Category: Education

Old boys of Birch Freeman Secondary School, Mushin, Lagos spent last weekend relaxing and thanking God for surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and making the New Year.

Global President of the Birch Freeman Old Boys’ Association (BIFOBA), Rev. Tunde Adenekan, said the old boys decided to celebrate because they did not lose members to COVID-19.

“We thought of it that since Coronavirus came two years ago, we have not lost any of our members to COVID.  The ones that passed on was due to old age.  We looked at it that this is not our doing, only the mercy of God.  So members decided that let us get together and do a thanksgiving party,” he said.

He thanked the new principal of their alma mater, Mr, Gbenga Olotu for attending the event and identifying with the alumni, saying it was evidence of his interest in the school’s progress.

The event held at Sinatra Lounge, Ikeja, the sttae capital also served as platform for the group to extend a hand of fellowship to a faction of the old boys running parallel activities.

Addressing the gathering on the disagreement that led to the alumni association having two factions, Dr. Kayode Oloruntola, of the 1969 set, said it was the result of a lack of transparency in how the group was run.  He said the refusal of the leaders to be accountable resulted in the breakout.  However, he told the Principal that the old boys were ready to re-unite once the other faction was ready to make peace.

In his remarks, the Principal called on the old boys to reunite and settle whatever differences they had for the school’s progress.

Speaking on BIFOBA’s plans for the school this year, Adenekan said the old boys were raising funds to provide solar street lamps to illuminate the school at night.

“We have raised up to about N5 million to put solar panels all over the school, which will come up automatically at night and the whole place will be well lit at night so there will be no form of hooliganism and theft around the school,” he said.

Highlights of the event were the Set dance where members of each set came out to dance; and the cutting of the thanksgiving cake.

 

The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, Dr. Michael Arimanwa, has banned students from driving private cars on campus.

Arimanwa stated this in a circular dated January 29, 2022 and signed by B.O Dara, for the Registrar after an emergency meeting.

It was gathered that the management took the decision to ban students from driving private cars on campus following cult activities which have resurged in the school after a long break.

The circular reads: “Management at its Emergency Management meeting deliberated on the use of vehicles by students and their flamboyant display of wealth on campus.

“After thorough deliberation, Management therefore directed that students are hereby banned from driving their vehicles into the campus.

“Only (members of) staff are allowed to drive into the campus as the staff would be identified by presentation of their ID card.

“The staff who has lost their ID card should obtain a letter of identification from the Registrar. The letter of identification must bear the staff’s passport photograph.”

The circular advised students using vehicles to stop at the gate.

“All students must always have their identity cards with them while on the school’s campus,” the circular added.

Speaking also on the issue, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Ever Nwosu told The Nation that the students who drove had been unruly.

“They drive recklessly in the school, abusing people even sometime knocking people down with their reckless driving.’’

They will be displaying in the school halls and they attempt to beat any lecturer who dares to challenge them.”

 

Scholars, literary icons, educationists, writers, students, cultural enthusiasts, among others, from all walks of life on recently gathered to remember and eulogise a foremost businessman and administrator, Gamaliel Onosode.

The event was the public presentation of a book written in honour of the late tycoon which held at Musoro and Booksellers, Jericho, Ibadan.

The book was authored by renowned playwright, Prof. Femi Osofisan while the public presentation held under the chairmanship of former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Femi Bamiro.

In their separate remarks, all the attendees agreed on the virtues that set the late Onosode apart noting that the character traits of integrity, punctuality, decency, commitment to duty among others are some of what the younger generations can learn from the late icon.

Osofisan said Onosode remained one of the good characters that the youth and younger generation could learn from unlike the array of valiant they were daily reading about and learning from.

He said: “He was one of the most decent men I had ever met. He was a man of absolute integrity. He was very simple, very charming and warm. Not at all full of his achievements, he was quite a great Nigerian.

“The project was pleasurable for me. The thing was just to decide on the style – that is to have only one witness.  Rather than all the people around him that I interviewed, I decided on just one major person, one major voice and that was all. The whole thing went very well.”

On the virtues the youth can learn from Onosode’s life, the literary icon said: “You need to have integrity, that is very important and to know that integrity matters because all people want is very quick results and think integrity doesn’t matter and they are all looking for money.

