A Professor of Neuroscience and Comparative Anatomy at the University of Ibadan, Professor James Olukayode Olopade has on Thursday, September 21 2023 stated that critical decisions are required to rescue the majority of Nigeria’s national agencies and sectors.
Professor Olopade gave this advice while delivering the 532nd Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ibadan on behalf of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
The Don noted that while everyone complains of the problems, leaders as institutional heads are expected to brainstorm to ameliorate challenges or proffer solutions to the problems. He emphasized that the head should not be hesitant to take courageous decisions.
He noted that leaders must be conscious that while they are seeking solutions to problems, there is an army that specialises in finding challenges with the solutions.
Highlighting some important qualities, Professor Olopade emphasized that a leader must be a visionary who sees far away, has a listening ear, is able to discern deceptions from advice, be a partaker with those he leads, be willing to swallow a lot of insults but most importantly, use his brain to coordinate all these actions as appropriate.
The Inaugural Lecturer concluded that while leadership remains tough, people who desire to serve across all stratas must accept or take responsibility since it is the head that wags the tail. The Don added that leadership demands that while in office, a leader has to do what is right and not necessarily what is popular.
Professor Olopade’s academic research focus had been majorly on the head region of the Nigerian goat breeds, the camel, and the local pig. He identified the depression on the skull of the goat, known as the Caudofrontal Depression of Olopade.
Credit: Press Release
