The Acting Head of De
partment, Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Dr Letorin Akinola, says she would take the department to greater height in her tenure.
In a document made available to The Tide, Dr. Akinola said she would use her position as secretary, Membership Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIA) to enhance the capacity of the department to build the capacity of professionals.
She disclosed that she would focus on professionalising, as well as making animal science a more attractive discipline to prospective students and other stakeholders.
Citing an instance in which a graduate of the Department emerged among the best two in NIAs professional examination, the newly appointed acting HOD promised to strive to produce graduates who would rank top as professional animal scientists.
The HOD, who is also chairman of the Intra-faculty Bio-Enterprise and Agribusiness committee, promised to use her experience to advantage.
“We work hard to encourage our students to distinguish themselves in agribusiness and entrepreneurship to boost livestock production and job creation.
“We are preparing our students to win the third students entrepreneurship competition of the faculty of agriculture. The department won the first edition, but was beaten to the second place at the edition,” she disclosed.
To achieve her target, noting the challenges associated with running what she called a “proactive-oriented department, Dr. Akinola appealed for support from the school authority and other stakeholders to enable her achieve the purpose for which the department was established.
“With the necessary support from management and other stakeholders, we hope to meet our mandate and also break new grounds by repositioning the department in the training of professional animal scientists,” she said.
While noting that leadership entails harnessing available human and material resources to achieve organisational goal, she promised to build on the achievement of her predecessors to take the department to greater heights.