THE ADDRESS BY THE HOD AT THE 2021 “TRAIN THE TRAINERS”

WORKSHOP HELD AT THE EMERITUS PROFESOR S.S. AJAYI SEMINAR

ROOM, DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND ECOTOIURISM MANAGEMENT,
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, IBADAN.

Good morning invited guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.

I have the pleasure of welcoming you to the Department of Wildlife
and Ecotourism Management, University of Ibadan for this edition of
‘training the trainers’ workshop, which is the first of its kind in the
annals of this great Department.
The Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management was carved
out in 2012 from the defunct Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Management that was formed in August 1981. This Department has a
mandate to train high level manpower in areas of Wildlife Production
and Utilization, Resource Management, Wildlife Management and
Extension, Biodiversity Management and Ecotourism Management at
both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The Department, throughout its history, has remained committed to
excellence in teaching, mentoring, and scholarly research that offer a
rich academic experience in an environment of inclusion and access
through inspired, student-centred education, creative activities and
research, innovation and engagement that improve the quality of life.
We are a place where world-class academics open big-time doors, and
where you are a part of the family from your very first day. The
Department has graduated 114 at the BSc., 83.at the MSc., 21
Postgraduate diploma and 20 at the Ph.D. levels.
The Department decided to come up with this programme in order to
create awareness about our programmes, carry out awareness
campaign on Biodiversity Conservation and ultimately to connect
the gown with the town.
The importance of teachers in education cannot be over-emphasised.
Teachers simplify the complex and make abstract concepts accessible
to students. Even though the discipline we are trying to popularise at
the secondary school level is not abstract, we also know that the best
way to capture the hearts of our young ones or to engrave this concept
of biodiversity conservation on their young minds is to go through
their teachers. Our Department deemed it fit to create this platform of
training the trainers, where refresher courses will be offered to
primary school science teachers and secondary school biology
teachers. It will also afford us the privilege to rub minds on
identifying our overexploited biodiversities, discuss their attendant
challenges; and shed more lights on the solutions that have been
hitherto proffered to abate and/or alleviate those problems militating
against Biodiversity Conservation.
During the course of the lectures today, you will be taking through
series of topical issues that are central to the conservation of our
highly diverse living organisms on the planet earth.
Kindly feel at home, seat back and make the maximum use of this
opportunity.
Thank you for accepting our invitation and thank you for coming