The SPESSECE (Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement Centre of Excellence) orientation program introduces students to a World Bank-funded initiative that builds capacity in procurement, environmental management, and social standards through six centers of excellence across Nigeria's geopolitical zones. The program emphasizes that students are not special but must adhere to university rules, complete registration within stipulated timelines, and follow proper communication channels. Students must complete coursework, attend lectures via LMS, and pass examinations with a 50% pass mark. The program includes industrial attachments and requires students to respect supervisors and follow ethical guidelines, including avoiding AI-generated work and adhering to examination conduct regulations.
SPESSECE 2025/2026 Orientation ProgrammeAdded:
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Good morning.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. wish to welcome each and every one of us here seated today to 2006 orientation program of the sustainable procurement environmental and social standards enhancement center of excellence. This is the fourth this is the fourth of its kind the 2026 orientation. Once again I wish to welcome each and every one of us here seated today.
The students outside, you're advised to fill your forms, write the attendance, and come into the hall as soon as possible so we can kickstart the event.
I would want to start by welcoming to the high table the representative of the vice chancellor of University Desire.
He's here represented today ablely by the deputy vice chancellor advancement research and innovation professor Ali Rafendai round of applause for him please center leader for the sustainable procurement center of excellence professor wisdom of the daffett also joining them at the high table I would want to welcome the provost of the postgraduate college professor professora him as he reluctantly joins us we have the director of the dire advancement and of academic planning and monitoring professor So hello Sabo Mut sorry also joining us on the high table I want to invite the dean of the environmental of faculty of environmental studies here represented today by the head of department of quantis survey professor Peter Aindo he is wearing two caps as a hod and representing the dean a round of applause for him as he comes up I would want to also invite to the high table the head of department of urban and regional planning here represented today by Dr. Jadiji. Round of applause for him to join the light table.
Dr. Bashir Abakar the head of department sociology also inviting to join us at the high table. Round of applause for him.
We have the deputy center leader in charge of procurement, professor Abdah Muhammad.
Also the deputy center leader in charge of environmental studies, professor badi.
A round of applause for him as he also joins us on the high table. And last but not the least, the depth center leader for social standards, Professor Hajar.
I want to recognize all staff, professors, head of departments here present with us. Also the students here for the orientation. Some of them are writing exams and that's why the hall is they'll be joining us as the event progresses. May we all rise with the national anthem, please.
Those don't for a suffering land a single sweet to hang on to what Children now in learning is universal.
We Guilty shall learn to south to west.
Thank you. May we be seated.
We're still expecting some members of the high table which will be carrying out one activity or the other today and as they arrive we would introduce them.
At this point it's my honor to call for the welcome address and a brief about the space a project which will be given by none other than the center leader wisdom s Jaffet. A round of applause for him as he comes to the podium please.
Thank you very much.
The DVC Innovation and Research, the Provos, College of Graduate Studies, the Director of Academic Planning.
This is here present.
Ho is here present.
Members of the public affairs, ladies and gentlemen, you are welcome to this auspicious event.
I cannot proceed but I must have to apologize on behalf of the center for this exercise coming rather late. When you say orientation, you expect that orientation should be done at the beginning perhaps immediately registration. But actually uh as the adage goes is better late than never.
But understanding that um these students are actually must have gotten some kind of orientation from their department and their their faculty rather. So this orientation is merely to kind of make some kind of clarifications and brief them on the pecularity of this program.
Having said that, I want to officially welcome you to the sustainable procurement environmental and social standard enhancement center of excellence.
Spacey.
Now the idea of spacy was conceived to build the capacity of Nigerians in the area of procurement, environment and social standard enhancement both in the public and private sector.
Now the main focal point of space implementation is the establishment of six centers of excellence across six zone make the Nigerian federation. We all know that there are six zone. Now for instance space of AB is in university area and Zarya is in what zone? It's in the northwest is it not?
>> Yes sir. So we have of ATBU above university that is what northeast then we have federal university of agriculture maki that is north central maki is in the north central so we are done with the north right then we go down to south let's start with the southwest perhaps for southwest you have university of Lagos for southeast you have federal university of technology o main one right what's that one >> south south for south south you have universal bin so six center of excellence with the same objective and what's the objective is to build capacity of Nigerian in these areas we have mentioned I'm sure this is not the first time that we have uh attended space program we have already told you the objective.
Now this center of excellence, this center of excellence are driving the space project in collaboration with some agencies, federal government agencies.
For instance, for the procurement program, we have uh BPP is anchoring the procurement program.
For the environmental program we have the federal ministry of environment for the environmental program and then for the social standard program we have ministry of human affairs. So this entities that is the center of excellence in collaboration with the IA are implementing the special project. Like I've told you the broad objective of the special project is to build capacity. Let me break down a little bit. You understand?
We all know that the World Bank actually make a lot of intervention in Nigerian economy. Sadly so because Nigeria with your potential or with our potential we're not supposed to be a developing country. In fact if we harness our potential we're not supposed to depend on anybody for it but sadly the World Bank is making a lot of intervention in Nigeria.
Are you following me? So after some time the World Bank is saying that together with the NU they carry out a need assessment and found that we are lacking in this area. Our universities are lacking. The curriculum are lacking in this area. Yes, you must have done some kind of training related to procurement.
You must have done some kind of training related to environment and social standard. But what the World Bank is after is to certify people to train people in this three area. Now you agree with me this is a new normal new it's a new paradigm is that clear so the idea is to certify you so what it means is that whatever training you are getting in the universities this six center of excellence these are just preary trainings the ultimate goal for the project is to satisfy you is that clear so that's why I want to be your intelligence you take it very very seriously I'm aware you have registered You understand? So in the point of registration you have to put in your correct details. Is that clear? Because after we have given you preliminary training the implementative agent uh federal agency concern federal uh sorry agency will now reach out to you. We don't have any part in that process. Are you getting me? The centers of excellence will just do their own part by giving you training and after which the relevant agency for that cluster be it procurement or environment or social center will now reach out to you for you to come and write the satisfying examination. And when you pass that examination, you are now a certified practitioner in whether in procurement, whether in environment, whether in social standards. So now what the World Bank is even saying that like I told you sadly the World Bank do does a lot of intervention in Nigeria be it roads, electrical power, etc. But what they are saying is that anybody that will one way to other perform a function in all of this project must be must have been satisfied process and what's that process of getting preliminary training from the six center of excellence or either of the six center of excellence and then having to pass a satisfying examination.
I think you are following me. That's the main objective. now assess some of this training if not all but this one that we are doing we have the track a short executive courses in either procurement or in environment or social standards then we have track B advanced certificates courses that's for three weeks duration where you do some two weeks of interactive lectures and one week of perhaps field work uh field trip exculosure as the case may be That's the advanced certificate.
That's T B. Then we have T C which is the postgraduate diploma. This one now is academic.
I'm sure some of you seated here are students of postgraduate diploma.
Right. Then we have T D that is a master degrees and then we have T E bachelor's degree.
There are plans on the way to introduce the Phs. Is that clear? Like I said, it's a space project and the space what do you call it form covers all this training supposed to have elapsed by June of 30 this year but it has been extended for another for being part of this project like I said the excence of this orientation actually you know we have run 3 years if you run something for 3 There's something I forgot I didn't tell you. This project is the first of its kind in Africa with Nigeria being the test country. So it's expected that if the project succeed in Nigeria, it will be replicated in other part of African countries. So that's why we cannot afford to fail. So like I'm telling you now, the first three years, let me call it phase one of spacy, we have lessons that we have learned. Is that clear? So that's why the reason that's one of the justification for this orientation like I said some of you in your department you must have received orientation spacing is not insulated or isolated from ABU. Is that clear? You must have received orientation maybe perhaps generic.
One thing about this orientation is to be more specific to the spaces program and I'll give you experience from what I've learned is that um well students actually think that if you students you are very special that's very sad you feel that maybe you above the university rules and regulation. No sir, no ma space is part of university and the rules and regulation applies to every student and one difference between space of APU and other center of excellence that I've mentioned is that those center of excellence are are operating like they autonomous.
Is that clear? They are not uh what do you call it? They're not resident any department or faculty. They're autonomous.
Is that clear? But for ABU, we feel that uh we need to give you a sense of quality.
Is that clear? It's not only about meeting the objective of the project. is also about meeting the objective in a right manner. So that our our programs are hosted in departments for the procurement program quantity that is uh yeah in faculty of design.
How many of you are in quantity survey?
Can I see your hands? Sorry. Can I see your hands off?
So your your department of quantity surveying and your faculty is environment design. Are you following?
Yes sir.
>> Those in environment cannot see your hands up.
So you are under the department of urban planning and your issues are all presented here. Is that clear? And then for for URP UR is under design.
