A
TECHNICAL REPORT
ON
STUDENTS’ INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME
(SIWES)
UNDERTAKEN AT:
ONDO STATE WATER CORPERATION AKURE, ONDO STATE.
BY:
ADEOSUN, MUYIWA ANTHONY
MATRICULATION NUMBER:
CHE/16/9656
SUBMITTED TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE
OF BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY (B. AGRIC TECH)
IN
INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY
SEPTEMBER 2021
CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that ADEOSUN, MUYIWA ANTHONY with the matric number
Work
Experience
CHE/16/9656 carried out this report of Student Industrial
Scheme
(SIWES)
at
ONDO
STATE
WATER
CORPORATION
AKURE and has been prepared in accordance to regulations guiding the
preparation of SIWES reports in the Department of Agricultural Extension and
Communication Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo state.
……………………………..
Supervisor’s Signature
…………………………
Date
……………………………..
…………………………
H.O. D’s Signature
Dr. O.O. Fasina
Date
DEDICATION
I dedicate my dissertation work to the Almighty God my creator, my strong pillar, my source
of inspiration, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He has been the source of my strength
throughout the period of my industrial training attachment.
A special feeling of gratitude to my loving parents, Mr. and Mrs. ADEOSUN whose words
of encouragement and push for tenacity strengthened me all through the period of
SIWES.
ACKNOWLEGEMENT
My deepest gratitude goes to God who has provided all that was needed to complete this project
and the program for which it was undertaken for. There was never lack or want. Throughout
this entire study, He took care of everything that would have stopped me in my tracks and
strengthened me even through my most difficult times.
Also, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the directors at ONDO
STATE WATER CORPORATION for their relentless effort in investing on me and giving
their time to put me through this training process despite their tight schedules, I was still
supported and encouraged in a lot of industrial responsibilities and tasks to improve my
performance level. I would also like to appreciate Ms. Ogunsanya Temitope who
contributed their quota by welcoming and imparting in me with necessary knowledge.
I also appreciate the management of this great citadel of learning, the Federal University of
Technology Akure (FUTA), the SIWES coordinators, my Head of Department, Professor
Okoronkwo and my lecturers for the effort, support, and such an opportunity given to me to
go outside the confine of the Institution and gain field experience and their contribution to the
success of the training.
My utmost regard also goes to my parents, Mr and Mrs ADEOSUN who painstakingly laid
the foundation for my education giving it all it takes and also my supportive siblings for
their physical, spiritual and material support throughout my training period. God bless you
all. You all won’t lose your reward in Jesus name. Amen.
Lastly, I acknowledge all my colleagues at ONDO STATE WATER CORPORATION and
and friends for their love and support towards the success of my training. God bless you all in
Jesus name. Amen.
ABSTRACT
Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a skill development programme
established by Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) in 1973 to provide a link opportunity for students to
participate in the real world of work, benefit from practical exposure at various institutions
offering services relevant to their field of studies and it is aimed at exposing students to the
realities of world of work by matching the theoretical classroom knowledge with current
practices in the work environment.
This report has attempted to give the overview of all that was done during the six (6) months
Industrial Training and the experience gathered in the course of the training at Lead
Transformation Initiative Akure, Ondo state.
Lead Transformation Initiative is a non-government organisation in Nigeria which its objective
raising transformed minds for sustainable development.
Section one contains the introduction to Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme, brief
history of Industrial Fund, objectives of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme and
objectives of the report.
Section two contains all the information about the organization I was attached to.
Section three contains all the activities, participation and experience gained during the period
of training and section four contains conclusion and recommendations made based on
challenges encountered and work experience.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Abstract
List of figures
List of plates
Table of content
SECTION ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
HISTORY OF SIWES
1.2
ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF SIWES
1.3
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF SIWES
1.4
OBJECTIVES OF REPORT
SECTION TWO
2.0
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORGANISATION
2.1
OVERVIEW OF THE ORGANISATION
2.2
OBJECTIVE OF ORGANISATION
2.3
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
2.4
VISION STATEMENT
2.5
MISSION STATEMENT
2.6
PROJECTS OF THE ORGANISATION AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
2.6.1 TRANSFORMATIONAL EDUCATION
SECTION THREE
3.0
ACTIVITIES, PARTICIPATION AND EXPERIENCE GAINED
3.0.1 ACTIVITIES IN THE ORGANISATION
3.0.2 EXPERIENCE GAINED
3.0.3 CHALLENGES FACED
SECTION FOUR
4.0
CONCLUSION
4.1
RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES
SECTION ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Student’s Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a programme that is facilitated
by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to stop inadequate training among the students. This
programme is part of the academic curriculum of students in faculties of Engineering,
Technology, Environmental Sciences and pharmacy etc. and also forms part of the approved
Minimum Academic Standards in the various degree programmes for all the Nigerian
Universities. The introduction and entrenchment of the law that gave birth to Industrial
Training Fund has done a great deal in training and retraining students so as to meet and provide
effective services needed to produce high quality goods and services in our dynamic economy.
