Category: Education

National President (Worldwide), University of Lagos (UNILAG) Alumni Association, Ife Oyedele has urged the United Kingdom (UK) Chapter to donate towards the funding of projects by the association.

The president gave the advice when he was hosted by the alumni’s UK executives, at Busaba Ethai, London WC2E, recently, according to a statement by the association’s Publicity Secretary, Funmi Falobi.

Lauding the UK chapter for hosting him, he solicited the support of the chapter to move the alumni to greater heights, noting that there are  projects to be implemented, some of which are capital-intensive.

Oyedele, an engineer, said:  “I want to thank the chapter for hosting me at such a short notice. I encourage all to focus on giving which is not necessarily just monetary but that of time and care for others; and in due course, participation and involvement will snowball.

“There are lots of projects to be implemented, but most are capital intensive. They are at the planning stage and we are still putting ideas together with the Vice Chancellor to have a working document/strategy.’’

He advised the chapter to hold a yearly event to bring every alumnus together in the UK. He said the Canada and North American branches could be invited, adding that he would be happy to attend the events.

Oyedele further said the national website, which is undergoing changes, when completed, should be interactive and all branches and chapters would be able to link up with it.

The chapter Chairman, Mr. Afolabi Phillips, spoke on how the UK family has supported the university in delivering various programmes such as scholarship awards to 24 best performing students in different departments and the water project initiative.

He also discussed the membership strength and the current numbers.

The vice chairman, Mr. Sam Onigbanjo, explained how the UK Alumni can be an ecosystem for alumni relocating to the UK from Nigeria, saying: “The UK family could support alumni and point them in the right direction of settlement into the UK.”

Also in attendance were Akintoye Akinnosi, Mayowa Oluyede and Josephine Shode.

AN educational group, Pharmafluence Education Advancement Network (PEAN), has intensified efforts to make science attractive to junior secondary school students. This was done when it organised its Science Incubation Project (S.I.P 1.0).

PEAN is a youth-led organisation that aims to improve the quality of education through teaching, advocacy, research, and mentorship for professional development.

For the project, it engaged 136 students of Zikas International School in an event in Kaduna State.

According to the founder of PEAN, Kenneth Bitrus David, it was borne out of the need to inspire young students to embrace science. He said it was aimed at providing them with knowledge on certain scientific processes to improve their understanding of science and how scientific knowledge can be utilised for new discoveries.

He said: “Life has continually revolved around science. Without science, life stagnates. There will be no generation of knowledge, technological advancements, or human development. It plays a vital role in our daily lives as almost everything that humans use operates on the logic of science. For instance, the cloth we wear, benches we seat on, blackboards we write on, books we use to aid learning, modern transportation systems, medical devices, and many others are products of scientific innovations. In the light of that, science ought to be preserved and promoted. This was what inspired the need for this science outreach.”

The event featured science-based activities which emphasised the impact of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) as an invaluable tool for innovations that will improve the world.

Winners of various science-based games were given awards, while writing materials were given to other participants.

A member of the group, Jethro Aaron Akaito, enjoined the students to be morally upright and shun all forms of antisocial behaviour, including drug abuse.

At the close of the event, members of PEAN distributed doses of albendazole (a deworming tablet) to the students.

The school management thanked the group for its efforts.

Grace Schools have reaffirmed its commitment to promoting culture and tradition to properly educate students.

Executive Director of Grace Schools, Mrs Olatokunbo Edun said the cultural programme with the theme: “Hope “will feature cultural dance, drama, exhibition of cultural artefacts and others 

According to her,  the Schools will stage a play  Onibode Lalupon, an adaptation of Adebayo Faleti’s poem during the three- day programme from March 15. 

Edun  asserted that Grace schools have a strong commitment to provide qualitative education and learning to students.

The Lagos State Government and GetBundi Education Technology Company have commissioned a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) laboratory at Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School, Yaba.

