Tuesday, March 5, 2013
My CV
Block 7, Danmadami Estate Adewole, Ilorin,
Kwara State. Phone: 07033342383 / 08051881729
E-mail: yeancahalaya@yahoo.com
Alaya Olayinka Mahmood
OBJECTIVE To work in a challenging organization where all talents and intellectual potentials are fully explored and utilized for the optimum benefit and growth of the organization.
PERSONAL DATA
Place of Birth - Ilorin
Date of Birth - 07/04/1986
Marital Status - Single
State of Origin - Kwara state
Nationality - Nigerian
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Mass Communication (BSc) University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. 2012
Second Class Honours (Lower Division)
Mass Communication (National Diploma) 2006
Federal Polytechnic Offa, Offa, Kwara State
Secondary School Certificate 2002/2003
Mount Carmel College, Ilorin, Kwara State
Senior School Certificate (SSCE/GCE-1999) Mount Carmel College. Ilorin, kwara State. 2001
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Oracle Certified Associate(OCA/OCP) and
Certificate in Office Automation
TSS Technology Consult. Yoruba Road, Ilorin, Kwara state. (2009)
National Institute of Public Relation(NIPR) (in view)
WORK EXPERIENCE Reporter 2006 till now
Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Kwara, Police Road
GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State
(2) Midland F.M 99.0, Apata Yakuba, Ilorin 2010
Roles and Responsibility:
Industrial Attachment
(3) Ijemo Titun High School, Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta,
Ogun State (NYSC) 2012-2013
Roles and Responsibilities:
Government Teacher
Literature in English Teacher
Reporter for NYSC Editorial Board.
ACQUIRED SKILL/ TRAINING
Desktop Publishing: Microsoft Packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Graphics Designing: Macromedia Studios (Flash, Dreamweaver), Photoshop Studio..s.
Good knowledge of Advertisement Strategy and Public Related Issues. Also have in-depth knowledge in reporting and broadcasting.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES I am proactive, imaginative, innovative, resourceful and creative. I have the ability to adapt into any environment irrespective of the responsibilities assigned to me and deliver efficiently.
HOBBIES Working with computers, Networking, Web design, reading, learning new things, writing poetry, making friends & listening to people.
REFEREES
Barr. Mahmud AbdulRaheem Alhaji Abdullateef Adedeji
Department of Mass Communication General Manager Radio Kwara,
University of Ilorin Ilorin.
08033925228 08023148732 /08185351531
.
Granting Autonomy for Local Government Administration in Nigeria.
WRITER: OLAYINKA ALAYA
Contrary to the position of the Nigeria Governors Forum and some political Office appointees that the Local Government Councils in the Country should not be granted financial autonomy and the Status of a third-tier of government, many Nigerians have been clamouring for the Separation and abolishment of the joint Accounts operating by many of the State Governments.
Majority of the Political office holders and Governors against the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the call for the autonomy of Local Government Councils in Nigeria are of the opinion that if they were autonomous, a lot of atrocities would be committed because of the insatiable lust for money by the Council Chairmen.
Those that were calling for the autonomy of the Local Government Councils however viewed this from another angle.
According to them, the joint Accounts had been turned to an avenue by most of the State Governors to squander the funds that should be channeled towards the development of the grassroot. They opined that unless the States and Local Governments Joint Account is abolished, the much needed development at the grassroots would be defeated.
The 1999 constitution which allowed the States and Local Governments to operate a joint account for prudent Management of Public Funds and for meaningful development to take place took into cognizance
some factors that could exist if the Local Governments were given autonomy, especially to check the excesses of the Chairmen and put them under control and supervision of the State Governments.
It is however unfortunate that the privilege given by the 1999 constitution for the State Governments to operate a joint account with the Local Governments is being misused as the State Governors were using the opportunity to make fat accounts and enrich their personal accounts in foreign Countries.
According to the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mr. Elias Mbam, while speaking with Newsmen in Minna, insisted that the Local Government Councils as beneficiaries of the Federation Account should be allowed to get their allocation directly from the account.
Mr. Elias, admitted that though this would require constitution amendment as it was provided for in the constitution.
Nigeria is a true federal State and federalism allows separation of powers and division in government where the federal government takes charge of the activities at the Central, State at the State level, while the Local Governments oversee the activities at the grassroots. So, there is need to empower the Local Governments and allow them to stand on their own for development to take place.
It has again been observed that the cost of governance in the Country which is the highest in the continent should be checked. A situation whereby political office holders are appointing and having aides that were too many and large enough to form a Ministry is condemnable and unfortunate, as majority of them were just there warming the benches.