The Student Industrial Work-Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a planned and supervised training
intervention based on stated and specific learning and career objectives, geared towards
developing the occupational competencies of the participants
The highly proliferating concerns of the industrialists that graduates from our institutions of
higher learning do not have enough pragmatic understanding of their courses of study has led
to the introduction of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
It is an effort to bridge the gap existing between theory and practice of engineering and
technology, sciences, agriculture, medical, management and other profession the Nigerian
tertiary institutions. It is aimed at exposing students to machines and equipment, professional
work methods and ways of safe-guarding the minimum duration for the SIWES should be 24
weeks except for engineering and technology programmes where the minimum duration is 40
weeks, the scheme is a tripartite programme, involving the students, the universities and the
industry (employers of labour). The participants in the SIWES programme are:
59 UNIVERSITIES
85 POLYTECHNICS
62 COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
SIWES is a program organized for students of higher institution to acquire practical knowledge
of their various discipline in a real standard establishment different from the kind of experience
or knowledge gained within the school laboratory.
Consequently, the effectiveness of SIWES cannot be looked at in isolation with respect to a
single discipline; it is better explored in a holistic manner since many of the attributes, positive
outcomes and challenges associated with SIWES are common to all disciplines participating
in the scheme.
Hence, the approach of this report is to look at SIWES as a general study programme cutting
across several disciplines. Nevertheless, the report also pays attention to the peculiarities and
problems associated with effective implementation of SIWES for Statistics and its
effectiveness in contributing to the professional development of the Statistics student.
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The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme, SIWES is a new directorate under the Vice
Chancellor’s office. It was established on 20th April 2012. The scheme is a skill training
programme designed to expose and prepare students of universities and other tertiary
institutions for industrial work situation they are likely to meet after graduation. It is also
planned, and structured programme based on stated and specific stated objectives which are
geared towards developing the occupational competence of participants.
1.1 HISTORY OF SIWES
The Students’ Industrial Work-Experience Scheme (SIWES) was established by the Industrial
Training Fund (ITF) in 1973 with 748 students from 11 institutions of higher learning
participating. By 1978, the scope of participation in the scheme had increased to about 5,000
students from 32 institutions. The Industrial Training Fund, however, withdrew from the
management of the scheme in 1979 owing to problems of organizational logistics and the
increased financial burden associated with the rapid expansion of SIWES. Consequently, the
Federal Government funded the scheme through the National Universities Commission (NUC)
and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) who managed SIWES for five years
(1979 – 1984). The supervising agencies (NUC and NBTE) operated the scheme in conjunction
with their respective institutions during this period.
1.2 ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF SIWES
The organization of the Students’ Industrial Work-Experience Scheme (SIWES) involves
many stakeholders as follows:
1. Federal Government (Federal Ministry of Commerce & Industry)
2. Industrial Training Fund (SIWES Division)
3. Supervising/Regulatory Agencies (NUC, NBTE, NCCE)
4. Industry/Employers (NECA, NACCIMA, MAN, Government Establishments)
5. Tertiary Institutions (Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education) and
6. Student Trainees (Engineering, Science, Technology, NCE Technical)
1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF SIWES
The industrial Training fund’s Policy Document No.1 of 1973 which established SIWES
outlined the objectives of the scheme as follows:
1. Prepare student for industrial work situations that they are likely to meet after
graduation;
2. Make the transition from school to the world of work easier and enhance students’
contacts for later job placements;
3. Provide students with the opportunities to apply their educational knowledge in real
work situations, thereby bridging the gap between theory and practical;
4. Enlists and strengthens employer’s involvement in the entire Educational process of
preparing university graduates for employment in industry.
2
5. Provide an avenue for students in institution of higher learning to acquire industrial
skills and experience during their courses of study.
6. Expose student to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and machinery
that may not be available in their institution.
7. Maintain a balance between theoretical and practical knowledge.
8. Advancing relationship between educational and industrial sectors.
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF REPORT
The objectives are:
1. To develop student´s skill in good technical report writing.
2. To give an adequate and concise account of the skills received during the training
period.
3. To explain the relevance of the Industrial Training to Agriculture in general and
Agricultural Extension in particular.
4. It also helps to offer some suggestions for both establishments and agriculture as to
which ways their collaboration can be improved.
SECTION TWO
2.0 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORGANISATION
Imagine a baker, who does not want to eat the bread produced in his own bakery. He prefers
to eat bread from foreign countries. Amazingly, he announces to everyone who cares to
know, that, “his bread is not edible”. This is the case of the educational system in Nigeria.
Graduates are being termed “unemployable” by the Government and employers of labour,
resulting to massive unemployment within the country.
On this basis, Ondo State water corperation was founded in 1985 by the Ondo State
Government in Akure, Ondo State of Nigeria. Over the years, the
organization has spread its tentacles to the areas of Chemistry and
creating job employments for youths, as well as, equipping them to be creative and
innovative.
