Category: Education

The Bayelsa State Book Summit and Reading competition has rounded off with winners in junior and senior categories smiling to the bank.

In the keenly contested competition, 10-year-old Kourtney Tabouebi Awara emerged first in the junior category while 16-year-old student of the Niger Delta University, Prince Tari Theophilus, won the senior category.

Awara got N100,000; followed by second placed nine-year-old Oyintarere Alade-Monibidor, who got N50,000. Tied in third place were 13-year-olds Okoronkwo Favour, Okadigbo Augusta, and Anointed Kofi.  They got N30,000 each.

In the senior category, Theophilus also got N100, 000 for winning the senior category.  Second placed 15-year-old Victoria Okelekele got N50,000; while third-placed Niemenam Peremoboere, won N30,000.

Convener of the summit, Comrade Ebi Sikpi, who congratulated the winners of the competition, charged the participants not to get discouraged or give up as the future holds greater opportunities for them.

Addressing the winners, he said: “This is just a stepping stone, there is more to achieve in life. The overall winner of the first edition, after winning this programme, she went into contest for other competitions, like Bayelsa Essay Writing Competition.

“She has won several others because she took here like a platform and the grooming we gave her has exposed her and made her to succeed at higher level. Her name is Timiperi Michael. She just graduated from the Federal University, Otuoke and currently serving in Osun State.

“We should not believe in the argument that book is a scam. Book is not a scam. All the great world leaders we know today are people who love books and who took knowledge seriously. So you cannot become something serious in life unless you want to become maybe a ‘Yahoo Yahoo boy’ or a militant of no value.”

He also appreciated the Judges, headed by Dr. Ebidenyefa Tarila Nikade for being impartial and fair to all the contestants.

The reading competition was preceded by a book summit which featured Dr. Patterson Ogon, a public commentator and educationist, delivering a paper, themed, ‘Education for a Secured Future’.

Ogon said: “The idea of a Book Summit and Reading competition in Bayelsa State is a positive one and indicative of our desire to key into a larger system that explores deep thinking as part of our resolve to solve critical problems.

“One of the most important benefits of education is that it improves personal lives and helps the society to run smoothly. Education is very important because it will help you to recognise your skills and how you can put them to use. It gives us knowledge of the world around us and changes it into something better. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life.

“Education will help you build opinions and have points of view on things in life. With education, you have limitless opportunities and that gives you several options to a secured life. Knowledge is like a garden. If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.”

 

The Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre (AMDRC) of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) recently held its first community discussion on the role of innovation entrepreneurship and startups in building the  economy of the future.

The event, which was held at the University, was a collaboration between the university and industry to promote innovation and solve complex societal problems.

Chairman of the event and Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Mr. Olukayode A. Pitan, spoke about various startups that had grown tremendously over the years to solve Nigerians’ problems.

“In 2021 alone, three Nigerian startups, Flutterwave, Opay, and Andela each archived income status with $1 billion valuation. These startups and many others are leading the change in shifting the country economic narrative into a more secure positive target.

“The success and impact of these startups underscore the importance and role of innovation and entrepreneurship in the economic feature of Nigeria,” he said.

In her address, the Director, AMDRC, Dr. Folasade Ipaye, said the programme was organised to stimulate innovation among members of staff and students of the university.

“The theme of today’s discussion is Borne out of the desire to contribute to the current narrative on the future of the economy of our great nation. Through this program we hope to stimulate both staff and students to be innovative and create business models out of existing problems and ultimately established businesses that will enable them to become employers of labour,” she said.

 

National Teachers Institute (NTI), Kaduna, has trained no fewer than  7,000 teachers in Special Needs and Disabilities (SENDS), in 10 years from 2011 to date.

The Institute’s Director-General, Prof. Musa Maitafsir disclosed at a SENDS Training for members of staff of the Institute a release said.

Also part of the training beneficiaries were staff of the FME according to Maitafsir who also remarked that the trainings were successfully conducted by the institute through its consultant, Anxiom Learning Solutions.

He said  the trained teachers were drawn from across the country, while no fewer than 250,000 teachers across the nation were also provided with adequate learning aids.

Maitafsir said: “This edition is crucial, as we transit through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is also to address the need to upskill teachers, who manage learners with diverse needs and teach across diverse communities in times of disruption.

“The security challenges and conflicts in the country have created a situation where students suddenly do not have access to face-to-face learning.

“It is important that teachers and stakeholders are prepared to support students in their learning.

“Teachers will acquire diverse skills that will ensure they can engage persons with disabilities, either physically or intellectually in the learning experience.”

The NTI Director General further disclosed that over the last decade, the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and subsequently, SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) officers had been at the forefront of course inclusion in Nigerian classrooms.

Accordingly, Maitafsir said the 2021 edition was pivotal, as it introduced teaching techniques to accommodate children with disabilities in the remote learning experience during periods of disruptions.

