- The scholars spoke during the opening of the fourth Education and Humanities International Conference, themed, Humanities and the arts in a global world: Traditions and New Directions, which was recently hosted by Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo in Ogun State.
Notable scholars and university dons in Nigeria have stressed the need for a stronger and vigorous advocacy for the development and promotion of the Arts and Humanities.
The scholars spoke during the opening of the fourth Education and Humanities International Conference, themed, Humanities and the arts in a global world: Traditions and New Directions, which was recently hosted by Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo in Ogun State.
They described the continued marginalisation and relegation of the humanities as the bane of development on the African continent.
Drawn from different public and private universities in and outside Nigeria, the scholars called for immediate recognition of the many benefits of the arts and humanities, noting that a speedy investment in the humanities sector would restore societal harmony and wealth creation.
Held inside the Super Hall of the private university, the conference attracted scores of distinguished scholars and guests from far and near, who interrogated the theme of the conference in their various submissions.
The President and Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Ademola Tayo, set the ball rolling by urging scholars in the academia to always relate to new developments in their areas of specialisation. He reiterated that the arts and humanities combine knowledge with creativity and spirituality, hence practitioners in the fields must learn how to apply their expertise in the service of humanity by keeping abreast of new developments and global happenings in their areas of concern.
Buttressing the points made by the vice-chancellor, the Dean of the School of Education and Humanities, Dr Abiodun Adesegun, hinted that the conference was conceived out of the need to revisit methods of generating research ideas in the arts and humanities, which aim at solving societal problems.
While noting that the arts and humanities face many challenges, based on core issues of culture, language, values, ethnic and historical factors, Adesegun urged scholars to create a new nexus with other disciplines, adding that no one was properly educated until one learned about other people’s cultures.
In his keynote address, entitled ‘The Humanities and National Development’, Prof Adekunle Adeniran, who represented a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Emeritus Prof Ayo Banjo, made a case for a blend of traditions with new directions.
He explained that scholars should imbibe the culture of studying the old to discover the new, noting that the discourse on the theme of the conference must be followed with concrete actions by all practitioners in the arts and humanities. He said, “Our research postulations and follow up findings together should, like compass, guide directions to widen and deepen man’s understanding of his existence, things of pleasure to him but also of his predicament and vulnerability in the volatile and dynamic world in which he lives.”
Adeniran described the arts and humanities as a multi-disciplinary vocation comprising diverse areas of engagement, such as literature, culture, history, language and linguistics, religion, philosophy, art, crafts, sculpture and drama, as well as music, which has been unduly marginalised and relegated in the academia. The erudite scholar, therefore, advocated a collaborative research as a way of advancing the humanities, with the objective of finding justification for the indispensable roles which the arts and humanities play in societal development.
Also, Prof Sheriff Folarin of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, urged fundamental re-engineering of the arts and humanities beyond the concepts of mental rejuvenation and soul feeding. He insisted that the academia should not be insulated from the larger society because each depends on the other for meaningful development.
Folarin, who lamented lack of initiatives, innovation and dynamism on the part of most scholars and handlers of the arts and humanities also made a strong case for the inter-disciplinary approach to research in Nigerian universities. He condemned inadequate innovation, obsolete equipment and wrong indoctrination that are prevalent in most African universities where courses are run in the arts and humanities.
Like Folarin, Prof Adeleke Fakoya of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos also hinted that the humanities had a lot to offer the global economy. He argued that unlike the global interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, there is a need to launch a new agenda for the humanities in the 21st century. He said, “At this time in Nigeria’s education, both lecturers and students are at a crossroads in view of the Internet’s negative impact on teaching and learning. However, Elise Cornille provides some illumination in her article entitled The Future of Technology in Humanities. She would rather we shunned the fear of technology and focused on how we can adapt technology to work in the Humanities, and also to consider how we can use technology to advance business and society.”
Other guests in attendance at the event were Prof Olugbenga Adebawo who represented the royal father of Ilisan-Remo, Dr Solomon Iguanre, Dr Babatunde Adebua, Prof Mobolanle Sotunsa, Dr Olusegun Ojuola, Dr Biodun Kalejaiye and Yinka Olorunkosebi, who thrilled the guests with songs and poetic renditions.