2.1 OVERVIEW OF THE ORGANISATION
ONDO STATE WATER CORPERATION AKURE's emergence a
few years ago was part of
measures to curtail the increasing numbers of unemployed graduates who are termed as
"unemployable" by those who are supposed to offer them jobs. It has its office located at NO
1, water corperation road, opposite Central Bank of Nigeria, Akure, Ondo State. It
was created to train and work with students from tertiary institutions in Nigeria,
advocating for quality education, healthy environment, and healthy water
for children and students in all level of Nigerian education, as well as ensure a peaceful coexistence between the management and its host community.
2.2 OBJECTIVE OF ORGANISATION
The organization was established to achieve the following objectives;
1. To provide healthy water for the consumption and management of Ondo State
residents.
2. To ensure that youths are transformed to become creative and innovative.
2. To provide employment opportunities for youths.
3. To reduce the level of poverty within underdeveloped communities and raise
sustainable communities out of them.
4. To emphasize and promote healthy living and environments.
5 . To promote gender inequality.
In other for the above objectives to be met, the below functions are what the organization is
saddled with:
1 Hosting of conferences and training to enlighten students and youths.
2 Organizing of summer classes for youth development.
3 Organizing of inter university competitions to raise and promote efficient and effective
student leaders.
4 Carrying out a healthy agricultural programs and practices to facilitate healthy
consumption.
5 Carrying out community development projects in underdeveloped communities to
bring about sustainable community development.
2.3 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
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2.4 VISION STATEMENT
We envision youths equipped by virile educational system to create outstanding and marketable
innovations in Agricultural Sector.
2.5 MISSION STATEMENT
We are passionately committed to motivate and transform graduates to become creative and
innovative.
2.6 PROJECTS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
2.6.1 TRANSFORMATIONAL EDUCATION
Imagine a baker who doesn’t eat the bread produced in his own bakery. He prefers to eat bread
from foreign countries. This is the situation of the educational system in Nigeria where 95% of
job employers and Government has declared Nigerian Graduates half-baked and
unemployable.
Graduate unemployment stands at 24.6% according to national planning commission, 2014.
Some of the factors responsible are discussed below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Poor Budgetary allocation to the educational sector
Outdated Curriculum and Skills Mismatch
Lack of Strategic Advocacy by Student leaders to policy makers
Undiversified economy and Dependence on (Oil and I.T Industries)
Mostly affected are youths aged between 15 and 35 who are from average or low-income
families in Ondo State, where 80% of parents are either civil servant with a monthly minimum
wage below 56 dollars' naira equivalent, small scale farmers or petty traders.
They cannot afford to send their
children to foreign institutions or private institutions because it is expensive.
The failure of the educational institutions made government to introduce vocational skill to
high school curriculum and entrepreneurship for all tertiary Institutions. It is very obvious this
has not changed the situation.
5
MODE OF APPROACH:
STAGE ONE: Motivation for students about future career and administering of questionnaires
STAGE TWO: Chemical career talk. And administering of questionnaires
STAGE THREE: Inauguration of Secondary School Face Of Chemistry Africa Club
STAGE FOUR: Value chains and Agricultural communication training for Life Science
teachers.
After the first stage, questionnaires were administered to these students which we subsequently
analysed. Below is the result of our analysis to be shared with you personally, we also want
you to know that we have team members in over 95 schools across the country who are happy
Agric students and have been involved in impacting secondary schools’ students to fall in love
and practice agriculture.
NB: the questionnaires were administered to SSS 1 to 3 students present when the exercise was
conducted.
It is quite heart wrenching that the future leaders of our dear father land are not in the least
interested in the most noble field called Agriculture. There were just 54 students out of a
whopping 5277 willing to study agriculture. As youths ourselves, we took time to listen to
some of the students, to ascertain why Agriculture is missing as a career prospect.
We realized that, over the years, they have been exposed to a society that portrays Agriculture
as a field for the less privileged or the less favoured, so to say. Some of the students went as
far as saying their parents/guardians has imbedded in them, a very wretched face of
Agriculture. These parents, we gathered, did that due to the bleakness of their socio-economic
status. This then led to us to the second stage. At this stage, we talked about Agriculture in
general and clearly elucidated the career prospects and endless benefits present in Agriculture.
We practically appealed to their cognitive sides and predictably, interest level soared among
the student. Questionnaires were administered once more after this.
Below is the result of the analysis of the questionnaire after the second stage.
NB: the questionnaires were administered to SSS 1 to 3 students present when the exercise was
conducted.
Apparently, we have recorded a considerable increase in the level of interest of these students
in Agriculture. From a meagre 54 to 2080, it is a loutish leap.
6
With this steady progress, it is almost imperative that, with proper enlightenment and
motivation, Agriculture can return to its rightful place as the foremost career prospect for
average Nigerian students. It is noteworthy to say that these new converts have not only
developed interest in Agriculture but have become new members of our club (Secondary
School Face of Agriculture Africa Club)
OUR CHALLENGES
1. It was brought to our notice that the federal ministry of education now presents
Agriculture as an elective subject in the secondary school’s curriculum.
