Experts have advocated the need to build the right foundation for children’s future learning in Africa with the right skills for the next generation of teachers.

They made the call at “#NextGen Educators Forum” convened by HP with that future in mind – sharing insights and discussions relevant to the African education sector on how to equip teachers with the necessary skills to take education on the continent forward.

The forum took place ahead of World Teacher’s Day yesterday, themed: “The transformation of education begins with teachers”.

The panel of experts at the forum included Chief Executive Officer, Junior Achievement Africa, Simi Nwogugu; former Superintendent General, Western Cape Education Department and Specialist Advisor, Brian Schreuder;  Chief Executive, Teach for Nigeria, Folawe Omikunle, and HP’s Senior Education Business Leader for Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe, Mayank Dhingra.

The discussion focused on a topics aimed at propelling the discourse on the future of education. Themes discussed included innovative technologies and pedagogies at the frontier of education in Africa; empowering educators to define new ways of learning for pupils; and digital equity: implementing digital transformation in the areas of teaching and effectively substituting the traditional learning confined to four walls.

Nwogugu stated: “Educators need to understand that their traditional role as expert imparting knowledge has evolved to that of guide facilitating knowledge-acquisition, design thinking and critical reasoning skills in their students. To do this effectively, educators themselves need to be equipped with these and other emotional intelligence skills to be able to continually adapt to the needs of the students under their charge.

“Forums like this help steer all of us in the education sector in the right direction for how best to empower teachers to be more effective in the classroom.”

Read Also: Awards galore as AbdulRazaq celebrates Kwara teachers

To Omikunle, “The only way African countries can reach their full potential is by investing in education. By investing in teachers, we are investing in our children’s futures, and inevitably that of our continent. We know there are numerous challenges educators face, and these discussions will help in providing African solutions to African challenges.”

On the impact brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Schreuder noted that if anything, the disruption of the pandemic proved about the sector was that it is resilient.

“We witnessed teachers implementing innovative strategies to keep learning at critical points of the schooling year. Armed with even better tools and relevant training, African teachers can transform this sector,” he said.

The world of education is evolving, and teaching must be transformed to better meet the needs of a digital learner. That is why HP launched its Innovation and Digital Education Academy (HP IDEA), which plays a critical role in bridging the skills gap and forms part of HP’s goal to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people by 2030.

This immersive teacher development programme is designed to enable educators to develop and access new learning modalities in select schools in South Africa, Nigeria, and other 15 markets across Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

“The time to rethink and reshape the future of Africa’s education sector is now. The past few years have thrust the sector into dramatically new ways of learning. It has shown us that we need to empower teachers with the right tools to ensure that learners have the best chance at future-proof outcomes,” Dhingra said.

The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard or HP, is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. It recently released the results of its first education-focused survey in Africa, which shed light on teachers’ skillsets and how the profession can be improved in South Africa and Nigeria.

Understanding the realities of 21st-century teaching, 10 skills were identified in the study as crucial to future proofing classrooms for educators.

Across the board, teachers surveyed deemed these skillsets important, with 70 per cent, saying “soft skills” such as creative, innovative, critical, and entrepreneurial thinking, as well as digital literacy are very important.

Also, one in three teachers said they could benefit from additional training to improve the above-mentioned skills and that the development would have an enormous impact on the pedagogy.

HP Inc. is a technology company that believes one thoughtful idea has the power to change the world. Its product and service portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions help bring these ideas to life.

Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday joined the global community to celebrate teachers, calling them the centrepiece of his administration’s transformative agenda in the education sector and reassuring them of the government’s continuous commitment to their welfare — including addressing all pending issues in phases.

At a State Government event celebrating World Teachers Day in Ilorin, the state capital, not less than 61 teachers — drawn from every part of the state and across different stages of education — got awards of excellence.

The awards came with varying expensive gifts, which the Governor called a token of appreciation for those who mould the future of the next generation with their sweat, expertise, and patience.