“But, you need to know that money is not the essence of life, and virtue, virtousness, integrity, decency, truthfulness, these are things that matters and if the young ones can imbibe that kind of virtues and character without being impatient for money and wealth, they will go places.”

UI Head of Classics Department, Prof. Olakunbi Olasope, described Onosode as a principled man who would go to any length to stand by his friends irrespective of their age or status.

Olasope, who was an interrogator during a “Conversation on Gamaliel Onosode” as part of the event, shared her experience with Onosode.

She said “Mr Onosode was a principled man. They don’t make men like him anymore. He was kind, considerate, firm and extremely discipline. I don’t even know what to say. He was everything rolled into one. He was a beautiful soul. He would cry with you when you re bereaved or in your down moment. And he would rejoice with you when you are happy and he would always be there for you, he would support you emotionally, financially and whatever ways he could support you, he would always do so.

“You would always know that in him there is someone who has got your back. He was that kind of person. Nobody was too young to be his friend. But you must be careful of our diction, you must pronounce things properly and you must try to speak English the way it should be spoken otherwise you will get into big trouble.

“For the younger generation, virtues that can be learnt from Onosode is integrity. You must be a person of your words and you must be punctual, you must keep to time. Daddy never suffered fools gladly. If he said 9AM, he would there punctually no matter the cost. He was very dependable and I missed him. He was my personal friend. We used to go to Lagos to update him on what’s going on in the Department of Classics and that’s the only degree he’s got and he learnt even all his business rudiment from the Roman economy and Greek economy. He was okay with his Classic degree and he went on to become the person that he became.”

Bamiro recounted how Onosode helped the premier university create its first policy documents while serving as the Pro-Chancellor of the institution.

Lauding the various virtues of Onosode, Bamiro cited many situations when Onosode helped his administration to navigate the waters and storms of running UI, saying the first strategic plan developed for the institution during the time of Onosode as the Pro Chancellor became a standard for other institutions across the country to emulate at the time.

He said the values Onosode taught the institution still remains till date and had helped the institution remain on track.

 

as it had been developed and built on by successive administrators.

He identified Onisode’s love for mathematics and how the knowledge had been helpful to him while also harping on his value and management of time through punctuality among other virtues.

Reacting during the Conversation on the deceased Onosode, the Chairman, Editorial Board of The Nation Newspapers, Mr Sam Omatseye in analysing the book said the highlights depends on who is reading.

He recalled how Onosode was described as a man of miracles who medical doctors said it was over for but came back.

He said from the book many people see him as a rigid man, which he explained that Onosode inherited from his father.

Omatseye also analysed Onosode’s marriage, name, personality and character traits.

Also speaking, a former Secretary of Council, UI, Mrs Omotayo Ikotun described Onosode as a man who did not want anyone around him to suffer, however also appreciated sincerity of purpose.

“He’s a stickler of time but would have given you all the opportunity to make things easy and convenient for you but if at the end of the day you didn’t deliver you will get his wrath.

“You can read him like a book. If you took an action on behalf of the University justly, he would stand for you and defend you. He didn’t think it was unmanly to cry publicly. He had human milk in him and show emotions anytime the need arises”, Mrs. Ikotun added.

Speaking earlier in his welcome remarks, the Publisher, Dr. Kolade Mosuro said the book “Gamaliel Onosode, Classicus, an Honourable Life” was published in 2020 but could not be presented due to Covid-19.

He said although, a presentation was made in Lagos, but it was subsumed in some other activities which necessitated the decision to give the book and Onosode a dedicated event.

He described Onosode as a man whose name evoked integrity, intelligence, humility and creativity saying the event was to discuss Onosode through a conversation around his attributes and to present “the book that looked at him from a human angle.”

 

Having been principal at Bells Comprehensive Secondary School, Ota, Atlantic Hall, Epe and Trinity College, Ofada, Mrs. Folasade Oluwatoyin Phillips knows that manageable student population, purpose-built facilities, space and 24-hour supervision are crucial to running a successful school that will be safe for learners. She spoke with KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE in Lagos.

