A former Amir (President) of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), B-Zone, Prof. Abideen Olaiya has said it took him 15 years after obtaining his doctorate to be appointed professor at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
Olaiya who began his lectureship at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, as Lecturer I between 2007 and 2008 was recently appointed full professor by the university authorities.
He told Muslim News in a brief interview that it is a moment he had been waiting for, having done all that was required of him a long time ago.
Recalling his entry into the academia, the Professor of Crop Ecology said, “I joined the University system as Lecturer I at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin in 2007/2008 session after leaving Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan as Principal Research Officer. It has been a nice experience having a taste of how both private and public university systems are being run in Nigeria.”
Olaiya said his remarkable achievements as an academic include teaching, research, and community development, as he was doing all of these without necessarily looking for promotion.
He explained that apart from politics, a professorship is made on two criteria: academic qualifications/publications and years of experience in academia/university.
The agric expert said the President Muhammadu Buhari led government just like previous governments had been paying lip service to agriculture and the educational sector. He charged the administration to take investment in agribusiness, technological innovations, and value addition to all agricultural products seriously.
Olaiya had nursed the ambition to become the Oyo State Governor in the 2019 elections. He has been an active Islamic activist since 1981 through the MSSN.
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