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Aliyu Atiku, a level 200 student from the Department of International Relations at Skyline University Nigeria (SUN) has unveiled his Online Food Products Delivery Application. The application called AM Jannah Enterprises is one that can be utilized to order products such as milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, beef, fish and Chicken among a variety of food products. While presenting his speech during the event, the Vice-Chancellor of SUN Prof. Ajith Kumar V.V. said the idea of the business is quite innovative. To Aliyu, the VC said, “Your challenge starts now. This is because sustainability is difficult and there are a lot of challenges that are bound to disrupt entrepreneurship activities”.  The VC also encouraged Aliyu to explore opportunities provided by government agencies and other organizations that have schemes for start-up businesses like his. He highlighted the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) as one of those agencies that are doing really well in supporting youths in business development and expansion. In her remarks, the Dean of the School of Management and Social Sciences (SAMSS) Dr. Sudha Mavuri congratulated Aliyu. She said his achievement is monumental for SUN and the University’s Centre for Excellence. According to one of his mentors, Prof. Sanjoy Kumar Pal, the university is now awaiting a positive response of progress from Aliyu after a few years of his business. Aliyu thanked the VC, Deans, HODs and all the staff of Skyline University Nigeria for supporting him until he realized his dream. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria        

Industrial Training Fund (ITF) officials have paid a courtesy visit to the management of Skyline University Nigeria (SUN). The visit was to enable familiarity and discuss more areas of collaboration between the university and ITF.  In his opening remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Skyline University Nigeria (SUN), Prof. Ajith Kumar V. V., said the management was excited to receive the ITF officials. He said their visit came at a strategic time for the university, as it crosses over 5 years of establishment. The institution is continuously incorporating recent global trends in technology and innovation in teaching and learning, he said.   He added that the university currently has 174 students on the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) spread across 11 states in Nigeria including the F.C.T. He also said that the students have been rightly placed in several organizations to learn the necessary skills that would support their distinctive careers.  On his part, Mr. Abba Ibrahim Wada, the Head of Training at the ITF office in Kano State said their visit was to commend the management of SUN, for its unrelenting support in enabling students to have fruitful SIWES experiences as they prepare for future tasks.   Mr. Ibrahim said ITF is pleased to understand that the university is focused on the effective supervision of the students at their various places of work, to make them productive and functional after the completion of their degrees.  The Vice-Chancellor then appreciated ITF for its continuous support towards the development of students’ careers and assured them of the university’s effort to inculcate employability skills in them so that they become job creators and not job seekers. 

Students from Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) girls section have emerged victorious in the Game of Brains quiz organized by Skyline University Nigeria (SUN). The quiz was a part of commemorating World Innovation and Environment Days 2023, by the Centre for Excellence at the University. The 2nd and 3rd positions were claimed by students from Prime College and Crescent International School respectively. All of the positions were determined after an intense three rounds of elimination processes. The quiz was battled by 11 schools in Kano State which were invited by SUN. The quiz competition was organized to showcase the talents of students in business pitching ideas. This was done in order to inculcate the entrepreneurship mindset in them as they are at the stage of goal and career development. In her speech, the Director of Academic Support Service (DASS), Ms. Sarada Maganti said the quiz was organized to motivate students to pursue careers in entrepreneurship with vast innovative ideas to support sustainable development around the world. Mr. Anas Aminu Kamfa, the quiz master while congratulating the participants said, that they are all winners despite the fact that only a few were victorious. He appreciated the management of SUN for organizing such an impeccable competition and noted that the university is doing really well in Kano State. One of the participants of the quiz from Government Technical College Kano (GTC), Mahfuz Ibrahim said the competition was quite eventful. He congratulated the participants and encouraged them to learn from the words of Nelson Mandela, who says “I never lose. I either learn or win”. Earlier, SUN organized a Greenathon to unveil sustainable business ideas by Senior Secondary School students as the world continues to fight environmental challenges and climate change’s adverse effects. Finally, trophies and consolation prizes were distributed to the winners and the runners-up of the competition. Also, certificates of participation were given to the students who took part in the quiz. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria 

