Introduction:
Dr. Oluseun Adesola AKINSOROTAN
Coordinator
Email:
The Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management is a group of faculty members who are known for their expertise in teaching and research. Students’ examination, off campus/industrial training and seminars are jointly handled by the faculty members, adjunct and affiliated faculty. Our students are provided with quality instruction and guidance by our dedicated academic staff and administrators, which makes us fortunate
Since inception, the Department has been committed to excellence in teaching, mentoring and scholarly research. our program has produced many alumni who have gone on to become researchers, scientists, policy makers, and academic leaders in and outside Nigeria, and we are proud of them.
The Department has a close relationship with the National Park Services of Nigeria (NPS) whose primary aim is to promote and regulate the use of the Federal Protected Areas, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life for the present and future generations. NPS is also committed to programs that focus on research, instruction, and outreach regarding the management, conservation and preservation.
The Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management is in the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Management and part of the College of Agriculture at the Osun State University, Osogbo. It was established in the year 2007. At the undergraduate level, the Department offers a degree in Bachelor’s in Wildlife Management. This degree provides students with strong science and research-based instruction to prepare them for careers as natural resource managers in public, private and non-profit sectors.
The graduate programs at the Department include PGD, MS and PhD degrees in Wildlife Management. Each program has its own area of specialization and faculty members that supervises and serve as advisors.
Kindly see the Departmental Handbook for explicit information with respect to National
University Commission’s (NUC’s) recommended minimum benchmark for the award of Bachelor of Wildlife Management in Nigerian Universities, description, content, unit and other necessary requirements of each of the courses. In addition to this, the handbook provides information on the admission requirements, the course system, Grade Point Average (GPA) system, methods for the evaluation of each student’s academic performance as well as, the rules and regulations governing registration, examination and general conduct of students. Thus, the handbook is an indispensable tool which every student should have and be familiar with the contents.
I assure every student in the Department that the Department is poise to provide and maintain high standard of training such that our undergraduate and graduate students could complete favorable with their counterparts anywhere in the world. Because it will position our graduates for scholarships, competitive jobs and relevant entrepreneurial ventures. I therefore encourage you our dear students to make good success of this opportunity; maintain consistent attitude of hard work at your studies and all assignments starting from the first day in this University. You are advised to carefully study this Handbook and make it your companion, note all the information concerning the various requirements for programme.
Location:
The Department is in the College of Agriculture located in Ejigbo. The town is located along the border between Oyo and Osun State. The College currently have two Faculties and six (6) Departments with students admitted into their programmes.
Brief History of the Department
The Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism started in 2007 as the Department of Wildlife and Environmental Management and the academic programme was B. Wildlife Management. The programme was one of the inception programmes of the University. The Department was later changed in 2011 to the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Management to run two programmes viz: Fisheries and Aquaculture and B. Wildlife Management.
As in other courses in the College, Wildlife and Ecotourism Management commenced her academic courses with the admission of the first set of undergraduate students in 2007/2008 academic session on Wednesday 8th October, 2008, and graduated them in 2011/2012 Academic session on 27th June, 2012. Since its inception the Department has produced graduates who are employed in relevant sectors of the economy and a few have gone for further studies.
There are well equipped functional laboratories some of which are shared with other
Departments in the College while others are specific to the academic programmes of the Department. The laboratories are well equipped to cope with the teaching of students and for the use of academic staff for research purposes. The Department is endowed with modern equipment in Wildlife Ecology and Monitoring and relevant facilities such as apiary, aviary, snailery and grasscutter rearing facilities and a zoological garden which is used with the Department Zoology.
In the past, Classrooms and Lecture rooms are shared with other Departments in the College. At present, there are adequate Classrooms and Lecture rooms for the Department in the newly furnished building for the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Management.
The students registered in the Department offer same courses at the 100 level as their counterparts in basic sciences, at 200 level they offer same courses with related Departments within the College. While in 300 they concentrate on courses relevant to Wildlife and ecotourism management. At 400 level students take in situ practical year courses under the Student Work Experience Programmes during the Harmattan Semester after which they proceed a six-months Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) ex situ in relevant agencies and establishment during the Rain Semester as part of their graduation requirement.
The Department is in close relationships with the Nigerian Conservation Society (NCF), National Parks and the Wildlife Society of Nigeria (WISON).
Academic Programmes
Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management runs B.Wildlife Management programme
The Department offers a B. Wildlife programme at the undergraduate level. The Bachelor’s degree programme covers different areas which include:
- Wildlife ecology management
- Range management
- Wildlife nutrition and production
- Ecotourism management
Vision of the Department
To produce graduates who are trained to appreciate nature through wildlife resources and in the management of the resources and their environment for sustainability to ensure secured livelihood for those who depend on it in various forms. The Department aims at producing
graduate through high quality teaching, learning and research experience scholars, researchers and professionals in academics, capable of having impact on their environment and could exploit the potentials in the wildlife resources for their economic benefits.
Mission of the College
Our mission is to create a unique Department committed to the pursuit of academic innovation, skill-based training in Natural Resources Management, a tradition of excellence in teaching, research and community service and to produce experts in Wildlife and Ecotourism Management that are relevant, highly employable and can create employment in the society.
Physical Development
The Department and the school management continue to provide adequate facilities and enabling environment for the training of the students in the various aspects of the B.Wildlife programme. This includes establishment of the wildlife domestication unit (grasscutter, apiary, aviary and snailry). The desire to have a sustainable source of food for the animals in the domestication unit has led to the establishment a food system for these animals combining it with butterfly garden to conserve some of the declining charismatic pollinators (bees and butterflies) that potentially contributes to 15 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Work is on-going and the desire to introduce the newly establish orchard where only indigenous fruit trees are planted not to only improve the health of the ecosystem but also the human wellbeing to the neighbouring communities in no distant time in on the high tempo
Research Activities
Basic and applied research in wildlife and biodiversity conservation is embarked upon by members of academic staff in the department. Areas of research covered include wildlife ecology, nutrition, entomology, ornithology, social aspect of biodiversity conservation, ecotourism etc.
Research facilities being developed include:
Teaching and research domestication unit
On station demonstration
Teaching and research laboratory
Teaching and research laboratory complex
Information and communication technology (ICT) College and Departmental libraries
Grants and Awards:
Adewumi A A 2014. TETFund Research Grant intervention programme. Grant No: UNIOSUN/TETFund/14/0021. Preliminary Evaluation of Ostrich Husbandry in Osun State
Community Empowerment Service Project:
The Department in collaboration with the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Management engaged in tree planting outreach to neighbouring hospitals, secondary schools and the local Government Secretariat.