Therefore, social standard cluster of course you should be under department of what? Sociology under faculty of social sciences. You know why I'm telling you this is because some of you come and say this is space age degree thereby you know causing a kind of a canically you know space degree my students it is not a degree the degree awarded by the senate of amadu university in collaboration with the various departments and faculty so you are better off to me you I made a case with NU and World Bank because center don't give degree at best the center is the one sponsoring it or coordinating it. So the the department and the center are just working in collaboration to object to to achieve the objective. So you are not SP student you are student of Amadillo University. So all the quality assurance process of the department faculty eventually to the PG school you must have to pass through it so I want to disabuse your mind we are not coming here to water visa and member of management we is not coming to water down inequality is that clear so get it in that's the first orientation I'm giving you as a center leader after I leave here people will come advise you and give you more orientation because that's a general conception we're not watering down any degree your your certificate or whatever will read you have been awarded by this degree by the center of Amad University not by space aid is that clear >> that's the first thing I want to tell you again THE SECOND AND VERY IMPORTANT I want to tell you is that like I said yes it's a project yes you are getting your degree under a department faculty but this project has a timeline it has a timeline you know I'm telling you telling with that because I've seen a lot of applications from students. Ah sir I want to I want to defer because and do mad I want to defer I want to go and marry I want to defer. Yes I've seen it.
Where is Dr. me witness but most of procurement you understand. You have a right to defile. You have a right to defer. But I want you to be aware that this project has a time limit. Is that clear? So you have a window to graduate within this time limit. In fact, management s BC and member of management. I think for the space project their residency should be limited within those uh based on the IVA based on the sponsor of that program.
you're supposed to register within a specific specific time and graduate within a specific time. So I think we put a proposal that your your DC will be limited or your residency will be limited to that period because you should not start telling us that maybe you you can register and finish after 5 years. In fact there's a new no man new paradigm. Now my colleagues will agree with me that things have changed. Even in the main conventional department we are having faster turnover. Now my colleagues are here weakness not to talk of this uh program that has a pecular requirement. Is that clear? So please I want to discourage all these uh what do you call defilement are you following?
Because if you don't finish within this specific time, you you have no you have no use to the project. Let me let me just put you in plain language. Is that clear? So try as you can to finish within this limited period. Is that clear? And one other thing is that now because we say you you should finish within a limited period, it doesn't mean that you will not do quality work in your research. We have resource person, we have faculty. These people are not coming from elsewhere. They belong university staff they can guide you to do a good research within a short period of time. Is that clear? So research that will take long maybe seasonal you understand is may not be permitted because of the nature of this project.
You mustn't do a very long research before you make impact. I want and I'm delighted to tell you that one of your student that graduated in P23 student is it P23 and publish in the Q1 journal and the center rewarding with a sum of 500,000 NRA.
So if you can do that you can do that you understand you mustn't take a long time to do a a good quality research.
Lastly and more importantly before I conclude again from my a bridge of communication from some spaces student. Is that clear? We we operate policy. Please if you have any consult the center you can consult your department. cases where student having problem reports direct to the management this is straight I've been called several to explain ah if this is explained I'll explain and that's all and then you are wasting your time maintain proper channel of communication like I said we we sorry operate an open door policy we have suggestion box is that clear you can walk to us aliens from another planet we are human being like you You understand? Walk in and your problem you ask questions. You are in house land and house say one of popular is that you understand but ask follow the channel of Is that clear? Lastly I go is that you see has the way we do things in education right? You can see from your comfort of your home there a lot of online delivery method. Is that clear?
So in the formation of formation of space this one was factored in. So our lectures for postgraduate at least are either hybrid or online. We don't have physical entirely physical lecture you at the comfort of your room anywhere using our LMS uh system learning management system online. Is that clear?
We have strived to make intervention in the host department and host faculty to make life meaningful for you and I assure you that as we proceed you understand try and maintain law and order the rules and relation of ABU you don't belong to you belong to ABU especially when it come to exam and practice last Senate every senate having cases of exam and practice to for to be for one is to be for um if they are caught you'll be dealt with according to the law of an university. In concluding, I want to really appreciate university management. They have been very very supportive.
the the postgraduate college all the hodies the host head of department and the host faculties we want to really appreciate them for actually giving the spec project and as the space project is going to the next phase we are very confident that we'll have same of support from the management and the host department because we are all stakeholders in this project so that we can deliver the project and meet the developmental objective of the project which uh by implic application will translate to larger benefit for Nigeria.
That's the idea of the of the sustainable development. Like I said, I'll be handing up uh the other person's resource will guide you through. They will give you advice. The deputy center leader will tell you something specific to your cluster. Mine is all generic.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for listening. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. Another round of applause for the center.
I think now we're more aware of the benefits we stand to gain from being students of the center.
Your test certificates but also certification in your disciplinary your discipline. Thank you very much.
Representing the center leader for the center of excellence on on new pedagogies in engineering. We have the deputy center leader professor Ahmed. A round of applause please.
And also to inform us that the head of department of sociology is also representing the dean of the faculty. Another round of applause for him for his second term.
We'll be taking an address by the vice chancellor of mu invest desire who is here represented by professor Alu Samusi Rakandagi the deputy vice chancellor advancement research and Uh thank you very much MC the provost school of postgraduate studies the director directorate of DAPM academic planning and monitoring the center leaders the deans of faculties here and represented the heads of departments here present the other heads of units and members of university management here present the facilitators.
Um our esteemed students. Good morning.
Uh I am here to represent the vice chancellor on this orientation ceremony if you like.
uh the DC is not around so I am to say a word of two on his behalf.
You see I listened to the Santa leader and he has said all that should be said honestly.
Uh but I should remind you that um Amut University this programs very very seriously.
Uh the center leader said you are not special students. It is true you're not special in the context that he mentioned but for us the program is special. So you must not you must not treat it as a normal post-graduate program where you can decide when you graduate. No, ABU has worked so hard to earn this position representing our zoom like the center leader mentioned.
We have to justify that because in our place someone else or another university would have hosted the center.
So from that position the management is taking this program special in the sense that we need to justify and earn this position as political zone.
So you're special in the sense that you have to finish within the proc period.
If it is a two-year program you go, you have to finish within two years and the program is designed to achieve that. And the facilitators and the management of the center are prepared. They have to deliver that.
This is a very very competitive program as you must have um witnessed so far.
So count yourself lucky that you have a place on this program.
We do not intend that it is just another postgraduate certificate for you.
We intend that with you we're building capacity of a special kind in the selected programs for the world especially for Africa and for Nigeria and that is why the center leader told you that the process leads you to a certain certification by the World Bank as professionals in these areas. is that um you're coming to learn.
So please do not think that you are here uh for another certificate from ABU and then you pocket it. No, you're here to be transformed into a different kind of professional.
So if you're going for the procurement program, no, you will be one of a kind.
separate different from the normal people who have gone to study procurement because ours is what sustainable procurement. There's a reason why the world is concerned about sustainability and therefore building professionals uh in that in that uh area.
Opportunities for you exist almost everywhere.
Everywhere there are opportunities for you in wherever you go. You have this advantage. If you go through the program to the end and acquire the certification, you can work anywhere in the world. And I tell you opportunities in the multilater especially the world bank would be open more and more and you are lucky like I said earlier that you may be part of the pioneer professionals.
a double advantage for you please. There is nothing that says the quality should be different from ABU's quality.
No, in fact we expecting more from you.
We're expecting more from you.
Uh so in that sense congratulations.
uh as a management it used to be in the past a long far past that because we are post the postgraduate schools hardly had because there was no need we thought of orientation but we have learned from history that even postgraduate students increasingly be are becoming unaware of the reasons they are here and some behaviors that on becoming of a post-graduate student who ordinarily we should think is a mature student um become almost normal. In the past it was unheard of for a post-graduate student to cheat during attempt to cheat but over time things are becoming crazy if I may use that word.
Hence the need we to institute orientation programs even for our post-graduate students. So being our postgraduate students, you are no different. We're here to guide you through the rules and regulations that govern our post-graduate programs.
Please pay attention, ask questions, listen attentively, engage those who are coming to talk to you about the programs like the center leader Alia said. Um, in fact it's not only space everywhere in AU we have a very very open door policy.
You can talk to your HOD, you can talk to your exam officer, you can talk to any faculty member if you have any issues and they are there to help. And we've seen the rise in the willingness and enthusiasm of our faculty to help to listen to students and their sort their problems. uh and the hierarchy is there even the director's door wide open.
So I see no reason why you should let me use the word suffer in ignorance when the solutions and answers to your questions are a dial away or two steps away.
Um lastly let me congratulate you honestly I can tell you personally it's a very very competitive program and you found yourself a place in this program uh and I must commend the management of the center and all those involved in the selection process succeeded in selecting the best and we expect that you will deliver doing your best the very best for Amodiz area. I expect multiple of Q1 journal articles from your uh dissertations and um and and projects. Uh so thank you very much.
>> Thank you very much. Vice Chancellor. So please come we once again put our hands together for the vice chancellor.
Uh the gentleman joined by the agenda.
The next is goodwill messages. Goodwill messages. And to start with may I invite the provost postgraduate college professor for his goodwill message. Please can we also put our hands together for him while he comes. Thank you.
Distinguished uh professors and colleagues, um students, well wishes, good morning.
Uh first of all I wish to congratulate all of you on behalf of the post-graduate college for ABU to be among the chosen few for this um study.
I'm not sure whether many of you know how many people actually applied for these programs and uh related to the amount or the number of individuals that eventually got admitted.
If you know then you will agree with me and know that you are indeed the chosen few.
So congratulations.
I just uh want to give us just a general goodwill for both the undergraduates and the post-graduate students.
ABU is a special university and at this material time we are particularly the postgraduate college undergoing plenty of changes and among those changes are the issues of strict adherence to timelines.
