Healthy staff key to productive university community-UNILORIN don
By Mustafa Abubakar
A lecturer at the Department of Human Kinetics, University of Ilorin, Dr Rafat Olusola Dauda-Olajide, has said that a productive University system depends largely on the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of its workforce.
Dr Dauda-Olajide stated this in her office while speaking with UNILORIN Bulletin last Wednesday (February 11, 2026).
She explained that health is not merely the absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, while wellness is the active pursuit of choices and lifestyles that lead to optimal health.
She noted that staff members are often occupied with academic, administrative, and family responsibilities, sometimes neglecting the very resource that sustains their productivity-their health.
The don stated that healthy staff are generally more energetic, focused, and efficient in their duties.
According to her, regular physical activity and healthy lifestyle practices significantly reduce absenteeism, while wellness promotes emotional stability, resilience, longevity, and improved quality of life even after retirement.
Dr Dauda-Olajide identified the key dimensions of wellness as physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and occupational well-being.
Physical wellness, she explained, involves regular exercise, balanced nutrition, adequate rest, and avoidance of harmful habits.
“Emotional wellness entails the ability to understand and manage emotions and cope effectively with stress.
She further explained that social wellness involves building healthy relationships and maintaining supportive networks, while intellectual wellness requires continuous learning and mental stimulation.”
Dr Dauda-Olajide described spiritual wellness as finding meaning and purpose in life through faith, reflection, or service to others, while occupational wellness is achieving job satisfaction alongside a healthy balance between work and personal life.
The lecturer also drew attention to common health challenges faced by University staff due to the largely sedentary nature of academic and administrative work.
These, she said, include obesity, hypertension, heart diseases, diabetes, back pain, neck strain, poor posture, mental fatigue, and stress-related conditions.
She emphasised that many of these health issues are preventable through conscious lifestyle modification.
To promote healthier living, Dr Dauda-Olajide encouraged staff to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly, such as brisk walking, aerobics, cycling, or swimming.
She also urged participation in the Faculty Keep-Fit and Recreational Exercise sessions held every Wednesday, while also advising simple habits such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking short distances, and stretching during work hours.
On nutrition, Dr Dauda-Olajide advised staff members to consume more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, while reducing processed foods, sugar, and salt intake. She also stressed the importance of adequate hydration and portion control.
Addressing mental health, the don urged staff to take regular breaks, avoid excessive workload, and seek counselling or support from trusted colleagues when overwhelmed.
Dr Dauda-Olajide recommended relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and prayer as effective stress-management strategies.
She also underscored the importance of regular medical check-ups, including monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, noting that early detection of health conditions prevents serious complications.
According to her, staff members should also limit alcohol consumption, avoid smoking and substance use, and ensure adequate sleep of seven to eight hours daily.
Quoting a popular saying, Dr Dauda-Olajide added, “Those who think they have no time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”