red Cross Trainer

Engr. Chinedu - Divisional Chairman Red Cross Surulere presenting certificate to School Director Mrs Funke Fowler Amba 7 6 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

Mr Austin presenting certificate to Mrs Eseuohare

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Technology

Creating Learning Hub with YouTube

Salman Khan, creator of Khan Academy By Adedoyin Adedeji

echnology in the last few years has witnessed phenomenal growth; this growth has been driven largely by various Internet innovations. One of those innovations is the world's most popular video-sharing website – YouTube. Founded in 2005, YouTube is now one of the most popular sites globally. It allows millions of people to share and watch videos online. YouTube is the world's most popular online video community, acting as a sharing and distribution platform for originally-created videos from individuals and organizations. Globally, YouTube is the third most visited website—right behind Google and Facebook. Some of YouTube's official staggering statistics include: · 60 hours of videos are uploaded every minute, or one hour of video is uploaded to YouTube every second. · Over four billion videos are viewed a day · Over three billion hours of videos are watched each month on YouTube · 70 per cent of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US · YouTube is localized in 39 countries and across 54 languages · In 2011, YouTube had more than one trillion views or almost 140 views for every person on Earth · 500 years of YouTube videos are watched every day on Facebook, and over 700 YouTube videos are shared on Twitter each minute With the popularity of YouTube and the number of videos available, ignoring YouTube as an educational resource can limit access to 8 2 S P U R M A G . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 2

valuable information and learning opportunities. For thousands of teachers around the world, YouTube.com is more than a modern day online video store - it's a chance to redefine traditional education by engaging students in a format more tailored to the next generation learning. Education using multimedia and other visual aids has always been a strengthening component of many subjects' curriculum, and today's educators are taking steps to incorporate the Internet and media-based tools to improve participation and learning. Educational development is an integral part of YouTube, the website is currently home to thousands of student projects, instructional videos and professional development video series. Aside user-uploaded videos, YouTube has partnership with several schools, universities, NGOs and professional bodies around the world, from NGOs like TED-Ed to universities like University of California to Harvard University, which operate channels with full-length lectures and interactive websites for the schools. YouTube has grown from just a video sharing website to a video resource platform that has given birth to more creative online projects for learning in the last few years. Website projects like Teachertube.com allows teachers share instructional videos, educational thoughts and lesson plans with other colleagues across the world using YouTube. However, one of the most outstanding online projects that has gained global attention for using the YouTube platform to create a next generation online learning hub is KHAN ACADEMY khanacademy.org.

Khan Academy started in 2004 when Sal Khan began tutoring his cousin Nadia mathematics using online tools, and more and more people started following his lessons. With this level of followers, he turned to YouTube to host lessons and lectures. Months later his YouTube videos have had millions of viewers, Khan became an online educational pioneer with his own free non-profit academy and backing from Google, Bill Gates and Ann Doerr. The secret of the Khan Academy was using YouTube as a platform to provide academic videos and pairing it with good software on its website that forces students to master a subject before they move on. Dashboard software tools are also available on the website to track the progress of a student and allow teachers and coaches to easily see who needs help and attention. It's an interesting use of online tools and also shows the power we have in changing the way people learn. Sal Khan's e-Learning innovation has helped many teachers transform the way they conduct lessons. For some teachers using the Khan Academy, students watch the lessons and lectures at home and complete the homework in class, where the teacher can provide instant feed-back. Khan said it has actually helped restore many teachers to the role they first envisioned for themselves, working closely with students. Khan Academy is an example of how simple tools like YouTube and online learning software can motivate hard to reach students, bring high level education to the masses and revolutionize the way teachers relate to their students. However, a lot of educators will rather block or discourage the use of YouTube than encourage it because of safety and security concerns. These concerns are valid, YouTube host tons of videos that are clearly unfit for the educational environment but with some of YouTube features we can create learning hubs like Khan Academy. YouTube allows us to share videos and view them directly on our website; therefore, educators and schools can share educational videos on their website for students while they block their students from accessing YouTube.com on the school computer. This Youtube's sharing feature gives schools a leverage to control what videos they want their students to see and also monitor their learning progress. Just like Khan Academy, educators can take advantage of the opportunities that YouTube presents to learning to build the next generation of learning resources.

OAK INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE (Government Approved Co-Educational School) DAY & BOARDING OAK PLAZA 21, Tunde Gabby Street, Behind County Hospital, Aguda-Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos Tel: 01 7339471, 08077536118, 08034016901, 08023042363, 08052570691 Email: oakinternationalcollege2004@yahoo.com Website: www.oakinternationalcollege.com

Admission of students into Basic 7,8,9 and Senior Secondary Classes is on. Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates. Our facilities include: Serene Learning Environment Functional Elevator/Lift Air-Conditioned Classrooms & Laboratories Well Stocked Library Modern Science Laboratories Well-equipped Sickbay with qualified medical personnel Well-equipped computer laboratory with Internet Facilities Comfortable Hostels for Boys & Girls Commodious and Air-Conditioned School Buses Experienced Teaching/Administrative Staff Excellent Certificate Results

Admission of students for

2012/2013 ACADEMIC SESSION

Offers the following: Junior School Senior School JAMB Class Cambridge O/A Levels IGCSE, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT Method of Application Application forms are available at the college at the cost of Five thousand Naira Only (N5,000) Past Questions Booklet is One Thousand Naira Only (N1,000)

For further information, contact: The Principal or call the above numbers

RESOUNDING SUCCESS STARTS AT OAK INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE