A Professor of Neuroscience and Comparative Anatomy at the University of Ibadan, Professor James Olukayode Olopade has stated that critical decisions are needed to rescue the majority of Nigeria’s national agencies and sectors.
To this end, Professor Olopade advised that the Head should not be hesitant or afraid to make bold or daring decisions.
He gave this advice while delivering the 532nd Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ibadan on behalf of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Professor Olopade noted that while everyone complains of the problems, leaders are expected to brainstorm to proffer solutions to the problems.
He said a leader must be conscious that while he is seeking solutions to problems, there is an army that specialises in finding challenges with the solutions.
He stated that a leader must, therefore, 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 said Nigeria can not afford to have headless bodies, double-headed monsters, figure heads, and elephant – headed projects.
He concluded that while leadership remains tough, people who desire to serve must accept or take responsibility since it is the head that wags the tail.
He said that the truth about elected office is that even if he is the right man for the job, a leader needs the popular vote to get to the office and that leadership demands that while in the office, a leader has to do what is right and not necessarily what is popular.
Professor Olopade’s 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.
- His Inaugural Lecture was entitled “Headlines, Head-Start Research and Headships at Ibadan: A Veterinarian’s Academic Journey.”
