The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has advocated the introduction of a seminar system for academic performance evaluation and award of degrees in tertiary institutions in the country..
Governor Diri made the advocacy while speaking as the Visitor to the International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality along the Opolo/AIT Road in Yenagoa during the institution’s maiden matriculation ceremony, at the weekend.
The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said no education system could turn out thorough-bred and knowledgeable graduates by solely depending on the results of periodic examinations to award degrees and other academic qualifications.
He therefore made a case for the Nigerian education system to borrow a leaf from the Western models, where seminar presentations are used as the main criteria for academic performance evaluation and award of degrees.
Governor Diri maintained that because of the rot in the Nigerian educational system over the years, the country now boasts of a lot of graduates with all classes of certificates without the requisite knowledge to back up such qualifications, stressing that it was high time the system was modified.
His words: “I want to encourage us today, that we must take the issue of our education and the standards we set for it very seriously. We must set high standards because the education we have today is still too primordial.
“We must move forward. More often than not, we still rely on examinations to determine the capacity of our students. I think the Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions should start inching out of that cauldron.
“We can’t remain in that cauldron and believe that we are bringing out well educated people. What most of our students do, is to prepare for, write and then pass their examinations. And that is the only thing they acquire.
“I believe we should adopt the seminar system of education, where students are exposed to seminars and present papers. Because for any seminar they present, there is a retained or reserved knowledge because of the research they must have conducted.”
The Bayelsa Chief Executive, who applauded his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, for his foresight in setting up the institute, called on its management to distinguish themselves by not compromising high academic standards in the institute.
He also called on the matriculating students to wholly apply themselves to their studies, saying “pleasure and studies are not compatible in the academic life of a student.”
Senator Diri reassured the management of the Institute that his administration would fully support their programmes, as the state takes steps to carve a niche for itself in the tourism industry.
Speaking earlier as chairman of the occasion, the Honourable Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Iti Orugbani, thanked the Governor for providing the enabling environment for the institute to thrive.
Dr Orugbani who highlighted that the Tourism Institute now runs national diploma programmes, encouraged the matriculants to imbibe perseverance, hard work, humility and dedication to their studies to come out in flying colours at the end of their academic programmes at the institute.
In his welcome address, the Rector of the Bayelsa State International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Professor Apuega Arikawei, remarked that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) granted operational licence to the institute in 2021.
Professor Apuega who expressed gratitude on behalf of the institute to the Governor for his untiring efforts and commitment to educational development in the state, disclosed that the institution had been enlisted by JAMB and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
He charged the 48 pioneer matriculating students of the institute to be serious with their studies, as their certification in their various programmes would be premised on the two-fold parameter of character and learning.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Africa, Toru Orua, Prof. Kingston Nyamapfene, also delivered a goodwill message at the ceremony officiated by the Registrar of the Institute, Dr Ovienadu Torutein.
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