UI students launch maiden anthology of speeches

BY HALEEM OLATUNJI

Students of the University of Ibadan (UI) have launched the first anthology of speeches by students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The book, titled “Lines from the Fount” was edited by Kunle Adebajo, a final year law student of the university.

“Lines from the Fount” is a compilation of speeches from several writers and public speakers who are either students or alumni of the 69-year old premier institution.

The launch of the book took place during the opening ceremony of Jaw War 2017, the largest public speaking debate in the university.

While discussing the rationale behind the publication of the book, Adebajo explained that the book aims at filling the existing gap in the field of public speaking and also serves the purpose of record-keeping for speeches from which ideas leading to the solutions to our numerous problems as a country could be derived.

He added that it will serve as a guide for every student and other members of the society in developing themselves in the area of public speaking and speech writing.

“We have many lofty aspirations, part of which include filling a void within the realm of public speaking, especially on campus — the void of transience and lack of documentation,” Adebajo said.

“We wish to also make it a guide for budding speakers and a go-to publication for the best of intellectual outputs from Nigerian youth.”

Adebajo explained that the proceeds from the sale of the book, currently sold for a thousand naira, will be donated to the course of improving the conditions of students with special needs within the University of Ibadan.

“We want to donate the proceeds from this maiden edition to the Special Persons’ Club, University of Ìbàdàn,” he said.

“Students with one physical challenge or the other on campus have a lot of needs. A lot. And they need as much help as they can get. We really hope the project is supported not just by students by people far and wide so that this dream may become reality.

“We have no plan to make this a one-time project. We will soon put out a call for submissions for the second edition, which should be released around this period next year.

“It is very likely that this second edition will be made open to students beyond the University of Ibadan, and across the federation.”

The blurb of the book was written by Idowu Olayinka, vice chancellor, University of Ibadan; Festus Adedayo, former special adviser on media to the governor of oyo state; Noah Yusuf, professor of industrial sociology, University of Ilorin; Goodness Kolawole, director, The Speech Academy; and Muhammed Tosin Abdullahi, writer, Forbes Contributor and CEO of Oxygenmat Ltd, while the foreword was written by Frank Nweke II, former minister of information and communications.