So what it means is that we expect that the students that are involved will finish on time in due course.
So this is the time for you to begin to explore everything that would allow you to have what is called a timely graduation.
The students you have rights, you also have privileges.
I would advise you all to aail yourself what those rights are. what those privileges are. Ignorance is the bane of most of the problems we have.
I also wish to implore all the students to access the numerous facilities that AU has and the center leader spoke about grievian resolutions.
You have in each department a process, a protocol from which you can begin to articulate your grievances, your assistance early in the career or when it happens so that at the end of you will find in those facilities are available.
We at PG College will do our very best and because this is also a one back project it means that we will also adhere to the rules.
We expect that the treatment that you get from the EU standards will also be extended to you.
I want to warmly congratulate you.
I wish you the very best and for those of you that are studying the postgraduate matters, we leave our doors open. We are ready to assist you. We will stand by you and we will see that you get the very best that you wish for.
Thank you.
>> Thank you very much Provos. Can we once again put our hands together for the provos? Thank you. And distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Next on the list of the good messages is the dean faculty of environmental design professor Abla Bubakarly represented by the head department of quantity survey Dr. Peter Chindo. You're welcome, sir.
Thank you very much.
First, I want to acknowledge the presence of the vice chancellor represented by the DVC integration and research.
Provost of the studies, the director director directorate of planning and monitoring.
My fellow uh professors, I'm sure the deans that are here are also professors.
Ladies and gentlemen, although The earlier pres uh speakers have already highlighted most of the issues but I still want to emphasize on one thing and the fact that students particularly of environmental um science procurement are fond of seeing the students of spacing. We've had cases where students wrote complaints to spacing were directed to the departments which normally those things are supposed to be to the head of the department to the and management of the university. We now forward it to the management of the university. I'm happy that we have the opportunity of having this orientation today and I'm sure that those that are here I will pass the message to those that did not attend this program that you are first the students of Amadello University and of course you all have various departments those who are in procurement your department is department of quantity surveying we have two units or two sections quantity surveying and procurement ment management you should feel free don't come to the department and see that and see yourself as less of students of that department you are 100% students of the department of quantity survey >> I want to specially welcome you and also encourage you to ensure that you complete your documentation properly some of you are fond of doing document mentation and not having a single file in the department while I took over as department as a head of department. Please if you allow me I would want to speak as head of department as the and as also the representative of the dean so that I don't have to come here again.
>> Oh I've spent two minutes already.
>> Okay. So please I want you to be aware that we need your documentation and if you don't have a file if you write any complaint or you have write any application we may not have a place to keep it and we want that record because of that once you are doing your registration both for the postgraduate and undergraduate ensure that you bring your file to the department so that we can properly keep record of your being in the in uh the department of quantity survey. Um I am representing the dean and I think I have to also tell you that as the dean of the faculty of envir environmental design I am your dean for those of you who are doing environmental and also procurement management. Feel free to come to my office if you have any need or any complaint that you that need to be addressed. You are most welcome. We want to have graduate that will be proud of. Of course, our model university has already made a name and we want you to be part of that name. Please be good ambassadors while you are here and even when with you when you finish, we want you to be good ambassadors of our university. Thank you very much and you are most welcome.
Thank you very much uh the representative of the dean as well as the HUD uh quantity so uh distinguished ladies and gentlemen next is the director directorate of academic planning and monitoring professor Bill Mutt the welcome sir please can we also put our hands together for the director academic planning the vice chancellor professor Adam Mohammedly represented by the deputy vice chancellor research and center leader the provos postgraduate college deans directors heads of departments here present my teacher the deputy center leader SMPP professor Ahmed you're welcome sir the students good morning all >> well I'm glad to be here this Morning.
As mentioned by the center leader probably you have attended the orientation that was done centrally for all the students both the undergraduate and the postgraduate students and also I believe you also have attended the departmental orientation programs but uh it will not be much there may be some particularities that this will also let you know but for me I want to remind you about those other general issues and The first I want to just pick up from where the representative of the dean of environmentals design talked about the issue of registration.
Registration is the first thing that you will do after doing the proper documentation for your admission.
Especially for the undergraduate students, you cannot just abandon your post registration and start attending lectures. We are now having the exams going on.
Last week, no a week before. Last week got the strike week. A week before, there was a HO that came to our office with an undergraduate student that the student had registered paid the school fees but had not done course registration.
She had not registered one single course was just attending the classes. And we told her that you are just accompanying your friends to the class because there's nothing anybody can do at this time when the already going on. So registration is the first thing that you must ensure you have done and you have done it properly. When we say you have done it properly meaning that based on your handbook your departmental handbook that in the handbook of all the courses that you are supposed to take from first semester you come in until the last semester you'll be here.
So it is expected that every semester you want to register, you cross check with the handbook, you cross check with your course advisor based on your results and then you will be guided on the courses that you have to register and you make sure that you do those registration of those courses appropriately. So that again it is not when the exams are going on then you now come and say that instead of this course you've mistakally registered this that also may put you into a situation where you may have to redo the course.
So please make sure you do the registration and do it properly and like the team said at the departmental level there must be proper documentation.
Now the second one I want to speak about just to remind you again especially for the undergraduate students the issue of department.
You know for every program we have what we call the residency the cost duration the duration of the period that you can stay until you graduate. If it is a 4-year degree program, you have maximum of six academic sessions to graduate after which your residency has expired and you cannot register again. Six academic sessions. If it is 5-year degree program, you have 7 and a half meaning 50% additional period for you to graduate. Now within those period also any semester if for any reason you will not be able to be around for the semester you can officially apply for definement meaning that officially you will take excuse that you will not be around for that semester because of so so so reasons and once that is approved that will not be computed within your residency period. What we have also observed some student will just abscond when they have some issues they just abs and the system will be recording absent absent for them just for them to now reappear after some times and if care is not taken maybe by the time they will be reappearing the system has automatically withdrawn there after four semesters of consecutive absent absent. So please take advantage of the department anytime you will not be able to be around for the semester. Then the one that I will talk about which will not get tired of talking about is the issue of the exam conduct the exam ethics.
When you go to your the website the A website just go to the A website on the menus there you will see policy written as one of the menu items policy. If you click on the policy, you'll see some of the policy documents in the university that are available online soft copies.
You have the student handbook is there.
You have the examination management and regulations there. Quality assurance policy document. So you see all the policy documents that are available. I will advise that you go through that document on the examination management and regulation carefully from page one to the end. It's not bulky. I think it's about 19 pages also. So please take time study that very very carefully because you know once once you have a problem you can't say that I didn't know that would not be an excuse. So when you go there you study everything but there is one particular section that prescribes sanctions sanctions for any examination misconducts and those sanctions are classified into three withdrawal restication and warning.
So it is good to know which offense will attract withdrawal meaning that you are going to be withdrawn from the university which sanctions will attract rostification for one academic session.
For example, on the mobile phone, if you enter an examination hall with a mobile phone, even if that mobile phone is switched off, even if it is switched off, the sanction is rustification for one academic session. Meaning that you'll be required to be out of the university for one academic session. And there's also the category of the retimony. Please don't take chances.
Study carefully. Be very diligent in your homeworks, assignment. Like they keep saying when this program started we were looking for candidates to apply for the programs now we are having difficult to take for the programs so it's highly competitive you have gotten the chance please don't misuse it make the best use of the chance like the center leader mentioned the overall goal is to be able to produce skilled manpower in these three specialized areas of procurement management sustainable social development, sustainables, environmental take the advantage of the admission you have gotten and I wish you the very best in your studies. Uh may we come here one day or at the convocation square to celebrate also the award of degrees to all of you once again.
Thank you very much sir. That prayer is indeed very powerful and I didn't hear any one of you say amen. May we to celebrate the award of degrees to each and every one of you >> and distinguished ladies and gentlemen given the fact that uh you know we have a very long list for the personalities here I'll be giving the goodwill messages and the vice chancellor has other engagement to attend to and the vice chancellor has other engagement to attend to at this point we will after which we will excuse the vice chancellor to ascend to other university engagements.
The group photograph please members of the high table and then other program leaders, program coordinators can also join and after that we continue with the goodwill message. Thank you.
The dean of social sciences professor shams Muhammad is here eagly represented by the assistant dean undergraduates Dr. Tjani Ji please sir Dr. Tjani J. Yes sir.
Yes sir.
Please Dr. Johnny if I hear you come to the high. Thank you.
Professor Aka can also join. Professor Doda can join, Dr. Hashim can join and then all other facilitators, program leaders, please join the group photograph.
Thank you very much.
the person. Yes, ma'am.
>> Yes, ma'am.
Let the assistant assisted.
He has left. I didn't see I saw when he went I thought Z on the list of the goodwill message may I invite the dean faculty of social sciences.
Uh initially I was told that the assistant dean is here but uh it's like he has left. So the the HOD sir will put that cap on you again as the representative of the dean faculty of social sciences and then I think you should also uh stone two beds with one stone just like the HD con did sir.
>> Uh thank you very much. uh all protocols duly observed. Uh let me begin by congratulating our special students management management tag you as students with uh double opportunities two opport two or more opportunities.
Uh what we don't tolerate what we preach 0% is example practice.
uh we found some with that attitude and uh will never spare anyone. So so you need to read read very well to prepare for your examinations and again like they said you should ensure that you've completed your registration with the departments.
