The Centre Manager, International Centre for Professional Development (ICPD) of the University, Mr. Lawrence Kazeem, has disclosed that his office is well positioned to bring out the hidden treasures in the trainees participating in the various programmes offered by the Centre. Mr. Kazeem stated this during an interactive session organised for this year’s summer school students. According to him, the summer school was targeted at young individuals in Junior Secondary School, Senior Secondary School, who are aspiring to become higher educational students as well as FUNAAB students, by adding value to their lives.
During the interactive session, the students were taken through various lecture series from scholars and experts in the various fields of life. The Director, Academic Planning of FUNAAB, Professor Olukayode Akinyemi, who was represented by Mr. Olufemi Bamgbose, spoke on the topic, “Discovering and Developing Your Potentials”, where he charged them to develop whatever potential or skill they have in them and always try to overcome any form of barrier on their way to development. He added that people in the state of disabilities still find the ability and make a head-way in life.
Another speaker, Dr. Bolaji Abiona from the Department of Agricultural Administration, College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD) of the University, delivered a paper titled, “Dealing with Academic Failure and Campus Life in the World of Ambiguity”, charged the students to avoid barriers to academic excellence such as improper time management, failure to assume responsibilities, wrong relationships and excessive love for parties. She listed other impediments to include bad habits, bad planning, fake lifestyle and addiction to the social media.
The Director of Health Services of FUNAAB, Dr. Olusola Talabi, who spoke on the topic, “You Are What You Eat”, advised the students to watch some of their feeding habits, especially, those relating to too much consumption of refined sugar and salt. He equally encouraged them to take some time out to exercise themselves regularly and make sure they sweat-out in order to maintain fitness.
Beyond the summer school, the ICPD Centre Manager, Mr. Lawrence Kazeem, stressed that the Centre was involved in training participants in the areas of information technology professional certification and leadership, saying that as obtainable in the developed world, where people are not “degree crazy”, Nigerians should also seek after professional certifications. He charged members of the University community to key into the ICPD training and reap more beyond their expectations in the area of information technology, adding that the Centre was collaborating with other institutions of learning to offer specific training.
The Director of ICT, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ekiti State, Mr. Kola Falemu, stated that the present management in EKSU was ICT-driven and hence, the need to embark on the training in FUNAAB because of its high web-ranking among Nigerian universities. Also, the duo of Mr. Ejiro Anuyah and Mr. Mobolaji Tenibiaje, the trainees from EKSU, said that the training would enable them improve the EKSU website in the area of webometrics. They said they were meant to cover some basic areas such as Journal/Open Courseware, Open Journal Management System, Website Optimisation, Search Engine Optimisation and Open Scholar. They described the FUNAAB experience as note-worthy, as they commended the University for keeping a beautiful and conducive campus, which they described as one of the best they had ever seen.
Meanwhile the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FUNAAB-ICPD in the area of manpower training and development in science, technology and innovation management.
According to the Centre Manager of ICPD, Mr. Lawrence Kazeem, the collaboration was a welcomed development since the available facilities available at NACETEM had met international standards.