Alhaji Abubakar Atiku donates a 25-year-old crocodile to the University of Ilorin Zoological Garden, enhancing the zoo’s collection and community ties.

Philanthropist and traditional leader, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, has donated a 25-year-old crocodile to the University of Ilorin Zoological Garden.

The donation, valued in the millions of naira, highlights Atiku’s ongoing commitment to preserving tradition and enhancing community development.

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Atiku, who is the Balogun Fulani of Ilorin, spoke about the cultural and symbolic significance of crocodile rearing, describing it as an important aspect of royal heritage and a source of attraction.

He emphasized the strong bond between the University and the Ilorin community, noting that his family has long been associated with the practice of crocodile rearing.

The crocodile, now part of the University’s animal collection, is a notable addition to the zoo, which is dedicated to both conservation and education.

In receiving the donation, Oyeyemi Jekayinfa, Chairperson of the Unilorin Zoological Garden Board Management, expressed her appreciation for the gesture and invited the public to visit the zoo for both educational and recreational purposes.

Olatunji Yusuf, the General Manager of the zoo, also commended Atiku’s unique contribution, highlighting the zoo’s rich features, such as its natural environment, suspended bridge, and expert staff.

Yusuf emphasized that the zoo serves as an important cultural and educational resource for the Ilorin community.

The donation serves as a reminder of the importance of community involvement in educational and conservation initiatives, with the University’s zoo now set to become an even more significant destination for visitors interested in Nigeria’s natural and cultural heritage.

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) hosted a delegation from the National Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), led by Mrs. Alice Akinsola. The collaboration aims to enhance tourism and cultural heritage in Nigeria, focusing on engaging youth and educational institutions. The partnership will leverage upcoming World Tourism Day celebrations to showcase their joint efforts.

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) recently welcomed a high-level delegation from the National Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), South West Zone, led by Deputy Director and Zonal Coordinator Mrs. Alice Akinsola.

The visit aimed to explore collaborative opportunities to advance tourism and cultural heritage promotion in Nigeria, with a particular focus on engaging youth and academic institutions.

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In her remarks, Mrs. Akinsola highlighted the NTDA’s mission to “spread the gospel of tourism and culture” across the region.

She emphasized the crucial role that tertiary institutions like YABATECH play in shaping future leaders and professionals in the tourism industry. “Our objective is to build a sustainable future for tourism among the youth and academic institutions across Nigeria,” she stated.

Mrs. Akinsola identified the upcoming World Tourism Day as an ideal occasion to launch this partnership, envisioning significant impacts both within Nigeria and internationally.

The visit was met with enthusiasm by Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, the Rector of YABATECH, who expressed his deep appreciation for the NTDA’s initiative.

Dr. Abdul reaffirmed YABATECH’s commitment to bridging the gap between academia and industry, stating, “At YABATECH, we are dedicated to building a bridge that links the town with the gown, facilitating the holistic development of our students, the institution, and the nation at large.”

Dr. Abdul outlined the college’s ongoing efforts to foster unity and collaboration with various industries, stressing the importance of these partnerships in equipping graduates with practical skills and industry knowledge.

He noted that YABATECH strives to ensure its graduates are academically proficient and prepared to contribute meaningfully to their chosen fields.

The discussions during the visit underscored tourism’s role as a catalyst for national development. Both YABATECH and NTDA recognized their partnership’s potential to create a robust platform for promoting tourism and cultural heritage, benefiting both the student community and broader society.

Both leaders expressed confidence that this collaboration would set a new standard for institutional and industry partnerships in Nigeria.

“This partnership is more than just a collaboration; it is a shared commitment to building a brighter future for tourism in Nigeria,” remarked Dr. Abdul.

The upcoming World Tourism Day is anticipated to be a fitting occasion to showcase the achievements of this new alliance, with YABATECH and NTDA ready to make significant contributions to the event.

Dr. Abdul emphasized that YABATECH is not only a center of learning but also a catalyst for national progress, driving innovation and development across various sectors, including tourism.

Officials from the London Academy Business School and University of Sunderland are currently seeking approval from the National Universities Commission to run degree programmes in Nigeria.

A delegation from the University of Sunderland, led by Dr. Derek Watson, confirmed this after a meeting held in Abuja with the acting Executive Secretary, NUC, Chris Maiyaki, according to a statement released on Thursday.

Watson, an associate professor from the faculty of business law and tourism, assured that students in Nigeria would have the same academic standards as their counterparts in the United Kingdom, while the management, at the same time, promised to respect the environment and guidelines from the NUC.

He said, “The meeting with the executive secretary was very productive. The University of Sunderland has over 30 years of experience.

“What we have agreed on today is the criticality of following the compliance procedures. In addition to that, we would source credible academics to deliver our programmes from LABS who are qualified teachers and also practicing consultants. The students will get the same experience as those students studying in England.”

President/Director of Studies, London Academy Business School, Dr. Larry Jones-Esan, explained that the visit to NUC was to get the nod to run programmes in Nigeria.

He said, “The meeting with the NUC today is for us to get the recognition that we are allowed to run the Sunderland courses in Nigeria. So, we do not need the NUC accreditation, what we need is recognition. That is very important because if we run any course in Nigeria without them recognising it, that degree is useless and they cannot do NYSC, so we do not want that to be the case.

“So for us to do that, we have to get their permission first before we go out there and start recruiting students. Otherwise, we will be shooting ourselves in the foot. If they come here and say you are doing something illegal, you will pay a fine and before you get out of that, it will be too much.”

He stated further, “So what we have done is that we bring those people in and come in. Myself as the CEO of the London Academy Business School, make sure that we have them aware of what we are doing.

“Today is a very important day for the London Academy Business School in partnership with the University of Sunderland. We met with the executive secretary of the National University Commission and discussions went as planned, making sure that we do things right.

“One thing that came out very clear is that they want people to work with them but work in a way that they respect the authority, and respect the system and the environment.

“So we are going to make sure that everything we do follows the guidelines. We have very beautiful guidelines but if you fail to follow them, you might run into trouble. If two million people apply for university admissions every year in Nigeria and only seven hundred thousand are getting a place, that is a problem and that is a challenge. They want to solve that problem and we think we have come at the right time.

“We thank the delegates from the University of Sunderland working with the London Academy Business School in making sure that this gives results as quickly as possible.”

Earlier, the team visited the Nigerian Public Service Institute along Kubwa Road, Abuja, which is going to serve as the study centre and they were received by the administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the institute, Abdul-Ganiyu Obatayinbo.

The administrator said the environment was far better than what the University of Sunderland has in the UK, adding that the institute was saddled with the responsibility of building the capacity of public/civil servants.

He said that the institute has a 500-seat auditorium, 12 different halls of 30 seater capacity each, hostels with 202 bedrooms, a hospital, security quarters, a sports complex, entrepreneurship centre among other facilities, that would make teaching and learning conducive.

Some of the courses to be offered at the undergraduate level include computer science, business and management, and network system engineering, among others, while business administration, international business management, education leadership, among others, will be offered at the master’s level.