Political office holders, therefore, must reduce the number of their aides, so as to reduce wastages and for government to have more resources to address infrastructural decay and cater for the wellbeing of the masses with the provision of social and basic amenities.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
THE GOOD AND UGLY OF SIM CARDS REGISTRATION EXERCISE
The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) the Country’s Mobile regulator had directed all the Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria to register all their subscribers. The last ultimatum given by the NCC ended yesterday the twenty eight of this month with the hope that most of the subscribers must have registered their subscribers identification module (SIM) cards.
However report says so far, only fifty percent of the over ninety million active phone lines in the country had been registered.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communication Commission, Mr. Eugene Juwah, the new subscriber identity module (SIM) cards would no longer be allowed to make calls until they are registered.
The NCC, under its former Executive Vice Chairman, Ernest Ndukwe, had in December 2009 announced that it would commence SIM Cards Registration on the first of March 2010, and would ensure that SIM Cards were registered before they were activated for use.
While some Nigerians see that decision as a welcome development that will boost security in the country check fraudulent practices and others immoral acts that mobile phones are being used for while others view it with skepticism, saying that it would affect their business on the sales of the telecommunication lines.
Some telecom operators said that they generates a lot of money from direct sales of SIM Cards from street to street and in busy market places and expressed fears that such hawking would stop with the implementation of direct SIM Cards registration.
With SIM Cards Registration, the authorized dealer who sells SIM Cards must get security details of every buyer and forward such details to the operating company which must register the details of the SIM Cards before activating it.
The expiration of the date of the SIM Cards registration does not signify that buyers cannot purchase SIM Cards anymore, they only have to register their SIM Cards immediately, while those who were unable to register would be delisted from Telecommunication Companies Networks.
The nation’s subscriber base had been increasing steadily since the commencement of GSM in 2001 in the country during the era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and hit eighty nine million at the end of January this year.
The fear of some of the subscribers is that, most of the telecommunication companies would delist subscribers who live at the underserved areas of their coverage networks.
In view of this, the Association of Licenced Telecommunication operators of Nigeria had called on the Federal Government to shift the deadline for the nationwide SIM Registration exercise to March or May 2012.
The fear, however is that even if the Federal Government grant the extention, some of the subscribers would also fail to register. The exercise had been shifted and extended many times in the past until 14th of February this year when the NCC gave telecom operators six months to register their subscribers.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, most of the subscribers had flooded registration centres to register their SIM Cards. This consequently crippled the operators, thereby causing major systematic crises.
By and large SIM Cards registration is believed to be in the interest of public safety, national security, society cohesion and the overall wellbeing of the subscribers.
There is need for the NCC to find solution to the alleged security problems emanating from the mobile phones, especially the widely rumoured killer numbers that continue to spread across the country.
The NCC must wake up to its responsibility to ensure that the nation’s telecommunication airwaves are safe for Nigerians while those behind the unknown numbers calling people must be nailed for justice.
The country’s security agents must also show zeal and take steps to investigate the matter with the aim of verifying the truth and nip it in the bud if discovered to be actually happening as being widely claimed.
However report says so far, only fifty percent of the over ninety million active phone lines in the country had been registered.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communication Commission, Mr. Eugene Juwah, the new subscriber identity module (SIM) cards would no longer be allowed to make calls until they are registered.
The NCC, under its former Executive Vice Chairman, Ernest Ndukwe, had in December 2009 announced that it would commence SIM Cards Registration on the first of March 2010, and would ensure that SIM Cards were registered before they were activated for use.
While some Nigerians see that decision as a welcome development that will boost security in the country check fraudulent practices and others immoral acts that mobile phones are being used for while others view it with skepticism, saying that it would affect their business on the sales of the telecommunication lines.
Some telecom operators said that they generates a lot of money from direct sales of SIM Cards from street to street and in busy market places and expressed fears that such hawking would stop with the implementation of direct SIM Cards registration.
With SIM Cards Registration, the authorized dealer who sells SIM Cards must get security details of every buyer and forward such details to the operating company which must register the details of the SIM Cards before activating it.
The expiration of the date of the SIM Cards registration does not signify that buyers cannot purchase SIM Cards anymore, they only have to register their SIM Cards immediately, while those who were unable to register would be delisted from Telecommunication Companies Networks.
The nation’s subscriber base had been increasing steadily since the commencement of GSM in 2001 in the country during the era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and hit eighty nine million at the end of January this year.
The fear of some of the subscribers is that, most of the telecommunication companies would delist subscribers who live at the underserved areas of their coverage networks.
In view of this, the Association of Licenced Telecommunication operators of Nigeria had called on the Federal Government to shift the deadline for the nationwide SIM Registration exercise to March or May 2012.