2. The parents’ socio-economic status and perspective about Agriculture has a negative
influence on students’ choice of career in Agriculture.
3. Mobility and financial constraint have been a major problem in carrying out this
exercise effectively.
We here by solicit for support from government, establishments and lovers of Agriculture both
in cash and in policy making to redeem the image of Agriculture and make it lovable by
Nigerian youths.
OBJECTIVE OF FOAA:
To secure a 30% Increase in Youths Involvement to study and participate in the Environmental
and Agricultural Sector within the next 5 years, by creating outstanding and marketable
innovations having explored the needs in the Agric value chains.
Equipping Students Leaders from 20 Institutions with skills needed for enhanced productivity
and strategic engagement of Stakeholders in the Education, Agricultural and Environment
sector for better policies and Funding of this sector before year 2021.
MISSION OF FOAA:
To transform the role and impacts of Agriculture in our society while creating an enviable niche
for the agricultural disciplines. We are committed to achieve this by;
1. Re-awakening the citizenry on the importance of agriculture in the growth and the
development of the economy of the Continent.
2. Branding careers in agriculture as promising and rewarding to inspire students across various
levels of our academic institutions.
3. Publicizing and showcasing value chains in agricultural business.
4. Sponsoring/facilitating events, initiatives, and policies that would address misconceptions
which have hitherto negated choice of careers in agriculture and related disciplines.
We are a team of people that are passionate about Agriculture and unrelenting in advancing
development in the African Continent.
7
2.6.1.2 STUDENTS’ LEADERS DEVELOPMENT TRAINING & TOURNAMENT
(SLEDT)
The student union is an association of students in a particular place of education with stipulated
rules / regulations to guide the operations of the association, purposely and primarily to protect
and defend not only their interests but also the entire society (Isaiah, 1991), Incontrovertibly,
students’ unionism when it started was enriched and strengthened by robust debates, diplomatic
manoeuvrings, total or passive resistance to oppressive tendencies of the college or university
authorities. Indeed, those that were in the vanguard of struggle then were highly articulate,
intellectually inclined and very dogged in the field but today it influences is weakened because
the present-day actors are found to lack skills and abilities to proactively manage the affairs of
the student’s union. Ake (2013: p. 73
Many institutions saddled with the responsibility to educate and raise innovative youths are in
deplorable conditions of infrastructure and poor Environment this includes Class rooms,
laboratory, electricity, hostel, health centre, Environment, Food restaurant Waste management.
Etc. this has come to play due to corruption, inadequate funding by Government and
Negligence of Institution’s Management.
Also, Academic content being delivered and style of delivering it in our Institutions has gone
obsolete and it is not equipping the students for the world of work, Nigerian Graduates have
been declared half-baked or unemployable by 95% of recruitment firms in a recent survey.
A huge responsibility then lies on the elected student’s leader to strategically engage the
Stakeholders in educational sector and advocate for improved funding and better infrastructures
in our Institutions, so we can have good education environment and food in our institutions.
It is alarming to say lack of effective capacity and skills among elected student’s leaders to
SPEAK UP AND ACT RIGHT has hindered them from carrying out this assignment
effectively.
Nigerian higher institutions in recent times have been noted for disruptions in their academic
calendars, death of students, violence and destruction of existing facilities, due to the nonskilful way the student’s leaders try to attend to issues that bother them, while some have been
silenced, politicized, corrupt, and others involve in wasteful spending or running a vision less
tenure.
Lead initiative identified this problem and came up with project SLEDT which has this
objective: To equip student’s leaders from 20 institutions with skills needed for enhanced productivity.
Also, for strategic engagement of stakeholders in the Education sector for better policies and
funding of this sector before year 2021.
Project SLEDT has been on for the past two years and it is in two stages: – Training and
Tournament
1. W a t e r c o r p e r a t i o n training curriculum annually for newly elected student’
s leaders in
Nigerian Tertiary Institutions to develop their operational skills and enhance their
8
productivity. Between (May 2014 and May 2016) we have trained and worked with 2 set of
students’ leaders from 19 Institutions, each comprising of 50 delegates.
2. SLEDT creates healthy competition among student’s leaders with an annual leadership
productivity debate tournament to facilitate best practice sharing, keep them on their toes, and
make them accountable to each other. (Each Institution sends 4 principal officers of the
Students Union to participate in the best Practice sharing Tournament, the last one held May
2016.
The learning’s of this training which is Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy, Communication
skills development, Importance of safe environment and healthy food. Opportunity have
developed the capacities of these leaders and has guided them through their yearly tenures from
2014 till date. There has been continuity in projects being handled by 3 tenures of students’
leaders in this Institutions. The Institutions have had stable academic calendar and more
infrastructures have been added to what use to exist on their Campuses due to the proactive
advocacy of the trained students’ leaders.