If Vine Crest College, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State grows to 450 pupils on its 35-acre land mass, its Executive Director, Mrs. Folasade Phillips, would be satisfied.This is because she believes children get the best educational experience when the population is manageable, facilities are purpose built and members of the teaching and non-teaching staff are hands-on.

Given the concerns raised about bullying and mischief in secondary schools in the past year, Mrs. Phillips says running a school should be the reserve of passionate educators who do not put profit first. She advocates being intentional about every single aspect of school administration.

Can you share your career experience with us?

I attended University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University from 1975-1979. I studied Education Science. Then I attended University of Lagos where I had my Masters in Educational Administration and Planning in 1988.

Since 1979 when I had my first degree, I have been teaching. I taught at Queen Amina College, Kaduna where I served as a Corps member; then I joined the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission. I was there from 1980 to 1981. I moved to Lagos after I got married. I joined the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission.  I was at Igbobi Girls, Yaba from 1981 to 1990.

I was in Lagos State till 1990 when I moved to the private sector. I started at the Bells.  Then I ventured into the private education sector. Then, private primary schools were just starting. So, I joined the Bells Comprehensive Secondary School Ota as a pioneer staff; a pioneer Vice principal. I actually received a very first set of students into the school. They were five. I was at the Bells from January 1991 to April 1994 when I moved on to become Principal of Atlantic Hall Maryland Lagos. I was there from April 1994 to the year 2000 – July – 2000 specifically. I left Atlantic Hall July 2000 and moved to Trinity International College Ofada. But then, they moved to their permanent site in Ofada. I was the principal for 10 years. And then, I became the executive director. I was the executive director for three and half years.

What inspired you to start Vine Crest College?

This school is four years plus. We started  in October 2017. I retired as the executive director of Trinity in December 2013. I wanted to be with my family because all along, it has been work. Again, being boarding schools, I was practically living in the school. That was tough for my family, my husband especially. I thought he had sacrificed enough. I should spend time with him. My children were getting married and having kids.  So I relocated to America. I was busy with grandkids for the first few years but I quickly got bored. I felt it was too early to retire to that and I still had so much in me that I could offer. I could still impact the lives of young people and help teachers to grow. I love to teach. I love to inspire. I love to nurture young people and teachers – young people to become responsible adults; and teachers to become disciplined and more professional in their career. I had always loved to pour myself into my teachers, to prepare them for leadership. I am happy and proud to say that I have achieved that. All the teachers I have groomed have become heads of Schools, so many schools, and I am happy

I still have to do more of that. In America, I was feeling bored. I know I would not want to just sit down and do nothing. And I had always had this passion to have my own school. It has been a lifelong desire.

You mentioned that you had things in mind regarding design while talking to the architect about Vine Crest, College.  What lapses were you trying to correct through your school given your experience?

I  wanted purpose-built facilities – structures that will take into consideration how young people behave; their needs and what will make them very comfortable. I had security in mind – safety and security – especially when you are in a virgin land like this.

We know it is like breaking into the natural habitat of some creatures, and they will not disappear in one day. The place has to be very safe for the children – doors close to the floor; windows, well covered with net, and all the rest of them.

Then, young people need space; space to play. They are very energetic. If you put them in a place that is choked, they will break down your doors. They will break your windows, everything. But here, we do not have damages. They have enough space. In fact, by the time they walk down to the hostel; to the classroom; to wherever, they are tired. Then, I wanted where they can be closely monitored – a place that is open; where nothing is hidden. Everyone can be seen and can be heard because if you have corners here and there, then, that can suggest things to them. But when they know everywhere is open, they can’t but behave.

Why do you harp so much on design, purpose-built school?

Apart from the design of the school, there should be close supervision. You cannot be on the ground floor for instance and the students’ rooms are on the top floor.  The children will do anything without anybody knowing. They will know the steps of the house master and they will behave. Here, what we have introduced is that our lights are on throughout the night. In the rooms too. No lights out. It is costing us more, but it is better. Evil strives in darkness. Even when the students say they cannot sleep with lights on, I told them to bring the cover down and they will sleep. It’s better that way. When they are in the light and the house master is coming in the dark, he can see them and that way, you can see them in any act.