“Our intention and desire is to expand the beneficiaries of the capacity development exercise across the 36 states of the country in 2022 and beyond.

“The SENDS training is a critical component in my strategy framework to achieve the 2030 SDG 4.

“Therefore, it is my intention that the success of this programme will serve as a model to enrich the existing content and curriculum content.

“It will also serve to implement the mass training of SENDS teachers across the country in 2022 and beyond,” he said.

 

In walking the talk, the United Bank for Africa Foundation’s National Essay Competition, which promotes literacy and encourages healthy and intellectual competition amongst senior secondary students is geared to award educational grants worth millions of naira to the outstanding. This year, the foremost Pan African bank has increased the prize money by 33 per cent in a bid to impact the lives of many students and their respective communities. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that the initiative, which is in its 11th year, was born out of a passion for human development, especially the youth

For the United Bank for Africa (UBA), its National Essay Competition (NEC), is part of its foundation’s education initiative aimed at promoting literacy and encouraging healthy and intellectual competition amongst senior secondary school students in Nigeria and across the African continent.

Serving as a creative avenue for young writers, the NEC is geared at impacting the lives of many students and their communities including the three winners, who would cart away educational grants worth millions of naira, alongside laptops for them and nine other finalists.

This year, the NEC has unveiled the invitation for prospective writers to submit their applications, albeit digitally, just as they increased the prize by 33 per cent from what was obtainable last year.

 

Increase in Prize Value

Like the previous year, the prizes for the NEC 2021 winners have increased in value considerably by 33 per cent.

While the first prize winner will receive an educational grant of N3 million to study at any African university of their choice, up from the N2.5 million in 2020, the second and third prizes now stand at N2.5 million and N2 million educational grants respectively.

Winners of the 12 best essays will also go home with state-of-the-art laptops to help them with their tertiary research work and other studies.

The Chief Executive Officer, UBA Foundation, Mrs. Bola Atta, said the foundation scaled up the prizes for the second year in a row in order to accommodate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and also the fluctuation in the currency levels.

Digitisation

As announced by UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of UBA Plc, the call for the commencement of the 2021 edition of its annual competition, which is its 11th, was modified to ensure ease of access and the increased participation of students from Senior Secondary School across Nigeria, who submitted their entries from the comfort of their homes and schools through the UBAF NEC digital submission portal.

According to Atta, with the digital submission portal, more students in secondary schools across the country had the opportunity to scan and send in their entries and compete to win educational grants for study at any university of their choice on the African continent.

She said: “At UBA Foundation, it is imperative that our programmes continue to impact lives in meaningful ways. We realise that the use of technologically driven initiatives is part of the modern day. We want to be able to reach the students where they are and this is mostly online.

” The digital portal for online submission has made it more comfortable for students to send in their applications and compete with ease. For those who do not have access to computers or data, we are going to make this competition inclusive by allowing them access to any UBA branch near them to submit their entries digitally.

” Every student who wishes to, will be able to enter for the NEC 2021 and stand a chance to win a fully funded University education through the UBA Foundation’ said Atta.

 

Modalities

According to the foundation, the modalities of this year’s competition has been streamlined. While the essay topic for the year is: “What is the role of technology in educating the African Youth?”, they further posited that all essays were handwritten and students uploaded the scanned copies of their handwritten entries as well as their IDs on the digital portal.

As at now, the essays have been sent in and grading by the top lecturers, who are professors from reputable Nigerian Universities, have begun in earnest to select the 12 best essays and by the first week in December the 12 finalists will write a final supervised essay while the winners are expected to be announced on December 6.

Essentially, the submissions will be evaluated by judges and they will select the top 12 finalists who will take home consolation prizes including personal computers. Afterwards, the 12 finalists will write another supervised essay where the top three winners will be announced at the grand finale to be held at UBA’s head office in Lagos, Nigeria.

National Initiative

 

Targeted at senior secondary students in Nigeria, the UBA Foundation’s National Essay Competition is an initiative under the education pillar of the foundation.

Organised annually as part of UBA Foundation’s education initiative, it is aimed at promoting the reading culture and encouraging healthy and intellectual competition amongst secondary school students in Nigeria and across Africa.

Now in its 11th year, the aim of the NEC is to ensure that more African youths have access to education as the programme also highlights the good quality of education that exists on the continent as it stresses that the grant must be used in any university of the winners’ choice on the African continent.

Already, the UBA Foundation’s National Essay Competition has been rolled out in four other countries where UBA operates, with plans in place to cover 19 African countries in the next couple of years.

Embodying the UBA Group’s CSR objectives , which seeks to impact positively on societies through several laudable projects and initiatives, the foundation through its education pillar, has donated hundreds of thousands of books to students across Africa under the ‘Read Africa’ initiative aimed at encouraging and promoting the reading culture in African youths.