The fear, however is that even if the Federal Government grant the extention, some of the subscribers would also fail to register. The exercise had been shifted and extended many times in the past until 14th of February this year when the NCC gave telecom operators six months to register their subscribers.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, most of the subscribers had flooded registration centres to register their SIM Cards. This consequently crippled the operators, thereby causing major systematic crises.
By and large SIM Cards registration is believed to be in the interest of public safety, national security, society cohesion and the overall wellbeing of the subscribers.
There is need for the NCC to find solution to the alleged security problems emanating from the mobile phones, especially the widely rumoured killer numbers that continue to spread across the country.
The NCC must wake up to its responsibility to ensure that the nation’s telecommunication airwaves are safe for Nigerians while those behind the unknown numbers calling people must be nailed for justice.
The country’s security agents must also show zeal and take steps to investigate the matter with the aim of verifying the truth and nip it in the bud if discovered to be actually happening as being widely claimed.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM IN NIGERIA’S UNIVERSITIES By Olayinka Alaya
Entrepreneurship is a process that enables one to be able to identify opportunities and gather enough resources to be able to tap into those opportunities. In other words, it is all about creating enterprises and creating products that are meeting demands or needs of the society.
The problem of unemployment today in Nigeria is becoming worrisome and alarming as universities on yearly basis produces graduates who hope to secure jobs after spending many years of struggling in the University as undergraduates.
Some of these Universities graduates were in capacitated, they could not start businesses on their own rather they depend on white collar jobs in government or private companies circle which are often non-existent.
The concept of entrepreneurship will help the society to solve a lot of its problems. The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Federal Ministry of Education recently started a process to identify and solve the problem of unemployment in Nigeria. This was as a result of the directive of the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, whose focus of attention is on wealth creation. Therefore it is not easy to create wealth without creating enterprises because enterprises are the wealth creator. The process, however led to a lot of stakeholders meetings that were held and with the contribution of World Bank that is partnering with the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC in this respect. They came up with a resolution of their meeting late January, a meeting of all Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, the National Universities Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education and all other stakeholders in the universities education in Nigeria. Part of their resolutions of the meeting was that solution to unemployment particularly graduates unemployment is for entrepreneurship to be introduced in all Nigerian Universities.
So at the end of that meeting it was resolved that all Nigerian universities must start a centre for entrepreneurship, that all Nigerian Universities must also start training people in entrepreneurship. In other word, they stressed the need to build capacity for them to train people in entrepreneurship. The Federal Ministry of Education through the Federal Government and the NUC also pledged to support Nigerian Universities in the creation of this centre for entrepreneurship.
Before that time, a lot of Universities have started the centre. By statistics, out of the total number of Universities the country have, then the country has 104 Universities when the meeting was being held around January, but now the Nigeria has 117 Universities because the Federal Government had created 9 Universities while 4 additional private Universities were licensed recently, which made the numbers to 117 now. As at that time, there were 104 Universities in Nigeria and out of that 104 Universities that obeyed the directive of the National Universities Commission in 2007 that all Nigerian Universities must include entrepreneurship as a matter of must in their curriculum, only 19 Universities out of the 104 Universities that were existing as at that time before the creation of this new 13, had actually started centres for entrepreneurship.
Among the Universities that established the Centre are, the University of Ilorin, the Kwara State University (KWASU), as well as few other that have the centre in place to expose their students to entrepreneurship skills in order to make them employers and not employees after graduation.
At the University of Ilorin, students of the University were train at the first semester of 300 level which is their penultimate year, a course called Graduate Self Employment (GSE) which is compulsory for all students. This would enable them to learn the required skills for them to be self employed.
Speaking on the entrepreneurship, the Director Centre for Entrepreneurship, Kwara State University, Malete, Doctor Muritala Awodun, said an entrepreneurship is a person who has possession of a new enterprises, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome.
According to him, before the commencement of academic activities at the Kwara State University part of their promise to the University community is to produce graduates that will be able to employ themselves and create employment not graduates that would be seeking for employment.
“ So in looking for a solution to the problem of unemployment, we saw a necessity to start a centre for entrepreneurship, so it is this entrepreneurship that has designed programmes and activities that will empower our graduates as well as other people within the community to be enterprise creator”, Awodun said further.
At KWASU, the centre is responsible for helping the University to achieve the aim of making students self employed. Based on that, the University had actually designed its programmes, for instance the one that concerns the under desire graduates students of KWASU is what the enterprise creation and skill acquisition programme.
