From Paul Orude, Keffi
No fewer than 200 participants converged on the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa State for the 28th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Anthropological and Sociological Practitioners Association (NASA).
Speaking with Daily Sun reporter in Keffi, the convener and President of NASA, Hauwa Evelyn Yusuf, a Professor of Criminology and Gender Studies, revealed that this year’s conference brought together both academics and practitioners in the field.
Yusuf said that nine distinguished Nigerians were inducted as Fellows at the 28th Annual NASA Conference with the theme ‘Socio-cultural practices, religious and identity manipulation: Challenges to Sustainable Development’
“Among those inducted were the likes of the Director General of National Poulation Commission, NPC, Dr Osifo Tellson Ojogun, Manager Census, Dr Inuwa Jalingo and various senior Nigerians who had made their marks.
“The Key note Speaker for this year’s conference was given by Professor Jerome Gefu, a retired academic but you could see that he was not tired and was able to deliver”
Professor Yusuf said NASA was looking forward to a better Nigeria, more development, more enlightenment and policies that would further improve the nation.
“To this extent you can see that this year’s theme is trying to solve the problem of socio- cultural practices as it relates to religion and identity manipulation, especially people using their religious and ethnic backgrounds to influence things that happened,” she said.
The President said robust discussion had been carried out at the conference saying the attendance of over 200 participants that attended the 28th Annual Conference of NASA was a milestone.
“We believe that with the caliber of persons on ground our deliberations would bring lasting solutions to Nigeria’s numerous problems,” she said.
She thanked the host, Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammed, Vice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, who is also a key member of NASA, for the wonderful hospitality accorded to participants.
She said the conference hosted by Nasarawa State University, Keffi, would go down as one of the best conferences in the history of the association going by the quality of papers and scholars.