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           THE ICONS   A student-led community initiative, JO’s Empowerment Initiative, recently carried out an impactful outreach program, equipping young minds with essential 21st-century digital, soft, and financial literacy skills. The outreach, led by Oyedele Josephine, a final year student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, was borne out of her strong devotion to community development and youth empowerment. According to her, the rationale behind the outreach stemmed from the emerging gaps between formal education, digital and soft skills   “I realized that nowadays, even youths have limited access to digital knowledge, soft skills, and financial education that are crucial in today’s world. Hence, this outreach was set up to equip these young minds, preparing them adequately for what is to come, bridging the gaps in my own little way.”            The outreach took place at a public se...

          John Alabi & God's Gift Akowe In the recent times, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have constantly grappled with transportation crises, with numerous disputes and disagreement between the GreatIfe Students Union Transportation Management Committee (GreatIfe TMC), and by extension the university management and Town-Gboro bus drivers, which sometimes result to fare hikes, service interruptions, and, at times, indefinite strikes. Whenever these conflicts arise, students are often at the receiving end, bearing the consequences. Due to these long-standing issues, transportation on campus has always depended on a fragile balance, a balance built on compromise rather than a sustainable system that truly prioritizes students’ welfare and safe mobility. That balance shifted again on January 29, when Nigeria's First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, commissioned 50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and 30 tricycles for the university. The initiative was in...

            John Alabi  The just concluded 3-day Campus Journalism Clinic organized by Campus Reporter, one of the leading programmes of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), brought together about 40 student Journalists from three prominent universities in Osun State; including the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Osun State University (UNIOSUN), and Fountain University.   It was a journalism training which ran from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 March, aimed to equip student journalists with practical skills in campus reporting, theoretical knowledge of journalism and ethical reportage.  The event kicked off on Tuesday morning at the board room of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, with media professionals, and facilitators in attendance to guide and mentor the students, contributing significantly to their professional growth. Since its inception in 2017...

            Adedoyin Onajobi  The basketball team of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, has been thrown into sudden grifs, following the demkse of the team's headcoach, Prof. I.J Ikpo. Prof. Ikpo, who was a lecturer in the Department of Building, was reportedly said to have been battling with cancer long before his death.  The Don had served the university diligently since 1998, contributing significantly to both academics and sports development, particularly the basketball team of the university. The OAU female basketball team and the entire sports community have expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing him as a dedicated coach and mentor whose impact will not be forgotten. Further details surrounding his death are yet to be officially announcedas as at press time.

            Kehinde Ayodele  When Mariam, a Part 2 student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, refreshed her bank app (perhaps her eyes were deceiving her) that Tuesday morning, her heart raced. For weeks, she had survived on borrowed transport fares and one meal a day. Fortunately, it appeared; a whooping sum of #20,000 has been credited to her, from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), widely known as the student loan scheme.  For the first time in months, Mariam, an average Nigeria student, struggling and doing everything she could to do as self support, in a bid to be educated, could finally breathe. Across the Nigeria Federal, State, and Private owned tertiary institutions, thousands of students could relate to Mariam’s story, as many of them have constantly had similar experiences since the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).  The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was...

            Adedoyin Onajobi  The maiden edition of the Great Ife Unity Cup, organized by the “BAMBAM HUBS,” in partnership with the office of the Great Ife Students’ Union Director of Sports, is set to kick off on Tuesday, 7th April, and span till Monday, 27th April, at the university sports complex.  The competition, “Unity Cup” as the name implies, is a football tournament setup to foster unity amongst the numerous indigenous associations in the university, as eight different state indigenous associations will be divided into two groups, while competing against each other, in quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final matches. Speaking with the organizers of the competition, BAMBAM noted the maiden edition of the Unity Cup is primarily scheduled to feature only eight different teams, however, if more than eight teams indicate interest, knockout matches will then be integrated into the competition, in a bid to determine the qualified ei...