The programme starts at 200 level of the students and every semester from 200 level to 400 level. There is also entrepreneurship programme that students must go through. This supposed to take the students through the process of identifying opportunities and being able to create a product out of the opportunities. Establishing enterprises, mentioning in terms of skills acquisition, how to be able to write business plan and raise finance for their business plan and eventually entrepreneurship practice, that is, putting it to practice all that they have been taught in the four stages that is, as students they should be able to identify a business opportunities inform of an idea that would develop into a product. As students, they should be able to start an enterprise, that is, register a business to pursue these opportunities that they have seen, the third stage is for the students to go for what is called entrepreneurship mentorship, that is, to go and acquire skills in an already established enterprise. The fourth stage is for them to know how to write a business plan, to seek for a finance to be able to run the business. At the fifth stage, the students were expected to run that business for a period of atleast 3-6 months, while still on campus. So every student of KWASU, must go through these 5 stages before they can graduate from the University. This programme designed is called enterprise and skill acquition programme that will help the students to be self employed.
Doctor Awodun, while speaking on how to achieve these, said the Kwara State University is collaborating with private enterprises to be able to pursue most of these things. “ we are also collaborating with foreign countries of entrepreneurship of the Universities, for instance, Othorock Centre for entrepreneurship that belong to Harvard University, MIT Centre of entrepreneurship of the popular MIT and also Richard Brandson Centre of entrepreneurship in South Africa. We are trying to collaborate with them as centre for entrepreneurship that we can learn from them and build our concept for centre for entrepreneurship uniquely to meet our own needs in this part of the world”.
Therefore entrepreneurship plays vital roles especially in reducing the rate of unemployment in the society. The introduction of the compulsory course into Nigerian Universities curriculum is to control the rate of unemployment, creates people that create businesses and at the sometime through those businesses create products that meet the needs of the society. Therefore, since entrepreneurship is going to create people that will create businesses, then entrepreneurship indirectly is going to create employment because businesses can operate without human resources which are the human capacity required to be able to run those businesses. The products that are going to be created can not be created without those people as a major factor of production.
Basically entrepreneurship plays crucial roles, it will create people that will create businesses and at the sametime as they create those businesses they will create employment opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic growth and job creation. It provides many people with career opportunities that better fit their preferences than waged employment. In addition, self-employment or business start-up is a response by significant numbers of people to job losses in the current global economic crisis. Therefore, there is need for government at all levels to strengthen the process of entrepreneurship in order for the Nation to develop than this and reduce unemployment.
The universities and vocational training institutions as central actors should work intensively on entrepreneurship skills development in universities, so that the undergraduates’ unemployment would be lessen, while Academic faculties and students need to find innovative ways to appropriate entrepreneurship in their subject discipline and it is crucial to involve entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial organisations.
Moreover, the government should however provide resources for those that engage in entrepreneurship training, especially Wealth and a high majority of jobs are created by small businesses started by entrepreneurially minded individuals, many of whom go on to create big businesses. People exposed to entrepreneurship frequently express that they have more opportunity to exercise creative freedoms, higher self esteem, and an overall greater sense of control over their own lives. As a result, many experienced business people political leaders, economists, and educators believe that fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture will maximize individual and collective economic and social success on a local, national, and global scale.
The problem of unemployment today in Nigeria is becoming worrisome and alarming as universities on yearly basis produces graduates who hope to secure jobs after spending many years of struggling in the University as undergraduates.
Some of these Universities graduates were in capacitated, they could not start businesses on their own rather they depend on white collar jobs in government or private companies circle which are often non-existent.
The concept of entrepreneurship will help the society to solve a lot of its problems. The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Federal Ministry of Education recently started a process to identify and solve the problem of unemployment in Nigeria. This was as a result of the directive of the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, whose focus of attention is on wealth creation. Therefore it is not easy to create wealth without creating enterprises because enterprises are the wealth creator. The process, however led to a lot of stakeholders meetings that were held and with the contribution of World Bank that is partnering with the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC in this respect. They came up with a resolution of their meeting late January, a meeting of all Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, the National Universities Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education and all other stakeholders in the universities education in Nigeria. Part of their resolutions of the meeting was that solution to unemployment particularly graduates unemployment is for entrepreneurship to be introduced in all Nigerian Universities.
So at the end of that meeting it was resolved that all Nigerian universities must start a centre for entrepreneurship, that all Nigerian Universities must also start training people in entrepreneurship. In other word, they stressed the need to build capacity for them to train people in entrepreneurship. The Federal Ministry of Education through the Federal Government and the NUC also pledged to support Nigerian Universities in the creation of this centre for entrepreneurship.
