The University of Calabar (UniCal) has honoured an undergraduate, Daniel Aiguokhian, who is seeking to break world record in fiction and non-fiction writing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 27-year-old Philosophy student wrote 19 books, eight fiction and 11 non-fiction works for eight days non-stop, in his bid to get his name engraved in the Guiness Book of World Record.
The university community led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, on Monday night organised a reception in honour of Aiguokhian to encourage him in his quest to earn global recognition.
Obi extolled the intellectual sagacity of Aiguokhian, who was able to write for 188 hours.
”This is a feat that people will need to work very hard to break; as an institution, we will make sure the world hears about this.
“I have sent a message to the Minister of Education, the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education about this feat.
“In recent times, UniCal has been in the news for negative reasons, but today, we want the world to know that this is an institution of intellectual giants,” she said.
The vice chancellor urged other students to think positively and use their intellectual acumen to promote the image of the university.
In his remark, Mr Odum-Ijom Ukam, Commissioner for Youth and Skill Development in Cross River, said Aiguokhian would serve as a consultant to the ministry, to train young people on creative writing skills under the state government entrepreneurship programme.
Responding, Aiguokhian said he was motivated to go into the arduous task because he wanted Nigerian and African writers to be celebrated for their efforts.
“It is not just about the record, but the ability to use your record to impact lives and make the society a better place for all mankind.
“While I appreciate everyone that supported me, I call on young people not to give up on their dreams, but should gather knowledge and look at the bigger picture while shrugging off limitations,” he said.
Aiguokhian said after eight days of sleepless days and nights, he was elated that the university has recognised his efforts and was ready to support his quest for global recognition.
“The major challenge was the lack of sleep because for 24 hours each day, I was entitled to only one hour 30 minutes break, which is not enough for a normal human,” he said.
(NAN)