OAU Medical Students Shine Brightly at 2024 Mega Designathon Event

By Ogunlana Klistivivi 

In a remarkable showcase of innovation and excellence, medical students from Obafemi Awolowo University have emerged as one of the winners of the 2024 Mega Designathon, held at the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Yaba, Lagos.

Organized by researchers from Washington State University, the University of Northern Carolina, and with support from the Lagos State Government, the four-day event aimed to harness the creative potential of youth in developing innovative, self-devised, and well-researched solutions to increasing vaccination uptake and promoting early screening for cervical cancer and HPV-related cancers, as well as Hepatitis B.

Out of over 140 Nigerian youths aged 19 to 24 participating in the event, the medical students from Obafemi Awolowo University distinguished themselves as second runners-up in the 4Communities and 4Mothers and Babies categories. Initially, each team, comprising of over 1000 applicants, submitted their ideas, after which the top 10 teams, comprising 140 participants were selected.

Subsequently, they engaged in a three-day workshop, which included training on human-centered design thinking approaches, panel sessions, mentorship sessions to assess feasibility and innovation of ideas, and the final day where they pitched their ideas to judges from diverse backgrounds.

The teams competed against nine others, pitching innovative solutions to promote HPV vaccination among girls and birth-dose hepatitis B vaccination for newborns in Nigeria.

Team Shield, comprising Akinmoladun Precious, Eshemokhai Okhesomi, Ibironke Bright, Akanni Shukrah, and Elufiloye Victoria, pitched on “How might we promote HPV vaccination among girls in Nigeria?” under the 4Communities Category. Meanwhile, Team Hexa, consisting of Olowoyeye Aishat, Akindele Boluwatife, Obaniyi Oluwatotele, and Ikotun Taofikat, pithched on “How might we promote birth-dose hepatitis B vaccination for newborns in Nigeria?” under the 4Mothers and Babies Category.

Their outstanding pitches earned them a cash prize of 300,000 Naira and an opportunity for a one-month boot camp later in the year, where they will collaborate with renowned medical researchers, policymakers, and others to refine their ideas.

Ibironke Bright, expressing her delight as being part of the winning team said “The Designathon was life changing for me. It gave me an opportunity to brainstorm and do something outside the typical school work. I also got the opportunity to network with a lot of great people. It was my first time doing such, and being part of the winners is landmark for me. In summary,  It was phenomenal.”

Olowoyeye Aishat, a member of Team Hexa, expressed enthusiasm for their project, highlighting its potential to make a meaningful impact in local communities. 

This achievement underscores the promising future of Nigerian youth in addressing critical healthcare challenges through innovation and collaboration.

African Liberty Writing Fellowship calls for applications for 2024/2025.

 

“The African Liberty Writing Fellowship program is a year-long program designed to train young Africans with career interests in academia, media, public policy, or any other critical-and-analytical-writing-related career in opinion article writing. We have helped our fellows get featured in leading African and non-Africa media outlets. You may visit our Media Hits page to see what fellows published in the last four cohorts. 

Accepted applicants will complete a five-week mandatory online training. The top candidates from the five-week training will be admitted as African Liberty writing fellows. The five-week training starts on May 21, 2024 and ends on June 18, 2024. The writing fellowship starts on July 8, 2024 and ends on July 8, 2025.  

BENEFITS: 

• Access to expert instructors.

• 12-month writing fellowship.

• Get published in Africa’s top newspapers.

• Monthly stipend for top contributors.

• Opportunity for TV and radio features. 

ELIGIBILITY: 

An applicant has to be enrolled in, or must have graduated from, an African institution of higher learning. Or, be an African pursuing higher education outside the continent”

APPLICATION: 

Visit the application page and complete the application form here. 

Applications should be submitted on or before April 30, 2024. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered”

For more information, visit the African Liberty website.

Students Lament over the Limited Time to Prepare For Tests, Projects and Exams

 

By Oluwasegun Akintunde

Is it safe to say that lecturers across the faculties and departments on the OAU campus are intentionally treating students' academics with levity, or is it just too much workload on them that has made it seem like they are stretching themselves and their students thin to finish their syllabuses for the semester? Or is it the unavailability of venues for the said classes and exams that's the issue?

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have voiced their grievances over the need to attend lectures, submit various assignments, and present papers while preparing for ongoing tests. Traditionally, tests have been scheduled days before the D-day to enable students to prepare well.

