3rd Membership Induction ceremony.

The Institute held her 3rd membership induction ceremony on Thursday, 22nd March, 2007, this time, at the Institute's National Secretariat. That venue was chosen purposely to familiarize inductees with the operational structures of the Institute and acquaint them with the areas of needs of the Institute for necessary intervention.

Earlier, the Registrar of the Institute, Mr. A O. Lawal, in his welcome address stated that the day's event became necessary not only to formally admit new members but to as well expose them to the concept in the consummation of the professional body and the challenges ahead for all devotees.

The reasons for the founding of the Institute, according to him included but not exhaustive of the following:

1. To bring together professionals in Operations Research in Nigeria and Internationally for interaction, development of the profession into career path in Nigeria and other developing countries, and advance its practice, method and application in all human endeavors to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.
2. Serve as an avenue for training people on general nature of Operational Research as a scientific approach to problem solving and decision-making, and the nature of the tools required in this process.
3. Provides a guide and advisory services to prospective entrepreneurs and subsisting organizations with respect to intricacies in business development, growth and how to overcome all forms of constraints for improved operational performance.
4. Promote high professional standards, integrity and continue to recognize and reward excellence.

On the challenges faced by members, old and new, the Registrar classified them into two:

1. Demystification of operations research as an area for privileged few based on misconception that it is all about mathematics or quantitative techniques. He emphasized that operations research entails different activities and indeed its great deal of work involves gathering of data, presentation of results and assistance in implementing solution with strong inter-personal and communication skills.
2. Lack of scientific mindset, right attitude and right values according to the Registrar are the banes of underdevelopment and lots of social vices that pervades our society. The culture of corruption that pervades every sector of our economy emanates from lack of commitment to values and total disregard for the virtue of integrity, he further mentioned. Commitment to value is to rely on facts as basis for decisions and actions.

Therefore, in conclusion, he admonished members to strive hard to among other efforts;

1. Popularize OR as a discipline that offers measurable framework driven by logic and reason for planning, decision making and control.
2. Promote OR as a way of thinking capable of giving this nation a rebirth and restore the right attitude and values so that corruption, fraud and other vices that characterized our nation could be less pervasive.

The President, Prof. Funso Akingbade, in his speech tagged, “Our Institute at the Foundation Stage" affirmed that the Institute had been making steady progress, thus, need for members to congratulate themselves. The president highlighted foundational functions the Institute had been performing as - infrastructural development, membership drive, corporate image packing and programme development and take-off. He explained that all this generally focused on putting in place the legs on which a structure is to be built such that the structure lasts in existence and in function.

On the duties and privileges of the inductees, Prof. Akingbade explained that a major privilege of members of a professional body is part-ownership of the body, as such, the necessary commitment is required to give expression to the sense, it is 'ours' but not 'theirs'. According to him, man's functional existence is in terms of making decisions and taking actions believed to be most effective and efficient in dealing with given circumstances. And that a most potent approach to achieve this is understanding based on organized factual knowledge bestowed by OR. He affirmed that until the nature and essence of OR is appreciated in this context, one really has not become a professional in it.

Finally, the president challenged all members, especially the new ones, to be committed to the Institute by way of dutifully playing their roles and performing their duties, while continually adding OR value to themselves through conscientious participation in the Institute's educational programme for self development.

The major activity of the day was admission of inductees as members of the Institute. The newly inducted members were as follows:-

Fellow

• Emenegu Ngozi Godfrey
• Engr. Sule Abdullah

Associate-Fellow

• Ayinla Abdullah Shehu
• Adamolekun Olutosin Olusola (Mrs.)
• Olorisade Gafaru Olayiwola (Deacon)
• Rafiu Akeem Atanda
• Magbagbeola Joshua Adekunle
• Badmus Aliyu Alabi Olanrewaju
• Olaniyan Ademola Olanrewaju

Associate

• Lawal Ajayi Richard
• Apeverga Wangerga
• Olowoyeye Francis Niyi

Graduate

• Okonkwo C. Patrick
• Ja'afar Mardhiyah(Mrs.)
• Akinhanmi Adewale Olumide
• Oresanwo Oluwakemi Idayat
• Abadaki Gideon Bamigboye
• Agbaje Jamiu Olusegun