Interestingly some of these students’ leaders have acquired land from the Institution
management to invest in organic School Gardens and waste Conversion to organic Manure
which will be operated by employed staff and volunteering students.
2.6.1.3 AGRO INCUBATION CENTER (IDEAS PARK)
Are you creative, innovative and passionate about creating needed solutions for Agriculture
value chains and value additions? LEAD initiative in conjunction with Innovation Experience
India brings you a chance of a lifetime to sharpen your skills and then put them to work. It is
called the Innovation Experience University (ORGANIC FOOD FOR STUDENTS BY
STUDENTS) which is aimed to ignite you to creativity. The training starts from 7th March and
ends 5th August 2017.
A popular song in Nigeria says, “Education in school without hands-on training in Agriculture
is an incomplete education”. Agriculture is fundamental to the socio-economic development of
any nation; this is because Agriculture represents a strategic asset to the overall well-being of
a nation’s economy. It provides food, clothing, shelter, employment and it generates foreign
exchange amongst many others. It’s quite sad however, that in a great nation like Nigeria filled
with Agricultural potentials for development, the profession has waned considerably. Scarcely
will a young school leaver have the desire to study an agriculture related course as his choice
of Career because of the stigma attached to the discipline, yet over 40 million youths remain
unemployed and unemployable.
LEAD initiative has established an Agro-Incubation centre that will bring together unemployed
graduates from various academic backgrounds that has passion for agribusiness for 6 months
training. In this Centre, the participants will go through a transformational learning curriculum
9
and hands-on training on the farm. This project will directly affect unemployed graduates and
agricultural students in the University. These Participants and agricultural students through our
experiential learning curriculum will plant and grow organic vegetables to be sold at affordable
prices to over 1000 students living in the community where the farmland is located.
2.6.2 GENDER INCLUSION
KNOW RIGHT, ACT RIGHT (Sexual Health Education for teenagers and young adults)
About 16 million teenagers give birth every year, 95% of these births occurs in developing
countries especially in Nigeria. Also, sexually active teenagers and young Adults are accounted
for more than 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses in 2014 and by the end of 2012, 44% of them will be
living with HIV.
This problem is significantly true because sexual and reproductive health education is
inadequate due to lack or no of parents’ guidance during the development stage of the child,
nonchalant and negative attitude of teachers and health workers towards adolescence sexual
and reproductive health knowledge and misconception of sex and the consequences of sexually
risky behaviours from the Media.
Know right Act right is a Sexual reproductive health education programme for young people
in high school and Tertiary institutions. It designed to empowering teenagers and young adults
in handling their emotional and interpersonal relationships with responsibility through sexual
and reproductive health education.
Kemi, the co-founder of Lead initiative is a peer educator trainer on behavioural change for
prevention and reduction of new infections of HIV. She feels burdened at the high rate of
teenage pregnancies, unhealthy abortions and STI, HIV/ AIDS.
Her passion fuelled her work as a Monitoring and Evaluation officer on the HIV/AIDS
Programme Development Project Phase Two (HPDPII) which is aimed at reducing new
infections of HIV and providing care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS
implemented in 14 tertiary institutions across Ondo state.
She envisions healthy young people who take responsibility for their actions and whose choices
and attitude towards sexual/emotional relations are influenced by the adequate knowledge of
sexual and reproductive health.
BREAK THE SILENCE (Cure for Gender Based Violence)
Silence has become a command many young girls obey in various facets of their life, even
when no one has directly giving the order. In pain, anguish, assault even in cases of sexual
assault and rape, many girls had to obey the silence command. Despite these sad experiences,
very few people listen to them or help to fight their cause.
We believe that gender-based violence will reduce drastically if cases are reported and properly
investigated with appropriate measures of punishment for offenders of such crimes.
Break the silence is therefore designed to raise ambassadors that would stand against all forms
of gender-based violence and provide support for women and young girls who have become
victims of gender-based violence and reporting offenders to appropriate quarters.
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2.6.3 CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is sustainable agriculture, based upon integrated
management of water, land and ecosystems at landscape scale. This approach helps to guide
actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support
development and ensure food security in a changing climate. With the Paris Agreement
(COP21 in December 2015), world governments committed to limiting carbon emissions to
keep global warming “well below” a 2°C rise above pre-industrial levels, and possibly below
a 1.5°C rise. Today agriculture is a large contributor to climate change effects, among them the
high-water consumption and the limited carbon dioxide compensation are most
relevant. Agroforestry systems have a huge potential in large scale counteraction.
The combination of deforestation and a destructive way of doing agriculture – the
overexploitation and pollution of natural resources are currently cutting down the future of the
next generation for today’s comfort and convenience.
LTI and Mariwo Farmers are working hand in gloves at implementing ecological agroforestry.