Various students testified that having lectures and tests simultaneously means limited time to adequately prepare because lecturers often aim to finish the course outline without giving sufficient explanation on specific topics.

A.B, a part 2 student in the Department of Accounting, mentioned that the tests he will be doing are 'ON GOD,' emphasizing that calculating the workload feels overwhelming due to lecturers not providing breathing space to cover past notes.

He opines that the school is trying to balance the calendar at the detriment of students' results. He also complained about the stress of rushing to school only to find out classes have been canceled. He said, 'Lecturers are always canceling classes with joy but are always ready to set questions for us during tests/exams.'

A final year student in the Department of Public Administration stated that they are not stressed in some aspects but feel pressured by assignments and presentations. The project alone is a source of stress, as its acceptance depends on the supervisor's mood.

He emphasized, 'WITHOUT YOUR PROJECT, YOU CAN'T GRADUATE BECAUSE IT'S A SIX-UNIT COURSE.' To have breathing space in this school requires focus—shifting focus and knowing what's important will help students cope. Already, students have had to cope with unpleasant conditions, including bad network and electricity.

A part 2 student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering lamented having four tests this week for core courses, requiring significant attention and preparation except for Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Faruk, a part 2 student in the Department of Economics, mentioned having four tests in the outgoing week, leading him to stay overnight on campus for four consecutive nights, adversely affecting him mentally and health-wise.

What can be done about these issues on the part of lecturers, school management, and students?

OAU Students Shine in AFEL Economic Impact Challenge

By Ogunlana Klistivivi

In a recent announcement on its official Instagram page; AFRICA’S FUTURE ECONOMIC LEADERS (AFEL) unveiled Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) as one of the distinguished winners in its inaugural Economic Impact Challenge which commenced in October and concluded in December of the previous year.

The challenge saw the active participation of law and economics students from eight different universities across southwestern Nigeria. AFEL designed the challenge with a dual focus on economic policy advocacy and outstanding research and presentation, emphasizing the vital role of advocating for policy implementation and analyzing how continental policies influence local businesses.

Winners in both categories are set to receive monetary compensation. The advocacy category's top winner will be awarded 100,000, with the first and second runners-up receiving 50,000 each. Meanwhile, in the research category, the winner will claim 250,000, and the first and second runners-up will be awarded 150,000 and 100,000, respectively.

After a meticulous evaluation by competent judges, AFEL proudly announced the winners from various schools who made remarkable contributions to the economic discourse:

Category 1: Policy Advocacy and Implementation

1st Place: University of Ibadan

2nd Place: Obafemi Awolowo University

3rd Place: Babcock University

Category 2: Policy Research and Presentation

1st Place: University of Ibadan

2nd Place: Obafemi Awolowo University

3rd Place: Adekunle Ajasin University

The OAU team consists of eight students; including Mercy Akande, Tijani Halimat, Toluwalope Awodele, Damilola Shado, Samuel Ogunbadeniyi, Samuel Ayelagbe, Victor Oladepo and BenAmin Adeniji, all from the Department of Economics presented a research paper titled “The Impact of AfCFTA on the Growth of Agribusiness SMEs in Nigeria.” Their paper addressed challenges such as limited financing, infrastructure deficits, and trade barriers faced by agribusiness SMEs. Additionally, they highlighted specific benefits that AfCFTA could offer, including lower tariffs, reduced transport costs, streamlined border procedures, and a wider customer base.

In an interview with OAUPeeps News Agency Correspondent; BenAmin Adeniji, the Team Lead, shared insights into the competition.

“The competition required a minimum of four and a maximum of eight students from both economics and law departments representing the school. But the law students were not responding. At first, they gave us two students, but they later opted out, and we had to replace them with economics students. But in the end, we give glory to God because we later overcame all of the hurdles, to come second behind UI.

“It was a virtual competition that spanned through November and December, and the results were announced on January 8. We were asked to write a research paper, present it, as well as do advocacy.

“Our case study was to advocate the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA) to our community. And we started by interviewing people on campus, asking them if they were familiar with AFCTA. In the second stage, we wrote a research paper where we picked an SMSE (AACE Foods), and we looked at how AfCTA can directly or indirectly affect them.

“The Economic Impact challenge was a groundbreaking achievement as well as an eye-opener for us. It provided the platform and opportunity for us to express ourselves and our prowess while working together as a team. So, we are saying a big thank you to AFEL and the organizing team. We appreciate the opportunity.”