Education

UNILAG Senate meets to choose acting VC

Published

4 years ago

August 24, 2020

The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) is presently meeting to choose an Acting Vice-Chancellor despite the institution’s Registrar, Oladejo Azeez sending an email to Senate members to wait for further clarification on their assignment.

This follows President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on Friday that due process should be followed – which is that the Senate should elect an Ag. VC as opposed to the Governing Council doing so.

The President also asked the Council-appointed Ag. VC, Prof. Theophilus Soyombo to step down

In a mail titled: “Notice to All Senate members”, Oladejjo Azeez, who has been an ally of the Governing Council chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin, said no meeting had been summoned.

Babalakin and the embattled VC the Council removed, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, were asked to recuse themselves from the affairs of the University until the Visitation panel set up to look into the university’s affairs concludes its investigation.

Oladejo’s mail reads: “This is to inform all Senate members that no meeting of the Senate has been summoned.

“Members should await proper Notice of Meeting after the Federal Government of Nigeria has clarified some issues germane to the meeting.”

The Registrar also signed a letter addressed to the Head, Auditorium Management Unit, J.J.F Ade Ajayi Auditorium, University of Lagos and pasted around the main auditorium, venue of the Senate meeting, instructing the official not to make any facility available for the Senate meeting for the same reason.

It reads in part: “It follows that you do not make any of your facilities available for any meeting until otherwise advised.”

However, the Senate convened regardless.

A member of the Senate (names withheld) told The Nation that Oladejo was not a member of the Senate.

“Oladejo is not a member of the Senate. We are about to start in the Main Auditorium,” the source said

The source said the Senate would vote one of the Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola (DVC Development Services), or Prof. Ben Oghojafor (DVC Management Services) as Acting VC.

“Meeting is ongoing. We are waiting for ballot papers to vote for the Acting VC that is Prof Folasade Ogunsola and Prof Ben Oghojafor,” the source said.

The NATION

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Education

NGO Seeks For Partnership In Building Young Talents in Robotics Skill

Published

6 days ago

January 29, 2025

The Gleamer

Mariam Sanni

The Founder of Coderina EDTECH, Olajide Ajayi has emphasized the need for broader stakeholder involvement in building young talent in robotics, coding and digital skills, particularly from the corporate and non -profit sectors, to enhance the program’s impact.

Ajayi said this in an interview with pressmen at the opening ceremony of 2024/2025 First LEGO League Nigeria championship in Robotics held in Abuja .

He explained that the program is aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent in robotics, coding, and digital skills.

According to him, the program was initiated in 2012 and expanded in 2016 through a partnership with the Ministry of Education, has inspired over 10,000 students and influenced educational policies.

He added that the initiative has also motivated students to create their own organizations and tech solutions, highlighting the importance of problem-solving and critical thinking in innovation

“Students are not only learning but also creating solutions to community problems, such as the Emmanuel robot created by Federal Government Girls College. The program has led to the creation of new organizations and companies by participants, and many seek mentoring to scale their solutions globally.

“Critical thinking and the ability to see problems as opportunities for innovation are key to solving challenges.The program encourages participants to think critically and create solutions to real-world problems. Innovation happens when individuals can identify and resolve challenges in their communities.

He identified the Federal Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, as well as the Ministry of Science and Technology, as key stakeholders, calling for more partnership with the agencies.

He said that increased involvement from these stakeholders would benefit the program and its participants.

Ajayi reiterated that the program aims to continue growing and inspiring more young people to create and innovate with technology.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa who was represented by the Director of Technology and Science Education, Dr MA Olodo during his welcome address at the event, said the the programme is showcasing the outstanding achievement of young minds who have worked tirelessly to design, build and programme robots.

He added that it is also a powerful platform that encourages participants to tackle real-world problems through innovative, teamwork, impact and discovery .

“The competition’s four core elements – Research , Robot Design, Core , Values and the Robot Game – highlight the diverse skills required to excel in the AI – driven World. It is my hope that every team here has not only advanced their technical skills but also cultivated critical life skills such as teamwork , problem- solving and resilience,” he stated.

He urged all stakeholders to support the winners in their journey to represent Nigeria at the International Championship , noting that this will create life changing opportunities for the young innovators.

The competition is among 1000 participants who are young talents and over 40 secondary schools across the country .

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