In an address punctuated by applause and followed by a standing ovation in appreciation of the steady progress in the sector, the Governor said: “If there is anyone that we are obliged to honour and celebrate, that is the teacher. On that note, I thank all of you for your efforts, sacrifices, and commitments.

“The World Teachers’ Day is the idea of UNESCO in line with the 1966 Recommendations on the Status of Teachers across the world.

“The theme of this year’s anniversary speaks directly to us in Kwara State. Our huge investments in the education sector are closely tied to teachers and school heads. You are the key drivers of the transformation that we seek. As we commit billions of naira to improve the learning environment, we are similarly funding the multibillion naira KwaraLEARN programme which seeks to improve the capacity of our teachers and boost learning outcomes for our children.

“Between 2019 and now, we have ensured prompt payment of salaries — unlike before. The implementation of the minimum wage has raised the size of what we take home every month. We have similarly reduced the backlogs of promotion arrears. Training and retraining is more constant today. For those at the basic schools, we are already addressing the disparities in the salary as we recently pointed out. More will be done to address your genuine concerns.

Read Also: AbdulRazaq and the new face of public schools in Kwara

“But we need to do a lot more. For this reason, our administration is willing to adopt the FG’s new age limit and service years for teachers once it is passed to us. Next year, we will launch an annual teachers’ award to boost the morale of classroom teachers and administrators. Similarly, we will collaborate with relevant Federal Government’s agencies to ease home ownership for interested teachers. Details of this are being worked out.

“Dear teachers, I appreciate your sacrifices. I acknowledge that our plan to give the right foundation to the Kwara child can only succeed with your full buy-in. I therefore appeal to you to continue to do your best for humanity and for our state. Posterity will be kind to you.”

The Governor had a no-holds-barred interactive session with teachers, where the latter commended his strides in the sector and urged him to bridge the pay gaps between teachers of junior and secondary schools in the state.

NUT Chairman Comrade Oyewo Bashiru Ayinde paid glowing tributes to the Governor’s commitment to the education sector, workers’ welfare and urged him to do more.

“Here in Kwara State, we are proud to assert that the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has made some remarkable improvements in the transformation of the education sector and welfare/working conditions of our teachers, as compared to what existed prior to his coming to office as Governor,” according to Comrade Oyewo.

“Although it is not yet uhuru, we wish to use this occasion to further encourage the state government to work extra hard in meeting the pending/unresolved demands of teachers.”

Professor Billy Olajide, a university teacher who keynoted the event, commended the sacrifices of the teachers, urging them to come together, work very hard, and justify huge funds going into the education sector.

“Teachers should come together, teachers should work very hard and justify huge funds going into the education sector so that the government can listen to us. We thank God we have a listening Governor. He has demonstrated it here today and hope you will justify it,” he said.

“Today, the teaching profession is more elegant and appealing but there’s a problem because teachers are not united.”

The Governing Council of The Polytechnic, Ibadan on Wednesday sensitised the management and staff of the institution on due process for adequate discharge of duties to students.

The maiden seminar on “Due process and presentation of achievements of the council” held at the CIBN hall of the institution.

The Council said its achievements in the last two years couldn’t have happened without the support of Governor Seyi Makinde.

The Governing Council chairman, Prof. Adekunle Akinyemi, noted that since it came on board, there have been uninterrupted academic activities in the institution, improvements in the financial welfare of staff, reduction in indiscipline and lawlessness within the institution community.

He added that the Council has been able to promote peace, harmony and hard work, adding that all these are what make the institution to have become a choice for students seeking Polytechnic education.

“We want to become the best Polytechnic in Africa because we are already one of the best in Nigeria, it is not easy to be corrupt here because the chairman and management don’t touch money. We have someone that manages our finances,” he said.

He thanked Makinde for constituiting noble people as members of the Council, saying that this has aided the development of the institution in the last few years.

