Academia, Experts, Call for Paradigm Shift as Ife Institute of Advanced Studies Commences 4th Summer Institute
The academia and experts have called for a paradigm shift in African education and research curriculum to fit into the present realities of the continent and the new normal. The calls were made by different speakers at the opening ceremony of the 4th Summer Institute of Ife Institute of Advanced Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
While declaring the programme open, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, reiterated the vision of the summer institute which is to build on the collective vision of supporting young and emerging scholars in Africa. He noted the programme which is in its fourth year has yielded results for past attendees. He then commended the convener, Prof. Jacob Oluponna, for choosing the university to be the venue for such impactful vision. He appreciated the efforts of the facilitators and sponsors who made this edition a reality despite the Coronavirus pandemic. Ogunbodede charged the fellows of the 4th Institute to appreciate the efforts of the organizers by giving back when it is their own time.
In his own remarks, the convener, Prof. Jacob Oluponna, said the vision behind the Summer Institute is to create a platform where the skills and competencies of the participants would be strengthened to conduct cutting edge research in both the humanities and the social sciences. He also pointed to the fact that the essence of the 2-week event is imbued fellows with values that would place them on a global knowledge pedestal. Oluponna noted that this year’s edition has altered the nature of the summer institute as the programme shifted online because of the COVID 19 pandemic. This, according to him, has expanded the participation in the programme as over 100 participants were drawn from 20 countries of the world including Nigeria, US, India, Canada, Cameroon, Egypt, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ireland and others. He therefore thanked the sponsors, Ford Foundation, for supporting the vision of the institute.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Francis Egbokhare, who is a professor of Linguistics and President of Nigerian Academy of Letters, made a call for a paradigm shift in the way research is conducted in Nigerian/African universities. He emphasized the recent shift in knowledge production and consumption which was accentuated by the COVID 19 pandemic. Prof. Egbokhare noted the need for trans-disciplinary, interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches to the conduct of research on a global level. He asserted that these approaches are needed to provide solutions to the myriad of problems facing the continent. He, however, berated the Nigerian universities’ sluggishness to flow with the current tide of the new logic. He asserted that to provide comprehensive solutions to issues, there is a need for interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration between the researchers on the continent.
In her goodwill message, Chief Mrs Ibukun Awosika, the Chairman of First Bank Nigeria, also called for a more robust relationship between the universities and the organized private sector to allow for training of students to suit labour market demands. Chief Awosika observed that as things stand, the graduates from Nigerian universities are not suitable for the available jobs in the labour market. She appreciated the organizers for an attempt to bridge an existing gap in the Nigerian/African research space.
The 2020 Ife Summer Institute – with the theme Exploring New Frontiers: Knowledge Creation, Collaboration and Dissemination – is the fourth edition and will be held online from July 20 to August 1, 2020. The programme will involve panel sessions and lectures on mentorship and networking, research methodology, scientific research writing, remote teaching and digital pedagogues.
Hunger Is The Real Pandemic, Let’s Discuss
Before pandemic there was hunger and after pandemic, there will still be hunger, and one amongst many reasons the world population is shedding against the pandemic (COVID 19), is because, it is liable to throw the world into famine; except for who benefits from it.
Anyways, remember the days of Egypt; even if countries and entities stockpile their money barns off of this pandemic, such as Amazon and Facebook are doing, there’s still the possibility that the humans behind these entities will still need the farmers in the field, to produce the food they will pay for with their money; unless they will employ aliens to produce different kind of edibles.
I remember in one of my articles, years ago; Africa: Looking Beyond The Education Limits
As the world is moving rapidly into Technology is as the need for food to sustain the masses is increasing and a time will come when both the poor and the rich will seek for common bread, then he will need to pay thousands, if not millions to have a handful.
I lamented on what may be the situation of the world even before the pandemic came into the picture. The excerpt would say; Imagine a day that you will have all the money you need, but to buy a handful of food, you get to spend x 10 of that food in cash. You may afford it in the early days of the season, but after a few months, you may not be able to maintain it.
- WE CAN’T EAT MONEY, SO WHY STOCKPILE MONEY? Please help with your answers in the comment section below.