Students are very well behaved. They just go about their businesses. The design of the school has helped us to achieve that. Otherwise, it would have more stressful rather for the staff to be running around. From staff office, you can hear them. You can see them anywhere and that has helped to get them to be disciplined.

Why did you reduce your target maximum population from 600 to 450?

Supervision is key. Supervision is more key in a boarding school. To supervise well, you also have to think about the population. If the population is too large, there is no way supervision will be thorough. Working in a boarding school is quite demanding. You have to be on your toes all the times. Even while sleeping, you cannot sleep with your two eyes. Anything can happen anytime. They can be up to something any time. There has to be constant checking on the children. When you have large population, it won’t work. Bullying will strive there. The size of the school should be manageable for thorough supervision to be possible and effective.

There should be close attention and that also is possible when the number is manageable. In our classes, there are no hiding places. The teacher can see anybody and ask questions. The teacher knows who is underperforming. We have learning support programmes. Some students may have to be excluded from some other activities and given more attention.

Due to recurring bullying, many parents are re-considering sending their wards to boarding schools.  Do you still believe in boarding schools?

Quite frankly, I believe in boarding schools. It is all-round education you are giving, apart from academics. You are interested in moulding their character. That is important; and you want them to mature and  be independent unlike when they are at home. There is assistance all over; they are not able to do things by themselves. But while they’re here in the boarding school they learn to do things by themselves. They learn to manage their time because there is a daily routine. They learn to live with others. They learn to cooperate with people. They learn to assist one another. They develop friendship that will be lifelong. By the time they go home, they are matured. The changes are shown faster in girls than in boys. Boys will still struggle with longer time. But it comes eventually. Getting them to lay their beds; some of the boys have not been used to it.

We learnt that the pupils do morning duty – including washing their toilets and bathrooms.That was a surprise.

I’m a disciplinarian. I believe children must be well raised, whether male or female. That was the type of upbringing I had.

That is the mistake today’s parents are making. It is a great mistake. As they’re not helping the children; they’re not helping themselves. You want to raise kids who will be useful to themselves,their families, and the society. You must train children to survive under any condition. They may come from privileged background today; you don’t know what tomorrow holds. We pray that tomorrow holds good things but things may change. What happens when you cannot afford washing machine again? What will they teach their children?

What is your advice to the government on lapses in public schools?

You can advise, and people may not take your advice. That is where the problem is. Many public school teachers are overworked. Teachers are stressed in a populated school. How do you expect to mark class work or assignment? Education requires a lot of money. Money has to be pumped into education. It is not cheap. We cannot cut corners. There should be a standard for the design of schools taking into cognisance all that I have talked about earlier.

 

An educational technology platform, Afrilearn has made an examination preparation mobile app freely accessible to primary and secondary school students across Nigeria and the globe.

Afrilearn, founded in 2019, disclosed this in a statement, explaining it empowers children ages 6 to 18 with free, fun, and world-class education for best grades in school and competitive examinations like the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), National Examination Council (NECO) among others.

The firm added it also monitors every learner’s progress with detailed analytics to help every student identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

“Some children learn best by watching videos, some by reading class notes, some by solving practice problems, and some by social collaboration.

“By design, Afrilearn is purposefully built to give every child the freedom to learn, using the unique methods that work best for them,” Isaac Oladipupo, Co-founder/CEO at Afrilearn said.

Oladipupo added: “Our innovative e-Learning platform offers richly animated and curriculum-based video lessons, class notes, practice exercises, live classes, a personalised learning dashboard, and many more learning resources.”

The education streaming startup, according to the statement, has organically reached over 486,032 learners, with more than 50,000 gamified quizzes, 5,000 curriculum-specific class notes, and over 3,000 video lessons.

Co-founder/Head of Content at Afrilearn, Gabriel Olatunji-Legend, said: “Beyond helping students fill learning gaps with trusted content by expert tutors, with its several cutting-edge features, Afrilearn also empowers teachers, schools and parents to effectively accelerate learning outcomes.

“Our goal is to empower students to study at their own pace in and outside the classroom, via any device.”

Recounting his experience, a Secondary School Teacher, Taiye Ojuolape noted that, “As a History class teacher, Afrilearn saves me a lot of time in accessing useful teaching materials.