Read Also: Makinde’s wife celebrates independence with orphans, less privileged

The Rector, Prof Kazeem Adebiyi, described the event as a milestone in the history of the institution, adding it has benefited tremendously from the Council and its members.

He said: “There is the need to update our knowledge on due process, learning is a continuous exercise, this seminar will add to our existing knowledge.”

The Director General, Due Process, Oyo State, Mrs. Tara Adefowope, who was the guest speaker stated that the idea was to let the staff and management have deep knowledge of due process and how things can be better in the institution.

“One of the things we are trying to do is to build capacity and make them understand why we do it, there is always room for improvement.”

Comrade Biodun Abegunde, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Polytechnic Lecturers, The Polytechnic Ibadan chapter commended the initiative, saying it would sharpen the knowledge of the staff of the institution.

Yet, in many low and middle income countries, the teaching profession is in a critical condition.

UNESCO estimates a shortfall in teachers in sub-Saharan Africa alone of 15 million.

Worse, those teachers struggling to help their students have little or no support.

“Many teachers do not have access to quality training and continuous professional development throughout their careers,” says UNESCO.

Teachers can find themselves teaching in a range of challenging situations; working in remote areas with limited infrastructure, with little or no support or guidance, textbooks that aren’t aligned to the material or the age of the students they are attempting to teach and overcrowded classrooms with children sitting on the floor.

Compounding all this is the sad truth that many teachers themselves may often struggle with the content they are teaching. Literacy and numeracy can be a challenge.

The outcome is predictable. Nearly 90% of children around the world go to primary school. But only about 35% can read a simple sentence at the age of 10. In sub-Saharan Africa only 10% can. Hundreds of millions of children are in school, but not learning.

So this year’s World Teachers’ Day on October 5th is more than a day to celebrate hardworking and dedicated teachers. It’s also a vital opportunity to rethink the way ahead, to shine light on the ideas and programs that are working in support of great teachers and great teaching.

As this year’s theme says: “The transformation of education begins with teachers.”

Governments committed to transforming their public education systems understand this, and increasingly, visionary leaders in the Global South are showing that the way to transforming learning outcomes for their students begins with transforming training and support for their teachers.

One pioneering program is EdoBEST, launched by Governor Godwin Obaseki in Nigeria’s Edo State with the support of its technical partner, NewGlobe.

“Starting in 2018, EdoBEST trained more than 11,000 teachers in three years in government primary schools,” Governor Obaseki wrote in the Financial Times.

“Teachers and pupils benefit from scientifically developed lesson plans and integrated digital content and learning materials tailored to our context.”

Read Also: Government alone cannot fund education — Buhari

Multi-day training is centred around scientifically-based teaching methods and practices.

Teaching guides are designed to ensure concepts are taught to maximise students’ understanding and learning, with exactly the right rigour, repetition and sequencing.

Lesson plans support teachers with clear measurable goals and expected outcomes for their students. All teaching is targeted to maximise learning for students, through structured practice and feedback grounded in extensive research on the most effective use of class time.

Such a uniquely practical, data-driven induction training ensures every teacher is capable of delivering improved learning gains for their students

The response from teachers, even highly experienced ones, is overwhelmingly positive.

“I am proud to be a teacher, but in the last 30 years of my service I have not got this type of training,” explained Oyerebu Sarat, a Primary 6 teacher.

“When EdoBEST came in it has been training, training, training continuously. It was amazing, teaching me a new method of learning and it has been very effective. With the EdoBEST method of teaching, my students have improved so much.”

But the ultimate proof of success has been in learning outcomes for EdoBEST students.

“Children in primary schools in Edo State today now learn three times more than they used to learn with the old pedagogue,” says Governor Obaseki. That success has been recognised with a $75m investment from the World Bank in the extension of the program, to embrace Junior Secondary Schools. Once again, teacher training is at its heart.

The same methods used to train and support EdoBEST teachers have been replicated in other education transformation programs in Lagos and Kwara States.