The STEM laboratory is the pilot phase of an ongoing partnership between the Lagos State Government and GetBundi that would see the deployment of GetBundi’s education technology platform across schools in the state.

Speaking at the commissioning of the centre on Thursday, Dr. Adetola Salau, Special Assistant on Education to the Executive Governor of Lagos State, harped on the importance of STEM education, saying it helps to prepare students for the workforce and equips them with the skills needed to excel in a rapidly-changing, technology-driven society.

She said the Getbundi offering is in tandem with the STEAMUP Lagos project which she oversees, whose goal is to infuse the ideals of a globally unified STEAM curriculum, making learning fun, accessible, sustainable, relatable to learners, while inculcating in them critical thinking ability, problem identification and solving skills, collaboration and creativity in designing solutions to identified challenges in society.

By virtue of the partnership, she said, GetBundi is helping to “provide students with real-world experience and help them to develop the skills that are in demand in the job market with the donation of a STEAM lab equipped with the latest equipment and software”.

“They supported our district here – Educational District IV, specifically Wesley Girls Secondary School – through this generous support which aligns with our goals that ultimately focus on the provision of quality education for all of the state’s children. This encourages educational innovation that aims to improve learning outcomes,” Salau said.

“We are also glad that this lab will be at a girls’ secondary school because we are driven about inspiring girls to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) courses and careers – by providing access to STEM resources directly at their school which would lead to the setting up of clubs and activities that would support their learning more about STEM and its relevance to their lives,” she said.

Osita Oparaugo, founder/CEO of GetBundi, explained that the STEM laboratory that has been set up at Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School was a pilot programme to enable the Lagos State government to assess the platform and get feedback from students and teachers so that the government and GetBundi can then formulate the right framework to deploy the technology across government schools in Lagos.

He said GetBundi, a government-approved online educational technology platform, has the goal to use technology to make high-quality and engaging STEM subjects for secondary school and Digital Skills courses for everyone accessible to all across Africa.

“Less than 18 percent of Africans, Nigerians inclusive, who enter the universities pursue science-related fields due to lack of appreciation of STEM caused by inability of African countries to invest in science education mostly at the secondary school level,” Oparaugo said.

“For instance, by 2030 there will be nearly 250 million job gaps in the digital space as our world is constantly changing through technology. African youths must be equipped with the right skill sets if they want to be productive and competitive,” he said.

He said the existing gaps were the reason for setting up GetBundi with the goal of massifying STEM and Digital Skill courses across Africa and a target to upskill 10 million African workforce by 2030 under the GetBundi Vision 2033.

According to him, GetBundi currently offers online vocational training on 16 digital skills courses six of which have courses in pidgin English developed by industry experts in Africa and around the world and hopes to add 14 more courses during its next content development scheduled for the second quarter of 2024.

Mrs Juliet Ijeh, course coordinator, GetBundi Education Technology and GetBundi Education Foundation, thanked the Lagos State Government for appreciating the importance of STEM education and the partnership with GetBundi.

“To build an Africa beyond aid, the continent must refocus learning towards science and technology especially for post primary students and youths. I wish other states in Nigeria will emulate what Lagos is doing and embrace STEM learning,” she said.

The Lagos State Government had earlier given approval to GetBundi to set up a STEAM lab at Wesley Girls Secondary School. The approval came via a letter dated 22 February 2023 and addressed to GetBundi Education Technology Limited.

Executive Director of the African Union Scientific and Technical Research Commission (AUSTRC), Dr. Ahmed Hamdy, has called on African Academy of Sciences and Research Councils for continued support in advancing science and technology in Africa.

Hamdy stated this yesterday in his keynote address at the 5th Congress of the African Council for Scientific Research and Innovation (ASRIC), in Mombasa, Kenya.

The theme for the congress was: “STI to strengthen food nutrition, health and social protection systems to accelerate Africa’s socio-economic, human, social and economic capital development”.

