THE RIGHT COURSE

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THE RIGHT COURSE
Text of the Welcome Address delivered by the
Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof.
Is-haq O. Oloyede, on the Occasion of the Opening
Ceremony of the 24th Conference of the
Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian
Universities (AVCNU 2009) hosted by the
University of Ilorin on Tuesday June 2, 2009 at
the University Auditorium
2nd June, 2009
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THE RIGHT COURSE

• On behalf of the Council, Management, Senate,
  staff and students of the University of Ilorin,
  our esteemed and peaceful University that always
  in a state of harmony, I welcome you most
  sincerely to this occasion. We consider it a
  privilege that our University is honoured by this
  distinguished Association to host this Conference
  again, having hosted it earlier in 1992. It is
  our hope and prayer that as you arrived here in
  peace, we shall have fruitful deliberations and
  we shall all return in peace.

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• The purpose for which we are all here gathered
  is not far-fetched. It is for the 24th conference
  of our Association themed 21st Century Education
  in Nigeria Strides, Challenges and Pathways and
  it is mainly to turn round the fortune of
  education especially at the higher level in our
  beloved country. Towards achieving this purpose,
  a relatively busy schedule lies ahead of us after
  this ceremony as we exchange ideas, debate
  issues, map out strategies, discuss challenges,
  identify problems and suggest solutions to the
  urgent need of bringing our education to where it
  is supposed to be. I am very sure that we have
  all it takes to make Nigeria greater through our
  collective commitment to playing our part and
  doing our best in doing so.

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• The role of education in the development of any
  society is fundamental because the development of
  any society, any nation, is dependent on the
  human capital within the framework of which
  education is critical. Without education, without
  knowledge, all efforts at development are
  inconsequential and void. The thick line that
  demarcates development from underdevelopment is
  education. To move the nation forward and to meet
  up with the enormous 21st century challenges,
  education has to be accorded its rightful
  priority. This is the right course and this is
  why we, the gown and the town, are all gathered.

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• Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I said
  yesterday when the Governor of Kwara State, Dr.
  Bukola Saraki hosted us, that the essence of
  education is the development of our three hs
  the head, the heart and the hands. These three
  domains are what specialists would refer to as
  the cognitive, affective and psycho-motor
  components of learning. In other words, education
  is the process of developing ones mental
  alertness, regulating and improving ones
  attitudes and behaviours as well all acquiring
  skills with which things can be done. The need of
  combining these three has been emphasised by
  Goethe

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who noted that knowing is not enough, we must
apply. Wishing is not enough we must do. At the
University of Ilorin, part of our efforts in
ensuring and assuring the all-round development
of the hs informed our establishment, within the
last one year, of such centres as Technical and
Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC), Centre for
Research, Development and In-House Training
(CREDIT) and Centre for International Education
(CIE) among others.
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Besides, a short reflection on the thrust of the
national educational goals and objectives viz
(a) the inculcation of national consciousness and
national unity (b) the inculcation of the right
type of values and attitudes for the survival of
individuals and the Nigerian society (c) the
training of the mind in the understanding of the
world around and (d) the acquisition of the
appropriate skills, abilities and competencies
both mental and physical as equipment for the
individual to live in and contribute to the
development of the society will reveal the
connection of such goals to the triple hs. While
the extent to which our educational system
harmoniously blends these domains to shape what
we think, what we feel and what we do may still
leave much to be desired for a number of factors,
it is gratifying to note that we are on the right
course.
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• I say we are on the right course because the
  Federal Government is now giving higher education
  its deserved attention and one cannot but commend
  the YarAdua administration on this major
  achievement. As a beneficiary University of the
  recent intervention by the Federal Government
  through the injection of N47 billion in the
  system to assure quality and upgrade
  teaching/research activities, I on behalf of all
  of us, including those among us who will later
  benefit from such and those we are benefitting on
  their behalf, thank and appreciate the Federal
  Government through the Honourable Minister of
  Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, during whose tenure this
  landmark intervention is witnessed. Honourable
  Minister Sir, while you kindly accept my
  appreciation, I still use this medium, like
  Oliver Twist, to cry for more of such
  intervention in our educational system.

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• The triple hs I earlier referred to would
  logically inform our desire to make this
  conference a confluence of triple stakeholders
  the Government, the Academia and the Industry. It
  is perhaps easy to find a connection in how the
  government as the head of the people can make the
  academia, the heart of development, more
  functional as the industry also lends its hand of
  support as the end-user or potential user of the
  academic activities. As the Yoruba would say that
  ikoko meta kii da obe nu (the triple point
  heathen does not spill the soup pot), I welcome
  you triple stakeholders to this important
  Conference.

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• Lastly, while many issues have been lined up for
  discussion today and the rest of the Conference,
  which constitute part of the vision of the
  Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian
  Universities (AVCNU), let me conclude by urging
  us to take heed from the Japanese proverb,
  vision without action is a daydream. Action
  without vision is a nightmare. I believe we
  shall leave the University of Ilorin after this
  Conference without daydream or nightmare.
• Thank you very much for your attention and once
  again,

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YOU ARE WELCOME
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YOU ARE WELCOME