Business School Netherlands Nigeria has honoured seven persons for outstanding contributions to the school and the cause of business education using the Action Learning paradigm.

Awardees at a ceremony Sunday, July 24 include former Minister of Health Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, deputy head of Daystar Christian Centre Mrs Nike Adeyemi and the chairman of Unity Bank, Mr Thomas Etuh. Others are Mrs Titilola Adebayo, Founder/ CEO Paroche Reach-Out Foundation and Mr Tunde Popoola of CRC Credit Bureau. BSN also honoured Prof Martins Fabunmi and Dr Ayotunde Adebayo.

Pharmacist, lawyer, and strategist, Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi has a long association with Dutch institutions. His citation noted that he served as the first Secretary General of the African origin of the World Students Organization based in Leiden, Holland, where his responsibilities included forming and nurturing National Unions of University students all over Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. In the process, he travelled to some 143 countries and became multilingual. In this capacity, he visited Nigeria with an eight-nation fact finding delegation during the Nigerian civil war. He received a letter of appreciation in 1968, from the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon for the exemplary promotion of international peace through youth and student activities.

Prof. Martins Fabunmi serves on the faculty of BSN. He is Coordinator of Strategic Planning, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola while Dr. Ayotunde Adebayo, faculty member and examiner, also teaches at the University of Lagos.

After his first few weeks in the Executive MBA programme, Thomas Akoh Etuh enrolled seven other candidates from his firms because of his conviction that the course would significantly enhance capacity in his organisation. Mrs. Adeyemi, the architect and social entrepreneur, is also an alumnus of BSN and provided a facility for group work for members of her class for two years.

Mrs. Adebayo’s Paroche Reach-Out Foundation envisions the elimination of substance abuse and addiction in the Nigerian society as well as enabling an environment free of social vices. She showed tenacity by continuing to complete her EMBA after losing a grown offspring in the course of the programme.

Mr. Lere Baale, CEO Business School Netherlands Nigeria, remarked that the school decided on the awards scheme in recognition of the contributions of the recipients in their capacities either as alumni, faculty or friends of the school.

The awards were conferred at a business cocktail to mark the end of the dissertation for 73 newly-minted Master of Business Administration graduates. The success of the 73 brings to 414 the number of MBAs produced by the school since commencement in Nigeria in 2013.

Business School Netherlands is an international educational institution that trains and certifies candidates for the MBA and Doctor of Business Administration degrees based on the Action Learning paradigm. Baale said that BSN has accreditations from eight certifying bodies in the Netherlands, Europe, and the United States.

Baale added: “The Action Learning method is a learning situation in which managers explore and investigate together, drawing from their various experiences and expertise. The Action Learning concept recognises that real learning only takes place when we have implemented the solution and seen the results. BSN Nigeria in collaboration with BSN in The Netherlands has recruited over 1,100 Nigerian students and has produced over 400 Nigerian MBA graduates.”

•Photo shows BSN Award recipients with key officials.

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