He said the contributions of National Academies of Sciences and African Research Council were valuable to achieving the mandate and objectives of ASRIC.

“Without the contributions of the National Academy of Sciences and African Research Councils, the mandate and objectives of the ASRIC, as well as that of ASRIC Strategic Plan 2022 – 2028 will never be achieved,” Hamdy said.

He also acknowledged the efforts of respective member states to continue to support ASRIC with available resources which can strengthen intra-Africa research.

Hamdy said ASRIC leveraged on brain circulation, partnerships for development and mobilising excellence for research and development.

“To better the continent, the key concerns of ASRIC for economic prosperity in the coming years are centred on the flagship projects.

“The flagship projects are one of the pillars of ASRIC for the successful implementation of its mandate.

“To ultimately achieve our overall goal and objectives, we will be relying on the support of our member states,” he said.

Also in his remarks, the first ASRIC Vice  Chair, Prof. Elijah Wanda, said the meeting was a collection of science and technology stakeholders from across the continent.

According to him, African researchers and scientists came together to identify and find solutions to African issues on science and technology.’

Wanda said that strategic plans and resource mobilisation plans, among others, would be discussed in the meeting.

He also urged the participants to interact and explore collaborations which would advance African science and technology.

The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Sokoto State has counselled Secondary Schools’ students on the dangers of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking among youths and women in the state.

Speaking at a sensitisation training yesterday in Sokoto, the NDLEA Zonal Commander in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, Mr. Misbahu Idris, said the idea was to protect the future of youths and women in the society.

According to him, the training, sponsored by the office of the Clerk and Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, was targeted toward accomplishing the country’s desire on ending any form of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

He lauded the collaboration of Castle Wings Global Services Ltd with NDLEA in the project of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), saying that the collaboration has continued to yield positive results.

The zonal commander further called on the students to utilise the programme in sensitising their friends and colleagues on the dangers of drug abuse.

Mr. Muhammad Iro, the NDLEA Commander in Sokoto, said the activity was part of WADA’s efforts to sanitise the society of criminal elements and dangers of youth engagement in drug abuse and trafficking.

“We are optimistic that without the consumption of hard drugs, criminal activities and other social vices will be minimal, if not totally addressed.

“As such, we will continue to wage war on drug merchants and users to ensure that our society is rid off of any crime in relation to drug abuse,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Yusuf Salisu, the representative of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, said the partnership with NDLEA and International Foundations was part of the policy of discouraging consumption and abuse of hard drugs among youths.

He commended the NDLEA for its sustained commitment in initiating strategic ways of addressing the menace of drugs and urged youths to always ‘say no to drugs abuse.’

In her remarks, Mrs. Rabi’a Muhammad, the Chairperson, Adongari, an NGO engaged in the fight against drugs, described drug abuse as one of the disturbing challenges among youths in the society.

According to her, if proper care is not taken on the ugly menace of drug abuse, it will lead to the destruction of the country’s desired vibrant future generation.

“Women’s involvement in drug abuse has continued to become disastrous to our country’s future as it is a major setback for societal reorientation.

“Therefore, for the best of our children’s future, we must all stand and join hands together in order to fight this ugly trend,” Muhammad urged.

In his presentation, Malam Jabir Maihula, condemned the rampant engagement of youth in drugs, which he said, posed serious dangers to the society.

Maihula, an Islamic scholar, said the act was totally prohibited in Islam and all other religions’ perspectives, while citing relevant injunctions from the Holy Qur’an and Hadiths.

Other presenters included: Mr. Mohammed Dahiru and Aliyu Omama, from NDLEA Sokoto command, who discussed on the dangers of drug abuse to health, social life and education in the society.

ANOTHER honour has come the way of Rev. Sr. Henrietta Ebosiogwe Alokha, the principal of Bethlehem Girls College, who, along with a security staff member of the school, died during the Abule-Ado, Lagos’ gas explosion while saving her pupils, who were trapped in the inferno.