Make sure your file is doicile at the department because you cannot process anything in the department without your file being there. So ensure you've done that. Uh the department is always free.
Come to the department what you whatsoever is necessary needed for registration to ensure that you've completed it correctly. Once more congratulations.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you very much sir. Next is uh the center leader Africa center of excellence on new pedagogues in engineering education assemply represented by the deputy center leader professor es ahmed. You're welcome sir.
Thank you Mr. investors every represented by the deputy vice chairs >> and uh I can tell you uh annually Nigeria spends nothing less than 10.9 billion US dollars on infrastructure procurement largely and these procurements are mostly criticized of not meeting end users money is not achieved there's no competition there corrupt practices around and all of that. And one of the major constraints actually to the effective and efficient uh public expenditure is weak procurement performance and this is attributed to the quality of officers that are handling managing procurement processes. We have officers right from 2007 after the uh the establishment of the uh public procurement act. One of the mandates of the public bureau of public procurement is to develop capacity and to do that the Biru uh initiated a training that is called procurement conversion uh training usually a 3 weeks training. Some of you have attended those that particular training. You attend three trainings. You go through the public procurement act its application and it stops there.
This I'm saying from an outcome of an empirical studies before commencement of specific project. It was clearly established that the trainings the training procurement officers have in Nigeria loosely adequate because they go through a 3 weeks training on only public procurement issues, public procurement in Nigeria related matters and they graduate and take procurement functions. This has been one of the reasons why value for money is not uh properly achieved and that has led to so many issues like inefficiency procurement operations which uh most at times leads to delays, failures and even cancellations or even misprocurement at times. It has also led to nonachievement of value for money. uh it actually inhibits uh competition and several other issues.
problem before us and to address this problem the space.
The space project was initiated to address relevant problems environmental and social aspects of the project but I will be focusing basically on the procurement aspect. And to address this issue, the federal government came together to actually develop with World Bank to develop a curricula with international standards that will produce qualified professionals that are adequately trained. All those gaps, skills gaps that were identified, this curricula has captured uh all those uh deficiencies.
Uh we are looking forward to producing uh procurement officers skills uh competent enough to address the environmental as well as the social uh aspects that we have highlighted. The procurement cluster as one of the three clusters has the four academic programs. This is aside the uh short courses we run. So we have some academic four academic program. The first one is BSE procurement management.
I believe some of them are here and then we have the MSE procurement management.
The BSE procurement management we have actually admitted three sets so far. So you are just uh you are not alone. You have senior brothers and sisters that are in 400 level. They are writing their second semester graduate and they will form the first set of competent procurement officers with bachelor's degree in this uh country. Now we have the MSE procurement management. Uh we have this is the third test third set as uh we had T21 we had a T23 a T24 and you are the T2 uh 25 we have the professional masters in procurement management and the postgraduate diploma in procurement management. The procurement management club is soy responsible for all the performance based on PBC's on spec project. I will uh be more interested in you know project level issues and so this is the reason why you know you are actually you have something to do with the center.
Ideally you would have been uh transferred completely to the department but there are certain requirements project level requirements that are centrally managed at the center. Those are conditions under which uh the federal government as well as uh world bank consider as uh performance uh indicators on how the project is uh generally uh fair. So we liars with our host department which is the department of quantity surveying to deliver all these uh programs all the four programs and uh so far so good relationship has been very uh smooth uh we've graduated quite a number of MSEs quite a number of PGDs as well as uh those that register uh registered your professional masters course now your kit is made up of these items which I will quickly rush through we'll see courses we will see the lectures the exams research aspects your graduation requirements and then we will share experiences on some of the lessons we have learned at cluster level in fact that is the most important aspect of my discussions and then we will briefly talk about your resource courses so the courses generally I'm sure you all have copies of handbooks if you don't have handbooks I believe you all have lists of courses uh that you have registered.
Those courses generally were designed to reflect core competencies in required from a modern procurement officer. There are some seven core global procurement skills and competencies. Now all the courses you're going to go through are built around uh those competical and technical skills. The second one is strategic sourcing and category management, supplier relationship management, value and risk management, sustainable procurement, project management, contract management and negotiation skills and finally information and communications technology. So these are the seven core areas that repeat do not finish this program without acquiring adequate skills otherwise you will be competed.
you you you will be uh you will not properly compete in the market.
Don't forget that it's not only AU that is actually producing graduates in these areas. There are other six centers and as I speak with you now right from the commencement of programs in universities on these programs we are seeing so many universities in initiating these programs. So it's not a very uh soft it's going to be very fierce and your skills actually make you competitive and these are the core areas all your courses are centered around these areas. So we expect you to pay give maximum attention to your courses those uh course works are very very important and uh that is where you are going to acquire the required skills. So the BSE is a 4 years program. The PGD is one year. MSSE is 2 years. The MPM the professional masters is one year.
And for the BSE you will earn nothing less than a minimum of 143 units before you graduate.
Four years 14 43 credit units including your product. The post-graduate diploma is 36 credit units including six credit unit uh project. The um the MSE is uh 57 credit units including 24 credit unit uh dissertation and then the MPM which is a one-year program is uh 33 credit units uh including plus uh 12 credit unit of uh projects. So these are basically the cost and the number of credit units you must earn. I believe from the central orientations we attended, we know what credit unit means and we know how you earn a credit unit. So please keep counting. You will not graduate if you do not actually earn uh this number of credit units we have mentioned. Now one special feature our programs have which also has is uh industrial attachment. All the programs with the exception of the professional masters require that you spend four months in the industry working with practitioners and experts and seeing how most of the things you learn in classroom are practically applied. So you should be prepared at uh relevant stages of your program. You will be required to identify a very good place where you will actually go there and spend uh some time working with our practitioners.
Lectures as we have started lectures are delivered via blended method and I will say those lectures are supposed to be on the LMS if class reps are here so that they hear me very well. No lecture should actually take place on any platform other than our elements and all lectures must be recorded on no circumstance any classroom should organize any lecture that is outside of the platform because originally the idea is you know people can register for this program and uh we understand fully well that there are students that are working class And the project is specifically targeting them. They are part of the uh project target. And so the project has to you know from the framework implementation framework given to us. Uh we are required to ensure that we provide those particular class of our students access to lectures even if they are unable to attend the lectures live as when the lectures are delivered. And so I'm repeating this lectures on Zoom not allowed. Google meets not allowed.
All lectures should take place on the LMS and should be fully recorded. Please take note of that. So largely this is what I will say regarding uh lectures and uh no course is assigned one person.
Let us take note. Uh I will be happy if there are any issues you know follow the right appropriate channel to let us know. Every course is supposed to be delivered by at least two resource persons. At least two resource persons.
Uh this is also important uh that we take note. The fact that lectures will be on LMS does not give students the opportunity to abscond to refuse to join to refuse to follow after lectures have taken place. The LMS is so sophisticated that it takes full record of your activity online.
Once you enter, once you are registered to a particular course, the LMS can with some few clicks generate a report of when you were absent, when you were present, if you if you are unable to attend live classes. We said we you must attend, you must go through uh those uh recorded videos of uh those classes and then will track that. So attendance is not an issue. We will track attendance automatically. will generate attendance and you know attendance is the vital requirement for examination.
So exams are actually conducted together with the department and we want to inform you that cases of defment we are actually concerned about the increasing number of cases of defilement and most of times defilements come at the wrong time. Please let's take note there are requirements I think it's at least two weeks before exams right you if you are deferring you cannot defer most students will submit requests for deferment after examination has taken place or when exams has commenced this is wrong like that zeros the normal route even if you put off your request the request be approved for PG students. Uh you should know that the pass mark is 50.
Anything less than 50 49 downward is failed. So let's take note of that. Uh because we have had cases like that students will uh write seeking for verification and somebody got 50 49 and he he was arguing that how can 49 uh be recorded as F. So uh let's take note of that and of course you know all the exams is is generally guided by the university's examinations regulation.
There are strict sanctions if you actually offend you know viol of those uh regulations you will be sanctioned.
Recently we held a receipt examination.
Somebody got a carryover. So lucky for him, the system actually has a provision for him to come and remedy that cause and he came with cheat notes and he was caught. The case has been reported. So we will not scare anybody.
This is ABU. The brand is the same.
Everywhere you go, if you are caught, your case will be reported and you will face uh the consequences. So please let's be careful. Let's prepare very well for exams. And if we are in examination hall, let us uh conduct ourselves uh very well.
Now research is always seen as the most difficult part of the journey. Yes, we can all attest to that. You have very excellent students with very good standing academically finish with very excellent CGPA.
But when it comes to research, you know, we had numerous of them that have not graduated. We have P21 four pointers that have not graduated.
The reason is because you know students do not give research the necessary attention it requires. The attention you give to course work. If you can give half of it to your research, I am assuring you you will finish in what time? 2 hours daily be consistent. You will see you will finish your research in no time.
So I'm actually asked to quickly round up and I think I will go straight to some of the lessons learned. There are a few of them. I will mention I will run quickly through them. The first one is time procurement management students.
I'm speaking to you now. We have actually observed some nonchalantness nonchalant attitudes from uh students.
