Gani Adams lauds LASU’s initiatives for sustaining Yoruba language

• Urges monarchs to build mini museums in palaces
• NACETEM raises concern over shortage of Physics teachers

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has lauded the management of the Lagos State University (LASU) for sustaining the Yoruba language in the school’s curriculum, urging other tertiary institutions in Yorubaland to take a cue from such a new initiative.

Adams, who spoke, yesterday, during the 2024 edition of the Ajagunmale festival in Lekki, Lagos, also reiterated the need to make the Yoruba language compulsory for admission into state universities, adding that the Yoruba language, with its rich contents, articulation and delivery, remained a potent tool for liberation.

He, however, urged Yoruba monarchs to preserve history, documents and artifacts by building a mini-museum in their palaces, which according to him, has been the pride of the Yoruba race.

“Each of the palaces in Yorubaland must have a mini-museum showing the history of past traditional rulers, their pictures, and everything that has to do with their memories,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Onileeki of Lekki Kingdom, Oba Olumuyiwa Ogunbekun, who expressed delight at the role played by the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) under the leadership of the Aare Ona Kakanfo, said that Lekki had been benefitting immensely from both the physical and spiritual advantage of celebrating Ajagunmale festival.

IN another development, the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) has raised the alarm over the shortage of Physics teachers in Nigeria, warning that the gap could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s scientific and technological development.

Director-General/CEO of NACETEM, Dr Olusola Odusanya, stated this during the yearly general meeting and scientific conference of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Odusanya emphasised the vital role Physics plays as the foundation of all sciences, noting that the shortage could have profound implications for Nigeria’s ability to meet the demands of an increasingly technology-driven world.

He said that the lack of qualified Physics educators is leading to fewer students pursuing the subject, which threatens the future of science, engineering, medicine, and other critical fields that rely on Physics background.

Physics is at the centre of all sciences, and without enough teachers to impart this knowledge, we risk a severe shortage of scientists, engineers, doctors, and other professionals. We must start creating new Physics teachers to meet the growing demand in these essential sectors.”

He, therefore, stressed the need for a broader societal shift to embrace technology and modern educational methods to effectively tackle the challenges faced by the education system.

The Keynote Speaker, Dr Nkem Torimiro, who spoke on the theme, “Building Institutional Capacity for Biorisk Management – Framework for Responsible Medical Sciences Research,” said in an era where medical research is increasingly linked to technological advancement, the exposure to emerging threats has significantly grown.

Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, UNILAG, Prof. Akinniyi Osuntoki, also emphasised the critical need for multidisciplinary and collaborative research in the medical sciences. Osuntoki said that the future of education and research lies in the integration of various fields, from medical science to technology.