A Professor of rural sociology and the immediate past Rector of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, Prof. Gbemiga Adewale has advocated for the establishment of mentoring programmes at the Ladoke Akintola University and other universities in Nigeria.
Professor Gbemiga Adewale made this call while delivering a lecture at a training workshop organised by Association of Commonwealth Universities, United kingdom in collaboration with Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, where he emphasised that mentoring is needed for individuals as well.
In his lecture, Adewale described mentoring as one of the learning methods used to enhance individuals learning and development in all spheres of life.
According to him, “mentoring in higher educational institution is defined as a process whereby an experienced senior faculty member helps to develop a less experienced junior faculty member. The person who is mentored is called the protege, mentee and mentoree, whereas the experienced person who imparts wise and reliable advice is often referred to as a mentor. The mentor will advise, guide, teach, inspire, challenge, correct and serve as a role model to another faculty member for individual professional development. ”
While speaking on the importance of mentoring, Prof. Adewale stated that it is used in organisations as systemic solution to increase performance of employees.
He added that universities throughout the world need properly coordinated and effective mentoring programmes for the growth of human capital and for the enrichment of output, which bothers on teaching, research and community service and for the actualisation of organisation vision, mission and strategic objectives.
He therefore, called on organizations or institutions that have not introduced mentoring programmes to do so in the context of personal development for those graduates or new employees.
Prof. Adewale reiterated that mentoring is essential in the 21st century workplace in Nigerian Universities, such as LAUTECH, which is a dynamic environment with different categories of workers – academics, administrative and technologists.
He hinted that formal mentoring could start early as at the level of undergraduate up till PhD programme.
The programme was chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Prof. Michael Ologunde who was ably represented Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Olaide Liasu.