“The contents are very comprehensive, and the app display is so friendly and easy to navigate.

‘The resources helped to increase my classroom engagement exponentially.”

Also, a senior secondary school student in Lagos, Isabella Onuwa, said; “For the first time ever, I got straight A’s in my exams.

“All thanks to the free, exciting practice exercises on the Afrilearn app.

“This is definitely the fastest way to pass WAEC, NECO, JAMB, and I’m still surprised that it’s absolutely free.”

According to Oladipupo, it’s very unfair to expect a changed Nigeria without first educating Nigerians.

“Without quality education and opportunities, our citizens can’t rise beyond prejudices.

“Sadly, our brick-and-mortar system of education is neither affordable nor sustainable.

“Having witnessed this firsthand in our formative years, Gabriel and I left our lucrative jobs in 2018 to solve this problem, leveraging technology.

“Widely described as the Netflix of education for young Africans, 94 per cent of students who use Afrilearn report achieving higher school grades, increased confidence and exam success.”

There was a certain degree of hatred I had for the English Language when I was in secondary school. That hatred stemmed from the fact that although the subject appeared very simple, it was just “impossible” to make a hundred percent in the subject no matter how hard one tried. What I hated most in English was essay writing. The teacher usually decorated our essays with red ink each time we submitted our writing assignments, and we were left with a hopeless disposition toward the subject. Even after writing something “very good” with very few corrections from the teacher, the score was nothing to write home about.

And whenever we moved to a new class, the new English teacher appeared to be more economical with marks than the previous teacher. It was as if all the English Language teachers in the world held regular meetings where they agreed on certain benchmarks. As far as awarding marks was concerned, teachers of this subject were all crazy: they were the most boring and stingy teachers on the planet.

I would realize much later in WAEC co-ordinations that the fault was not theirs. Seeing WAEC examiners dissect English scripts and the arguments that surround the marking process would make one quiver into the nearest rabbit hole for safety. WAEC examiners would penalize you for t’s that were not properly crossed, omitted dots for letter ‘i’, unnecessary inclusion of the definite article or the omission of it: in fact, you must pay for failure to observe all the rules that have very little or no impact on the communication process. Sometimes, one is tempted to ask if a WAEC examiner is capable of writing a flawless essay, or if a professor of English is capable of making a hundred percent in an English examination going by the way WAEC ‘Oracles’ grade their candidates.

One can imagine how surprised I was when, barely last week, one of our learners at Chokhmah International Academy, Naomi A. Tonye Alagoa, made hundred percent in English as a Second Language in the 2021 October International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), an examination organized by the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). Last year, it was Israel Curtis-Dike, another learner from Chokhmah International Academy, who emerged as the national best in English in IGCSE. But to make hundred percent in English, a feat deemed “impossible” by English teachers and examiners in the past, is an achievement of a lifetime, one for which Naomi A. Tonye Alagoa has earned my respect, one for which WAEC Oracles ought to drop their red pens at her feet in celebration of this rare feat.

I am still wondering if one can make hundred percent in WASSCE or NECO English. How would the WAEC Oracle have graded Alagoa’s script had she been summoned to the WAEC court of law? What verdict would she have received? Probably, she would have made A1 or B2, definitely not hundred percent – that is a food reserve for the gods, not men. But if the owners of the English Language can be magnanimous enough to award hundred percent to a deserving candidate, one who learns English as a second language, and see nothing wrong in that, why should we, borrowers of the language, act like we are more English than the English?

The problem is that WAEC and NECO English examinations are rules-bound, and their essays are marked such that it is “impossible” for a candidate to score the maximum mark. The lack of clear and well stated assessment objectives for WAEC and NECO English Language examinations turns the marking process into an annual gathering of puritans bent on maintaining archaic standards of perfection. Indeed, our grading system is marred by so much subjectivism, and our curriculum is suffering from want of revision as it fails to cater for modern realities.

The point is that it is high time our teachers, examination bodies and educational institutions re-examined the grading system in our educational system. What we regard as A in Nigerian universities is just seventy percent and many lecturers, examiners, professors, etc. act as though seventy percent is a symbol of perfection, an apogee of excellence only few can attain, whereas seventy percent is almost a huge failure in countries like Canada, Norway, USA, etc.

