10 Nigerians ‘sail to Lebanon’ — on the bill of the
Wole Soyinka Foundation
By
Chikezie OMEJE On Sep 16, 2017
Ten Nigerians have arrived Lebanon
to begin a 10-day intensive study on history and culture at Cedars Institute,
Notre Dame University (NDU) on the Wole Soyinka Foundation’s Study Abroad in
Lebanon (SAIL) programme.
The beneficiaries are Mary Aboekwe,
a reverend sister from the Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, and
Adenle Ademola, a budding writer.
Others are Oladele Faji, Khalid
Imam, Salamatu Sule, Kassima Okani, Wole Adedoyin, Blessing Christopher, Temi
Soyinka and Christian Nyamali.
Speaking at a press briefing to
unveil the candidates before their departure, Folake Soyinka, Executive
Director of Wole Soyinka Foundation (WSF), said majority of the beneficiaries
are young writers from the Ebedi Writers Residency in Oyo State, an
Architecture student and a Nigerian student of Mechanical Engineering in
England.
She appealed to individuals and
corporate organisations to support the programme to increase the number of the
beneficiaries.
She said increased financial support
will enable WSF to achieve other objective of the programme by bringing
students from Lebanon to Nigeria.
Habib Jafaar of Apple and Pears, who
is the facilitator of the project, said the programme is an initiative of the
Benedict XVI Chair of the NDU to promote educational and cultural exchange
project between Nigeria and Lebanon.
Jafaar said the programme started
last year with four students, adding that WSF had been a credible partner in
ensuring the success of the programme.
“We have very good report from the
candidates and the host in Lebanon, and we are encouraged to expand the number
from four last year to 10 this year… it may be more next year,” Jafaar said
“The SAIL programme has many
different chapters; the Russian chapter, where the Russian students come. They
have the Brazilian chapter, the Ukrainian chapter, the Indian chapter and the
Nigerian chapter. And we are very happy that this is the second one.
“It is a very intensive 10-day
course taught by at least six faculty professors very conversant in their
fields and it is complemented by lectures at the Unesco Heritage Centre sites.”
In 2016, the four participants of
the programme were Damilare Justice (PGD Environmental Geology, student
University of Jos), Zubairu Bambale (M.Phil student, Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria), Ibrahim Jimba (BA student, Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State)
and Olumuyiwa Ajayi (PhD student Covenant University Ota, Ogun State).
Jimba described the experience as
“pleasing” and a “blessing”.
“A big ‘thank you’ to the Cedars
Institute in collaboration with the BenedictXIV chair of religious, cultural
and philosophical studies for the initiative; the Wole Soyinka Foundation under
whose auspices I was able to go; my great institute (KWASU) under whose
platform I was chosen to participate,” he said.
“I consider the programme an
intellectual and cultural tourism. It was a really fascinating and
knowledge-filled experience as we (the participants) were able walk through,
and live History in a distinct way.
“In addition, we saw world history
through the eyes of Lebanon. The enthusiasm of our tutors was really admirable
and intriguing. My perception about the Lebanese community and the
Lebanese-Nigerian relations have positively changed.”
No comments:
Post a Comment