That calls to the main idea behind this article; Agriculture, and Infrastructure that aids the food industry to thrive.
I read a blog by a good friend Samuel Damilola Olugbamila known by his stage name Blista Sam,
Titled; Agriculture or Entertainment where the topic was favoring the extended industrialization of the Entertainment industry, over the Agriculture Industry… then I laughed, why? Because I know very well that, “A HUNGRY MAN DOES NOT WATCH MOVIES,” – Chidiebere Moses Ogbodo said.
So, instead of comparing and contrasting industries over each other, why not find a way to balance it by saying; let us industrialize the;
- Infrastructure/Civil Engineering Industry to aid Agriculture
- Entertainment Industry to super aid Agriculture
- Education Industry to innovate, and facilitate the next and better phase of Agriculture, and even
- The Religious Industry hit the hammer on the head of the loyalties to take up their shovels and diggers and enter the next farmland near their houses and start producing food.
After the pandemic, the majority of industrialists will choose work from home over the traditional office space. Imagine the opportunity of working from the comfort of your home, and how beneficial it will be, if farming is now a core part of your leisure.
That reminds me; I was once thinking in 2017, days with Insights Success Magazine, of how to build a virtual office space, where a CEO can monitor their employees’ live activities from a game-pad looking device. I will explain in detail how the technicalities will become a reality, if called to stage with the opportunity.
With this in place, companies and even the big organizations will be a simple handy device, requiring no physical infrastructure to operate conglomerates. And now, that leads us to the new project started on Friday, June 26, 2020 called FoodMoby.com a food vendors aggregator platform as a product by PingSmile.com Tech, a Community of Happy people.
The FoodMoby.com was started mainly for the purpose of reducing the food industry’s paralysis and the limited choice given to consumers to reach a variety of recipes at competitive prices, hence making the choice that suits their pocket. And the extended features as per the business plan of the project, will help to boost the desire to enter farmlands to produce food in the country, to the continent and the possibility of reaching all over the world.
Hunger is the real pandemic,Yes! and this cannot be disputed, but with the right fixes and optimization of ideas, and implementation of non-redacted steps, the pandemic will go, and hunger will lose its hold for many years, not until the system stays put with the promise to make food production a priority over stockpiling their cash barns.
STOCK THE FOOD BARNS, WHILE STOCKING THE CASH BARNS; a proper redesign is a stronger win in this concern. MAN CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT FOOD, but man can survive without money (in paper or coin; trade by batter).
To conclude:
Taking Nigeria as a case study; a local man does not understand the word, “Pandemic,” but he understands and can interpret the language of hunger. A local Nigerian man, can choose to die of COVID 19, than to sit and let hunger take his children right before his eyes. If any other race can do it, at least not an Igbo Man. so let the race begin,whilst the new norm does not take us unawares.
If we are overwhelmed by the idea of pandemic, and uncontrollable changes in the system off of it, at least with the right dish on table,and a good aroma, the brain can come up with workable ideas to stand straight, think out, and find actionable solutions.
This is FoodMoby.com by PingSmile.com Tech, a Community of Happy people
Motto: Eat & Jump (We want you to Eat from Mama Adaobi and Jump to Mama Nkechi for more dishes at good prices, possibly with better taste and variety).
Brief Intro: At FoodMoby.com we support Restaurants, Hotels, and Food-vendors from their homes to sell food and reach new customers through our platform accounts.
N/B: The article took two months of check and balancing to come up with and agree to the points above.
Thank you for reading, if you have ideas to discuss regarding the topic, please use the comment section, it is a pleasure to discuss innovation.
WeForGood Partners Tekedia Institute To Train WFG Fellows [Apply for Grants]
WeForGood International works with leading global and local institutions like the UN, World Bank, banks, etc to advance communities through support of entrepreneurial and non-profit missions . Temitayo Ade-Peters is the CEO of WeForGood (WFG). Last year, it made total grants close to $300,000 to its fellows, with $10,000-$20,000 grant typical. For this year, WeForGood has moved its training to Tekedia Mini-MBA Corporate which focuses on corporate training. Only Fellows who have gone through the Tekedia customized Mini-MBA program for WeForGood can qualify. For more, visit WeForGood application form and apply for consideration as a WFG fellow.
