Press Brief on the 1st National Conference on the Environment Organized By the University of Ibadan

Professor Sridhar ( Emeritus Professor of Environmental Health Sciences)

In preparation for the forthcoming 1^st National Conference on Environmental Health Sciences, a Press Brief was called on Friday 15^th November, 2013 at the Olufemi Bamiro Hall, Centre For Sustainable Development (CESDEV), Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
The Press Brief was necessary to intimate the public with the activities slated for the conference and the need to emphasis that the conference promises to be the first of its kind in Nigeria that would bring to bear the multidisciplinary nature of Environmental Health in addition to fostering unity and integration amongst various experts and scientists in the field of Environmental Health Sciences.

The Press Brief featured the presence of  dignitaries like the Dean of Faculty of Public Health(Prof. Ademola Ajuwon), Director, CESDEV (Prof. Olabode Popoola), Director General, NESREA (Engr. O. Sode), Prof. M.K.C Sridhar, Dr. G.R.E.E Ana (Coordinator, EHS & LOC Chairman), Dr. Elizabeth Oloruntoba, Dr. T. Okareh, Mr. Morakinyo, Mr. Hammed, PUPSA representatives, distinguished members of the press from BCOS, NTA, Diamond FM, Tribune, FRCN, other staff of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and students,Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine,University of Ibadan.

The LOC Chairman gave a brief about the Department especially about when the Department was statutorily approved by Nigerian University Commission on 24^th November, 2011 and inaugurated on 31^st July, 2012, motto of the department, vision, staff composition, existing and proposed courses, research activities in the area of air quality and exposure assessment, water resources and quality management, waste management, housing and health, food hygiene and safety, vector control, pollution control, noise and radiation control, climate change, children environment programme and renewable resource centre, which is a joint project between the Department and the Teaching and Research Farm. 

He further stressed the objectives of the conference which include; increasing awareness on Environmental Health (EH) as a discipline, stimulating scholarship among EH practitioners, academia and students, promoting networking amongst professionals, organizations, students and institutions, encouraging inter-, intra-, and trans disciplinary collaboration, improve the image and visibility of the University of Ibadan.

The Conference is scheduled for Sunday 24^th to Wednesday 27^th November, 2013, with the opening ceremony at Supreme Events Centre, Old Bodija while the plenary and concurrent sessions would take place at CESDEV suite. The theme of the Conference is Environmental Health: Protecting the Ecosystems beyond the Millennium development Goals

Professor Ajuwon, Dean Faculty of Public Health addressing the press

The Conference would feature paper presentations under ten (10) sub-themes, specialized Workshop on Emergency preparedness, Workplace safety and Risk Management. This workshop would be done in collaboration with an Environmental Consulting Firm (Multiple development Services) based in Lagos and Procter and Gamble (P &G), here in Ibadan. There would also be inauguration of the Nigerian Academy of Environmental Health, which would serve as the hub and centre of Environmental Health Activities in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region and building linkages and partnership amongst different stakeholders in EH. Besides, it would also feature the inauguration of Nigerian Journal of Environmental Health Sciences, Technical and Social Tours.

Without doubt, the 1^st National Conference on Environmental Health Sciences would be a success with the level of preparation and publicity on going at the Department, within the Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan community and beyond.