We would maintain a constant water recycling structure by planting number of trees as
compared to open fields where the water is taken away with harvesting, the trees will
continuously recycle water, carbon dioxide and nutrients. Why doesn’t forests need irrigation,
nor fertilizers, nor pesticides? Because nature is doing this job without any external inputs.
Why are rainforests called rainforests? Because they create their own rainfall and influence the
whole climate of the planet-they are the engines that drive the planet. Project MARIWO
NATURAL will use Ecological agroforestry as the basis of the natural livelihood, to preserve
the nature and help people to produce their own healthy food and improve their livelihood.
Hence, this project will also create jobs by inspiring youths in the community and neighbouring
institutions to participate in the production and marketing of natural healthy foods grown in
this community. This, we name YOUTHS GROW NATURAL.
2.6.4 RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
LTI is collaborating with rural communities to improve the quality of life and economic wellbeing of people living in the areas often relatively isolated and sparsely populated. We are
engaging the communities in broad expression of skills, and activities that enable the
community to be self-sustaining which includes food security, income-generating activities,
sanitation, malnutrition, access to quality education, power generation and much more.
Mariwo is a forest community in Ondo State about 20 km north west of Akure the state capital.
The community is underdeveloped, and its people are experiencing extreme poverty caused by
their poor agricultural practices and deforestation. There are also no transportation facilities
available and market access is poor. Water shortage in dry season is evident and has impacts
on healthcare and livelihoods. Migration of the youths is very common, and the poor economic
situation has severe consequences on social life. It is a typical situation of neglected or nonexisting rural development that has led to an ongoing destructive process with high pressure
on natural resources and people.
11
We want to join Mariwo community in solving their basic problems and build up a sustainable
mobilization of natural resources instead of over exploiting them (Ecology needs economy).
Creating awareness about the interdependency of water, carbon and nutrient cycles, also
making agriculture a profitable business that surpasses self-sufficiency is a key target in this
step by step development process.
Ecological agroforestry will be the basis of the natural livelihood, we want to preserve the
nature and help people to produce their own healthy food and improve their livelihood. Hence,
project MARIWO NATURAL. This project will also create jobs by inspiring youths in the
community and neighbouring institutions to participate in the production and marketing of
natural healthy foods grown in this community. This, we name YOUTHS GROW NATURAL.
2.6.5 AGRO GENDER DEVELOPMENT
Women farmers in rural areas are small holders, mostly uneducated, do not have access to own
lands and are seasonal farmers.
More so, they are burdened with the domestic roles that they do not have enough time to spend
like their male counterpart on the farm. This has reduced their agricultural productivity and
income. Also lack of market for their fruits and vegetables which causes over ripening and
spoilage of food.
Sixty percent of the world’s chronically hungry persons are women and children (Source: WFP
Gender Policy and Strategy). This fact we have also discovered working with farming families
in Mariwo Ifedore local government, Ondo state Nigeria that women and their children are
always at the receiving end of increasing impacts of climate change with unpredictable rain
patterns, lack of knowledge on good agricultural practices and unavailability of market is
causing hunger, malnutrition for children and more hardship them.
With the mandate for Gender inclusion, I am into planning Agro-gender development for
sustainable Agriculture. To build capacity of rural women and girls, build the interest of girls
and ladies in agriculture especially the ones raised from the farm with the knowledge of good
agriculture practice beginning from high school. Support them to have access to education and
develop their market by creating an urban market for their fruits and vegetables to help them
become round the year farmers, have enough food to eat, live healthy life’s and generate
consistent income.
LEAD is attending to five selected schools this year, dealing with sexual assault and
harassment and educating boys and girls in high school on HIV, STI and Drug abuse. With the
high rate of teenager’s exposure to pornography, domestic violence, sexual assault and high
rate of youth involvement in drug abuse, we are faced with distracted young people only
interested in corrupt and wayward activities. No wonder, Nigerian employers of labour has
declared youth unemployable. The reason cannot be farfetched from the fact that youths has
lost focused, placing the cart before the horse right from their teen years.
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We are therefore intercepting this flow with sexual health education, career development,
counselling support and drug prevention intervention as they move through the high school and
to the higher institution. We would be arming them with tools that will help them overcome
peer pressure and be more responsible for their decisions which are very important to their
well-being.
Gender RIDE has its aspect of Sexual Health Education and Primary Prevention Guide for
teenagers and young adults tagged “KNOW RIGHT, ACT RIGHT”.
About 16 million teenagers give birth every year, 95% of these births occurs in developing
countries especially in Nigeria. Also, sexually active teenagers and young Adults are accounted
for more than 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses in 2014 and by the end of 2012, 44% of them will be
living with HIV. This problem is significantly true because sexual and reproductive health
education is inadequate due to lack or no of parents’ guidance during the development stage of
the child, nonchalant and negative attitude of teachers and health workers towards adolescence
sexual and reproductive health knowledge and misconception of sex and the consequences of
sexually risky behaviours from the Media.