This training focuses on the WFG Sustainable Solutions Africa Project. The project is a blended fellowship and accelerator programme to promote skills for sustainable development, specifically for reducing unemployment and poverty alleviation on the continent. The initiative targets youths who have developed skills with which they create opportunities for themselves and others. WFG empowers start-ups and social entrepreneurs who run for-profit and not-for-profit businesses addressing one or more areas of the SDGs to amplify their impact through training, coaching and access to financial support.
WeForGood is a community that brings people and organisations together to act on causes they care about, employing technology as an enabler for effective citizenship, collaboration and participation in fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals, and for the overall wellbeing of communities. The aim of the community is to equip the everyday individual to go beyond ‘talk’ and take purposeful action. The platform connects and enables people with similar passion to turn their passion into power, and make collective impact.
Tekedia Mini-MBA Corporate is a customized version of the general Tekedia Mini-MBA designed for institutions by sector, phase of growth and organizational structure. It focuses on the same core theme of innovation, growth and digital execution.
Is Buratai Blaming Nigerians for his Inability to Contain Insurgency?
Tukur Buratai, the Nigeria Chief of Army Staff, has indirectly blamed Nigerians for the inability of the military and police force to contain terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and so on. He made this accusation on Monday 20 July, 2020, when he visited the President to give him updates on national security matters. Buratai told journalists that it is up to Nigerians to decide on whether they want insecurity to end or not.
Buratai said “If Nigerians want it to end today, I can assure you it will end today if everybody joins hands because these bandits are not outside Nigeria. They are not from foreign land.” Furthermore, he said, “Like I said, if we want it to end, the totality of the people’s effort must be put into it to see that insecurity in this country is reduced to the barest minimum.”
I don’t know exactly who these “Nigerians” the Chief of Army Staff is referring to, but I hope it is not the common man that wants to move around the country freely. From what he said, people that don’t live in Nigeria will think that we are enjoying the high rate of insecurity in the country. People are losing their lives and properties daily. Farms have turned into settlements for these people. Villages have been sacked. And many Nigerians have become refugees in their own country. So who exactly is Buratai blaming for the incapability of the people we trusted to fight insecurity? Or is he saying Nigerians should find weapons and join the battlefield?
It is possible that the army chief is indirectly telling Nigerians that they are harbouring these people and shielding them from security personnel. It is possible that he believes that these villagers that are killed in their numbers know where these men hide but wouldn’t divulge the information. It is also possible that he believed Nigerians willingly allowed their children to be recruited by these bandits and insurgents.
If the army chief is blaming us for aiding and abetting insecurities in this country, I believe they have those that gather information for them. Shouldn’t he have gone for that? He also made mention of the army setting up surveillance for these bandits; isn’t that for finding who these people are and where they hide? If they are having problems locating these insurgents and their hideouts, he should say so, so that whistleblowers will do their jobs.
Another possibility is that Buratai may not be blaming ordinary Nigerians but the elites, especially the political ones. It is possible that he is indirectly telling us that certain people are frustrating his works. We have seen videos of Nigerian soldiers complaining about lack of weapons with which to fight insurgency. We have heard of probes concerning the misappropriation of funds meant for the purchase of weapons. We have also heard that corruption thrives among the top military officials and elites. Of course we don’t need to talk about politicians and public servants. So could it then be that Buratai is asking these groups of people to say “yes” so that insurgency will end?
I truly don’t know who is delaying the containment of insecurity in this country but that person or persons need to be contained immediately. People that have seen these bandits said that they are ordinary civilians with guns. We have heard that these people are no match for our military men, so what is actually the problem? Imagine untrained men ambushing and killing many trained military men; or even engaging our soldiers in duels and winning. This just comes to tell you that something is seriously wrong somewhere. And honestly, unless that hole is blocked and the thing that causes it is removed, insecurity will overwhelm us in the nearest future.
We need to encourage our Chief of Army Staff to do more in his battle against insurgency. We shall ask him not to relent in his efforts towards protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians. As for whether Nigerians wanted the insurgency to end, we say a big “YES, we want insecurity to end today”. As for where those people are hiding, let us tell him to start from our farms. We are tired of being captives in our own country.