******ADUN Has Benefitted From Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme- Acting VC
*****Commendations As Federal Naval Varsity Hosts 2nd Quarter of SIWES Zonal Directors/Coordinators Meeting
********ADUN SIWES Director, ITF Area Manager, Others Speaks On The Essence of The Schemes In Nigerian Higher Institutions.
*******Nigerian Higher Institutions’ SIWES Directors; Dr. Kingsley Akputu, Prof Efe Sunday Proffer Solutions To Challenges Facing Scheme
By Victor Bieni, Ibusa
Professor Dili Ofuokwu, a Professor of English Language & Acting Vice-Chancellor, Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), Ibusa, Delta State, Nigeria, has said that ADUN has benefitted from SIWES while he commended the management of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Universities Commission (NUC) and other critical stakeholders such as Zonal Directors/Coordinators of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme- (SIWES) in various higher Institutions in Delta State, Nigeria for the platform given to the Institution to showcase themselves to the world.
Professor Dili Ofuokwu made this remark on Thursday, June 26, 2024 during the Second Quarterly SIWES Zonal Directors Coordinators Meeting held at Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba Multi-purpose Hall Main Campus, Ibusa, Delta State as ADUN hosted in grand-style second quarter SIWES Zonal Directors/Coordinators in the University.
The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme- SIWES is compulsory skills designed to expose and prepare students of higher Institution for the industrial work situation related to their field, they are likely to meet after graduation. Industrial Training Fund (ITF) conducts research on manpower and industrial training needs to assist employers solve human resource development problems. National Universities Commission (NUC) sees SIWES as accepted training program, which is part of the approved minimum academic standard in the various degree programmes for all Nigerian Universities.
Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), Ibusa, Delta State despite being one of the youngest higher Institutions in the State hosted various SIWES Directorates as Institution received encomiums from stakeholders. ADUN was established under the private Universities Act CAP E3, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 via the issuance of an operating license in December 2017, by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The University, initially owned by the Nigerian Navy, is now a full fledged Federal University through an Act assented to, by the immediate past President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gen. Muhammad Buhari (rtd.) GCFR on the 8th February, 2023.
Declaring the event open, ADUN Acting VC, Prof Dili Ofuokwu who was ably represented by ADUN Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Rear Admiral M. M Abdullahi while welcoming the SIWES Zonal Directors/Coordinators to the University, he commended the various Institutions on their commitment towards ensuring that objectives of the scheme is not defeated
Most importantly, the event started with a courtesy call by ITF officials and other delegates from various higher Institutions in Delta State which included amongst others are: Delta State, Abraka, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, University of Delta, Agbor, Delta State University of Science & Technology, Ozoro, Petroleum Training Institute, Efurun, Federal College of Education (T), Asaba, Delta State Polytechnic , Ogwashi-uku, Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara and among others.
The Chairman of the event and ITF Warri Zonal Director, Mr. Otuene in his remarks hailed the achievements recorded by the Coordinators in terms of students coordination, administration and supervision and warm reception and powerful hosting by ADUN University, Ibusa. Also, ADUN’s SIWES Director, Dr. Kingsley Akputu appraised the various Institutions Directors/Coordinators for the opportunity, platform given to them by ITF & NUC as the anchor of the program to showcase ADUN to the world, a University known for its students rooted in discipline, good character learning and a centre of grooming luminary leaders.
In a separate interview with our reporter soon after the meeting, the ADUN SIWES Director, Dr. Kingsley Apkutu who stated that the meeting as hosted by ADUN is held by its SIWES Zonal Directors/Coordinators four times in a year to appraise achievements, chart the way-forward to the challenges facing the scheme. Dr. Kingsley stated that ADUN SIWES Directorate is interfacing with Government, Institutions and various stakeholders in terms of ensuring that their students are gainfully employed after graduation.
He applauded the performance of ADUN Students in SIWES Directorate defined, simplified the essence of SIWES to students of various Institutions which he said bothers on Skills, employability and enterprise. While calling on students to show more commitment stated that coordination , administration and funding are three major challenges facing the scheme in various Institutions, but ADUN being the youngest of all higher Institutions in the State has been given a platform to overcome those challenges.
Also Speaking is DELSU’s SIWES Director who doubles as a Professor of Climate Change & Environmental Management, Professor Efe Sunday who spoke on behalf othe ITF Warri Zonal Director, Mr Otuene, stated that the essence of SIWES to Institutions included amongst others are: To equip the students with knowledge, skills, and enterprise during their six (6) months training so that upon graduation they become employers of labour. He then noted that the challenges faced by the scheme in various Institutions in Delta State and Nigeria in general as listed by ADUN’s SIWES Director, Dr. Kingsley Apkutu can be solved if logistics, facilities and cars are made available to various Directorates for effective coordination and administration of the scheme and most importantly students supervision by Governments, ITF and concerned critical stakeholders.