In addition, Drugs and substance abuse compounds cases of HIV spread in an obvious way
because young boys and girls who abuse drugs don’t care where the syringe they use in
injecting the substance is coming from, they just inject it and in a couple of minutes pass it
around themselves. This is the fastest way to spread the diseases not just AIDS even the STD
(Sexually Transmitted Diseases). With the recent statistics of both 40% of Nigerian youths
involved in substance use, there is need to bring to their awareness the consequences of drug
abuse and how its ills directly contribute to young people living unhealthy lives, increased
spread of HIV, unwanted pregnancies.
Know right Act right is a Sexual reproductive health education and primary prevention
programme for young people in high school and Tertiary institutions. It designed to
empowering teenagers and young adults in handling their emotional and interpersonal
relationships with responsibility through sexual and reproductive health education.
The second aspect of Gender RIDE is the activism against Gender Based Violence amongst
children, teenagers and Young Adults tagged ‘BREAK THE SILENCE’
Silence has become a command many young girls obey in various facets of their life, even
when no one has directly giving the order. In pain, anguish, assault even in cases of sexual
assault and rape, many girls had to obey the silence command. Despite these sad experiences,
very few people listen to them or help to fight their cause.
We believe that gender-based violence will reduce drastically if cases are reported and properly
investigated with appropriate measures of punishment for offenders of such crimes.
Break the silence is therefore designed to raise ambassadors that would stand against all
forms of gender-based violence and provide support for women and young girls who have
become victims of gender-based violence and reporting offenders to appropriate quarters.
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SECTION THREE
3.0 ACTIVITIES, PARTICIPATION AND EXPERIENCE GAINED
At the commencement of the SIWES, the directors at LEAD TRANSFORMATION
INITIATIVE where I had my industrial training gave an orientation on how the organization
is structured, explaining the projects carried out by the organization and its functions.
3.0.1 ACTIVITIES IN THE ORGANISATION
ACTIVITIES ON DEMO PLOT:
Activities on demo plot were focused on climate change. The practical was divided into
sections which included structuring of a nursery with the use of climate friendly building
materials of palm fronds, bamboo sticks. Filling of nursery bags used for germinating cocoa,
moringa, citrus, pawpaw seedlings.
During the first week of the SIWES program, filling of nursery bags with loamy soil and
manure was carried out, we were also oriented by the supervisor to refrain from the use of
chemicals in the mixture including pesticides. After which we proceeded to fencing the demo
plot with bamboo sticks. This process required cutting of the bamboo and digging holes to align
the bamboo forming fence around the demo plot.
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Plate 1: Activities carried out on the demonstration plot fencing of the plot, , filling of
nursery bags, pumpkin plantation establishment
Other activities included slashing, harvesting of potatoes, planting of pumpkin seedlings, and
mulching.
FACE OF AGRICULTURE (FOAA)
Face of Agriculture is a project that changes the way youths see agriculture. Work started on
St. Peters Unity school by visiting the students to share experiences and prospects with them
on the importance of agriculture.
Plate 2: FOAA Outreach session on prospects in agriculture at St. Peters Unity Secondary
School Akure (SPUSSA)
Work eventually started at St. Peters Unity School with mapping out farm plot, land clearing,
ridges and beds making.
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Plate 3: FOAA; Mapping out the approx 3 hectares farm plot at St. Peters Unity Secondary
School Akure (SPUSSA)
Plate 4: FOAA; land clearing for farm establishment at St. Peters Unity Secondary School
Akure (SPUSSA)
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Plate 5: FOAA; Making of farm beds, ridges and trough with youths and rural farmers at
St. Peters Unity Secondary School Akure (SPUSSA)
Plate 6: FOAA; Farm bed leveling trough with youths and rural farmers at St. Peters
Unity Secondary School Akure (SPUSSA)
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Planting started on the farm plot, maize, soybean, cucumber, cabbage, vegetable, okra, jute,
sweet potato, water melon, tomato and pepper were some of the crops planted alongside trees
which includes; cashew, orange, mango, moringa, African mango, plantain.
Plate 7: FOAA; Planting of maize, okra, water melon, cabbage, cucumber at St. Peters
Unity Secondary School Akure (SPUSSA)
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Plate 8: FOAA; Planting of fluted pumpkin, potato stems at St. Peters Unity Secondary
School Akure (SPUSSA)
We also took the students at St. Peters Unity Secondary School on practical agriculture where
they had to plant crops, transplant seedlings.
Plate 9: FOAA; Students take on practical agriculture
at St. Peters Unity Secondary School Akure (SPUSSA)
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Plate 10: FOAA; Transplanting of trees seedlings for agroforestry purposes at St. Peters
Unity Secondary School Akure (SPUSSA)
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Plate 11: FOAA; Harvesting of pumpkin, cucumber, okra and other crops
at St. Peters Unity Secondary School Akure (SPUSSA)
AGRO GENDER DEVELOPMENT
Agro gender development program entails empowering the livelihood for the female gender.