We believe the fact that they didn't pay registration fee. They are waved a lot of things. You know the center is overpampering you. The center is feeding you sometimes to attend seminars and you are giving a very heavy lunch. This is likely to be responsible for this nonchalant attitude. The center is not going to take that as well as the host department. The regulation is clear. If you violate any of those regulations, you're on your own. Don't come begging.
Don't come to us begging. We will not we will actually do the needful. Number two is they say research is always the problem. Yes. Because you do not properly organize yourself in such a way that uh you will actually get your research done. What we see mostly is you see students around when it comes to course work. Some are always around and immediately they are done with their coursework they leave. They believe that the course work is what requires their time their presence and so they try as much as possible uh to make theirelves available. But when it comes to research they keep complaining my supervisor is not taking calls. I have sent my work this so so so weeks he has not responded. These are the complaints we regularly get and each time we speak with supervisors what we hear is very very scary and that is what will take us to the next lesson we have learned.
Students will always want to cut corners and your supervisor will never let that happen.
Where in the area of AI, what we are seeing mostly these days is you know AI generated texts. students will go and generate you know from wherever and submit and supervisors uh will definitely identify that this is AI and they will not let that go for your own information our supervisors will all be given AI detectors now you know there are AIs that can catch AIS so the center is investing that and all supervisors will have access to that whatever you submit to your supervisor will go through that check and if it is AI generated you will be reported for plagiarism.
It's not about the supervisor throwing back your document to you. The supervisor will report you. You will go to disciplinary action honestly speaking. So let's be careful. You are freshers. Take your time. You have all the time to prepare very well. We will teach you how to use some of these things. Some of them there are ethical ways of using them. The center will actually in collaboration with the department organize. I'm aware the department of quantity surveying is already lizing with computer engineering department to organize the use of the ethical ways to take advantage of AI. So please let's be on on the standby as soon as uh that training is uh is announced uh we expect that every student should participate in that training and then there's issue of consistency and determination. You start work with some students and then they disappear. They are nowhere to be found.
They're waiting for you to start pushing them. Not all supervisors do that. It's not the responsibility of the supervisor to ask you to come and do your work. The work is yours. You are responsible for the work. The degree is going to be issued to you, not to your supervisor.
So, you must give your supervisor that confidence that you're truly ready prepared for the research. That is when supervisors will be actually contacting you if there are any issues in case if you are available. You should start your research early. Starting early is very important. We are planning to see how you know with the departments to uh to get you supervisors as quickly as possible especially the PGD program and the MPM program. Uh you will get your supervisors before examination.
We also have realized smooth working relationship with supervisors as one of the one critical success factor. You must learn how to uh relate with your supervisors uh from the first meeting. You should know the dos and don'ts. This is very important. Some supervisors uh would prefer working with you virtually. Some will require a blended approach.
uh some will say no let us start physically when your problem is properly defined your proposal is agreed upon then you can proceed whatever you do we can be talking online you can be sharing uh with me and then getting your feedback so let us learn how to work with our supervisors it's a very uh critical factor that uh will help you succeed another issue we have actually learned is that most of the students, the careless students that carry over too many courses right from their coursework stage never finish.
This is very important. The moment you allow yourself carry over more than two courses, you are finished.
So, let's be careful. Let's make sure we pass all our courses, especially the one-year program. you know your residency period is shorter than those that are on the 2-year program, two years program. So let's be careful.
Let's take note of that. Communication gaps. This has consistently been mentioned. We equally have that at cluster level.
Students pretend not to understand the channel of communication.
This is very clear. That is why you have handbooks. You have attended central orientation programs. The faculty has organized one. The department has also organized one. And so structures are properly defined. Please we have at cluster level. If you have any cluster related problem, we have an academic coordinator and a research coordinator for PG programs. So you should know where your prog your your your your complaints. Some of them will go straight to the center leader.
This is unacceptable.
Any student that is found violating some of these basic requirements will be properly sanctioned.
Please let's there was a time we had to start reaching out to students one after the other especially students they will finish their coursework and they will disappear.
This is after the center you know has heavily invested in them. Their lecturers their supervisors have equally heavily invested in them.
This is not allowed.
The scholarship is not forever. I think it's important we we take note of this.
The T is not forever. You have a stated period of time. If you're unable to graduate, the center will uh write to PG school and you will be you will pay school fees. You will pay back pay all those charges yourself. Please let's take note of that. And then uh we have we normally receive cases of requests for change of course especially those that are on MSSE program after realizing that they can cope with the res the right at their own pace. Please there are requirements so that let us check those requirements and ensure that uh we uh we we we put on our request at the right time. uh uh finally uh misconduct and late requests for deferment. I will want to repeat this.
Deferment is done. There is time for deferment. If you don't defer within that time, you cannot defer after that time. Please let's take note. By and large, we're happy to receive you into the family. uh we are around all for you to support you to push you to give you all the necessary uh guidance uh you will require to successfully finish your programs. Our our desire generally is to see that we graduate procurement officers that will fill those gaps we have listed at the beginning of this uh briefing. uh procurement officers that will focus on value for money. Procurement officers that are ethically upright uh procurement officers that understand you know sustainable procurement uh principles and apply them in their procurement processes. Those are the people who will be happy to graduate and we are praying and hoping that you all fill these uh requirements and graduate uh uh successfully. Thank you very much.
Uh God bless you.
Thank you very much for that detailed presentation. As the first presenter, he had covered a lot of ground and I'm sure he has covered some things that the other presenters might want to cover. We would not need to repeat them. Next we'll be taking the head of pro.
Um I'm here also to respect and uh observe the existing protocols and uh of course like the MC has rightly mentioned uh the uh program head that's the procure procurement uh deputy center leader has mentioned many things that are quite similar and I do not wish to repeat those things. So yes, he has uh solved my work and mine is to directly talk about things that relate to you know some differences as far as the uh environmental standard is concerned. But before then I'd like to at least have some thoughtprovoking points that will actually convey why it is important for us to have environmental standards. Of course, we are Nigerians and we know Nigeria is termed as what? The giant of Africa and that's true. Nigeria is among the largest economy in Africa. I think among the top three Nigeria and also is the largest black nation that is having democracy. So when we talk of democracy have the largest black nation democracy. So we have those records of course we have those records.
Nigeria is a great nation. Um and why is possible is because of numerous efforts that we have made. Nigerians have yeah you may argue here and there that perhaps we are not really where we ought to be but the fact is we are still trying. But I'd like to call us to one issue. For any nation to develop that nation requires what? an enabling environment. In fact, you don't have to go further at nation or national level.
Talk of individuals. The farmer requires an enabling environment. The banker requires an enabling environment. The academician, the politician, people at home all require an en. The question is, are we truly having an enabling environment as far as Nigeria is concerned? And are we truly reflecting, you know, our position as the largest black nation uh uh that is existing at the moment. The truth is that some of the figures are not as palatable as it seems. First of all, let's go let us go to some basic terms. Life expectancy.
When we say life expectancy, what does that mean? The probability of an individual living for some number of years and the life expectancy is influenced by what? How codial how effective the environment is. How many of us are aware of the life expectancy ranking globally?
Life expectancy. There's a chart minimum life expectancy and then maximum life expectancy. How many of us are aware of that? The country with the largest or longest life expectancy is what? Which country?
And how many years?
Where do you think Nigeria ranks?
Where? It's a giant of Africa, the largest economy in Africa.
There are 200 plus countries. The country with the longest life expectancy is Monaco.3 years.
If a child is given birth today in 2026 in Monaco, that child is expected to live for at least 86.7 years. It doesn't mean that there are people that don't live beyond 86.7. But that's the average. What's the life expectancy of Nigeria? If a child is given birth to today in Nigeria, what's the life expectancy? And where does Nigeria rank when it comes to life expectancy?
Sadly, among 234 nations, 234 nations, Nigeria's position is what?
234.
234.
We are the least ranked nation when it comes to life expectancy with an average of 54.9 years. You can say 5 years. That's the list. That's the giant of Africa. The question is, do we truly deserve this?
Do we truly deserve this? What's the problem? We do not have an enabling environment. And that is why we need to pay particular attention to that enabling environment so that we change the narrative to a better one. We do not deserve to be the bottom ranked nation.
And that is why we have to pay particular attention to our environment.
And one way of doing that is through sustainable environmental studies whereby people are trained the skills to respect to restore and sustain environmental systems. That is what the program is about. That is what the curriculum is about. And we have five levels of training. Today we are concerned with three levels of training.
The academic programs, the bachelor's degree, the post-graduate diploma as well as the uh master's sustainable environmental studies. This program like it's been mentioned is hosted in department of urban regional planning where you have the head of department and other staff that help in the department. At the center the environmental note or cluster is managed by three individuals with which report to the center leader. We have the deputy center leader, we have the academic coordinator and we have the research coordinator. Most of us have interacted with the academic coordinator and those in the postgraduates have interacted with the research coordinator especially those that have started their research.
So that's how it is. Now we have three programs just like the procurement, we have the bachelors, we have the post-graduate diploma and then we have the uh masters. So I'll be taking you through registration requirements uh graduation requirements uh course credit unit system and what have you.
Registration of course for you to be a student you need to register. If you do not register, it means you are a candidate. If you've not completed your registration and you are attending this orientation, you are not a student yet.