It is painful that we underevaluate our best brains, thereby cutting short their opportunities in the international market of scholars. For example, how does one compare a first-class graduate in Nigeria with a preponderance of seventy percent in his academic transcript with a first-class graduate in Canada, Norway or the USA with ninety percent and above all over his transcript? Which of these two promising scholars would a postgraduate school consider first for postgraduate studies? Which of them will a scholarship board consider for funding?

Not long ago, in one of the schools where I have taught, I witnessed a case involving a Mathematics teacher who awarded 100% to a student and this caused an uproar among teachers in the school who kept insisting that the score must be changed. In their view, a student cannot score 100%. Some argued that awarding 100% to a student was overestimating the student’s brilliance. But what happens when a student is meticulous enough to correct every supposed error? What happens when, as an examiner, you find no fault in a candidate’s script? Do you give in to the Nigerian examiner in you, or do you allow the script in front of you to decide its fate?

Often, my learners have asked me if it is possible to make hundred percent in English, and that question has created some kind of ambivalence from which I am unable to escape. My open-mindedness embraces a possible reality of their utmost desire, yet my background and experience of WAEC co-ordinations will not allow me to make such a “blunder”. Or is the Nigerian examiner in me intent on finding a reason for not awarding 100%? When next my troublesome learners begin to make trouble with this troublesome question, I can boldly say, with undeniable evidence, that it is possible – it is possible to fly high and touch the sky without falling down like Icarus; it is possible to move mountains if one works hard enough for it; all things are possible to those that believe and work out their belief – all thanks to Naomi A. Tonye Alagoa, this year’s pride of Chokhmah International Academy.

Jonathan, an English and Literature teacher, wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has expressed concerns about the lack of start-up capital for Corps members after acquisition of entrepreneurial skills.

The Scheme expressed its gratitude as the bill seeking to establish a Trust Fund for corp members scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

Sponsored by Samuel Akinfolarin, an All Progressives Congress member representing Ileoluji-Okeibo/Odigbo Ondo state, the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2021 passed the first reading at the House on December 16, 2021.

NYSC Director-General, Maj Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the Trust Fund will make the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Programme more impactful through provision of training facilities and start-up capital for Corps entrepreneurs.

Speaking at the 2022 annual management conference with the theme “Repositioning the NYSC for Improved Healthcare Delivery, Revenue Generation and Corps Employment For Self-Reliance” in Abuja, Ibrahim said the Trust Fund would also assist in addressing infrastructural needs for enhanced operational efficiency.

“I am delighted to note and inform this gathering that the Bill has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives,” the Director -General said.

He noted that since its establishment in 1973, the NYSC has continued to play vital roles in areas of national unity and integration, promotion of peaceful co-existence among people of different socio-cultural backgrounds, and free movement of labour among others.

Read Also: NYSC remitted N1b into Federation Account in 2021, says DG

“The contributions of the Scheme to national development, particularly in the areas of health education, rural infrastructure, culture and tourism, sports, conduct of elections and job creation have attracted commendations from within and outside the country.

“Detailed documentation of these and other contributions have been made in nine books which we published and unveiled to the public last year,” the DG said.

He added: “Despite the aforementioned achievements, the Scheme still faces some challenges. These arise mainly from non-discharge of statutory responsibilities by some critical stakeholders.

“Problems such as dilapidated Orientation Camp facilities, inadequate Corps Lodges and lack of befitting office accommodation are being contended with in some States. Another area of concern has to do with the provision of start-up capital for Corps members after acquisition of entrepreneurial skills.”

The DG said the annual management conference is a forum where the NYSC top management and other key officers make critical reviews of the Scheme’s operations with a view to evolving new policies and strategies for improved performance.

Ibrahim said: “As we continue to call on the relevant stakeholders to help in addressing the foregoing challenges, I wish to also use this medium to appeal to the appropriate authorities and well-meaning Nigerians to support the establishment of the proposed NYSC Trust Fund.

