DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY

WELCOME ADDRESS BY DR. E.O. IGUDIA

AG. HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

I want to thank Almighty God, the promoter of my life for this great priviledge. I thank the Vice Chancellor of the great University of Benin, Prof. Prof. (Mrs.) Lilian Imuentiyan Salami for this profound opportunity to serve as the Ag. Head of Department of the Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Education, Faculty of Education, University of Benin, Benin City.  This is indeed an honour and I do not take it for granted.

I also want to thank my predecessor, Prof. S.N. Omobude-Idiado, and all members of staff of this great department for giving me a chance to lead. I remember growing up as a young boy in this department from my undergraduate days and here I am today as the Ag. Head of Department, I thank all my lecturers who impacted knowledge into me; I am here today to apply all I have learnt from you all.

My desire and vision is to take HSE to greater heights in academic excellence. I promise to work relentlessly and I will need your support in achieving this goal. This we can achieve as a team by having a mindset that we are here to serve and to work with integrity.  Let us allow our students’ to see us as their guardians, let us make ourselves available and accessible to them because we are here for them. I also plead with us to always prepare adequately for lectures so as to make it meaningful & interesting.

I want to encourage us to strive for individual excellence by improving on ourselves by attending conferences, seminars and involving in publications. To the non-academic staff, I want us to work together in the day to day running  of the department.

In conclusion, I know God has raised me in a time like this to lead so I am not here for any personal gain but  have resolved in my heart to serve and to carry on with the visions of all my predecessors since the inception of this department to the next level.

Thank you all for your cooperation.

DR. E.O. IGUDIA

Ag. Head of Department

History of the Department

The present department of Health metamorphosed from a humble beginning as a unit of Physical and Health Education in the then department of Education during the 1976/1977 academic year with two pioneering staff. The department of Education became the Faculty of Education during 1979/80 academic year and the unit of Physical and Health Education became the department of Physical and Health Education, there were other two departments in the Faculty and the Institute of Education. The transition from being a unit of Physical and Health Education to being department of Physical and Health Education led to a considerable expansion of the department in terms of facilities, equipment and human resources. By this time, there were five PhDs on ground, while Prof. M.O. Ajisafe was the first Head of Department.

Recognizing the conceptive and qualitative differences between the two area of knowledge which constitute the department – Health Education and Physical Education, the department sought and obtain an approval to run two degree programmes in Health Education and Physical Education respectively during the 2005/2006 academic year. This development marked another significant turning point for great expansion, escalating the number of staff to 16 in the two programme with corresponding expansion in facilities and equipment.

As the department matures and appreciates the theoretical conceptual and academic expansion of the two areas of knowledge the need arises for greater esotericism. Accordingly, the department of Physical and Health Education was split into two in the 2012/2013 academic year, this again marked yet another tumultuous expansion in terms of qualitative academics, facilities and equipment for example by the 2013/2014 academic year, the number of staff in the Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Education has risen to 17. From inception in the 70’s, health educators have agitated for the inclusion of Environmental Education and Safety Education respectively at separate programmes in view of the massive inherent implications of these two areas in good health and well-being. It was not surprising therefore that these areas were approved as separate degree programmes for the department in 2012/2013 academic year, hence our present nomenclature – Health, Safety, and Environmental Education.

The following two persons made a tremendous impact in the growth of the Department, Prof. O.G. Oshodin and Prof. I. Owie.

Prof. Osayuki Godwin Oshodin

Prof. O.G. Oshodin is a pioneer in health education in the Mid-Western States of Nigeria. He worked at the University of Benin where he made his impact as one of the pioneer lecturers in the field of health education. He developed academic programmes in health education in the University of Benin. He also made similar contribution to the college of Education, Ekeadolor, Benin.

Oshodin, O.G initiated an in-service programme in school health education for the University of Benin by introducing the first diploma programmes specifically in health education. In the formation of professional association, Oshodin was fully involved in the establishment of the Nigerian Association of Health Education Teachers (NAHET). He was among the first executive members of the Association. He made significant contributions in the provision of literature in health education particularly in the area of alcoholism.

Prof. O. G. Oshodin was the Head of this great Department from 1990-1992, a two time Dean of the Faculty of Education. He later became the first Vice Chancellor from the Faculty of Education, University of Benin, Benin City (2009-2014). As a Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, his main focus was staff welfare and development, infrastructural and sports development, academic excellence are few among others too many to mention.

Based on his outstanding performance and his unprecedented contributions to the entire University of Benin development, the Department and Faculty Board of Studies deemed it fit for him to be honoured as a Professor Emeritus on retirement. The process of actualizing this goal is currently before the University of Benin for anticipated approval

Prof. Ikpommwosa Owie

Prof. I. Owie made his pioneering impact in health education at the National Level as he spent his youthful vigour in the education and training of personnel in health education across the board. As a pioneer, he is a professional health educator in Nigeria who is vehemently convinced that health education should exist independent of physical education. He has always believed and pursued the fact that a health educator does not necessarily require the knowledge of physical education in order to be a full-fledged professional. He is at the forefront of the struggle to have autonomous health education programmes and departments at the degree and Nigeria Certificate in Education (N.C.E) levels. To actualize this dream he founded the Nigerian Association of Health Education Teachers of which he was also the first national president.

Prof. Owie has developed programmes in health education for colleges of education in Delta and Edo States. He worked together with O.G. Oshodin in developing the health education programme of the University of Benin and in initiating in-service programme in School Health Education in the University by introducing the first diploma programme in school health education in Nigeria. He has served as external examiner to many Nigerian universities.

