Grand finale
UNIBEN MACSA Hold First-Ever Welfare Week
By Shalom Ikuvbogie
The Department of Mass Communication, University of Benin, has concluded its maiden edition of the Welfare Week, a three-day programme aimed at empowering students with business exposure, vocational skills, and life lessons beyond the classroom.
The event, which held from September 10 to 12, featured a trade fair tagged “Trade Fair and Garri Fest” on Day One, skill acquisition sessions on Day Two, and a grand finale themed “Life Beyond Books” on Day Three, hosted at the department’s 500-capacity lecture theatre.
Speaking with our reporter, the Director of Welfare, Comrade Anibo Princess, who spearheaded the initiative, said the programme was borne out of her personal struggles as a business owner. “When I started my business, I had issues with gaining visibility and reaching my target audience. I always wished I had platforms to showcase my brand and network,” she said. “That’s why I promised during my aspiration to create this initiative, so students can learn, network, and grow.”
She explained that the initiative was partly inspired by her predecessor’s unfulfilled plan for a welfare week.
The skill acquisition day featured bead-making, small chops preparation, and video editing classes. The grand finale brought together speakers from diverse fields to discuss health, relationships, and financial literacy.
One of the keynote speakers, Mr. E. Favour, CEO of Afro Height Artistry, urged students to cultivate the right mindset about wealth creation. “If you want to make money, carry the mindset that people have money,” he told the audience.
Similarly, Dr. Domina Blessing, a medical doctor at UBTH, stressed the importance of prioritizing health in the face of academic pressure. “Students must learn to put their health first. Adequate rest at night is not a luxury but a necessity for productivity,” she said.
A relationship expert also admonished students to set healthy boundaries. Female students, he advised, should avoid basing relationships solely on intimacy, while their male counterparts were urged not to reduce relationships to financial obligations.
For many students, the welfare week was both entertaining and impactful. Precious, a vendor and participant, described the trade fair as “wonderful,” adding that it helped her gain visibility and even land a business deal.
Another student, Nazam Ama, while commending the organisers, noted that some of the items sold at the fair were beyond the reach of the average student. “It was fun and exciting, but many students couldn’t really afford the items without stretching their pockets,” Nazam said.
Reflecting on the challenges, Princess admitted that finances and security clearance were major hurdles. “At some point, a day to the event, we were told we might not be allowed to hold the programme. We had to beg and even change venues,” she revealed.
Despite these setbacks, she described the experience as rewarding and expressed hopes that future administrations would expand on the foundation laid. “Even if we didn’t meet all our targets, this is the first time something like this has happened. I hope future administrations will do bigger and better,” she said.
The welfare week, according to participants, provided students with more than just classroom knowledge, it offered exposure, skills, and a sense of community.