Before that time, a lot of Universities have started the centre. By statistics, out of the total number of Universities the country have, then the country has 104 Universities when the meeting was being held around January, but now the Nigeria has 117 Universities because the Federal Government had created 9 Universities while 4 additional private Universities were licensed recently, which made the numbers to 117 now. As at that time, there were 104 Universities in Nigeria and out of that 104 Universities that obeyed the directive of the National Universities Commission in 2007 that all Nigerian Universities must include entrepreneurship as a matter of must in their curriculum, only 19 Universities out of the 104 Universities that were existing as at that time before the creation of this new 13, had actually started centres for entrepreneurship.
Among the Universities that established the Centre are, the University of Ilorin, the Kwara State University (KWASU), as well as few other that have the centre in place to expose their students to entrepreneurship skills in order to make them employers and not employees after graduation.
At the University of Ilorin, students of the University were train at the first semester of 300 level which is their penultimate year, a course called Graduate Self Employment (GSE) which is compulsory for all students. This would enable them to learn the required skills for them to be self employed.
Speaking on the entrepreneurship, the Director Centre for Entrepreneurship, Kwara State University, Malete, Doctor Muritala Awodun, said an entrepreneurship is a person who has possession of a new enterprises, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome.
According to him, before the commencement of academic activities at the Kwara State University part of their promise to the University community is to produce graduates that will be able to employ themselves and create employment not graduates that would be seeking for employment.
“ So in looking for a solution to the problem of unemployment, we saw a necessity to start a centre for entrepreneurship, so it is this entrepreneurship that has designed programmes and activities that will empower our graduates as well as other people within the community to be enterprise creator”, Awodun said further.
At KWASU, the centre is responsible for helping the University to achieve the aim of making students self employed. Based on that, the University had actually designed its programmes, for instance the one that concerns the under desire graduates students of KWASU is what the enterprise creation and skill acquisition programme.
The programme starts at 200 level of the students and every semester from 200 level to 400 level. There is also entrepreneurship programme that students must go through. This supposed to take the students through the process of identifying opportunities and being able to create a product out of the opportunities. Establishing enterprises, mentioning in terms of skills acquisition, how to be able to write business plan and raise finance for their business plan and eventually entrepreneurship practice, that is, putting it to practice all that they have been taught in the four stages that is, as students they should be able to identify a business opportunities inform of an idea that would develop into a product. As students, they should be able to start an enterprise, that is, register a business to pursue these opportunities that they have seen, the third stage is for the students to go for what is called entrepreneurship mentorship, that is, to go and acquire skills in an already established enterprise. The fourth stage is for them to know how to write a business plan, to seek for a finance to be able to run the business. At the fifth stage, the students were expected to run that business for a period of atleast 3-6 months, while still on campus. So every student of KWASU, must go through these 5 stages before they can graduate from the University. This programme designed is called enterprise and skill acquition programme that will help the students to be self employed.
Doctor Awodun, while speaking on how to achieve these, said the Kwara State University is collaborating with private enterprises to be able to pursue most of these things. “ we are also collaborating with foreign countries of entrepreneurship of the Universities, for instance, Othorock Centre for entrepreneurship that belong to Harvard University, MIT Centre of entrepreneurship of the popular MIT and also Richard Brandson Centre of entrepreneurship in South Africa. We are trying to collaborate with them as centre for entrepreneurship that we can learn from them and build our concept for centre for entrepreneurship uniquely to meet our own needs in this part of the world”.
Therefore entrepreneurship plays vital roles especially in reducing the rate of unemployment in the society. The introduction of the compulsory course into Nigerian Universities curriculum is to control the rate of unemployment, creates people that create businesses and at the sometime through those businesses create products that meet the needs of the society. Therefore, since entrepreneurship is going to create people that will create businesses, then entrepreneurship indirectly is going to create employment because businesses can operate without human resources which are the human capacity required to be able to run those businesses. The products that are going to be created can not be created without those people as a major factor of production.
Basically entrepreneurship plays crucial roles, it will create people that will create businesses and at the sametime as they create those businesses they will create employment opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic growth and job creation. It provides many people with career opportunities that better fit their preferences than waged employment. In addition, self-employment or business start-up is a response by significant numbers of people to job losses in the current global economic crisis. Therefore, there is need for government at all levels to strengthen the process of entrepreneurship in order for the Nation to develop than this and reduce unemployment.
The universities and vocational training institutions as central actors should work intensively on entrepreneurship skills development in universities, so that the undergraduates’ unemployment would be lessen, while Academic faculties and students need to find innovative ways to appropriate entrepreneurship in their subject discipline and it is crucial to involve entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial organisations.
