A Professor of Counselling Psychology at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Clement Adebisi Daramola, has stressed the need for the Federal Government to prioritise counselling education in Nigerian universities curriculum, to empower, educate and re-build people with confusion and frustration.
Prof. Daramola made the submission on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, while delivering the University’s 30th Inaugural Lecture, titled “Crossing the Crossroads of Life: The Counselling Pathways,” held in the University Multipurpose Hall.
He said, “Federal Government should prioritise Counselling Education in our Education Curriculum. In this wise, counsellors should not only be psychologically well-prepared, but also should be technically ready to deal with clients’ personal and other social life adjustment issues.”
The Inaugural Lecturer described a crossroad as, “A time of uncertainty and challenge, which forces the person to the very edge. It is here people show what they are made of. We all seem to be surrounded these days in our nation by people who are standing at a crossroad. Sometimes a crossroad comes upon us as a natural part of life. Sometimes, it is forced upon us by uncontrollable circumstances. It does not really matter how we arrive at a crossroad. What matters is how we breakthrough to what is next in life. A wise decision is needed since such a breakthrough is a complex process.”
He added, “Taking “the right path” – making “the right choices” can become a paralysing mind trip that keeps us stuck, standing still, tormented by our own inner battle of head versus heart, freedom versus responsibilities, love versus justice, right versus wrong. Here is the interesting part about these times in our lives when we feel most discouraged, disheartened, confused and stuck! We are certainly at a self-doubting and confusing crossroads! We should not be afraid to ask for directions and seek counsel from those who have answers.”
Stating the positive effects of Crossroads Counselling in the society, Prof. Daramola noted that government at all levels should be concerned with addressing poverty, oppression, abuse, inequality, and locate problems within the societal contexts capable of escalating psychological stress and tensions.
While emphasising that counselling profession was founded upon a well-developed understanding of holistic wellness of the society and people, he recommended that counselling services should be made available and promoted at all levels of the society.
“Therefore, I suggest the establishment of counseling centres in all 774 local governments of Nigeria to facilitate adequate resolutions of psychological problems. When one finds himself at a crossroads in their lives, asking for help is next step of getting back to feeling good about their lives. Also, there is need to visibly promote fairness and justice, honesty and objectivity of purpose in the political governance of the country so as to reduce incidence of confusion, anxieties and misplaced priorities and goals”, he said.
The Inaugural Lecturer, who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, added that universities in Nigeria must substantially address issues of training, research and service activities of Counselling Education to accommodate the new global and social realities.
In his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor and Chairman on the occasion, Prof. Olugbenga Ige described Prof. Daramola as a dedicated academic, scholar, and a great researcher, who has published three books, co-authored another three, and contributed over 30 articles to scholarly journals and newspapers.
Prof. Ige thanked the Inaugural Lecturer for his invaluable contributions to academia and his enduring legacy within the University.