Inaugural Lecture Series

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    Concrete, a friend or a foe? the choice is ours!
    (University of Lagos Press and Bookshop, 2024-01-24) Ikponmwosa. E.E.
    The title of my inaugural lecture is "Concrete, A Friend or A Foe? The Choice is Ours!" Recent events and accounts recorded of building/infrastructure collapses in Nigeria have left tales of woes,wailing, and sadness in many homes and families. The structures concerned are usually concrete or reinforced concrete. Concrete that is expected to create shelter for man has turned out to be an agent of destruction of lives and properties. In recent years, we have frequently recorded building and/or infrastructural collapses in Nigeria. This is rather unfortunate. This inaugural lecture will attempt to take us through basic knowledge of concrete to X-ray and carry out a critical appraisal of recent collapses of concrete structures around us when concrete turned out to be our foe instead of our friend. Furthermore, an attempt will be made to proffer solutions aimed at considerably halting the negative trend.
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    Bearing the torch aloft: the travails and triumphs of a Nigerian Diagnostic Radiologist
    (University of Lagos Press and Bookshop Limited, 2024-02-21) Soyebi, K.O.
    The Power of Light Genesis 1:1-3 Knowledge is light, And so the sages say Forever, it will be the light To guide humanity Knowledge is light s ignorance is darkness and therefore, Mayflowers Equip yourselves with Amour of Light For our mission to the world is to bear the Torch aloft And cry with all your might That knowledge is light Just as ignorance is darkness That knowledge is light …Mayflower School Anthem Once again, I say it is with a deep sense of gratitude that I thank the Lord God Almighty for making this day come to be. I am indebted to the University of first choice and our Nation’s for awarding me the Professorial Chair in Radiology, thus mandating my delivery of this Inaugural Lecture, which is the 399th in the University of Lagos, the 10th in the academic year 2023/2024, the 5th in my Department, the Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy and Radiodiagnosis (RBRR)
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    Open Access
    Crying from the grave: Trust's resonance in inheritance tales
    (University of Lagos Press and Bookshop Ltd, 2024-02-07) Oni, B.A.
    Nature dictates that everyone must die1 . In other words, death is inevitable. The question is, what happens to the properties acquired during the lifetime of a deceased person? Usually, when a person dies, the properties that are left behind should be distributed to persons alive by way of succession or be managed by the representatives, i.e., Executors or Administrators, depending on whether a deceased dies testate or intestate. It is not in doubt that we work hard to acquire properties both real and personal with little or no plan for what becomes of those properties when we die, while alive we like talking about how many houses, vehicles, jewellery we have or our intention to acquire same. We hate to discuss the natural process of termination of existence, the end, death and its related effects on our loved ones. This fear of death results in an unplanned estate, with consequences of birthed hatred, litigation and destruction of family cohesion when the owner of the property is no more. The Latin maxim, res ipsa loquitur, encapsulates what becomes of us when life’s course is altered by death, retirement or some unforeseen events. There are many estate planning mechanisms with varying degrees of complexities and limitations. These include Wills, Trusts, Gifts, Power of Attorney, Succession by Contract and naming a beneficiary for life insurance, retirement accounts, securities and bank accounts, among others. It is my view that whatever estate plan one adopts, there is an application of Trusts in it. The flip side is that the law still imposes an application of trusts on whoever takes charge of the properties of the deceased. Where there is none in place, the question is, can a trust be imposed to determine controls of our properties for the benefit of our loved ones? It is my contention that the deceased who has failed to have a proper estate plan while alive will continue to cry in his grave if the properties left behind are mismanaged after his or her demise. Madam Vice Chancellor, it is appropriate at this point to first understand meanings of Succession/Inheritance and Trusts.
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    Open Access
    What Is Good For The Goose is Good For The Gander
    (University of Lagos Press and Bookshop Ltd, 2024-02-14) Zaid, Y.A.
    The development of libraries in Nigeria began during the colonial era with the establishment of a private library known as Tom Jones Library between 1910 and 1920. In 1932, the Carnegie Corporation of New York gave a grant of $6000 to the Lagos Book Club and it metamorphosed into Lagos Library in June 1932. Public libraries in the Western region of Nigeria evolved from Lagos Book Club in 1967. The first academic library in Nigeria was established in the Yaba Higher College (now Yaba College of Technology) in 1934 (Iwe, 2007). This was followed by the emergence of the University College Library in Ibadan in 1948 and other first-generation university libraries, including University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1960), Obafemi Awolowo University (1962), Ahmadu Bello University, (1962) and University of Lagos (1962), respectively (Anyawu, 2020). The number of university libraries in Nigeria has been increasing since the 1970s with the establishment of second, third and fourth-generation universities. As at January 2024, the number of approved Nigerian universities had increased to 262, consisting of 147 private universities, 52 federal universities and 63 states universities (National Universities Commission, 2023). Library service provision has thus evolved, such that libraries are changing from traditional to cutting edge information delivery mode in terms of expanded vision, which can be observed in library collection, facilities, services, staffing, and deployment of free and licensed digital resources as well as spaces. In a modern library, information resources and services are provided to a heterogeneous user population. University libraries in Nigeria have been in a state of transition in an attempt to reflect best practices in information service delivery. Madam Vice Chancellor, it is generally recognised that university libraries are service-oriented organisations that must, within the context of the institutional mission, meet the information needs of the populations they serve and thereby convert them into delighted library users. It is therefore the primary objective of any library to ensure that no segment of the population covered by the institutional mission is left behind in terms of access to learning resources. Unfortunately, studies have shown that discussions of the role of libraries in meeting the information needs of society tend to focus only on general populations - faculty, students and staff - and not on some of the so-called special populations (for example students needing remedial studies, international students who are disadvantaged in their ability to communicate in English both orally and in written form, and students with disabilities which could be in form of mobility impairment, hearing impairment, cognitive disability and vision impairment). This lecture therefore addresses one of these populations – students with vision impairment. The need for greater inclusion of their expectations in the planning and delivery of library services is the consideration underpinning the choice of today’s inaugural lecture titled: WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER.
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    Open Access
    The Amazing World of Insects
    (University of Lagos Press and Bookshop Ltd., 2023-08-23) Kemabonta, K.A
    The world of insects is all around us. They epitomize the phrase ‘small but powerful’. They impact several decisions that we make. For example, no one wants to buy grains infested with beetles or weevils, or vegetables that have been perforated by insects. Neither would you want to live in a house infested with ants or cockroaches or bedbugs. Insects have the capacity to make or destroy an economy. An infestation of insects on a farm is capable of destroying hundreds of hectares of crops. Conversely, the greater the number of bees a honey farmer has, the better the chances of business growth. Insects are prolific and impact all areas of our lives from the food that we eat to the disposal and or breakdown of our wastes. They are so integral to humans that they have been woven into the very fabric of our society, for example, our languages, manifesting in aphorisms and lessons about life. They serve as a testament to the interconnectivity of all things and the significance of fostering sustainable living, exemplifying the importance of preserving biodiversity. ‘If you think that you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.’ (African Proverb). Indeed it may be said that we live in the world of insects and not them in ours. They have whole communities and colonies, some have queens, with well-defined organisational structures and systems that have operated effectively for millennia. They are so amazing that the Bible in Proverbs 6:6-8 encourages us to learn from the ants. ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Today, we will take a peep into this “Amazing World of Insects”.