Moreover, the government should however provide resources for those that engage in entrepreneurship training, especially Wealth and a high majority of jobs are created by small businesses started by entrepreneurially minded individuals, many of whom go on to create big businesses. People exposed to entrepreneurship frequently express that they have more opportunity to exercise creative freedoms, higher self esteem, and an overall greater sense of control over their own lives. As a result, many experienced business people political leaders, economists, and educators believe that fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture will maximize individual and collective economic and social success on a local, national, and global scale.
Our goal in KWASU is to surpass NUC benchmark- VC
Professor Abdulrosheed Na’allah, a Poet, Scholar, critical thinker, is the Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete. Prior to joining KWASU, he was the chairman of African American Studies Department at Western Illinois University in the United States of America.
In this brief interview with The Lens reporter, Olayinka Alaya, at the permanent site of the University, Professor Na’allah speaks on the vision of KWASU and the issue of University ranking in the world intellectual community.
Excerpt
The Lens: Recently the Kwara State University (KWASU) was ranked forty three out of one hundred and seventeen universities in Nigeria by the Webometric Universities Ranking, what are the strategies and methods put in place by your institution to achieve that success within the shortest period of its establishment?
Thank you so much, this is new to me, I just want to say that our own goal is to surpass the minimum standard that is required by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Our vision as a University is to be a world class university. We are actually comparing ourself with the best Universities in the World. I don’t know what criteria they used, nobody spoke to me or to anybody that I know and even to our students to ask about the quality of education they are receiving. If you want to rank a University, you have to come to that University and see the quality of staff, the quality of education the students are receiving, the quality of facilities in the University. Nobody has come here, so I don’t know the criteria they used, but haven said that, I appreciate the fact that we are just in second year and our name you know is in the list that is something good. Haven said that also, I want to say that our goal is to continue to work towards meeting that world-class standard in which we compare to any World Class University in the World. So you may very soon hear KWASU as the leading University in Nigeria and one of the best Universities in the World.
The Lens: Best University in Nigeria, University of Ilorin is ranked thirtieth in Africa, so how can we make Nigeria Universities to be among the best ten Universities in Africa?
I think Nigeria Universities must begin to look beyond the borders of Nigeria to the excellence of University education in the World. Universities should prepare young people to be global citizens. They must be part and parcel of community development so that they bring wealth to their local communities. They must move society forward, the Engineering, the Sciences must utilize the indigenous resources of Africa in order to make sure that Africa is able to produce rather than just consume. This is all what KWASU is all about and I believe that if all the Universities in Africa particularly in Nigeria take these fundamental issues as important, as challenges for Universities and goals for Universities, then they will be compared to any University in the World. That is the goal of KWASU.
Pix: The VC, Prof. Na’allah responding to questions from the Lens reporter, Olayinka Alaya, while KWASU Director of Protocol, Hajia Hamidat Suleiman watches.
In its vision of becoming the most sought after university in Nigeria, the Kwara State University (KWASU) has recruited academic scholars from best Universities in the World.
Besides, the Institution has entered into a partnership with world-class professors with a view to forging strong partner in a bid to develop strong academic curricula and personnel.
Professor Na’allah who disclosed this to the Lens, said the University had been awarded UNESCO chair in Alternative Energy and had established a Centre for Community Development, run by a McEwen University, Edmonton, Canada, to evolve ways of collaboration with all communities in Kwara State for development.
In its bid to provide the best quality education for Kwarans, the current tuition fee at Kwara State University was now one hundred thousand naira annually for kwarans, plus fifty thousand naira for medical, ID Card and registration, compared to other State Universities which charge between one hundred and fifty and two hundred and twenty thousand naira.
In this brief interview with The Lens reporter, Olayinka Alaya, at the permanent site of the University, Professor Na’allah speaks on the vision of KWASU and the issue of University ranking in the world intellectual community.
Excerpt
The Lens: Recently the Kwara State University (KWASU) was ranked forty three out of one hundred and seventeen universities in Nigeria by the Webometric Universities Ranking, what are the strategies and methods put in place by your institution to achieve that success within the shortest period of its establishment?
Thank you so much, this is new to me, I just want to say that our own goal is to surpass the minimum standard that is required by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Our vision as a University is to be a world class university. We are actually comparing ourself with the best Universities in the World. I don’t know what criteria they used, nobody spoke to me or to anybody that I know and even to our students to ask about the quality of education they are receiving. If you want to rank a University, you have to come to that University and see the quality of staff, the quality of education the students are receiving, the quality of facilities in the University. Nobody has come here, so I don’t know the criteria they used, but haven said that, I appreciate the fact that we are just in second year and our name you know is in the list that is something good. Haven said that also, I want to say that our goal is to continue to work towards meeting that world-class standard in which we compare to any World Class University in the World. So you may very soon hear KWASU as the leading University in Nigeria and one of the best Universities in the World.