On March 15, 2020, there was an explosion in Abule-Ado during the Sunday morning Eucharistic Celebration held at the chapel of the school, owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.

The Rotary Club of Lagos, in collaboration with Rotary District 9110, while marking the World Peace Day, honoured Rev. Sr. Alokha with a posthumous award.

At the event, which took place at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, were members of Dr. Alokha family, dignitaries from the diplomatic community and Rotary District 9110.

The District Governor, Mrs. Omotunde Lawson, Rotary international, presenting the award to a representative of the family, Mr. Anselm Alokha, remarked that she admired the love and gallantry the honoree displayed on that fateful day.

“That is the Rotary spirit. Giving without expecting rewards. When you begin to give without expecting rewards, you have taken the first step to immortality. You can see she is now immortal even though in physical death she is still being remembered. It is something to be emulated by all of us,” he added.

 Past President of Rotary Club of Lagos, Dare Adeyeri, said: “The selection is very transparent. In this particular case, Rev Sister Henrietta came tops for the award from a long list of nominees.”

 Since the incident, various individuals and organisations have also immortalised Rev. Sister Alokha.  At a concert to mark the first anniversary of her death at Catholic Church of The Nativity, FESTAC Town. Lagos, the Special Guest of Honour and Presidential Candidate, Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, praised her bravery. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in 2020 also honoured Rev. Sr. Alokha, former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, with a plaque in her honour and naming the then new 500-capacity Assembly Hall at the Air Force Secondary School (AFSS) after her.

Abubakar said: “Her bravery on that day paid off as no student of the college was lost to the deadly incident”.

 Rev. Sister Alokha was born on May 11, 1963 in Estako East Local Government Area (LGA) to a family of six, where she was the fourth child. She attended Egbado Primary School, Agenebode, Vitrebo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin and Perpetual Profession of Vows. She had Bachelor’s Degree in Personnel Management, Masters and Doctorate in Educational Management in 2016.

 Until her death, she was a teacher, and principal at eight Catholic schools.

 She joined the congregation of Sisters of Sacred Heart of Jesus on November 7, 1983 and was received into the Novitiate, two years later.

The Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has approved the appointment of Prof. Olusola Babatunde Kehinde as the seventh substantive vice-chancellor of the university.

The approval followed Special Meeting of the Council on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Dr. ‘Bola Adekola as quoted by the Head, Directorate of Public Relations, Mr. Kola Adepoju.

Adepoju noted that the appointment is a product of keenly contested competition, stating that Prof. Kehinde emerged the best among the 14 candidates, who applied for the position.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Alhaji Umar Ahmed, while announcing the appointment, congratulated Prof. Kehinde on his appointment and urged him to work assiduously to uplift the standard of the institution in ensuring that FUNAAB continue to soar higher in the community of universities.

Responding, Kehinde expressed deep appreciation to the Governing Council for finding him worthy of the new office and the trust reposed in him.

He promised to implement all the programmes highlighted in his vision document presented during the appointment process. He promised to promote peace, quality and cut-edge researches, while putting in all his energies to make FUNAAB a 21st Century University in a short time.

The native of Gbagura, Abeokuta North Local Government Area (LGA), was born on December 22, 1964.  He attended Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta South LGA from 1976 to 1981 for his secondary education and later proceeded to Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), Ojere, where he obtained his Higher School Certificate (HSC) after completion of his education.

  He was awarded a Bachelor and Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Biology as well as a Doctor of Philosophy (Plant Breeding and Genetics) from University of Ibadan, Oyo State in 1987, 1990 and 1994 respectively.

Prof. Kehinde became an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Plant Breeding and Science Technology, University of Agriculture (now Federal University of Agriculture), Abeokuta in 1994.  He rose through the ranks and is currently a Professor in the same Department since 1st October, 2007 till date.

House of Assembly candidate donates ICT centre to Ekiti school

Adams International College, a tutorial centre in Oshodi, has gifted the Nigerian Society for the Blind, Cappa, Oshodi, Lagos N500,000.