A vital element in each of the programs is ongoing data-driven coaching and professional development for every teacher. Lessons are observed by highly trained learning and development supervisors several times a month, with teachers receiving bespoke face-to-face feedback.

Putting such ongoing support in place for every teacher is vital, helping them to create child centered classrooms that focus on narrating the positive and fostering child-teacher relationships alongside access to grade appropriate and carefully designed content.

It isn’t reasonable to expect teachers to excel if they are not equipped to do so nor to expect learning outcomes to improve if those doing the teaching have little to no training, support or materials.

“When I give teachers feedback they are happy; they embrace the ideas. I see teachers have improved very well. When I go to class, students are paying attention, they have access to learning materials and they are focussed. I feel very much impressed because together we are achieving,” explains Bridge Liberia supervisor Martha Dobbah.

The training and support for teachers in NewGlobe programs also draws praise from teaching unions.

Akintoye Hassan, chair of the Lagos State National Union of Teachers, praises the way his members have been supported through the State’s EKOEXCEL basic education program, after initial fear of change..

“EKOEXCEL has brought about change as teaching and learning have become more pupil-centred. As you are teaching, you are also learning. The innovative technology has also enabled the teacher to learn because there is guidance,” he said.

“People tend to prefer an old order, maybe for fear of new things. People began to change, and the pre-introduction training organised by EKOEXCEL assisted in reducing the level of scepticism. It has been a pleasant story.”

The teaching methods underpinning all the programs supported by NewGlobe have been independently studied in Kenya by a team led by Professor Michael Kremer, Nobel Prize winner for Economics in 2019.

They found not only that students taught using the methods made some of the biggest learning gains ever found in such a study, but that students and their parents reported better teaching.

Teachers were more likely to provide students with instruction or materials related to their individual needs, be more engaged in the classroom and more likely to offer extra support in preparation for tests. Parents were also more likely to be engaged with the school.

Vitalis Wekesa attended one of the schools studied in Kenya, before winning a scholarship to a top US High School, followed by a scholarship to Franklin and Marshall College, one of the oldest universities in America.

“We were taught to think for ourselves. It wasn’t just the teacher giving us the answer. The teacher gave us the question and you were supposed to think – what does this answer tell me? How do I explain it to the teacher? So thinking for myself, being a little more independent. That really helped me.”

Teachers deserve, and benefit from, consistent and expert training and support. Tech-enabled, data-driven coaching and professional development for teachers, which makes-up such a vital part of the public education transformation programs spreading across Africa, are a blueprint for teaching success. And as UNESCO says, transforming education outcomes for all students begins with teachers. Happy World Teachers’ Day.

Omowale David-Ashiru is the Group Managing Director NewGlobe Nigeria.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has concluded plans to launch an endowment fund worth $500 million to commemorate its 60th anniversary (Diamond jubilee). This is just as it would announce a new Vice Chancellor Friday, October 7, 2022 to replace the outgoing Prof. Toyin Ogundipe.

Ogundipe’s tenure ends next month.

Pro- Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Lanre Tejuosho stated this at the College of Medicine, UNILAG, Idi Araba, Lagos, during the unveiling of activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the university.

Tejuosho noted that the endowment fund was to raise funds to provide modern facilities and to upgrade the old ones in the institution.

The Governing Council Chairman decried the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU). He said it had taken university education back in the country.

“So, I hope the crisis is resolved in no time for normality to return to all public university campuses including UNILAG,” he said.

Ogundipe said the institution had become a global brand in academics, research, innovation and community service.

He said the anniversary celebration would run for one year because of the ASUU strike.

He said the institution was poised for enviable heights for the future.

Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello chose to boldly shock his adversaries shortly after her appointment as the VC of the nation’s best state university, LASU, was announced in 2021. She decided to assume her position on a date least expected.  It was earlier than expected by some persons for reasons best known to them. For her however, she simply kept faith with the date she was mandated to assume office. Interestingly, the new VC had a most rousing welcome with chants of victory and praise.