The Lens: Best University in Nigeria, University of Ilorin is ranked thirtieth in Africa, so how can we make Nigeria Universities to be among the best ten Universities in Africa?
I think Nigeria Universities must begin to look beyond the borders of Nigeria to the excellence of University education in the World. Universities should prepare young people to be global citizens. They must be part and parcel of community development so that they bring wealth to their local communities. They must move society forward, the Engineering, the Sciences must utilize the indigenous resources of Africa in order to make sure that Africa is able to produce rather than just consume. This is all what KWASU is all about and I believe that if all the Universities in Africa particularly in Nigeria take these fundamental issues as important, as challenges for Universities and goals for Universities, then they will be compared to any University in the World. That is the goal of KWASU.
Pix: The VC, Prof. Na’allah responding to questions from the Lens reporter, Olayinka Alaya, while KWASU Director of Protocol, Hajia Hamidat Suleiman watches.
In its vision of becoming the most sought after university in Nigeria, the Kwara State University (KWASU) has recruited academic scholars from best Universities in the World.
Besides, the Institution has entered into a partnership with world-class professors with a view to forging strong partner in a bid to develop strong academic curricula and personnel.
Professor Na’allah who disclosed this to the Lens, said the University had been awarded UNESCO chair in Alternative Energy and had established a Centre for Community Development, run by a McEwen University, Edmonton, Canada, to evolve ways of collaboration with all communities in Kwara State for development.
In its bid to provide the best quality education for Kwarans, the current tuition fee at Kwara State University was now one hundred thousand naira annually for kwarans, plus fifty thousand naira for medical, ID Card and registration, compared to other State Universities which charge between one hundred and fifty and two hundred and twenty thousand naira.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
IVORY COST ELECTION CRISIS, A LESSON TO NIGERIA
The 2011 general election in Nigeria is gradually coming in just a few months time. Necessary arrangements have been put in place by the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair and acceptable election. There is therefore need for all aspirants both at the federal and state levels to accept the results of the elections in good faith and not to get into power by all means.
The Election crisis in Ivory Coast signaled a warning to Nigeria, especially the INEC and aspirants who are contesting in the 2011general elections to let the development of the country be paramount in their mind and not to cause chaos through election rigging that could lead to underdevelopment of the country.
In Ivory Coast, the country referred to as the world biggest Cocoa producer, the crisis between the winner of the election, Mr. Alassane Ouattara and the constitutional Council proclaimed incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, had led thousands of Ivorians, mostly women and children, to flee to neighboring Liberia and Guinea. The stalemate has also affected the economy of the country and its International relationship with foreign countries.
Fears are rising that the country may go into civil war as it did in 2002. Before the current crisis in the country, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been assisting some 13,000 Ivorian refugees who fled the 2002 civil war in their country, while they remain in exile in Liberia, Guinea and Mali.
This crisis in the country shows how desperate African leaders are thirst of power and will always want to remain in power for a long period. Several West African Countries, including Nigeria Liberia, Benin, Cape Verde, Gambia and Niger, will hold elections next year. The crisis in Ivory Coast should however serve as a lesson to them, especially the contestants.
Therefore, there is need for Nigerian leaders to have an open mind and establish a transparent Platform or mechanism for continues dialogue discussion and negotiation so as to carry everybody along.
Nigerians are tired of campaign of calumny, fake promises, character assassinations, by our politicians, especially those that are desperate to be in power come next year. The expectations of Nigerians are for them to fulfill all their electoral campaign promises.
Nigeria should learn from Ghana and South Africa that conducted credible elections. Our leaders should be mindful of the need to sustain the unity of the country.
The Independent National Electoral Commission should create a level playing ground for all aspirants and should not allow itself to be influenced by Government or International bodies and stakeholders.
Our leaders should remember that what they do today, history will recall it tomorrow, just as the people remembers the likes of our founding fathers like, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Anthony Enahoro among others.
The Election crisis in Ivory Coast signaled a warning to Nigeria, especially the INEC and aspirants who are contesting in the 2011general elections to let the development of the country be paramount in their mind and not to cause chaos through election rigging that could lead to underdevelopment of the country.
In Ivory Coast, the country referred to as the world biggest Cocoa producer, the crisis between the winner of the election, Mr. Alassane Ouattara and the constitutional Council proclaimed incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, had led thousands of Ivorians, mostly women and children, to flee to neighboring Liberia and Guinea. The stalemate has also affected the economy of the country and its International relationship with foreign countries.