“Among other benefits the Fund will make the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Developrost (SAED) Programme of the Scheme more impactful through provision of training facilities and start-up capital for Corps entrepreneurs. It will also assist in addressing our infrastructural needs for enhanced operational efficiency. I am delighted to note and inform this gathering that the Bill has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives

“At this juncture. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Federal Government for its continuous support for the NYSC especially through the prompt release of funds for the smooth conduct of our operations.”

On his part, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammed Bello said his administration is proud to acknowledge that its modest achievements as a government is attributable to the cooperation and support from others, including the services rendered by the corps members deployed to the territory.

The minister who was represented by the Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, Hajiya Hadiza Muhammed assured that the administration will continue to partner the Scheme for the successful implementation of its lofty programmes.

Canada- based Nigerian, Dewunmi Yemi is set to hold a free webinar to provide Africans with the knowledge needed to relocate to Canada permanently as well as getting their Canadian dream jobs in 2022.

The free webinar was designed to educate and prepare people who are seeking to study, live and work in Canada with the easiest and most reliable way to immigrate without writing the IELTS exam or paying exuberant fees to Travel agents.

Speaking on the motive behind the free training, Yemi who relocated to Canada successfully with his family years ago said that his bad experiences with travel agents in the past motivated him to show youths the best way to travel in and out of Canada successfully.

“My passion to help people relocate to Canada started due to the bad experiences I have had with travel agents which a lot of people are battling with. People would take the right and definite steps if they only knew what to do. A lot of people have had their application messed up, earning a five-year ban from entering Canada because they don’t have the right guidance. These and many other reasons are why I have decided to bear the light showing people the right and easier pathway to take in relocating to Canada,” he said.

When asked why he is an advocate of Canadian immigration, Yemi explained that the opportunities in Canada are limitless.

He said: “The economy of Canada is a thriving one and the country is ranked no 1 on the list of the best places to live in the world. Getting an education in Canada means having international exposure which will have an impact on your professional experience when it comes to taking up a professional job in Canada.

“Canada is a country to be, it is a land of immense opportunities. Many Nigerians are breaking barriers here due to the several amazing opportunities they have access to. Success is easier attained when you are in the right environment, and Canada is such a country that provides you the perfect platform where your wildest imagination of success can be achieved. You can become whatever you desire once you are ready to put in the work.

“That is why I am a firm believer in Canadian immigration. It is the right move for anyone who wants a better life either alone or as a family. Getting an education in Canada might be all that you would ever need to change your life and that of your family for the better.

“You don’t need to go through the pain of wasting huge funds on travel agents or writing the English proficiency exam, IELTS for you to relocate successfully to Canada,” Yemi added.

Shedding more insights on the free webinar, the Canada based Nigerian said “Quite a number of people are thinking of giving up on their relocation dream to Canada because it’s either they have been dealt a heavy blow by fake travel agents or they are not clear on the right pathway to take, and this is one of the reasons why this class is so vital. It will put to rest lots of questions surrounding your Canada relocation dream. All your fears and questions will receive definite answers and direction in the class.

“This class is in no way limited by age, the class is for anyone who is ready to take the bull by the horn in fulfilling their relocation dream to Canada, you will also learn how to relocate with your family, get accommodation and even land a lucrative job. This is called ‘hold-nothing-back’ free training.”

Dewunmi Yemi popularly known as DY is an emigration expert with many years of practical teachings on Canadian immigration, and has fostered many successful relocations to Canada.

Fifty-eight out of 3,892 graduating students of Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna have bagged First Class Degrees.

Nine hundred and forty-eight students will be graduating with Second Class Upper Division with 2,047 are graduating with Second Class Lower Division, 801 bagged Third Class while 38 students will be graduating with Pass Degrees.

Briefing newsmen on the 38th Founders Day and 30th Convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Technology, Minna in Gidan Kwano, Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdullahi Bala disclosed that the University will confer honorary doctorate degrees on four Nigerians.

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The Honorary Doctorate Degree awardees include Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu; President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and the Group Managing Director NNPC, Malam Mele Kolo Kyari.

The Vice-Chancellor said that 200 students will be awarded Postgraduate Diplomas, 836 will be awarded Masters Degree while 121 will be awarded Doctorate Degrees.

Bala further said that the University was rated the first position in terms of efficiency by the National Universities Commission (NUC).