education FUTA collaborates with Africa’s leading agric education network 24
As part of efforts to boost its internationalisation drive through collaboration with world class institutions, the Federal University of Technology, Akure has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) based in Nairobi, Kenya. The memorandum is to facilitate partnership and collaboration in Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Management Education and Research and community outreach. Under the terms of the agreement, FUTA is to be the leading member institution of ANAFE in Nigeria, and will be expected to spearhead the establishment and promotion of the regional chapter of the network. The vice chancellor, Pro-
Thursday, 18 February, 2016
fessor Adebiyi Daramola, who was elated at the collaboration, said building bridges between African institutions would further develop the continent. He also added that the institution’s School of
Agriculture is very enterprising, having many collaborations with leading institutions across Africa. Daramola believes that the collaboration with ANAFE will further empower FUTA scholars to
contribute more robustly to the search for food security and to make agriculture a key contributor to the country’s economy. Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of ANAFE, Professor Aissetou Drame
Yaye, commended the vice chancellor for his open and transparent style of leadership. She said progress in Africa would be rapid if leaders are easily accessible to their followers. Yaye said
Yejide Girls Grammar School alumni celebrate alma mater at 60 By Doyin Adeoye
From right, Professor Owolabi Usman, conference chair; Dean Management Sciences, Professor Jonathan Adewole; Vice Chancellor, LAUTECH, Professor A. A. Gbadegesin; Registrar, Revd Agboola, and Head, Marketing Department, Professor Sola Ogunsiji, at the opening of the 3-day conference organised by the Department of Management and Accounting last week. PHOTO: LAOLU HAROLDS
EU mulls Centre for European Studies in UNILORIN The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and ECOWAS is considering the possibility of facilitating the establishment of a Centre for European Studies at the University of Ilorin.
This was disclosed by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and head of the delegation, Mr. Michel Arrion, when a delegation from the university, led by its vice chancellor, Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali (OON), visited the
EU Office in Abuja recently. Ambassador Arrion said that since there are Institutes of African Studies in many European and American universities, “I don’t see why we cannot have the Centre for European Stud-
ies in Nigeria.” He said he studied ECOWAS Affairs in Belgium. The UNILORIN team was at the EU Office in continuation of the university’s advocacy visits to explore areas of collaboration with repu-
Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okogie (right), and the Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Professor Samuel Oye Bandele, during a recent visit by a delegation from the university to the head office of NUC in Abuja.
Federal Unity Schools PTA seeks more funding for education HakeemGbadamosi-Akure PARENTS under the auspices of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of Federal Government Colleges have urged the Federal Government to allocate more funds to the education sector. The association also made a case for the recruitment of more teachers and provision of quality infrastructure in schools across the nation. The South-West coordi-
she was impressed with the quality of professors from the university that she has worked with, and admonished FUTA to play a key role in contributing to the development of agriculture in the continent.
nator of the association, Pastor Rufus Bola Famuwagun, stated this during the handing over ceremony to the new executive of the PTA in Ikole-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Famuwagun, who is the immediate past chairman of the Federal Government College, Ikole-Ekiti, accused the Federal Government of abdicating its responsibility by not providing necessary facilities in schools.
According to him, more than 70 per cent of the staff in each of the federal government colleges were employed by the PTA, while over 90 per cent of the classrooms were built through the efforts of the parents. He said, “We are paying about N828,000 for PTA staff salary monthly here in Ikole alone. We help them during inter-house sports, give financial assistance to the school man-
agement and even build classroom for them, which is supposed to be done by the government. “Here in Ikole for instance, we built almost all the classrooms you are seeing here because those that were built by the government are dilapidated.” He pleaded with the federal government to allocate more funds for the federal colleges and recruit more teachers so as to improve on the decadence in the sector.
table organisations towards ensuring the full implementation of its triple mandate of teaching, research and community service. The EU Ambassador assured the UNILORIN team that his organisation was positively disposed to entering into effective partnership with the university in the areas of research, energy and innovation. Ambassador Arrion said, “We would like to find ways of working together with your Uuniversity”, and that the visit signified the beginning of an enduring and beneficial relationship. In his own remarks, the EU Deputy Head of Mission, Mr. Richard Young, noted that there are huge opportunities in European countries that Nigerians could take advantage of.
CURRENT students of the Yejide Girls Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan, and the Yejide Old Girls Association (YOGA) recently celebrated the institution’s 60th Founder’s Day anniversary. The three-day event was a means to recount the achievements of the school over the years, as well as raise a N100 million fund for more projects in the school. Speaking at the event, the chairman of the occasion, Mr Tunde Fagbemi, MD/CEO Maevis Limited, lauded the achievements of YOGA, adding that he will continue to support the association in its quest to lift the standard of its alma mater. The national president, YOGA, Chief Mrs Olukemi Sarumi, in her remarks, said that the association is keen on assisting the government by improving the standard of education through its projects. “When we celebrated the school’s 50th anniversary, we were able to raise funds with the assistance of well meaning Nigerians. We added our own resources to that and were able to give a good ICT centre, a home economics laboratory, boreholes and a few scholarships here and there,” she said.
As Oke-Ode Grammar School celebrates 47th Founder’s Day The Oke-Ode Grammar School Old Students Association (OOGSOSA) has concluded arrangements to mark the school’s 47th Founder’s Day on Saturday, 20th February, 2016 in the school’s premises A statement by the chairman, planning committee, Mr. Sikiru Lanre Nurudeen, disclosed that the event, which starts by 9.00a.m, will feature a special lecture, entitled ‘The Relevance of Alumni in Ensuring Quality Education in a Globalising Economy’ to be delivered by Dr.
Stephen Billy Olajide of the Department of Arts Education, University of Ilorin. There will also be a grand reception for three prominent old students: Chief Aro Yahaya, the Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport; Professor Rotimi Ogidan of the University of Kenya, and Mr. Tunde Ibrahim, a Permanent Secretary in the Kogi State civil service. The event will also feature a development fund launch towards the rehabilitation of the school’s library.