Students of the Nigeria Union of Engineering Students Association (NUESA), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) Chapter, have carried out a community service exercise aimed at giving back to the College of Engineering and promoting practical engineering solutions within the institution.
The exercise, organised as part of the NUESA Student Week programme, involved electrical maintenance works, replacement of faulty sockets and bulbs, repairs of lamp holders, and washing of lecturers’ vehicles within the college environment.
Speaking during the exercise, the Head of Department, Engr. Adigun Muritala, described community service as one of the three major responsibilities of students in the university system alongside teaching and research. According to him, community service is as important as classroom learning and research activities, stressing that it exposes students to practical experiences beyond the classroom.
“Community service is no less important than teaching and research. It usually happens more than once in a session or year, and it is paramount to students’ academic journey beyond the classroom,” he said.
Also speaking, a Civil Engineering lecturer, Engr. Dr. Odubela, commended the initiative, describing it as an encouraging step towards developing engineering students into problem solvers. “Every community has a problem, and they need engineering experts to solve the problems,” she said.
She added that community service remains a voluntary activity because “everything is not about money,” noting that such exercises help students make meaningful impacts in any society they find themselves.
The President of NUESA, LASUSTECH Chapter, Comr. Adesanya Michael, explained that the purpose of the programme was to give back to the school community freely through service. “The idea of community service is to give back to the community—for free. Students also have a major role to play in developing the school community,” he said.
Adesanya, however, disclosed that the union faced several challenges while organising the programme, including inadequate equipment, financial constraints, and low participation from some students.
Despite the setbacks, he said the executives were able to strategically overcome the challenges to ensure the success of the exercise.
He also appreciated the Dean of the College of Engineering, Engr. Dr. Yakubu Olawale Bankole, for his support toward the programme. “He is a father. We can’t thank him enough for his financial and moral support,” he added.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee and Social Director of NUESA, Comr. Lucky Sylvester, popularly known as Sly, said the initiative was designed to mark the NUESA Student Week celebration.
“As engineers of different specialisation, we decided to use this student week programme to give back to the community, which is the college, and we hope to extend it to other colleges within the institution,” he said.
Sylvester explained that the team carried out several electrical repairs across the college and also assisted lecturers by washing their vehicles.
He further appreciated the Dean, staff adviser, lecturers, executives, and members of the planning committee for their efforts toward making the programme successful despite the difficulties encountered.
Meanwhile, the Financial Secretary of NUESA, Ajadi Ganiyat Bamidele, commended students from various engineering departments who volunteered and participated in the exercise. She expressed optimism that future editions of the programme would be bigger and more impactful through greater student cooperation and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Bamidele encouraged students to actively participate in subsequent programmes, noting that such activities help students apply the practical skills acquired in classrooms and laboratories for the development of the institution and society at large.
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