Date: 2017-09-05

The out-going Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, has called for greater support for science and ICT courses in the country.

He noted that science students often battled challenges such as inadequate lecturers and laboratory equipment as well as epileptic power supply.

Ambali's views were supported by the Provost, College of Education, Ilorin, Dr. Isiaka Opobiyi; a lecturer at Unilorin, Dr. Abubakar Aliaga, a former Kwara State Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Raji Mohammed and The President, The Third Estate, Alhaji Ahmed Bolaji-Nagode.

They spoke on Monday on the sidelines of a summit by the Third Estate in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Ambali said, "While Arts students can manage to read with torchlight, science students need facilities for practical classes. The challenge is that you cannot have practical classes without power supply."

In his remarks, Bolaji-Nagode stated that the group had awarded scholarship to indigent students and provided boreholes to communities.

He added that the association would train some indigenes on ICT to become self-employed.

Nagode said, "We are alive to the need to shift attention from white collar jobs to self sufficiency and employment. We intend to sponsor the training of select young graduates from the emirate to acquire skills in information technology.

"The objective of this initiative is to make them self-employed upon the completion of their programme and also to become potential employers of labour in the IT market."

The Director, Test Administration and Evaluation, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Dr. Yusuf Lawal, said that more candidates applied for Arts and Management courses than Science courses. Lawal, who was the guest lecturer at the event, said it was imperative to encourage more candidates to study Science courses to attain technological advancement.

He said, "There should be concerted efforts at implementing the 60:40 per cent Science: Arts ratio. There should also be improved teaching and learning of science at the Junior Secondary School level. There should be scholarship/bursary for science students; it is also important to have a science graduates research scheme. The Degree/Higher National Diploma dichotomy should be removed."