General
IBBU Nigeria Delegation Pays Courtesy Call, Courts Mak
A delegation from the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai-Niger State, Nigeria has today 2nd March 2017 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor and extended a hand of collaboration to Makerere University. The four-man delegation from IBBU was led by the institution’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Muhammad M. Maiturare and received by the acting Vice Chancellor and Principal College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS)-Prof. Edward Kirumira, as well as the Principal College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)-Prof. Bernard Bashaasha.
The delegation’s visit to Makerere University was facilitated by the Ugandan High Commissioner to Nigeria-H.E. Nelson Ocheger who also accompanied the team. H.E. Ocheger thanked the Office of the Vice Chancellor for receiving the delegation on short notice and shared that the visit was based on IBBU’s intention to promote organic agriculture in Nigeria as well as other countries where Nigeria has diplomatic missions.
“I have already informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and other Ministries about IBBU’s intentions. The delegation has also just returned from Iganga where they intend to start a pilot project” shared the High Commissioner.
In his remarks, Prof. Maiturare thanked H.E. Nelson Ocheger for making the contact with Makerere and the acting Vice Chancellor for granting his delegation audience. He shared that although IBBU was state-owned University founded on 12 years ago, it is actively involved in cutting edge research in agriculture and other disciplines. He congratulated Makerere upon the recently concluded 67th Graduation and noted that the almost 15,000 graduands surpassed IBBU’s entire student population!
He commended the institution for maintaining her number three position in Africa and noted that it was a pleasure for IBBU to interface with Makerere in terms of research as well as the foreseeable staff and student exchanges. “We therefore extend a hand of collaboration to Makerere University and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.
Prof. Edward Kirumira warmly welcomed Prof. Maiturare and the IBBU delegation to Makerere University and shared the Vice Chancellor-Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu’s apologies for not being able to personally meet the team. “The Vice Chancellor is currently away on official duty,” he added.
He commended the High Commissioner and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating the visit, observing that this would foster Internationalization of the collaboration. “This initiative by the Ministry of Foreign affairs will create ownership of the collaboration and make it easy to bring other Government agencies on board. We look forward to a strong tripartite collaboration” added Prof. Kirumira.
The acting Vice Chancellor further encouraged the IBBU delegation to take advantage of the research already conducted by the Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (IMHDSS) “a lot of research has been conducted at the household level, which findings will provide a lot of useful information to your pilot project” concluded Prof. Kirumira.
The delegation is slated to visit the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and interface with administrators and researchers. They also expressed interest in interfacing with the leadership of the Actuarial Science programme at Makerere University.
Article by Public Relations Office
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
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