Skyline University Nigeria has recently organized a greenathon to celebrate two global notable days – World Innovation Day and World Environment Day 2023. The event was organized to unveil sustainable business ideas from Senior Secondary School students as the world continues to fight environmental challenges and climate change’s adverse effects. Dr. S Senthil Kumar, the Head of Management Department said, “The greenathon was a way to create new ideas and prove talents which is what Skyline University Nigeria does. We have a Centre of Excellence where we can show more eco-friendly projects, waste management and recycling products. It is a way to expand your careers”. The SUN Centre of Excellence organized the event as its maiden edition themed ‘climate change, waste management and renewable resources’. The Greenathon – Green Business Ideas Contest will be an annual event that would be inviting Senior Secondary School students in Kano to design exceptional Business Model Canvas for green business ideas. The models would be to develop sustainability related to green and clean environmental problems. SUN decided to celebrate World Innovation Day slated on April 21st and World Innovation Day on 5th June together, to encourage innovation alongside global demands to address challenges such as energy crises, fossil fuels depletion, waste management, climate change, global warming, environmental pollution and other related issues. The session invited about 15 secondary schools in Kano to participate. After the presentation of business ideas and critical assessment of the pitches, the winners were selected. Aysha Tofa and Khaulat Bebeji, the judges invited, selected the best 3 business ideas based on their wealth of experiences over the years. Ayah Khalil Mosleh, emerged victorious clutching the first prize from Crescent International School. The second position was awarded to Ameena Umar Khalil and Amina Aminu Sani from Prime College. For the third position, Maryam Abubakar from Khadija Memorial College was selected. The judges also appreciated Mahfuz Ibrahim and Usman Nura Abdulkadir from Government Technical College Kano, for their notable presentation during the competition. Aysha and Khaulat were also awarded by the management of SUN for their outstanding achievements in their distinctive fields of endeavour.  