Fears are rising that the country may go into civil war as it did in 2002. Before the current crisis in the country, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been assisting some 13,000 Ivorian refugees who fled the 2002 civil war in their country, while they remain in exile in Liberia, Guinea and Mali.
This crisis in the country shows how desperate African leaders are thirst of power and will always want to remain in power for a long period. Several West African Countries, including Nigeria Liberia, Benin, Cape Verde, Gambia and Niger, will hold elections next year. The crisis in Ivory Coast should however serve as a lesson to them, especially the contestants.
Therefore, there is need for Nigerian leaders to have an open mind and establish a transparent Platform or mechanism for continues dialogue discussion and negotiation so as to carry everybody along.
Nigerians are tired of campaign of calumny, fake promises, character assassinations, by our politicians, especially those that are desperate to be in power come next year. The expectations of Nigerians are for them to fulfill all their electoral campaign promises.
Nigeria should learn from Ghana and South Africa that conducted credible elections. Our leaders should be mindful of the need to sustain the unity of the country.
The Independent National Electoral Commission should create a level playing ground for all aspirants and should not allow itself to be influenced by Government or International bodies and stakeholders.
Our leaders should remember that what they do today, history will recall it tomorrow, just as the people remembers the likes of our founding fathers like, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Anthony Enahoro among others.
Monday, December 6, 2010
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The pre-occupation of the Nigerian government has been economic planning to achieve prosperity and quality, at the same time, the emphasis has been on food crops production, industry, transportation, education and health. A characteristic feature of this plan has been the almost dismal failure to alternate the condition of the vast majority of the population.
Various attempts were made to enhance national development and stability, with no real human involvement in the policy formulation. These were encapsulated in the development plans without considering the mechanism for their implementations. The first 1962 to 1968 second 1970 to 1974, third 1975 to 1980 and fourth 1981 to 1985. All these plans failed.
It then became apparent that despite the availability of human and material resources, the desired dream of development was not achieved hence, drastic economic measures, including the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) but the measure did not bring the expected development. The introduction of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) which was aimed at enhancing National development also achieved nothing.
There are some other problems responsible for the slow pace of development and political instability in the country, despite her huge natural and human resources. These ranges from lack of political will to implement policies to involving Nigerian Youths in policy formulation and implementation and over reliance on foreign ideas for national development.
Bad leadership, corruption emphasis on economic planning without systematic implementation of the plans and lack of involvement of vibrant youths have all contributed immensely to under development in the country.
However, Nigerian youths are looking for a fair and just participation and distribution of rewards and services within the Nigerian political system. It is when these demands are not met that they constitute themselves into nuisance and ready materials for desperate politicians to use in truncating the good ideas and concepts of national development.
Nigerian youths must be trained towards self reliance, well oriented towards Nigerian future, rather than immediate results of unplanned political adventure, called thuggery.
Therefore, the youths should constitute themselves into anti corruption crusaders, for national development. If this is done, the society, with lots of resources, will succeed in treating the problems of under development.
Nigeria has a potential to be a great nation but it would require the commitment of all citizens, tomorrow
Various attempts were made to enhance national development and stability, with no real human involvement in the policy formulation. These were encapsulated in the development plans without considering the mechanism for their implementations. The first 1962 to 1968 second 1970 to 1974, third 1975 to 1980 and fourth 1981 to 1985. All these plans failed.
It then became apparent that despite the availability of human and material resources, the desired dream of development was not achieved hence, drastic economic measures, including the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) but the measure did not bring the expected development. The introduction of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) which was aimed at enhancing National development also achieved nothing.
There are some other problems responsible for the slow pace of development and political instability in the country, despite her huge natural and human resources. These ranges from lack of political will to implement policies to involving Nigerian Youths in policy formulation and implementation and over reliance on foreign ideas for national development.
Bad leadership, corruption emphasis on economic planning without systematic implementation of the plans and lack of involvement of vibrant youths have all contributed immensely to under development in the country.
However, Nigerian youths are looking for a fair and just participation and distribution of rewards and services within the Nigerian political system. It is when these demands are not met that they constitute themselves into nuisance and ready materials for desperate politicians to use in truncating the good ideas and concepts of national development.
Nigerian youths must be trained towards self reliance, well oriented towards Nigerian future, rather than immediate results of unplanned political adventure, called thuggery.
Therefore, the youths should constitute themselves into anti corruption crusaders, for national development. If this is done, the society, with lots of resources, will succeed in treating the problems of under development.
Nigeria has a potential to be a great nation but it would require the commitment of all citizens, tomorrow
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