Inaugural Lectures

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Not by Bread Alone
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1971-11-30) Howat, G. R.
The growth in the consumption of bread, in the past ten years is associated with its convenience both in urban and in rural conditions. Bread is in fact the prime example of the silent revolution in eating habits that is now in progress in Nigeria. You can buy bread-wrapped bread, too, which is a hygiene plus-over the whole of Nigeria. It is now a regular item of diet of the urban dweller whether in the North or in the sophisticated South. It is eaten by children, by lorry drivers, by nursing mothers, by labourers, by students, indeed the entire range of social classes. Its convenience, its keeping ability ("shelf life" to the food technologist) and its relative cheapness have enabled it to become big business. The figures speak for themselves. In 1965, the value of the imports of wheat and wheat flour and similar products amounted to just over £3.5 million. By 1970, they had increased to £7,979,000, more than one hundred percent. No precise figures are available to indicate how much of this import goes into the baking of bread by professional bakers. One has to bear in mind that there is now a sizeable industry in biscuit production and that domestic and professional catering absorb a significant quantity. If we assume that the bread baking industry accounts for about eighty percent of the total wheat imports this means that for 1970, £6.4 million was used to import flour for bread-making. By any standard that is a lot of foreign currency for one item of food. It is indeed the largest single food import and on the evidence of the past ten years it is likely to become larger still. In such a situation it is inevitable that the minds of food technologists and of statesmen should turn towards import substitution programmes.
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The geological sciences in the service of Nigeria
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, 1972-01-18) Cooray, P. G.
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The Geological Sciences in the Service of Nigeria
(University of Ife Press, 1972-01-18) Cooray, P. G.
In the year 1900. Charles Lapworth, the then President of the Geological Society of London, asked from the President's Chair: "What is this geology of which we are so proud and confident? What has it done for the mental or material benefit of the human race? And on what grounds does it justify its claims to respect and support as one of the facts in the advance of humanity?" These questions appear to be as relevant today as they were at the beginning of the century, and my address this evening, as the title indicates, attempts to answer the first rather briefly, the second in some detail in so far as it applies specifically to the people of Nigeria, and the third not at a". as the answer lies with you-mine would be strongly prejudiced in geology's favour! The main body of my address falls naturally into three parts, namely. the manner in which the geological sciences have served Nigeria in the past, the ways in which they will continue to serve her in the future. and the contribution that the Department of Geology and Applied Geology at the University of Ife has made and will continue to make in the provision and growth of this service. But first some definitions are necessary. The science of geology, which is more than 200 years old, springs from two main sources-the consideration of the origin of rocks, and the study of minerals and crystals from the old mining districts of Germany. This is neither the time nor the place to delve into the history of our science-suffice it to say that until relatively recently geology was largely an observational science with little or no relation to the other physical sciences. Today the plctureTs very different. and the barriers between geology and chemistry, geology and physics. and geology and mathematics are being broken down as fast as they are between physics and chemistry. and chemistry and biology. It is for this reason -dissatisfaction with the limitations of the term "geology"-that I have chosen the wider term "geological sciences" for the purpose of this talk. Geology is in essence earth history and it uses every available .rneans to decipher this history. We can therefore say that the geological sciences are the various branches of geology and allied subjects that help to unravel earth history .
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All Flesh is Grass
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, 1972-02-22) Adegbola, A. A.
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Ife and Biology
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, 1972-03-14) Halstead, L. B.
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Ife and Biology
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1972-03-14) Halstead, L. B.
An inaugural lecture is an occasion to survey one's field, to explain what one does, to demonstrate its relevance and to place one's own contributions into their general perspective. It is in fact an opportunity for a kind of academic license. However, today I intend to outline my attitude to Ife, to discuss some general questions, which I believe are important to us and which have implications for Biology at Ife. I shall illustrate my arguments with examples culled from my observations and experiences here, which though local, may I suspect, have relevance to many young universities in this part of the world.
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Philosophy and Culture
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1972-04-25) Sodipo, J.O
My intention here is to show the relevance of this theoretic concern called philosophy for our cultural and intellectual development. In the course of this main task, I hope to show in what sense the Natural Sciences have not preempted the title of philosophy to being an observation of nature.
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Man and environment, the Nigerian situation
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, 1972-05-16) Imevbore, A. M. A.
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Man and Environment - the Nigerian Situation
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1972-05-16) Imevbore, A.M.A
MAN is an organism and his environment includes all things, living and non-living, which influence his life The study of man's relationship with his environment dates back to the time of his emergence as the dominant species on earth. In the beginning was the land, the plants and the animals. Plants and animals respond to the forces of nature and this involves interaction with the environment. During such interaction animals alter their behavior to adapt to changing conditions, but this rarely causes trouble. If they are unable to change, they simply die out, and become extinct. More often than not it is only man that upsets the delicate balances of nature, creating environmental problems. This trouble would of course be overcome if man became extinct. However, this is not a solution I would wish to advocate.