Prof. I. Owie was a three time (1986-1988, 1992-1993 and 2002-2005) Head of Department of this great Department and was also the Dean of the Faculty of Education from 1994-1998. Prof. I. Owie has produced countless M.Sc. graduates and over 20 Ph.Ds. He was the founding President of the Nigerian Association of Health Education Teachers (NAHET) and currently the Chairman Board of Trustees to the Nigerian Association of Health Educators (NAHE) and the Editor in Chief of the Journal of the same Association which he founded years ago.

Vision, Mission and Aims of the Department

With the dramatic increase anticipated in the population of Nigeria through 2050, the realistic expectation of the government to move the country to the top-twenty among nations in economic and other social indices, there would be large demand for health promotion workers. Seen against this background, health education would command considerable attention as the need to prevent, rather than cure would be demonstrated again as has been the case in North America and recently Western Europe. The expected increases in industrial layout would precipitate a colossal challenge that would request environmentalist of all shades and colours.  The consequent increases in employment opportunities would obviously be complicated with an unprecedented occupational safety challenges that would require a new cadre of professionals whose training and practice would help rescue the country from the ghastly consequences of occupational diseases. The Department of Health, Safety and Environment Education aspires to set UNIBEN on a pedestal of being a reference University in Africa in the three areas that we have highlighted above as the war-chest for preparing this nation for anticipated health challenges that we envisage in the expected accelerated movement of the country from a third world economy to being one of 15th or 20th richest nation on earth. We even believe that we might hit this status far earlier than the anticipated 2050, take the recent developments in our demographic governance for example, the improvement in telecommunication and energy.

The objectives of the Department, of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) include:

1.       Capacity building for health, environment and safety education professionals.

2.       The promotion of positive health status of individual, family and community.

3.       Promotion enabling environment for healthy living.

4.       Advancing occupational safety environment and health knowledge.

5.       Expanding the frontiers of knowledge in general health promotion.

6.       Development network of human resources and contribute significantly to the attainment of MDG, as well as vision: 2020.

7.       Promoting academic activities in the fields of health, environment, meeting international practices in Health, Environment and Safety Education.

The Department offers the following Degree Programmes:

1.       B.Sc (Ed) Health Education

2.       B.Sc (Ed). Environmental Education

3.       Five-years Part-Time Programme

4.       Six-years Part-Time Programme

Philosophy, Aims and Objectives of Health Education Programme

Nigeria is a fast developing nation with enormous potentials. What is needed to take Nigeria to the next level of change is hinged on so many factors such as the adequacy and the relevance of the teaching force in terms of quality and quantity. The genuine expectation of the government to move the country to the top-twenty among nations in economic and other social indices, there would be large demand for health promotion workers. Seen against this background, health education would command considerable attention as the need to prevent, rather than cure would be demonstrated.

The basic philosophy of this programme therefore is to sustain the tempo of academic excellence that will impact on individuals’ health and align itself with the general philosophy of the University in terms of developing the individual  student both in character and in learning.

The Objectives of Health Education Programme

The Objectives of Health Education include:

  1. Capacity building for health education professionals
  • The promotion of positive health status of individual, family and community
  • Expanding the frontiers of knowledge in general health promotion
  • Development network of human resources and contribute significantly to the attainment of MDG, as well as vision 2020
  • Promoting academic activities in the field of health, meeting international practices in Health Education
  • To cultivate the desirable health practices and health habits
  • To eradicate diseases through health education programmes
  • To help teach students the rules for the preservation and development of their physical, mental, social, psychological and emotional wellbeing and to acquaint them with the laws of health.

Philosophy, Aims and Objectives of Environmental Education Programme

With the melodramatic growth expected in the population of Nigeria in years to come, there would be large demand for environmental promotion workers. Seen against this background, environmental education would command considerable attention as the need to prevent, rather than cure would be demonstrated. Again the anticipated upsurges in industrial layout would hasty a titanic challenge that would request environmentalist of all shades and colours. Consequently, efforts are geared towards producing adequate number of qualified graduate teachers to promote individuals health and the quality of the environment.

Therefore the basic philosophy of this programme is to sustain the tempo of academic excellence and align itself with the general philosophy of the University in terms of developing the individual student both in character and in learning. 

The Objectives of Environmental Education Programme

Environmental education which is an organized effort to teach about how natural environment function and particularly, how human beings can manage their behaviour and ecosystem in order to live sustainably has the following objectives:

  1. Promoting enabling environment for healthy living.
  • Teaching of individuals and communities, in transitioning to a society that is knowledgeable of the environment and its associated problems, being aware of the solutions to these problems and motivated to solve them.
  • Safeguarding future global developments of societal quality of life, through the protection of the environment, eradication of poverty, minimization of inequalities and insurance of sustainable development.
  • Enabling environmental education professionals engage with citizens of all demographics to think critically, ethically, and creatively when evaluating environmental issues and making educated judgments about those environmental issues which will result in positive environmental behavioural change.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY

Ongoing Research, Journals, Publications and Journal domiciled in the Department

  1. Benin Journal of Health, Safety and Environmental Education (BJHSEE) (formerly known as – JOHKHEE) Vol. 4, No. 1
  • Nigeria Journal of Health, Safety and Environmental Education (NJHSE)
  • Prof. O.G. Book of Reading: Dynamics of Drug Education

CONTACT EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER

Departmental email address[email protected]

Phone number – 07035040575