Work began immediately. The matriarch recognized the power of the tongue and launched a customized slogan  to turn on her fresh era: “We are LASU We are Great.”  Even as the change campaign has been rather devoid of what could be described as great speed in playing out, it has been impactful, betraying the consistent character of the new Sheriff of LASU.  Follow her trend:

It was the turn of another set of our HND-Conversion students to produce a fresh edition of the  training newspaper of LASUSOC, LASUGONG in August 2022.  As they reeled out story ideas to work on, one female member of the class belched out with anger: “Ah, we must do a report on LASU’s indifference to the plight of female students and the urgent need for toilets.” As the course adviser, I retorted that that was her lot. “Editor Sunny Ade, (as I fondly call Sunday Oguntola, the team’s editor,) get her to do that story and it must be well written, possibly with convincing photographs.”

Weeks later when I called for the list of all the stories submitted, the editor signaled to update me. “There is this rumour that many toilets have been built , Oga. But I’ve not seen them myself”. In my excitement, I ordered that  they must work on the positive update.  The story has truly changed. Olatunji-Bello, as a good listener, had heard the yearnings of many students, teachers and poor parents on toilets.

Not only did she betray the concern, she did not waste time on rhetorics but reached  for action immediately mobilizing resources to correct the nagging narrative. All these done without noise. On the eve of the just concluded first anniversary commemoration, the information began making the rounds that the VC would deliver no fewer than 60 toilets! Forty toilets for the Ojo  main campus and 20 for the Epe campus.

Read Also: IN AWE OF HERO HUSSEIN OF LASU

But that is Bello’s way with life as she gets to willy-nilly change otherwise bad stories to pleasant ones.  Way back in 1991 as a feature writer for National Concord, I was working on a feature report on the then new phenomenon of female soccer.  How do you round off such a report without talking to physiologists so that the society won’t be disillusioned so much about the girls’ entry into the obviously strenuous soccer game? I decided to seek experts’ advice from LUTH’s Physiology Department. It was the only angle of the story left to be covered. At  the Physiology Department on the said day, all doors were locked and I was getting agitated that my story would suffer unanticipated delay. Suddenly, an elegant young lady sauntered into the premises. I saw her open a door. One of the physiology  lecturers?  It turned out to be Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello. “What can I do for you?” she queried, obviously reading my inquisitive face. “Im a reporter from Concord newspaper and I need to speak with a physiologist ma; I guess you’re one.” Physiologist Olatunji-Bello welcomed me into her office most courteously.  Far from being expected, she handed out a bottle of Coke to me. “Concord? You’re about interviewing Tunji Bello’s wife, sure you know Tunji Bello” It never occurred to me I could bump into Mrs Bello so fortuitously. Great interview, I eventually had, in addition to cutting short the likely long wait.  Fast forward to 2011: Prof Olatunji-bello had become Deputy VC and I needed to renew my training leave while on my doctoral programme. Such renewals, if delayed could lead to some other intractable bureaucratic complications including delay or outright loss of salaries. Mrs. Olatunji-Bello did mine under 24 hours, easily reinforcing the impression she registered with me since 1991 and also upholding the philosophy of her principal then, Prof Lateef Akanni Hussain, of the blessed memory.

But even after serving out her term as DVC, Prof didn’t abandon the ship of the progressives.  She remained constant on the genuine ASUU-LASU Whatsapp platform constantly sharing ideas and exchanging pleasantries with us all as a colleague. When the race for VCship opened therefore, her aspiration was heavily favoured by many of us in the progressive fold.

