titus eleweke

IT was Washington Irving who aptly summed it up this philosophical jargon: "Great minds have purpose, others have dreams."

This great philosophical statement, rightly describes the current Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos State, Dr. Tirimisisiyu Ayedun Gbolagade Oladimeji, known by many as a visionary leader.

A tested and trusted academic and administrator as well as a consistent achiever, his achievements to date represent the dividends of his hard work and professional ingenuity. His success is a clear statement in resilience, determination and sense of direction as well as purpose.

Oladimeji has made considerable input to the development of technical education in the country, right from 1981, when he was appointed a senior instructor, Fine Arts, in the then Ogun State College of Education, now Tai Solarin University of Education, till date as the Provost of the Nigeria’s premier technical education institute.

He has over the years, built a solid reputation as a man of extra ordinary success, accomplishment and embodiment of the positive qualities of Nigeria’s new breed of educationists and administrators.

Today, in the world of technical education, Dr. Oladimeji has carved a niche as a respected, talented and successful technical educationist, with an extensive commitment to building young Nigerians for entrepreneurial skills that will make them self reliant.

With these traits, the management of the Federal College of Education, Technical, Akoka, saw in him the quality of a man who could leap-frog the institution from its conservative posture to a dynamic and progressive level.

On the assumption of office, he made peace his priority reconciling warring factions in the institution. After taking his time to reconcile all aggrieved groups, he deployed his mida’s touch towards solving the myriad of problems he met. Today FCE is better known for peace, team work and collectiveness unlike before his coming to the college.

His first task was to bring staff and student’s under one umbrella, with the belief that if any segment of the college is left out in the running of the school, the institution will suffer for it. He has integrated every member of college as vital instrument for the re-engineering and running of the school’s affairs. Little wonder his plans and dream of leading a united college have materialised within one year in office. These achievements have endeared him to the staff and students of the institution and have earned him the sobriquet, ‘visionary leader’.

He has miraculously transformed the college into a beehive of activities where parents and students find joy and interest in studying technical education, unlike in the past where the school recorded poor student turn-out. In this short period, he had opened the College sandwich programme outside the main campus in Lagos in about 24 centres across the state to take technical education to the door steps of Nigerians.

Last week the college matriculated its maiden sandwich students, in 24 centres with over 1,200 students.

In the last one year, the college has been wearing a new look in terms of roads construction, buildings and other infrastructure for proper technical education to take place, courtesy of his ingenuity.

Oladimeji as a team worker and a man who believes in collective responsibility, has constructed many buildings link roads, and rehabilitated the College Clinic that was in comatose before he took over.

Among staff and students, the coming of Dr. Oladimeji as Provost was the greatest thing that could happen to it, since inception. They believe that he has transformed the college both materially and humanly as well as positioning it for greater challenges.

Within his six months in office, he has cleared all the arrears of salaries owed to the staff with a promise to pay more attention to their welfare and working condition.

He once said that if workers were not properly taken care of, his dreams for the college might not be achieved. He is among the few Nigerians who believe that employees of any organisation need to be motivated to enable them put in their best and add values to their work.

Born on December 4, 1955, in Ibadan, in the present day Ibadan, East Local government, he started his primary education at St. Luke Demonstration Primary School, Molete in January 1963 and finished on October 1968 in colours. A year later he proceeded to the Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, for his secondary education and graduated in 1969.

Unrelenting in his quest to acquire better education, in 1975 he went to Auchi Polytechnics for his Diploma in Arts and Design, graduated in 1977. Undaunted with the level of his education he proceeded to do his national diploma in the same school.

He gained admission into University of Ile Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), in 1986 to study Arts, and graduated with first class honour in 1989, emerging the best graduating student in his department.

His quest for further knowledge and zeal to acquire additional education as well as reputation in the field of technical education propelled him to go for his masters in visual arts at the University of Ibadan in 1991. Determined to have the highest certificate in formal education, he enrolled for a doctorate degree in Visual Arts in 1995 and finished in 2002.

In between, he received his diploma in computer management information from Federal College (Special), Oyo, between 1997 to 1998.

Dr. Oladimeji started his working career as an assistant accounts clerk with Nigeria Air ways Limited, Ikeja, between 1974 and 1975. He also worked as graphic arts officer with Oyo State Ministry of Information, designing government documents.

After graduation, he did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) one year assignment at the department of Fine and Applied Arts, Advanced Teachers College, Zaria, now Federal College of Education, Zaria, teaching Fine and Applied Arts between 1980 and 1981.

In 1981, he was a senior instructor at Ogun State College of Education, now Tai Solarin University of Education till 1993 when he was transferred to Federal College of Education, Special Oyo, teaching fine and applied arts as well as workshop practices.

In 1994, he was appointed a Principal lecturer also in the same department. During this period, he held various positions, which included acting provost and provost of the college between October 2004 and September 2005, co-ordinator, chairman of Deans Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, between March 2004 to February 2006, Dean, School of Vocational and Technical Education between March 2002 and 2004. Dean school of Vocational and Technical Education between March 1996 to 1998, coordinator, Department of Business Education in 1996 to 1998 and headed the Department of Fine and Applied Arts between 1994 to 19996.

While in the college, he was a member of various committees, including academic board member, academic planning and implementation committee, member college review committee on dismissed staff, member, college curriculum development committee.

He has also held various positions outside the college, which include external moderator, St. Andrew’s College of Education, Oyo.

Appointed external assessor of academic papers of lecturers for the positions of Principal Lecturer and Chief Lecturer of The Ibadan Polytechnic between October 2002 and November 2005, associate lecturer Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, and member, national commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) accreditation team to Federal Colleges of Education, Abeokuta, and Tai Solarin College of Education, Ijebu Ode, 2005.

He has participated actively in over 40 workshops, within and outside Nigeria, and has written and contributed to over 35 academic journals and books of international repute, including Oladimeji, T.A.G. (1999) Workshop for Practice in Vocational and Technical Education, Oladimeji (2006) the Influence of Afro-Brazilian Style on early Mosques in Aremu, Ademuleya, Oladimeji T.A.G. (2003) Fundamental Constraints of Fine and Applied Arts in Empowering People with Special Needs.