Covenant Pioneers Out-Of-Classroom Teaching For Students

Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, has pioneered the out-of-classroom lectures for its students to have real-life skills and field experience.

The Head of Mass Communication Department of the University, Dr Kehinde Oyesomi, who said this in a statement signed by the university, explained that CU sent its final year students of Public Relations to the Nigeria-Benin Republic international border at Idi-Iroko, Ogun State for the current semester’s lectures and examination.

Oyesomi, who was represented by Dr Oscar Odiboh, said, “To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time ever anywhere in the world that a university will conduct semester lectures and examinations for its students at an international border. This is a historical achievement for Covenant University, Nigeria’s academic system and public relations education in the country.

“All the students were trained and examined by the heads and public relations directors of government agencies at the international border on the subject of international public relations.

“The out-of-classroom lectures and examination exposed the students to the reality of two communities of two different countries and how they have been coexisting peacefully.”

The course lecturer, Dr Thelma Ekanem, added that the students received lectures, understudied the environment, officers’ operations, and equipment, saying they were examined by their assigned international government agency at the international border.

Ekanem said, “The field activation serves as part of the international training process that will equip the students as future global public relations experts, capable of managing multinational image, generating diplomatic goodwill and building mutually beneficial organisational and communal coexistence.”

According to the mass communication lecturer, the agencies that conducted the lecture and examination were the Nigeria Immigration Services, Department of State Services, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, National Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Quarantine Services and the Nigeria Port Health Services.

She added that men of the 192 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Owode, Ogun State and the Nigeria Police (Idiroko Border Patrol Unit) provided security during field activation.

Punch