Interestingly, Mrs Bello didn’t take our support for granted. She readily betrayed her acute development background which probably peaked at the Directorship of LASU Directorate for Advancement, LASUDA.  At the height of her campaigns for VCship, she released a 24-page manifesto for the LASU community to savour, explicitly indicative of  her core values and strategic Goals viz :

1. To ensure that academic and professional programmes are and remain accredited by the relevant bodies;
2. To make the University a research, innovation, and development hub for Lagos State and National development; 
3. To ensure that infrastructural facilities are improved and readily available for seamless performance of administrative and academic duties;
4. To improve Internal Generation of Revenue with the aim of achieving financial sustainability of the University;
5. To promote the welfare of all staff and students in the University;
6. To promote participation in Sports and Recreational Activities.

Apparently realizing the fundamentality of money and transparency to all these, Prof Olatunji Bello most commendably innovated budget performance assessment exercise which has had a most impactful influence on the improved performance of all academic departments across all LASU campuses.

While the first of the two goals listed above haven’t suffered any hitch, the third one has been conspicuously accelerated and intensified, manifesting in assorted new facilities including the celebrated “pain reliever” toilets.

But the well loved mother and grand mother, in the words of Prof MOB Mohammed-the university’s latest inaugural lecturer, could do more to drive her self-set goals.

While appreciating the LASU Martriach’s good intention in re-invigorating research for instance by motivating academics with some support, the system needs to deepen the  tradition of committee system on certain vitals so obvious to further reassure stakeholders. The all-important TETFUND, the equivalent of Ghana’s GETFund, which used to have representatives of all faculties on its committee, is indisputably one of such. TETFUND committee is indispensable for optimal effect. But this is Mama’s first year, so I’m personally hopeful and looking forward to more goodies like the Coke offer at LUTH in 1991.  Like the current JAMB registrar and former  UNILORIN VC, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, has consistently conducted himself as a good listener to  us, even as his mentees (https://thenationonlineng.net/a-thank-you-note-to-jambs-oloyede) For the overall good of LASU for instance, Prof Olatunji-Bello, I believe, has the capacity to raise the transparency stake significantly further having started with budget performance assessment. Incidentally, this icon of integrity in Nigeria’s public sevice today, Oloyede, has been one of the early visitors to our VC in her first year.  Together, surely we can  actualise  the goal of being the foremost university in West Africa as envisioned by Madam VC.

My very best wishes now and always to the better half of my darling  Oga, Tunji Bello

• Tunde Akanni, PhD, Associate Professor and Acting Head of Journalism Dept doubles as pioneer Director of Digital Media Research Centre, DMRC, LASU.  Follow him via:@Akintunde Akanni(Twitter) and tundeakanni.com.

The Rotary club of Lagos is set to build a world class model primary school in Ilara Kingdom, Epe Local government area of Lagos State.

The project is in commemoration of 2022 basic education and literacy week.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony of the project, Rotarian Joseph Akhigbe, President, Rotary Club of Lagos said the project is part of their way of making the world a better place, noting the school is going to be equipped up to global standard.

According to him: “When you have an educated person as your ruler, it will definitely reflect on your community by way of development and that’s simply what the Alara of Ilara Kingdom, Oba Olukayode Ogunsanwo represents.

“Incidentally, today is the 55th birthday of the 55th Oba of Ilara Kingdom, and we have the honour to lay the foundation of a model primary school in Ilara Kingdom for the betterment of the people of Ilara Kingdom and its environs.”

While reacting to the good gesture of the Rotary Club of Lagos State towards the good people of Ilara Kingdom, Oba Ogunsanwo said: “I sincerely want to thank you immensely for the great gesture towards Ilara Kingdom because it’s believed that when you educate a child, you educate a nation and what the Rotary Club of Lagos has done today is a confirmation of that.”

Read Also: Rotary partners Indian Navy on free medical outreach

“My joy knows no bounds especially on a day I am celebrating my 55th birthday as the 55th Alara of Ilara Kingdom and the Rotary Club of Lagos chose to honour my Kingdom with this life touching project. I am profoundly thankful because education happens to be one of my passion for my kingdom.”