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Money in economy theory
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, 1972-11-30) Aluko, Sam
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Money in Economic Theory
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1972-11-30) Aluko, Sam
The term money refer to such commodities which serve the three-fold functions of: a recognised and acceptable medium of exchange; a standard of value or a unit of account; and, a symbol or store of wealth, both the traditional and the modern theories- and controversies about money deal with how effectively money can or should perform one or all of these three-fold functions. Furthermore, the objects that have performed these three-fold functions have themselves evolved with the development in economic thought and practice.
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All Flesh is Grass
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1973) Adegbola, A.A
Livestock production in Nigeria is possible within the context of an overall improvement in all other aspects of agricultural development. Just as there is a need for grain surplus as a basis for development in pigs and poultry production; so there is a need for adequate soil management and water conservation practices to keep soils productive; good storage facilities and a cheap and efficient processing technique for crop and animal products, good roads and communications for fast transportation of highly perishable products and efficient distribution at low costs to consumers. There is a need to develop adequate organization for getting scientific information to the farmer. But above all, there is a need to guarantee adequate returns to farmers and to provide incentives like good water supply, adequate housing and rural electrification to farming communities. It is only in this context that we can truly develop the capacity necessary to convert all grass to flesh for the benefit of all in Nigeria.
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Drinking water or sewage
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, 1973-01-16) Damann, Kenneth E.
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The Cultural Dimension in Geography
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1973-03-06) Afolabi Ojo, G. J.
From the time I first became actively engaged in the geographer's craft, I have often wondered at how varied are the dimensions in the discipline. I am using the word dimensions to mean perspectives or points of view. Outside the opinions held by professionals, there are certain views expressed by the layman who probably had a smattering of what is called geography in the secondary schools. The layman might have dropped the subject in class three or four shortly before starting his school certificate simply because he was unable to cope with drawing maps or interpreting contours or because he was lured away by the combination of science subjects. Although he might have become a distinguished physicist or lawyer afterwards, the questions he asks of a geographer are illustrative of what may be described, in loose terms, as the layman's perspective on the subject. Samples of such questions are: What is the altitude of Ife? Why is the harmattan lingering on till March this year? How many miles, by road, is it from here to Kaura Namoda if I choose to go by the way of lIorin, Zungeru and Funtua? Both here and elsewhere, as George Kirnble has put it, "many people still think of the geographer as a dealer in terrestrial bric-a-brac, whose social function is to provide other people with answers to quiz questions".
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The Role of the Impractical
(University of Ife Press, 1973-03-27) Sanford, William W.
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Rural Poverty to Rural Prosperity: a Strategy for Development in Nigeria
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1973-05-08) Williams, S. K. Taiwo
The rural areas are increasingly being recognized as the key sector in many developing countries like Nigeria; and their rapid development and modernization have assumed priority objectives for many governments. I would, however, like to make it clear at the outset that the aims of rural development are not solely nor primarily economic. In trying to direct rural development, our concern must be first directed to the type of society and environment we are trying to create. In this, the economic aspects are, of course, important but they are important as a means and not as an end. In the difficult process of defining development goals, it is essential that this subsidiary status of the economic factor be remembered. Another point that should be stressed is that the rural and urban sectors form part of what must be an integrated whole. They are essentially complementary. Sustained development of the urban communities in a situation like that of our country is dependent upon expanding agricultural and rural productivity.
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Big Food Processors in Rural Development- Saints or Sinners
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press Limited, 1974-01-29) Cook, Hugh L.
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A Role for the University of Ife in Increasing Agricultural Production
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1974-04-30) Duncan, E. R.
My purpose in presenting this paper is to voice concerns about the production of food in relation to existing and expected needs, about present population trends, and to suggest that the University of Ife can play a significant role in this drama. My qualifications to discuss this segment of agricultural and economic development may not qualify me as an authority in Nigeria, but hopefully may justify an expression of my concern
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West African Contribution to the Law of International Watercourses
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1974-05-14) Rowny, K.
The idea of the non-navigational uses of international watercourses has been mooted in international treaties and in the doctrine of international law. This issue arises because water flowing from one country to another has been used in increasing degrees for irrigation of arid areas, for generation of electricity and generally for the development of industry. With these new developments new problems have arisen for lawyers to solve. In the case of irrigation, the uses of water by upper riparians inevitably diminish its natural quantity in the lower part of the river and thus adversely affect the lower riparians. Although hydrologic works for power purposes do not consume water as such, they interfere with its normal flow and produce the same consequences for the lower riparians as in the above case. Furthermore, increasing industrialization entails more consumption of water and changes in its natural quality giving rise to water pollution, detrimental to biological life (fauna and flora) and thus adversely affects the consumers of water, human beings, animals and plants alike.
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Population: the Primordial and Universal Denominator
(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1975-04-29) Adenola, A. lgun
The objectives of this lecture are to define and explain population, make a plea for its just attention, identify some of its problems and ramifications for all aspects of human endeavours, delineate the role of demography in analyzing and identifying them, suggest some of the equipment for and point directions towards the solutions of these problems.