The college, in a statement, said it would grant academic scholarships to the students willing to pursue their academic growth, irrespective of their impairment.

Adams International College Proprietor, Adams Adebola, said the gesture came from the school’s desire to impact life and society.

He spoke about his unhappiness with how people have neglected visually-impaired people.

 “I know this is a neglected part of society. People go to different places to ensure they show love, but this is a place that has been neglected by private individuals. There is more to be done here. When we observed, we found out that people have not been coming here.

 “My coming here has always been the greatest moment of my life. It gives me the privilege to impact society and do something. People are always waiting for the government, but we must not allow the government to do everything for us, which is why we are here. I am always super excited to be here, at the school of the blind on February 14, to show them, love,” he stated.

The proprietor, who was excited about the turnout of the students from the college, stressed the need for touching the lives of people.

He pleaded with private individuals and the government to adequately support visually impaired people.

He said: “We teach our students that they must understand the meaning of love; that love is not about going to places but about touching peoples’ life. We are trying to break the slender walls that they should go everywhere to ensure they show love to people in a more positive way. There are people around us who need love and they must show that love. In a practical way, that will not be questionable.

“There is a lot of money that is wasted away and we need to look out for those who have needs in our society and ensure that we support them. I want to let them know that people have needs around us.People are going through depression; we must look out for people like that and identify them. I want the government to do more for those with disabilities. They must provide an enabling environment for them to study, and scholarships to those who still want to go to school. They must not abandon them because many of them are falling into depression every day and are contemplating suicide, which is why we must be ready to support them.”

The Secretary of the organisation, Oluwamayowa Oke, appreciated the college for coming to its aid in the last 15 years.

He called on other Nigerians, companies, and cooperate bodies to support the visually impaired students and the organisation.

The Governing Council of Kwara State University, Malete, has approved the promotion of 20 lecturers of the institution to professorial cadre.

This is contained in a statement from the Acting Director, University Relations, Dr. Sa’eedat Aliyu,  in Ilorin.

According to the statement, the ratification was given at the 64th Regular Meeting of the institution’s Governing Council held on February 16.

Aliyu said five among the 20 staff members attained full professorship, while the others were promoted to Associate Professorship.

“The newly promoted Professors are: Prof. Taibat Moji Yusuf, Agricultural Production and Resource Use; Prof. Dupe Olufunke Ogunbosoye, Ruminant Nutrition; and Prof. Issa Abdulraheem, Business Management and Entrepreneurship.

Others are Prof. Salih Muhammed Jum’ah Alaso, Arabic Literature and Nigerian Arabic Poetry Criticism; and Prof. Yahya Duro Uthman Hambali, Criminal Justice and Criminology.

 ”The Associate Professors are: Dr. Kayode Ayantoye, Department of Agric Economics and Extension Services; Dr. Ade Isaac Afe, Department of Crop Production; and Dr. Adeshina Fadeyibi, Department of Food and Agricultural Engineering.”

The other associate professors included Dr. Adesina Mutalub Lambe, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Dr. Aminu Nassir Brimah, Department of Business and Entrepreneurship; Dr. Kabiru Mustapha and Dr. Abdulrahman Sikiru Ottan, both of the Department of Material Sciences and Engineering.

Similarly, Dr. Ayoola Oladunke Aransi, Department of English and Linguistics; Dr. Tajudeen Yusuf, Department of Arabic and French; and Dr. Zekeri Abu, Department of Business and Entrepreneurship were appointed as associate professors.

The rest associate professors are Dr. Lukman Bola Abdulra’uf, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry; Dr. Jimoh Ajadi, Department of Geology and Mineral Science; Dr. Henry Sawyer, Department of Environmental Health Science; as well as Dr. Majekodunmi Rachael Adedayo and Dr. Adeyinka Elizabeth Ajiboye, both of the Department of Microbiology.