The Guest Lecturer at the 17th Annual Convention and 16th Annual Lecture Series of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Alumni Association, Mr. Oludare Kodaolu, has admonished the executive and members of the FUNAAB Alumni Association to be good ambassadors of the University by leading and managing a virile Alumni Association.
An alumnus of the University, who is currently the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Achilles Group Limited, a leading United Kingdom-based Group Oil and Gas Servicing Company, in his lecture titled, Leading and Managing for a Robust and Sustainable FUNAAB Alumni Association, described leadership as an essential ingredient for effective management, adding that the performance of any organisation rested upon leadership because this determined the characteristic shape and behaviour of the organisation.
Mr. Kadaolu, who noted that there was a wide difference between leadership and management, stated that management in business and organizations were meant to coordinate the efforts of people, to accomplish stated goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. He pointed out that every leader may not be a manager, but every manager should be a leader because any manager who lacked effective leadership traits will run a business aground.
The traits, which an outstanding leader should possess include vision, passion and self-sacrifice, confidence, determination, persistence, image-building and role-modeling. Others are external representation, having expectations and confidence in followers, selective motive-arousal, frame alignment and inspirational communication.
The National President, FUNAAB Alumni Association, Professor Lateef Sanni, appreciated members of the Association for their overwhelming dedication, support and contributions to the development of their alma mater. He said over the years, the Association had recorded enormous successes through its numerous welfare schemes and mentoring activities to indigenous students of the University, adding that very soon, the alumni would institutionalize an endowment programme, to be managed by the Office of Advancement in the University. Professor Sanni added that the Association would soon venture into the accumulation of blue-chip investments by registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
The Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Professor Olusola Oyewole, who was represented at the occasion by the Dean, College of Natural Sciences, Professor Tope Popoola lauded the Alumni for being worthy ambassadors of the University and promoting the image of the University positively, in their different fields of endeavours. He charged them to continually support the University’s strive towards attaining a world-class status.