By: Oyekanmi ABIODUN [Politikz]

The dire state of infrastructures in the Faculty of the Social Sciences has become a very disturbing phenomenon, and has been widely acknowledged by many; both students’ and lecturer’s, as a major factor suffocating the quality of teaching and learning in recent time.

School facilities have been described as a powerful factor for quantitative and qualitative education. It constitute a strategic factor in the functioning of any institution. This is important because they determine the smooth running of learning and ultimately engender academic successes.

It is a calamitous reality that the faculty that house the humanitarians is in such inhumane state as it is now. The quality of infrastructure within the faculty is persistently plunging and the problem of poor performance will never be solved within the existing cadre of facilities.

Beginning with the sorry state of the lecture theatre’s whom are sharing attributes with a broken egg. As a resident of Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall and simultaneously a student of the faculty, the reality of having a lecture in the Faculty Large Lecture Theatre (LLT) is nothing but a home away from home. This is because Zik Hall is well known for its proximity to the zoo and the animalistic nature of it’s resident’s, similarly, Faculty of the Social Sciences is fast becoming a nemesis of it real self.

This is a non-conducive learning environment and the students are the major stakeholders paying severely and largely so, for the inertness of the faculty management. Thus, something drastic needs to be done in this regard to arrest this undesirable condition.

What more to say, is the avalanche of superficial teaching technological aids that lies rather inoperable in most of these lecture rooms. Ranging from the ineffectual smartboards to the paradoxical projectors, and even the ceremonial air-conditioner’s whose conditions are as worse as Nigeria economic growth, and as such need a rejuvenating intervention. These teaching gadgets have been on a long hiatus and there is no better time to revive them than now. I mean now!

In spite of the hue and cry by students to the authorities for a better learning condition, they are not neutral in the purview of these challenges.

Attitudinally, the maintenance culture of students has nosedived and there has been a sporadic trend of nonchalant attitude towards making good and effective use of what has been provided to aid our learning.

Mere lamentation without proper actions by the students must stop. There is a need for the development of a more articulately sophisticated student body. The student’s should make their voice to be heard in seeking redress on these conundrums. As such, I charge all student organs; executive councils, parliaments and the press body, to rise up and champion this cause. Enough of making our man-made challenges seem a spiritual problem, insurmountable, and beyond our collective solution as intellectuals.

In sum, the appropriate structure of learning facilities is one major issue that needs to be urgently addressed to put in abeyance and reduce the high rate of poor academic performances in the faculty. Hence, we call on and appeal to the appropriate authorities to beam a searchlight on the aforementioned challenges and implement holistic and effective plans in addressing them.

Oyekanmi ABIODUN [Politikz] is a penultimate student of the Department of Political Science in the premier University of Ibadan. He is currently the sports editor of the Union of Campus Journalists. He is a student journalist, an astute writer, a critic and sports analyst. CONTACT: o.wahriz@gmail.com or 08166805388.

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