By Olu Benjamin
Prof. Ngozi Nwosu, Professor of Sociology of Education at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) has posited that for a society to progress and attain development, both genders should be given fair opportunities to excel in educational pursuits.
Nwosu made her position known in the 43rd Inaugural lecture of the university held in Keffi local government area of Nasarawa state on Thursday.
Our reporter reports that the topic of the lecture delivered by Nwosu is “Nigerian gender on zealous imagination: New ways of sustaining understanding”.
According to Nwosu, it is only when government, education planners and indeed all stakeholders change their perception about the ability of women and then encourage them to aim higher, put them in positions of authority that women will aim higher and achieve high goals in life.
“It is when the various ways that women are restricted are known and addressed that the obstacle can be removed. The only constant thing is change. Since society is changing there is need for men’s perception of women to change also,” she said.
She said she was particularly interested in seeing more women professors get appointed as Vice Chancellors in different universities across the country as the appointment of Vice Chancellors is currently skewed in favour of men.
“If the formal dividends of acquiring formal education even to the highest level of being a professor in a university is to be actualized and made manifest then current gender differentials in the appointment of Vice Chancellors in Nigerian universities should be revisited in order to make it more gender neutral.
“Not only that, the girl-child is to be encouraged and motivated to excel in all facets of life endeavour. They need to see more role models at the top performing and achieving greater feats in life whenever they are placed in positions of authority,” she added.
Professor Sa’adatu Liman, Vice Chancellor of the university in her opening remarks said the topic of the inaugural lecture was apt and the recommendations from it if implemented by government and proponent of gender-balance will go a long way in creating new vistas in educational attainments in the country. END