The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Training School, Abuja Study Centre, on Monday, 14th March, 2016, conducted an orientation exercise for the pioneer intakes of the Advanced Diploma in Cultural Administration (ADCA) programme with a charge to the students to be of good conduct and be committed to academic excellence.

Executive Secretary of NICO, who is also a Visiting Associate Professor at Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, congratulated the students for making record as pioneers of the programme in the Abuja Study Centre of the Training School, informing that the idea for the programme is to bridge the gap between the Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Administration programmes offered in the School since its inception in 2009.

He disclosed that as pioneers, Management had decided to limit the number of students in order to create a close relationship between lecturers and students, saying: “We want it in such a way that there will be interpersonal relationships where lecturers can mentor you very well. There are others who applied but I refused because I wanted the number to be as little as possible; and once we are able to deal with you, we can now open the doors for others to follow.”

Further pointing out the essence of the programme, Prof. Ayakoroma said: “You will not regret you came because at the end of this programme, you will realize that you have learnt a lot. Why are we doing courses leading to Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Administration? It is because we have come from different disciplines and since we are working in the culture sector, we need to know the product we marketing. We need to know culture and how we can administer it so that when you go to your respective states and rise through the ranks in the civil service, you will know what you are administering.”

While encouraging the student to put in their best, the ES reiterated that it will not be easy and they will really have to work hard and hunger for knowledge, also encouraging them to endeavour to always visit the NICO website and see as well as help in disseminating “the NICO story to the world.”

“NICO is on the internet. That is to say, we are internet compliant and we have an active website, where you can help to disseminate our stories. You can also, from your locality, bring stories that relate to culture for us to use on our site. NICO site is not to tell NICO stories alone; it is to tell stories in the culture sector; and that is why if anything is happening in any Parastatal in the culture sector, we carry the news on our website.”

Ayakoroma maintained that the best testimony anybody can give out is his or herself in deeds or actions, saying the more people know about NICO, the better for the Institute and the better for staffers; because, to him, whenever someone becomes too happy with one’s self or too contented with what he or she has, that person will never make progress or impact.

“I am nothing in the culture sector, I am nothing as far as academics is concerned and I strive to make impact every day,” he concluded.

Management staff present at the orientation exercise were Mr. Alex Omijie (Director, Orientation and Cultural Affairs); Alhaji Ibrahim Husseini (Acting Director, Admin. & Human Resources); Mr. Michael Ekoko (Acting Director, Research & Documentation), Mr. Law Ezeh (SA-ES), Mr. Ogbe Herbert (Acting Director, Finance & Accounts), and Dr. Regina Onouha (Coordinator, NICO Training School, Abuja Study Centre), among others.

Caleb Nor & Njideka Dimgba

Corporate Affairs Unit

NICO, Abuja