You are still a candidate. That is why it is important for you to husten and complete your registration. The registration requirement is you need to satisfy the O level requirement both for undergraduate and post studies.
You need to satisfy that requirement including maths and English. It's compulsory. then any relevant science subject will add to that requirement.
You need to also complete your registration and it has been reiterated you know within uh the stipulated time.
If you do not complete your registration your admission may be revoked. If you do not register in time your admission may be revoked. Now after you've done your registration with the necessary documentation of course filling of forms getting them signed at different levels you need to also present those documents at relevant uh uh places at the faculty at the department at the center and at PG school uh for the post-graduate students. Now how about the program duration for the PG program? Let me go by the PG and then the undergraduate.
For the PG program, the postgraduate diploma runs for two semesters. That's one academic session. You do your coursework and then you do your project and you submit a project. Then for the MSE, it's four semesters. Of course, the first two semesters is the coursework and then the second two that's the second year is for your research. Now you've done that. What determines your graduation? What is the graduation requirement?
The PGD is you must pass you must pass at least 34 credit units which include 22 credit units of courses, eight credit units of elective and four credit units of project. For the MSE you must uh pass 30 credit units of uh uh coursework, 24 credit units of your research. These are the graduation requirement in addition to your sway. Sy is also a graduation requirement. You can pass your coursework. You can pass your research.
If you have not undertaken your sway, you will not graduate because it's also part of the graduation requirement. How are these courses offered? How are they delivered? Of course, like by the procurement, these courses I'm referring to the postgraduate now are offered in blended mode. that is both physical and virtual. So you have the option of taking them physical and virtual but at any time there has to be an engagement on the LMS whether it is physical there has to be an engagement that is going on concurrently on the LMS. So it is mandatory that you uh get yourself enrolled on the LMS and then when you have satisfied you will be assessed you will be assessed in continuous assessment which constitute 40% of the assessment score and then 60% from the examination. For you to qualify for the examination you must attend your lectures and you must have what? 75% attendance. It is mandatory. If you do not have 75% attendance, you will not be featured. You will not be allowed to sit for the exam. So that is something that uh we need to know. Um for the MSC we have specializations.
There are four specializations and these specializations are developed to attend to the requirement of what safeguarding the environment. Generally we have the livelihood and environmental uh resource management option which focuses on sustainable livelihood and resource utilization.
That's one option. The second option is environmental risk assessment and management which focuses on evaluating and mitigating environmental risks. Then we have the third option which is geographic and environmental information system which focuses on applying special analysis and GIS to environmental challenges. And then lastly we have climate change and natural resource management which addresses adaptation and mitigation strategies especially in this era that humanity and entire globe is faced with what issues about climate change. So that's how it is. We have the small but because of what um limitations of the >> because of limitations and uh you know we do not have the necessary on what we call it uh all the facilities that would take everybody for this digitalization.
We prioritize we give options to people to choose this initialization on first come first serve basis. So if you wish to enroll for MS purposely for instance to study climate change it means you have to register early and up so as to claim your slot under the climate change otherwise if the climate change option is filled up you will be pushed to the next available slot. And then lastly you have to undertake your CY. The cyers is done at appropriate stage in your program. For the post-graduate diploma, cyers starts at the end of your second semester exam and you will spend four weeks in an relevant in a relevant industry. You know, learning skills of how people in the industry, you know, relate to the environment. For the MSE, it also starts at the end of second semester exam. As soon as you finish your exam, you have to go for four uh uh 8 weeks sway which is twice the duration for the post-graduate diploma and you will not start your second year without you completing your silus and it is meant of course to bridge the gap between theory that you've learned in the class and what actually happens in the field. So that is for the uh uh what do you call it the post-graduate programs. uh when we talk of resource persons, our resource persons come from diverse backgrounds because environment is a multid-disiplinary field. So we have resource persons cutting across different you know backgrounds from physical life sciences, social sciences and we have them from both academia and industry. those of us that are from the academia from UN and associated high institutions of lining and we also have resource persons from industry from regulatory organizations and other government relevant government organizations. So that's for the post-graduate.
For the undergraduate, many things are still similar, especially when it comes to, for instance, your registration. For you to qualify to register for the bachelor's program, you must have five credits, maths, English, and any other relevant science subject. It applies also to the postgraduate. Okay? And then you have to complete your your registration in time making sure that you printed your registration form and sign them appropriately. For the program duration when you enroll for bachelor's bachelor of science sustainable environmental studies you have signed up to study for 5 year duration. The minimum duration is 5 years and then the maximum duration is 7 and a half years which is 15 semesters just like it has been mentioned. Uh for you to graduate you need to have a minimum of 150 credits. If you are you know a candidate that got admission through UTME or if you are a candidate that got admission through direct entry you need to at least have 120 credit unit. You must p pass all your courses.
At no point should your CGPA fall below one point. At the point of graduation, your CGPA should be at least one point.
And we believe you are students of excellence. So we don't expect to see anybody having a CTP of one. But that's the worst case scenario. Anybody that fails below that, you know, will automatically uh withdraw. Now um for the uh delivery it also is similar to that of the postgraduate. You need to be assessed 60% for examination and 40% for continuous assessment. You will only be allowed to sit for the examination when you have 75% attendance. That is a requirement and it applies also to both undergraduate and post-graduate. Um sways is also mandatory but unlike the postgraduate you are expected to spend a full semester at 400 level after your first semester you have to go for service and spend a whole semester in a relevant uh industry where you learn relevant uh h practical skills. So that in a nutshell is for you. uh most of the things that I was to say have been mentioned by the procurement uh uh deputy center leader and I sincerely welcome you and I expect you to take the needful advice that you've received from various speakers so that you excel and at the end of the day will come sometime to celebrate your success you know during convocation where you'll be confined your degree thank you very much >> thank you very much another round of appro The presentation on social on sustainable social development will be taken by the deputy senator professor Hajer Shu. A round of applause for her. She come make a presentation please.
So um good afternoon all and you're all welcome as announced I'm professor Rashu Au the deputy center leader for social cluster much has been said by my predecessors so I will not uh take too much time repeating what has already been said.
So um but uh uniquely for us in social I need to mention that we are a bit different from procurement. We are different from environment because we now directly you know deal with humans.
So we are more concerned with what happen or what will happen to people that are beneficiaries of projects. So for social um standards essentially why it came about I know Dr. I mentioned a few of uh something related to that. We are basically here to bridge a gap and that gap is in knowledge for participants to learn how to integrate human welfare and equity into developmental excellence.
Essentially that's what we aim to achieve in social. So you realize that our courses which I believe most of you in social already have whether the BSC, the PG or even our short courses you realize that uh we essentially want to ensure that we create that capacity building for you to understand the application of the basic principles and methodology of social standards in order to solve social problem. whichever one it may be.
So to add to that um we can ask this question maybe why social standards and we can say that in addition to what we see or more specifically we want to see how we can be more inclusive in our developmental you know practices. the vulnerable individuals that are usually sidelineed, the women, the people with physical challenge, how they can be more in, you know, included in our activities, issues of labor practices, wherever it may be, any project you can think of. There are a lot of labor you know rules or policy violations that people in procurement may not take too serious but we are in social to ensure that those things are really taken uh seriously then uh essentially at the end of the day we want to ensure that you become safeguard officers to ensure that these things are actually implemented there are actually key models to address what I have just said that uh were actually um developed and harmonized at national level. You know as it has been said we have six centers and we had several meetings to ensure that what we are teaching in EPU is the same being taught in other universities. So essentially we have about six of them which were derived from what we call environmental and social framework that has 10 environmental and social standards. Some actually concern just the environmental people while about six concern social. First is what we call the ESS1 that is assessment and management of environmental and social risk and impact. It concerns both of us and like I mentioned earlier we have the labor and working conditions. We have issues about community health and safety.
You know we have involuntary resettlement and land acquisition. How do you even acquire your land for projects? very important to us. Do you compensate the people or not? We are here to ensure that policy makers actually comply to some of these things.
Then cultural heritage. Yes, I know some of you say ahajia.
Yes, we even if we're into, you know, different religions, but we still value our cultures. Very important. Then stakeholder engagement you know um whatever you do there's need for participation of the beneficials all stakeholders need to be need to be on board and carried along then your academic our academic pathway this has also been mentioned by my predecessors we have about five tracks A to E A and B are short courses essentially just to uh offer certificates duration of one week and 3 weeks respectively. Then we have the track C is the PGD is a one-year program an academic program and supposed to serve as a kind of bridge uh or um kind of shift from a particular profession to another. If you to switch from other uh field of study to social you can come for PGD. Then we have the masters which is has a minimum of one and a half year in accordance with the university rule.
You can graduate in one and a half year and we have done before is allowed 18 months and um you can proceed up to two years. There's nothing wrong in that but if you are serious we assure you that we can graduate in a year and a half. Then we have the track E which is a bachelor's degree. Um you have two channels to come in the usual UTME that is jam or direct entry into 200 level or into 200 level as the case may be is um a 4-year program doicile in social media department and um essentially we have three sets already learning method methodology. This has already been discussed. We have what we call the blended you know um either completely virtual or hybrid where participants will be in class and some will join online and lectures will be delivered.
I'm trying to jump.