Cancer is defined by the uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells in the body, making them exceed their usual boundaries thereby invading the other body organs. Cancer is ranked second after cardiovascular disease, as the leading cause of death worldwide, with approximately one in six deaths. Infections occur following exposure to certain infectious agents (pathogens) be it bacteria or viruses. As this infection progresses, it may lead to a specific type of cancer. Cancer is characterized by a continual and uncontrolled growth of cells forming a mass of tissue that may spread to other body parts. The progression of certain infections to cancer is mediated through several different mechanisms which include but are not limited to alteration in the normal function of the immune system, inflammation and alteration in the normal function of a gene. Carcinogenic infections mainly caused by viruses and bacteria are known to significantly contribute to the global cancer burden. This is observed predominantly in Africa and other underdeveloped, and developing countries. These infections are regarded as an important cause of cancer and are known to account for 16.1% of all cancer cases globally in the year 2018. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there are 11 infectious agents, otherwise referred to as group 1, which have been implicated as the major causes of infectious cancers. These are viruses; (hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) causing liver cancer, human T-cell leukaemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causing Adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL), high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), and their 12 different subtypes (type16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59) causing cervical cancer, human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) causing Kaposi sarcoma “rare cancer of the immune cell, with lesions growing in the mouth, throat, skin, and tissues”, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) “linked with nasopharyngeal cancers, Burkitt and non-Hodgkin lymphoma” and bacteria (Helicobacter pylori causing gastric cancer)  and parasites (Schistosoma haematobium causing bladder squamous cell carcinoma, Clonorchis sinensis causing cancers of biliary duct system “bile ducts and gall bladder”, and Opisthorchis viverrini causing stomach cancer). Cancer accounts for 18.1 million cases annually. In 2018, it is estimated that 9.6 million people died of cancer worldwide. The cases of cancer in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa, and other developing countries are worrisome going by the projections that by the year 2030, the developing countries with Nigeria inclusive will account for approximately 70% of all new cancer cases, with approximately 13.1 million mortalities. This is mainly attributed to an increase in life expectancy and population growth, increased prevalence of obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking. In Nigeria, along with other underdeveloped, and developing countries, once a patient is diagnosed with cancer, the high level of fear with which the patient’s family developed, made the populace including the elite class consider it a direct death sentence. This may be attributed to the fact that cancer is deadly, and the burden of the disease is expanding. In Nigeria and other African countries, high cases of mortality due to cancer are contributed to the unprepared nature of most health systems, the high cost of treatment, the absence of healthcare providers in remote villages and towns, and the lack of access to timely and high-quality diagnosis and treatment. Nigeria’s cancer cases are characterized by a high case-fatality ratio. The annual cases of cancer in Nigeria are increasing. According to a study conducted in 2012, Nigeria records approximately 100 000 new cases of cancer per year, with 15% of the total (681,000) cases in Africa. According to new studies conducted in the year 2020, Nigeria records 102,000 new cases annually with approximately 72,000 deaths. Comparing the two estimates, a decreasing trend in overall cancer deaths is observed, and this might not be in connection with the increased level of government intervention, awareness, and the location in which the studies were conducted. Despite the reduction in the death rate, the level remains alarmingly high. Cancer Prevention and Control Strategies By the modification or avoidance of key risk factors, high cancer mortality (30 -50%) can be preventable. More so, the implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies has been found to drastically reduce the burden of most cancers. These include early hospital visits for diagnosis, early detection, and management. Part of the keyway to the prevention of cancers include; regular exercise, safe sex, taking healthy diet, avoiding contact with indoor and urban polluted air, regular, timely, and qualitative health care, treatment of chronic infections, reduced exposure to ultraviolet radiation, effective vaccination against HPV, HBV, and HCV, abstinence or regulated alcohol and tobacco use, and above all living a healthy lifestyle. Reference A. S, E. HS, O. E and L. I., (2017). “Breast cancer mortality in a resource-poor country: A 10-year experience in a tertiary institution,” Sahel Medical Journal, vol. 20, no. 3, p. 93, 2017. C. d. M. Martyn Plummer, J. Vignat, J. Ferlay, F. Bray and S. Franceschi. (2016). “Global burden of cancers attributable to infections in 2012: a synthetic analysis,” Lancet Glob Health, vol. 4, 2016. E. Jedy-Agbaa, M. P. Curado, O. Ogunbiyi, E. Oga, T. Fabowale, F. Igbinoba, G. Osubor, T. Out, H. Kumai, A. Koechlin, P. D. Patience Osinubi, W. Blattner and a. C. A. Adebamowo, (2012). “Cancer Incidence in Nigeria: A Report from Population-based Cancer Registries,” Cancer Epidemiol., vol. 36, no. 5 (e271–e278). Ismail Rabiu is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Microbiology, Skyline University Nigeria (SUN). He holds an M.Sc in Medical Microbiology with a specialization in Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Infectious diseases and is a first-class graduate of Microbiology in Bayero University Kano.  You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria 

Mr. Ashish Punjabi, The Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of Jacky`s Group of Companies, has described personal values and beliefs as strategic elements that are pivotal to the success of a person or business. He said mission and vision if identified correctly, are powerful for the realization of personal or business goals. To become successful, Mr. Punjabi admitted that failure is bound to surface. And it is only through failure that the foundation of success is laid. The personal satisfaction that comes with success is fueled by learning. He states that “I prioritize learning so much that I engage in mentorship activities. That is the only way I learn”. In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of Skyline University (SUN), Prof. Ajith Kumar V.V., said the university is honoured to have Mr. Punjabi in the Guest Lecture Series, a renowned business expert and possesses the right experience to share with the students of SUN. He highlighted that the wealth of experience would support students as they creatively craft their future. Due to his over 30 years of business experience, Mr. Punjabi explained he had to work with various people to identify his values and how he needed to be supported towards achieving his goals. If people close to you are unaware of your ambition, they wouldn’t know how to support you, he said. While he applauded SUN for organizing such lectures for students, he emphasized the need for students to seek information from experienced personalities. In his words, “It is very easy to give a piece of advice and everyone can do that. But experience comes in when people want to know how to escape terrible situations seamlessly or how you learnt from your mistakes”. Delivering the closing remarks, Mr. Trimisiyu Lawal said it was indeed a great opportunity for students to be exposed to realities from an experienced person like Mr. Ashish. He said the students have seen worthiness in self-development and its enormous benefits. In his words, the President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Haruna Baffa, said “it was indeed a priceless opportunity for them as students to hear words of wisdom from Mr. Ashish”. He hopes to apply the knowledge he gained as he prepares for future challenges.