Author: Optimal Times

Three  of the University of Ibadan students have been selected  for the U7+ student challenge , holding in Cote D’Ivoire between May 15 -17 2024. The students are Goodness Balogun and James Olayinka  of the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, and Victoria Ayodeji of the Department of Food Technology. The 2024 event is to be  hosted by the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. The challenge teams of the institutions selected are made up of three students at any level, either undergraduate, graduate, or professional plus one faculty member or staff leader who will pitch an…

A  professor of Economic History and Development Studies at the  Benue State University,  Markudi and Secretary General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu,  has charged stakeholders in the country’s education sector to consider “flipping” the current national situation by turning problems into opportunities. Ochefu gave the charge while leading the 81st  Interdisciplinary Research Discourse of the Postgraduate College of the University of Ibadan. The topic was ” Rethinking the Philosophy of University Education in Nigeria in the Era of Education  4.0″ Professor Ochefu in his lecture sought to take a hard look at the triggers,…

DOES storytelling during a presentation come easily to you? It doesn’t to everyone. Why is it important? Storytelling and anecdotes are powerful tools in evoking your listeners’ emotions and making your message receptive and engaging; it allows you to illustrate key points in a way that captures, inspires, and motivates your audience. Incorporating personal or relatable storytelling and anecdotal narratives can convey complex information and enhance the overall impact of your speech. In this article, we will discuss how you can harness your storytelling ability in delivering an effective and memorable speech. Understanding your audience is an essential you don’t want…

Olori Olayinka Balogun, the Director of the Unicorn Respite and Rehabilitation Centre,  on Wednesday held the maiden edition of the Liberating the Needy 2024 programme in memory of Oba Mohood Olalekan Balogun,Alli-Okunmade II,  Olubadan of Ibadan, who in his lifetime believed in the indispensable role of women in the society. The event which was held at the Community School adjacent to the late Oba’s palace, witnessed the  distribution of items like sewing machines, carpenters’ drilling tools, cash gifts to small scale traders, food packages to widows and the needy  from more than 20 non-governmental organisations in Oyo and Osun states.…

“Zik Changes Gear.” This was the explosive headline used by the Daily Sketch, the Ibadan based  newspaper in the seventies to describe the maneuvering of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe through the political terrain leading to the Second Republic.  I have modified this headline in this piece to describe the recent change of direction by the Nigerian Police Force, under the hardworking Kayode Egbetokun in the current discussions on the need for State Policing. At the recent Dialogue on State Policing organized by the House of Representatives, all the political heavyweights in the country like the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, former Head …

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Dr Olutoyin Okeowo, yesterday, described Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo, as a distinguished personality, whose towering eminence is celebrated widely across the globe. Prof Banjo, who clocks 90 on Thursday, served as the pioneer Pro-Chancellor and later, chairman of ACU Board of Trustees, succeeding Emeritus Prof Oladipo Akinkugbe. Before he became pioneer Pro-Chancellor of ACU, he served as chairman of the university implementation committee. In his birthday message to the professor of English, Okeowo said, “Ayo Banjo remains a great man of imposing height, having been able to…

Security scholars, experts and other stakeholders, on wednesday, said  cooperative networking is pivotal for sustaining peace in the Southwest and the country as a whole. The scholars and stakeholders included a renowned scholar, Prof. Olawale Albert; the Director of the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies [IPSS], University of Ibadan, Dr. Ruth Adio-Moses; the immediate past Director of IPSS, Prof. Dominic Danjibo;  the Oyo State Commandant of Amotekun Corps, Col. Olayinka  Olayangu [rtd]; Dr. Olanrewaju A. Oladejo of IPSS,  Community Engagement Officer of United States Institute of Peace,Nigeria [USIP], Tarfa Hemen and others. They made the call during a capacity-building…

Commercial banks in Nigeria closed 2.021 million bank accounts in the first quarter of 2024, Q1’24, to clean their books of questionable accounts and comply with regulatory orders on the linkage of bank accounts to the National Identity Number ( NIN). This is contained in a report by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) which also indicated that the number of inactive bank accounts grew month-on-month, MoM, by four million or 2.0 per cent to 19.7 million in March 2024 from 19.3 million in the previous month, February. A bank account is classified inactive when it records zero transactions including deposits,…

Lagos State’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Wednesday said the government discovered 86 partitioned rooms, sized 10×10 and 12×10, under the Dolphin Estate Bridge, Ikoyi, on Lagos Island. Tenants are said to be paying N250,000 per annum for the makeshift apartment under the bridge. Wahab shared this information via a post on X.com on Wednesday, along with videos. He added that the enforcement team of Lagos State’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources had successfully removed all structures, including a container utilised for various illegal activities, from beneath the Dolphin Estate bridge. Sharing videos he wrote,…

A boy was born at Oyo town to the family of late Pa. Reverend Samuel Ayodele Banjo and Mama  Comfort Jokotola Banjo (nee Osinuga) of the Arobieke family of Oke-Jaga, Ijebu-Igbo, in present day Ogun State of Nigeria on Wednesday, 2nd May 1934. He was destined to be great. The then little bundle of joy has grown to be known as Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, CON, NNOM, FNAL, quondam Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. He turns 90 years old today. It is time to celebrate an academic luminary, an icon, an eminent citizen of the world and a father…