So this is where I'm going to dwell a bit even though some of the things have also been mentioned. Um the lessons learned and specifics to social the exam issues yes that has been talked about the research issue for the master's and postgraduate students this is where we have serious serious challenge the issue of AI has been mentioned but for social we realize that it goes beyond that it's not just using AI to develop your you know dissertation or your project. It goes beyond that.
People now I would kind of um should I say delegate what we centers you know the business centers around the campus it has become a business you know outlet now where a PhD candidate will give his work to somebody that maybe doesn't even have a first degree to write his dissertation or thesis for him. We have seen it and the students come and they can't defend what is there. Beautiful work, beautiful powerpoints but they can't defend what is there what they have in their work so-called work. So is a serious issue to us. Yes we are in the area where we can do without AI is true but we always say that you should own the work. You need to have kind of human touch into it. So there's really a need for that. And then another issue still with your research has to do with people you know going to other universities and lifting a topic and in fact the whole work and you know presenting it in bits to supervisors. We have seen cases like that. Please this is not acceptable. And uh I know uh last year we have actually cut several students and they had to start all over again. So yes, it's a free program but the rules and regulations of ABU must be followed.
Then um yes uh the issue of sway I know it's not too common with PG.
I don't think I've ever heard of it anywhere except in this. Why it is important is because of uh should I say the unique nature of the program. We don't want it to be just entirely you know theoretical. We want you to have the field experience.
When you were taught in class how is it in reality? So you'll be required to go to the field. You attach yourself with um MDAs, ministries, department agencies, industries, you know, uh project sites.
We keep saying that from time to time when we deliver lectures. You need to attach yourself with those um places so that you can see whether these things are what we said in class actually look true or not. So very important for for the PDD you'll be required to for four weeks while for the MC is for 8 weeks very important for graduation. Then um we all other things have been mentioned but I want to really emphasize on this point we realize that for some of you I don't know whether how you came about this but some of you believe that because the program is free so they can do and undo you know in terms of their relationship with either resource persons or supervisors.
What I'm trying to say is that some students tend to be rude. Sorry to say this but it's the reality and uh having that kind of sense of um when I say ownership as if look we are special people. Yes, it's true. You are special.
It has been mentioned. But whatever it is, whoever stands in front of you to pass on an information in knowledge, he deserves to be respected.
Whatever might be the case and not talk of people that have, you know, are already professors, PhD holders, you know, readers and all that. You don't know what we went through. I believe Prof. here will bear me witness what we went through to become who we are today.
It's not easy. So please we need to respect you know whoever is stands to pass knowledge to us not necessarily resource person anybody anybody in the center. So I really want to urge you all to abide by some of these rules and regulations. I wouldn't want to waste um too much time like I said much has been said just for me to point out some of these things. Um I think at this juncture I can say thank you most welcome to space project program.
Another round of applause for her. She takes her seat please.
Thank you for that precise presentation.
Like she said, AI should should augment our work, not for us to be fully dependent on it. It's a servant and not a master.
Um, our next segment will be taking other presentations. Our first presentation will be on safeguards. And to deliver this, I want to call on professor Doda Dwata. Round of applause for him as he comes to make his presentation on safeguards.
the senator, professor wisdom, the you know dep center leaders, deans and directors, my esteem colleagues, students, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Uh good good morning. I would like to first and foremost welcome us to this uh edition of the orientation program. Uh may I also join my other colleagues, the other speakers that congratulated the new students.
Uh there's no doubt that this is a very big achievement you know getting admission in this extreme center because if you cast your mind back to last year when you were navigating the complex and challenging process of seeking for admission.
You realize that only few or handful number of students which you are one of them that you know got the admission is highly competitive and so I advise you to please use this opportunity because you know they say if life give you lemon use lemon to get lemonite meaning that whatever opportunity God has given you make best use of that opportunity.
Uh I would also like to repeat what I said in the last sensitization workshop.
You know they say don't follow the crowd but I will strongly advise you in this case follow the crowd.
Why? Because if you look uh there's emphasis now on prudent financial management.
There's also renewed interest on environmental issues and also on social issues.
Uh it was observed that we face fundamental problem because it was observed for everyone else in a contract only 40 ko we are usual execution of that contract 60 ko unfortunately goes to corruption and so because of the you know corrupt naturals of the problem largely because of the ying gap between demand and supply you know there's wide gap between demand and supply of professionals in procurement and that is why you find that the issue to procurement is man managed by you know qu there's also renewed interest on environmental issues, the same thing social issues. So, and that is why we have this center as one of the six centers of excellence in Nigeria which is out to take ownership of training professionals in procurement, environment and social standards.
Now concerning the orientation as we all know in any organiz you know traditional community whether it is company or whether it is an education institution each of these organizations they have values traditions rules and regulations that you know they use in operating or in you know managing that organization.
And so that is why as students of labor management usually we have what we call organization, induction, sensitization, socialization.
These are terms, these are words that sufficiently describe the effort made by management in trying to ensure that newcomers to organization whether it is an organization or education institutions.
They made deliberate efforts to make them feel at home by educating them, by supplying vital information to them so that they function effectively in that organization and so that they will be able to observe the rules and regulation of that organization.
And that is why we at the center organize you know this uh orientation program and I hope you will use this opportunity to ask questions and try to you know learn from us you know if you have anything so that you'll be able to function effectively in the organization because uh in recent days we have series of problems that borders around ignorance by most of view as safeguard officer as we are going to see later. This is one of my responsibility of you know ensuring that a means of listening to students staff in no stakeholders.
Now concerning the center as I said I want you to discuss in detail because I have a poweroint presentation but I was made to understand that we do not need to present due to time constraint. Uh however as I said this center is one of the six centers and with all humility I happen to be one of those you know people that serve in a committee that seek for this you know center because it was subject to a lot of competition you know for each zone federal universities in that zone were made to be candidates and I could remember and B happens to be one of our you know Steve competitor whatever and finally we won it was awarded to ABU one of the six centers which I'm happy uh my center leader has already explained to you in detail however the important point that he has made which I want to emphasize I don't know whether the youth swans have noted that point but is it is very important and fundamental point that is the issue of professionalism you see I want to believe that in future and in very near future all these organizations one they will make it a condition that there must be procurement unit and likewise all activities because all over there's much emphasis on sustainable development. Part of this emphasis requires all our activities be in harmony with environment meaning that we need to configure our development. So that if you have any activity on environment for instance construction work government will require you to you know come up with what we call environmental assessment in order to assess any activity on the environment to see the effect will have on the environment likewise issue of social. So the point I'm trying to make here is please bear in mind that you have a very important opportunity Because as I said professionalism require two things. One academic training which ordinary when you go to any department of course you will have that easily. Okay. If you follow the the right procedure and then on the other hand quite apart from academic training you also require statutory recognition.
This strategic recognition as far as you know our center is concerned you'll find it very easy once you undergo training in our center. I believe issue of recognition, statuto regulation becomes easy because as the center leader mentioned you know of these clusters the procurement you know the environment and social each one of them has a motor ministry or government agency that supervises you know monitor and evaluate all their activities. So for procurement you have PDP for you know uh public procurement and then for you know uh environment you have ministry of environment for social you have women appears and the rest of them this goes to to tell you that by the time you have that one requirement academic training academic qualification the other you know requirement which is also monitored by this you know uh government agencies becomes easy to that is why I said they said don't follow crowd but to every rule there is an exception this is one of the exceptional cases which to make sure that you are among the pioneer professionals whether it is in progment whether it is in social or whether it is environment by the time you make effort if you observe what is happening the issue of admission issue of professional registration is becoming difficult by the day. Those that got admission this year will bear with me that when you compare the process of admission some years back you know it is much more difficult now.
So who knows what will happen uh next year because of the steep competition.
people are beginning to now understand the value of you know getting this certificate from our esteem center. Now concerning the safeguard officer because I am the environmental and social safeguard officer of the center and it is usual it is tradition of the world bank.
If you look at all projects sponsored by World Bank whether in Nigeria or anywhere in the world, it is part of their own military requirement that there must be environmental and safeguard environmental and social safeguard officer. So I happen to be one. Now I want to attempt to ask who is environmental and social safeguard officer especially at the center.
Environmental and social safeguard officer is a professional who is settled with the responsibility of making sure that all project activities are planned, designed and implemented in such a manner that it protects the environment and it promotes social wellbe. bill and it also complies with World Bank's standards, policies, regulations and programs.
So in notion he is that person that ensures that we have environmentally soundable you know environment and inclusive social standards.
And we are also safe quite apart from issue of compliance and that is why in some years back environmental social safeguard contains two arms the environment aspect and the social aspect as I said protection of environment minimizing all effort all activities that would have you know hungle effect on the environment and issue of social inclusiveness and then complies with the standard. So it has two arms environment and social.
However, in recent times there's yet another add issue and that is issue of health and safety.
Uh under health and safety there's also is divided into two. We have the personal safety that is personal health of the the stakeholders worker and then also occupational safety.
Now I would have a situation where I give detailed explanation of this because I have it in PowerPoint and I think I you know for those of you who came early I gave at least 50 copies of my uh you know uh what you call it uh speech however let me just use common simple way in order to illustrate my own activity. face the issue of grievance redress mechanism.