Table banking is a financial inclusion scheme that accommodates certain women who gets
financial loans to improve their businesses. They are chosen based on some bench marks,
which includes proactiveness, goal oriented, business knowledge, innovativeness, customer
relation.
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Plate 12: TABLE BANKING; Meeting with rural women proffering financial scheme to
assist their businesses
With the increase in sexual abuse among teenagers and the less privileged, GENDER RIDE
focuses on teaching and counselling secondary students on how to own their body part. In
view of this, some facilitators visited some secondary schools in ifelodore local government
area of Ondo State.
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Plate 13: GENDER RIDE Outreach session at Ilara Community High School
The Schools visited includes; The Apostolic School, Ilara, Anglican Grammar School, Ilara
Community High School, Ilara all in Ondo State, teaching students on sexual reproductive
health and right.
Sexual reproductive health and right entails body awareness, loving your body part and body
hygiene.
STUDENT LEADERS’ DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND TOURNAMENT(SLEDT)
SLEDT is a project that was kick started by Lead Transformation Initiative to further develop
and train students’ leaders across Nigeria to be more responsible in agriculture and the
environment in general. SLEDT 2019 was targeted towards RAISING GREEN LEADERS
FOR GREEN CAMPUS which was a convergence of students’ leaders in Nigeria sharing
their impact stories in agriculture in their different demographics. It is also a project designed
to reorient students on the essence of student leadership.
Students’ leaders’ representatives from different universities in Nigeria were graded based on
their performance and an emerging winner of the competition is presented and given the
opportunity to be a part of an international trip to Kigali, Rwanda to further train and educate
the winner of the competition.
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Plate 14: SLEDT; Students’ leaders development training and tournament delegates’
courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor IBB Lapai
A committee was selected to be a part of the trip to Niger state, Lapai. The host school
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai who happened to be the winner of the last
SLEDT (2018)
Plate 15: SLEDT; Students’ leaders development training and tournament delegates’
logistics meeting
In preparation for SLEDT, I headed the media unit where we had to run publicity for the
project, document and cover the whole event from start to finish.
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Plate 16: SLEDT; VC, Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda Lapai, at the opening of the
tournament
Plate 17: SLEDT 2019 winner; University of Makurdi (UAM)
SMART FARMERS KIDS
Smart farmers kids is a project by LEAD that addresses the education of the children in the
rural communities where we organise summer school to train and train rural kids.
During this project, we worked with the rural kids and our coordinator in the rural
community, various teachings were taught, the children we’re able to discover some skills
and talents and had a picture of their dream career. We had the opportunity to take he
children to the urban community exposing them developed places like the airport.
At the end of the summer session, we got new sets of school uniforms for the children who
already had worn out wears.
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Plate 18: Children in rural community been taken through summer classes
Plate 19: Outright appreciation by smart farmers kids at the end of their summer classes
3.2
EXPERIENCED GAINED
The work done so far at L.E.A.D TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE enlightened me and
gave me hands-on experience and training among which were:
1. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND SOLVING
2. ABILITY TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE WITH LITTLE OR NO
SUPERVISON
It was a real experience for me as I developed the ability to work effectively under
pressure with little or no supervision.
3. LEADERSHIP
During my SIWES program, I was able build more leadership skills.
4. TIME MANAGEMENT AND MULTI TASKING
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I was well built on time management and multitasking in which I met up with projects
deadline while I multitasked.
5. COMMUNICATION:
I interacted with people both skilled and mostly unskilled workforce, public speaking
and overtime I became better at communicating with people.
SECTION FOUR
4.0 CONCLUSION
The Student Industrial Work experience was thorough practical. It exposed me to real life
situations as it relates to my profession. My knowledge of most of the courses taught- topics
like report writing, leadership, programme planning, monitoring and evaluation, agroindustrial relation, farm record keeping, introduction to agricultural extension and rural
sociology and agronomy before going for the Industrial Training afforded me the opportunity
to contribute significantly to the organization and the programme.
4.1
RECOMMENDATION
As a complement to the present structure of the programme, the following recommendations
would contribute to enhancing the actualization of the goals of this programme.
• The Government should improve the annual plan of action and disbursement of fund
(budget) as timely as possible on Agriculture to promote agricultural research and
increase food production for economic growth and stability and improve food security
in Nigeria.
• University through the Industrial Training Unit (ITU) do not just visit students at the
organization where they are attached but ensure they see what students do and interact
with their industry-based supervisors, to be certain the aim of the scheme is
accomplished.
•
The Department of Agricultural Extension and Communication Technology (AEC)
should consider reaching out to their students during their industrial training through
calls and text as it would foster a more cordial relationship.
•
Students should consider practical skill acquisition as their utmost priority while
seeking and choosing Industrial training placement rather than pay. They should not
look down on anybody irrespective of their level or qualification because the lowest
esteemed staff might add the most tangible and indispensable value to your life.
REFERENCES
LEAD Initiative (online) www.leadinitiativeng.org 2019
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