The Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, on Monday, July 30th 2012, transported staff back to the classroom, as he conducted an in-house workshop on Cultural Research Methodology. The workshop took place in Lecture Room 2, at NICO Head Office in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Emphasizing the importance of research to a Training Institute, like NICO, the teacher in Dr. Ayakoroma was brought to the fore, as he took staff of Orientation and Cultural Affairs Department, Research and Documentation Department, as well as Corporate Affairs Unit, on a two-hour marathon lecture on Cultural Research Methodology.

As the teacher he truly is, the NICO boss had staff captivated by his presentation, while he took them on the illuminating lecture, without them noticing the time span, as he made a detailed Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, starting with types of cultural heritage to the concept of culture, going on to discuss types, reasons, and sources of cultural research.

He went further to orientate staff about what it entails to carry out cultural research, noting that most researches are conducted for academic or job requirements, while others are conducted on personal interest or to fill yawning gaps in earlier research efforts, but urged staff that for whatever reasons that inform any research, the underlying factor is to do it with genuine interest as that is the only way to guarantee that the knowledge acquired from the process sticks with the individual forever.

While discussing the various methods of cultural research, Dr. Ayakoroma stated that, in conducting any research, there are three basic issues, which must be taken into consideration, with all amount of seriousness, namely, copyright, piracy and plagiarism.

Stressing the importance of these concepts, the ES warned against falling foul of any of them, saying that the seriousness involved with the issue of copyright, piracy or plagiarism, informed his conducting the workshop, adding that lack of adherence to these three basic rules can impart negatively on any research effort.

Dr. Ayakoroma further discussed documentation style sheets, bringing staff up to date on current and acceptable documentation style sheets for modern research works, noting that without proper documentation of sources, such a research work will be of no intellectual consequence.

He concluded by emphasizing that staff should take what they have learnt from the workshop seriously and put into practice, stating that, “the only way we can see that you have gotten something from this session is to see some of these things talked about here reflected in our works; that is when we will know you have learnt.”

The Directors of Orientation and Cultural Affairs as well as of Research and Documentation, Messrs Festus Ihenetu and Louis Eriomala, who spoke on behalf of staff, appreciated the gesture of the ES and called on staff to adhere strictly to what they had learnt from the workshop, promising the ES that they will put to good use the message he had passed through the workshop to their various departments.

 

 

Jonathan N. Nicodemus
Corporate Affairs