One hundred students from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, were invited to a seminar about character and service on March 12, 2008.
One hundred selected students from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, were invited to the stately and beautiful National Universities Commission building in the Federal District of Abuja for a one-day Seminar about Character and Service offered by the staff of UPF-Nigeria on March 12, 2008.
This was the third seminar within the month of March and was fully sponsored by a distinguished Ambassador for Peace, Dr. David Akosa Okongwu of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
In recent times there have been cases of student unrest and riots on the campus in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. It was truly the right time to orient the minds of the students in a positive direction.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Nuhu Yaqub, had received an Ambassador for Peace certificate during the 2005 UPF World Peace tour to Nigeria. He helped to facilitate the students' participation in the seminar. Both the Dean of Student Affairs and the Student Leader, Dr. Suleiman and Nathan Oguike, made sincere efforts to convince students of the importance of attending this program despite their tight academic schedule.
Many students had said that they wanted to stay for only three hours, but after the introductory lecture on UPF’s fundamental principles and worldview they agreed to stay for the duration of the seminar. After the last presentation concluded at 5:00 pm, the students drafted a request for UPF to give the same orientation to the entire student body.
Students expressed appreciation for the seminar, saying that they found new hope and inspiration in the content of the lectures, especially in the teaching about the importance of family. Participants received certificates as Collegiate Ambassadors for Peace from the President of the Nigeria chapter of the World Collegiate Association for the Research of Principle, Mr. Dominic Yegwa Odey.
After hearing the comments and reflections of the participants, staff members of UPF-Nigeria decided to renew our earlier proposals to offer lectures on values to people of all sectors of the Nigerian society: politicians, parliamentarians, businessmen, members of the police force, and other government officials.