Education

Nigeria’s Leading Sociologist, Jike, To Deliver DELSU’s 9th Valedictory Lecture April 23

Prof. Victor Jike

A foremost professor of Industrial and Development Sociology at Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Prof. Victor Teddy Jike, is set to deliver his valedictory lecture on Wednesday, April 23.

According to an invitation notice received by DELSU Echo, the lecture, titled “My Odyssey of Complex Battles,” will be held at the 750 Lecture Theatre A, located at Site III of the university’s Abraka Campus, by 1:00 PM. Guests are expected to be seated by 12:30 PM.

The ceremony will be the 9th in the series of DELSU’s valedictory lectures and will attract principal officers of the institution, including the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Asagba, who is slated to chair the occasion.

Jike, who has served as National President of the Nigerian Sociological Association since 2001, will deliver the lecture to mark his retirement from DELSU, having attained the mandatory retirement age of 70.

A transcontinental scholar of inimitable repute, Jike obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ibadan in 1978 and subsequently proceeded to the United States, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Industrial Sociology from Iowa State University in 1982.

Driven by his insatiable quest for knowledge, he later proceeded to the United Kingdom, where he obtained a doctorate in Industrial Sociology from the University of Bath, England, in 1988.

Between 1979 and 2000, Jike traversed various industries and corporate organisations, serving meritoriously in key positions.

In 2001, he joined the services of DELSU as a Lecturer I and rose through the ranks to become a Professor.

As a scholar, Jike has published over 50 articles and book chapters in local and international journals.

He has attended several academic conferences within and outside Nigeria, served as reviewer and editor for reputable peer-reviewed journals, and mentored numerous students who have attained remarkable academic and professional achievements.

His research interests span sociology of development, human resource development, and training which seek to essentially address industrial and social conflicts that are inevitable aspects of human relations and contemporary society.

In 2018, Jike delivered DELSU’s 65th Inaugural Lecture titled “Ubiquitous Dialectics and the Social Re-construction of Conflict after Conflict: Can Nigeria Survive?”

The thought-provoking lecture, delivered amid national discourse on Nigeria’s unity, assessed the causes, impact, and remediation of the country’s recurring conflicts. He posited that, despite the challenges and contradictions, Nigeria will ultimately survive its growing internal tensions encased in ubiquitous dialectics.

At the institutional level, Jike has served DELSU in various capacities, including Director of General Studies (2002–2004), Chairman of the Ceremonial Committee (2007–2010), Associate Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences (2006–2010), Head of the Department of Sociology and Psychology (2005–2006, 2010–2011), and Member of the DELSU Governing Council (2011), among others.

Unlike many, Jike is a scholar whose expertise is equally recognised at home. He has participated in several development-oriented activities in his community, culminating in his recent appointment as Cultural Liaison Consultant to the Palace of the Ovie of Oruarivie, Ojeta II, Akpomeyoma Majoroh.

As a testament to his community service, he has served in various leadership roles, including: Chairman, University of Ibadan Alumni Association (DELSU Branch); Chairman, Board of Trustees, Holyfield International Schools, Abraka; President, St. Peter Claver’s College Old Boys Association (Abraka Branch); President, Urhobo Summit Group (an affiliate of the Holyfield Foundation, Abraka); and Member, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), National Secretariat, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.