The Abuja Model Study Centre of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), has organised a medical outreach for the Dutse-Alhaji Community as part of the study centre’s second edition of the Student Week activities.
The 1-day medical exercise, which took place on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at the Palace of the Community Chief, was tagged “Health Talk: Cervical and Breast Cancer, Taking Proper Care of Your Ears,” was sponsored by Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation.
Medical doctors administered tests on High Blood Pressure, High Sugar level, Health Talk with teenage girls on basic hygiene as well as other relevant activities.
The outreach also distributed incentives to the community, which include cooking condiments and sanitary pads, which opened the floodgate for the community’s participation in the excise.
The second edition of the student’s, an initiative of the study centre, and was developed from the popular dictum that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” and started last year, recording unprecedented success that drew accolades from the university management.
The week was also packaged to meet both academic, entrepreneurial, cultural, sporting and psychosocial needs of the entire university community, as it also served as a gathering where knowledge, skills and entertainment met in mutual harmony.
This year’s edition was outstanding as new initiatives were introduced to make it even more fun, as the week-long ceremony featured football match, spelling Bee, Cultural day, fun day, skill acquisition, chess, scrabble, Ludo. Volley ball among others.
The theme of the student’s week was “Towards Entrepreneurship and Self-sustainability.”
As part of the opening ceremony, the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Dr. Moses Etila Shaibu, presented a paper titled: The Role of Youth in Leadership and community Development.
Shaibu stated that for community development to work, they must concentrate on igniting people’s interest to participate, because the willingness to be involved may need sparking. As personal interest and needs are the keys that unlock each individual’s motivation to participate in community activities.
He also said that students get involved in community activity to help them achieve personal goals, meet emotional need or address strong feelings. ‘‘Community development initiative helps one to express the vigour, initiative and skills which in fact exist in them.’’
Mr. Ovie Victor Udenzi, of the Leadway Assurance Company Limited, also gave a talk on the importance of life insurance, saying that people need a trust fund to build for their children and only life insurance policy can achieve that, “because the fact remains that no one knows tomorrow, insurance company gives people the shield from the blow that no one sees coming.”
In her remarks, the Deputy-Registrar, Mrs. Hawa Ben-Hirki, who stood in for the Centre Director, Prof. Sami Michael Ayodele, stated that the centre gave birth to the student week last year to ensure that students don’t just engage in reading and writing of their examinations, but they can as well come together to mingle after a hectic examinations because they need to unwind.
She however, appreciated the university management for the approval and support in hosting the event and thanked the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede for his support and inputs for the success of the event.
Ben-Hirki also appreciated the Chief of Dutse-Alhaji Community, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Bako for his support and always standing by the centre.
Highlights of the week-long activities were the presentation of awards and certificates, which the Faculty of Social Sciences came tops in most activities, as they were crowned the champions of the football match and the spelling bees competition.
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