It is my own responsibility as officer to not only establish but also manage the issue of you know agreements grievance mechanism that is if any of the stakeholders especially students in fact that's why I deliberately mentioned first revenance res mechanism it is one of the important responsibility of safeguard officer and as I said I deliberately started with it quite apart from other you know functions or responsibilities of safeguard officer because we used to have a number of problems where students used to you know report the center to either or even to the whole bank when in fact you have you know medium you have a simple and straightforward means of pinging your complaint at the center. You see under administration we are supposed to have two committees. We have the GM committee grievance redress mechanism committee which is supposed to be headed by the center leader and I am the secretary of that committee and under a swellow each month each month it is a rule is composed it is mandatory that we must meet that is one. Secondly, there's the GBB committee you know that is for the gender based violence which we have the GBB unit leader professor she is supposed to be the secretary and the you know center leader is supposed to be the chairman it is a condition I mean it's composing that each month they would also meet and I mean support the ministry.
Likewise quite apart from that there are other issues that you know uh safeguard officer is supposed to take I mean uh other responsibility issues that I'm supposed to discharge at the center which please I want you to take note uh will of course be of benefit to you.
one issue of uh planning and implementation of program in such a way that we take into cognissance the well-being and welfare of stakeholders especially students. Take for instance now if you have any problem any complaint ideally you are supposed to you know you know hold it to me and then secondly even the center itself the way and manner it is designed it is constructed it is you know managed and maintained ideally is supposed to follow certain procedures and each month in the past from 200 25 that was last year. I used to send a report each four months. Now each month I have to write a report and the Yes.
Okay. Okay. So in nutshell I want to encourage each one of you if you have any you know complaint any problem you can first and foremost see the safeguard officer. The safety officer is here for for the whole center and it is not only for the students ideally even the the students the staff people I mean members of the committee community immediate community can also complain if there's any problem that you know they have with the center which they feel we can do something they are at liberty to meet me for any any complaint for any problem. Thank you.
Thank you.
>> Thank you very much sir. Please can we once again put our hands together for professor uh quickly distinguished ladies and gentlemen before I call on the next speaker.
The center leader has left. He has other important event to attend to and uh professorin uh is standing in for him. And then may I also acknowledge the presence of uh students that have joined virtually. We have more than 150 students attending this uh orientation program virtually.
Thank you very much participants. We acknowledge your presence. Uh the next presenter is uh professor Siki Aka on gender sensitization by the prof. I think this is this has to do with gender. I have to be very particular about this. The central leader has directed that I give you 10 minutes.
This has nothing to do with difference in gender but thank you.
>> Good afternoon everyone.
Um, so much has been said about the center, about the different clusters that make up the center, but this particular one has reference to the documents that all of you have except you came in through the window.
But if you came in through the door, you must have been given this document. And it's just pertinent that you be sensitized on what you are about to append your signature to. I have a a presentation which I am not going to make but just to tell us that the World Bank takes zero tolerance to issues of GBV SEA SH if you listen to the presentations you get the details on what these acronyms uh means.
But in a nutshell, you have come into this world proh world bank project that is academic in nature and because wherever you have human beings come together the issues of GBV, SEA will abound and so you need to be sensitized.
Yes, Amadello University may have told you things, but specifically for World Bank project, the GBV office with our uh central organizing NU has encouraged all GBV officers to always do this sensitization program.
Be it for contractors, be it for students at all levels. Two days ago we organized a similar one for students.
Last year we couldn't but here we are organizing another one for students.
This time it is important that you go through the document that you have in your hand and understand the content of the document before you append your signature because World Bank does not take any I mean any nonsense around the issues of GBV anytime it is intercepted be it in this kind of academic program or in their other kinds of projects.
It can even lead to the step down of that kind of project and so you need to be sensitized on this GBV gender based violence. Sea sexual exploitation and abuse SH sexual harassment.
These things happen in the university system and they take too many forms be it quit proco environment physical abuse even h internet kind of sexual abuse they all around and you engage in these things or they come to you at various points in time. We are telling you that even inspector if any of these should come to you you have a duty to report officially the safeguard officer has told you there is a GBV committee there is a GRM committee please on issues of sual nature that comes to you locate us even though we don't have a specific office but I am a person I am an institution So locate us and report the case as it comes. Um why is it important to mitigate these things or even prevent them from? Because it will stop you I mean from attending your full capacity as a student when it is coming to you.
It can stop you FROM FULLY PARTICIPATING IN OTHER social engagements in the system. And so it is our duty to sensize you on this and to help you leave it to the board. Don't feel intimidated.
Don't shy away. Please report officially. There are formal procedures for reporting and we will take it up and help you get healed. Yes, anybody who is a victim is called a survivor.
And we take a survivor centered approach to dealing with cases of GBV even in the center. We you know take ranks with the survivor to make sure justice is received and you are switched on whatever difficulties you may have faced. Then what are the mitigation pathways? Very important. If your GBP or SEA is in the form that a health is challenged, you report to us and we take you to SIGB. There are dedicated officers in the sigbay that will help look into your case. If it is um maybe emotional, there is the uh uh the services that provided by the uh Mello University uh counseling services. So we take you there are officers that are there to provide counseling services to you. If it is physical damage or securities at stake, we take you to the university security uh outfit and there are also dedicated uh officers to help take your case and there are timings that they are open to intercepting reports. So um having um briefly exposed you or sensitized you on some of these things please get to your form that is in your hand and I'm sure by now you may have read the preamles and it is time for us now to sign this uh I initially taugh the program manager project manager will be the one to administer the oath.
My chairman, I should go ahead. Okay.
So, probably in the usual form, you all stand. You all stand.
You all stand and then we'll um read out the declaration together. Okay. At the end of which you now sit down and sign and please you are dropping back at that registration uh desk as you're going out. You're dropping your form back there. The ones that are online I don't know how you will do yours because you need this physical papers intercepted because the nuc will come around any time and we need to submit all of these to them. So, one, two, go. I declare >> I declare >> that I will adhere to this code of conduct >> and I will avoid actions or behaviors >> that could con construe as >> sexual harassment or GBV.
any such actions will be a breach of >> any such actions of >> this code this code.
>> I do here I acknowledge that I >> I have read the forgoing code of conducting.
Do I agree to comply with the standards?
>> Agree to comply with >> contender.
>> And I understand my roles and responsibilities.
>> And I understand my roles and responsibilities.
>> I understand that any action >> inconsistent with the individual code of conduct >> or failure to act mandated by this code.
may result in disciplinary action >> and may affect my ongoing enrollment.
>> So help me God.
>> You can now attend your signature. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. Ma please can we once again put our hands together for Professor Siki Aka.
Thank you very much ma. Uh quickly distinguished ladies and before we move to the next item a special announcement for student in social standard writing 105 this afternoon. After this program you're expected to go to Abuakar instead of ICT Aubakar instead of ICT. Thank you. And then also due to time constraint I have been directed by the chairman to skip the next item. The next item is supposed to be a question and answer session but uh due to time factor we cannot enterain any question from you. We sincerely apologize for that but you know the respective heads of units and if you have any complaint if you have any question you can actually go and meet them and I'm sure they'll give you all the necessary audience you deserve and then they will also address any issue you have.
>> Students, can you please stop leaving?
The event is not over yet. Come back to your respective seats till the program is ended properly. Go back to your respect your respective seats. Students, please.
All of you standing, can we be seated?
Please another announcement professor said there will be a hotline for GRM and the procedures will also be laid down for any complaint you know uh you have and then any complaint you need to leave to the units instead of uh you know channeling it to the inappropriate channels. Thank you. And at this point, may I invite the chairman of the local organizing committee, Professor Ashello, for the vote of thanks.
>> Okay. Thank you very much. Um, this is a day well spent on behalf of the sustainable procurement, environment and social standards enhancement center of excellence amodel university area.
um the staff of the center, officials of the center, the center management as well as the students affiliated to the center, all of you. I wish to thank each and every one of us particularly the invited you know from the university management uh from the vice chancellor the provost of the postgraduate college director of the director of academic planning and uh monitoring the respective deans of faculties affiliated with the programs of the center heads of departments and also center leaders you know of other centers of excellence in the university.
We wish to say a very big thank you to all of you and we wish each and every one of you you know safe return to your destinations. For students writing examinations, we wish you the best of luck and we also wish you safe journeys back for those that are finishing their examinations today and tomorrow and we also um hope to see you once again you know either at the center or the departments. Please bear with us the fact that you know we could not entertain um the Q&A session. Some of you are writing examinations now and if you have issues that um you want to you want us to address you can immediately after the program you know go to your respective departments the center and I assure you you will be attended.
Once again thank you very much and I wish each and every one of us you know safe return to our Thank you.
Thank you very much and distinguished ladies and gentlemen. We have finally come to the end of this orientation program. My name is Ahmed Waziri from the public affairs directorate office of the vice chancellor here university area and I've anchored this event alongside my senior colleagues also one of you Mr. Buu Inoduma deputy registister public affairs director it uh we have started with prayers and it's also very important that we close with prayers.
May we take 30 seconds to pray according to individual feed please.
>> Yeah man I wish us all safe journey back to our respective destination for student writing exams. I wish you all the best.
Yeah, probably understand.
where and then whenever you have any invite me to Oh wow.
Oh wow.
Why won't me could I King I'm Don't say My kiss.
Yes.
Till the curtain.
Please hold on.
Jesus clean.
I want to share.
Wait a minute.
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