On what impact the project will have on his kingdom, the monarch said: “very close to this place, you will see a modern college, Augustine University, and people are also trying to put up estates here. And where there are estates, there should be complimentary services such as medical, educational, vocational entertainment among others. So, citing this project here by the rotary club of Lagos is the best thing that can happen to Ilara Kingdom and best birthday gift I have ever received in my life.

“There are other developmental projects that Lagos State government has also been bringing around Epe community. For instance, recently, Lagos State government brought the food storage facility to Epe which is a multi billion naira project and is going to be the largest in Africa

“If you look at that the free trade zone which houses one of the biggest refineries in the whole wide world, the fertilizer plant has been commissioned, the Lagos deep sea project which is the biggest in Africa is also at Lekki, airport is also coming. So, all this makes the whole of this axis to be a place where people wants to live and work.”

“That’s is why people are gravitating towards here for Investment whether in real estate, education, hospitality, and the groundbreaking ceremony today will help in providing education to the children of people who are coming to live here.”

FEATS Educational and Global Investment Ltd has won the ‘Golden role model award’ by the Nigeria Youth Advocacy for Good Governance Initiative (NYAGGI).

The award, according to NYAGGI National Coordinator, Com. Akeem Alabi, was in recognition of FEATS vision to be one of the world-class education service providers and market leaders in educational consultancy in Nigerians.

Speaking in Ibadan while presenting the award to FEATS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Olayinka Ola, Alabi noted that the award was to honor, appreciate and recognise personalities whose contributions and sacrifices are encouragements for youths towards nation building.

He said FEATS was counted worthy of the award after an extensive independent survey of its outstanding records of contributing toward empowering youths.

He said NYAGGI, a youth organisation duly registered with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, has been in the vanguard for peace, unity, education, qualitative public service and nation building.

Read Also: Foundation sensitises children, parents on quality education

He however said their award was not financially motivated, stating ”we are only giving to worthy individuals who merited it.”

FEATS CEO dedicated the award to his mother, Mrs Esther Ola, who motivated him to establish the educational consult to address challenges by Nigerians aspiring to study abroad.

He said his consult has assisted many Nigerians to achieve their dream of studying overseas, adding his motive was to provide access to international education opportunities.

“When we came into the business as an enterprise in 2008, people were scared of falling victims of fraudsters and this was one of the major challenges we faced then, but we changed the narratives

“Nigerians are one of the most talented in the world if given the right opportunity and environment to exhibit their skills in them. We were shocked at some of the things Nigerians are doing abroad.”

A charity organisation, The BakareBridge Foundation has sensitised children, parents on the importance of quality education.

At the 2022 edition of its annual ‘Bringing Class to the Class’ programme with the theme as ‘The Future Starts Now’, three mentors of the foundation, spoke about the importance of education with the children and parents of the under-served community of Orita-Aperin and its environs in Ibadan.

The mentors recognised the negative impacts of poverty and illiteracy on the quality of life in such communities.

They also extensively discussed how education and good parenting can bring the best out of children from the poor communities.

One of the mentors who is the Group Managing Director of Fusion Group, Ms. Oluwatoyin Aiyedun in her advice to the children said: “The heights that great men reached and maintained was not reached by sudden flight but when their peers were busy sleeping and snoring, they were busy burning the night candle on their studies.”

Another mentor, who is a retired Comptroller of the Nigerian Custom Service, Prince Adegboyega Sanni, advised the children on the reality that “having knowledge is good, but it is the knowledge that is applied that actually becomes power.”

A retired Secondary School Principal, Mrs. Olufunmike Adepoju who also spoke with the children, cautioned them on “the mentality of living fake lives”.

The foundation which commenced operation in 2013, has focused on the general well-being and educational development of children, especially girl-child, in low-income underserved communities which are known with high crime rates, violence, poverty, maternal and infant mortality.

As part of efforts to improve the quality of education, the foundation promised to continue its annual free six-month comprehensive classes for students of the poor communities who are preparing for NECO/WAEC as well as UTME.