The Department of Theatre Arts of the Kwara State University (KSU) has held an induction and orientation for its new students.

The ceremony featured a play titled: The greedy wife, written by Biola Fasoranti, a 200-Level student, and Struggling to die, a dance libretto by Felix Akinsipe. The freshers had their first experience in art performance during the ceremony.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abdulrasheed Na'Allah, reiterated the need to preserve and promote African oral traditions, stressing that the identity of Africans was rooted in their robust culture. He said African identity should not be compromised.

He said: "The university, having realised this urgent need, decided to establish a School of Visual and Performing Arts to train students in the discipline. The university had recruited a highly experienced scholar in the Diaspora to teach students in Theatre Arts. We have Prof Awam Amkpa from the New York University as the Dean of the Arts Faculty and we have provided state-of-the-art equipment for the school to excel."

The sub-Dean, Dr Femi Abiodun, said induction was conceived in 1970s to initiate students to the discipline. "It is a general phenomenon that induction is not only performed in the School of Visual and Performing Arts or Theatre Arts only, but also in medicine, law and other disciplines," he said.

Uthman Owolabi, a 400-Level student, entertained the audience with Kudeti, a play written and directed by him.

Olayinka Aina, one of the inductees, said: "I am happy to be inducted today. When I told my friends that I am studying Performing Arts, some of them mocked me but seeing me on stage today, they were surprised with my budding talent in arts."

Tayo Animashaun, another fresher, said her parents initially did not want her to take the course, but after counselling, she was allowed to study Theatre Arts "I am going to give in my best to convince my parents that I can excel in this discipline," she said.