About UBA Foundation

For UBA Foundation, as the CSR arm of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Africa’s global bank, it is committed to being a socially responsible company and role model for all businesses in Africa.

As the CSR arm of the UBA Group, the foundation is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities in which the bank operates, focusing on development in the areas of education, environment, economic empowerment and special projects.

Incorporated in 2004, the UBA Foundation’s Board of Trustees include Mr. Kennedy Uzoka as Chairman; Bola Atta as MD/CEO; Mrs. Mary Udu-Ejembi and Dr. Bala Magaji as Trustees.

With the recent 33 percent increase in prize value, many are it the opinion that the bank continues to walk the talk in its commitment and passion for human development with a particular focus on education.

According to them, the act of empathy and consideration clearly puts the bank ahead of its peers as one bank that sincerely prioritises the growth and development of its community and humanity.

 

Mcpherson University, Ogun State has graduated 86 students with 13 first class, 36 second class upper, 32 second class lower and five third class degree at the institution’s sixth convocation.

Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade made this known at the institution’s convocation which held last Saturday on its campus in Ogun State.

He said: “Thirteen of our graduands made first class (15.1 per cent), 36 are in the second class upper division (41.9 per cent), while 32 are graduating with second class lower (37.2 per cent). Others fall into the third class (5.8 per cent).”

The VC said a female student from the Department of Accounting and Finance, Anuoluwapo Soladoye emerged the overall best graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.96.

In his speech entitled: “Finishing gloriously for mighty things”, Agunbiade enjoined the graduates to be guided by the motto of the institution which places premium on excellence and integrity.

He also urged them to be good ambassadors of the institution and avoid anything that can tarnish its image.

“Always strive for high standards, big integrity in whatever you do. Let the vision and motto of the university be your watchwords. Remember you have become an ambassador for this institution. Hence, it is your responsibility to propagate the good image of the institution and promote it,” he said.

Guest lecturer, Prof.Olufemi Bamiro, a former Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan who delivered a lecture entitled: “Transforming the Nigerian University system for graduate employability and sustainable socio-economic development”, stressed the need for the graduates to improve themselves for the demands of employers and dynamics of the modern workplace.

The valedictorian, Opeoluwa Soladoye of the Department of Mass Communication lauded authorities of the school for exposing them to rich academic, spiritual and entrepreneurial training.

 

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has commended the Anambra State Government for installing Internet Protocol (IP) Cameras in examination halls of schools in the State.

It congratulated the State for being the first state in Nigeria to install the examination electronic monitoring device and granting WAEC access to the network.

In a letter signed by Deputy Registrar/Enugu Zonal Coordinator for Head of National Office, Mrs E. N. Onodu, the Council also commended Governor Willie Obiano and Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha for the notable innovation.

The letter partly reads, “The decision of the Anambra State Government to install the cameras in schools’ examination halls was well received.

“We commend Governor Willie Obiano and the Basic Education Commissioner, Prof. Kate Omenugha for the notable innovation.

“The innovation will enhance efficient monitoring of examinations as well as boost the fight against examination malpractice in the conduct of public examinations.

“We pray God to continue to strenghten Anambra State to remain trailblaizers in in the conduct of credible and reliable public examinations.”

Reacting to the development,  Prof. Kate Omenugha expressed excitement over what she termed another letter of joy from WAEC commending the State Government’s effort at conducting credible examinations.

 

The Board of Trustees of the Pan-Atlantic University Foundation has appointed Prof. Enase Okonedo as the new vice chancellor.

Okonedo, who is the deputy vice chancellor, is the first woman VC of the university. She will assume office January 1, 2022, taking over from Prof. Juan Elegido.

Elegido said her emergence was part of the institution’s succession plan, which had been in place for years.

“There has been a succession plan in place, which was approved by the Governing Council and the Trustees, for several years. This is not a new plan; it has only just been approved,” he said.

On Pan-Atlantic University’s role in the education, Okonedo said the institution would strengthen its contribution to nation building by enhancing training of workforce ready products.

banking and financial sector. She went on to become a full-time faculty member at the school, specialising in finance, problem-solving and decision making.

She also held various leadership positions before being appointed dean of LBS in July 2009, a position she held until last December.

Over the years, Okonedo has risen to become an international educator and served on several boards in the management education sector, including the boards of Global Business School Network (GBSN); United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (UNPRME); and the Academic Advisory Board of Blatnavik School of Government, University of Oxford. She has also served on the board of Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) and held leadership positions on the boards of AACSB International as Secretary-Treasurer, and the Association of African Business Schools where she was chairperson.

She is an Independent Non-Executive Director at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) as well as Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group).

The inaugural Hackfest day organised by the Queensland Academy, Lagos, was packed with excitement and learning opportunities for participating schools.

The event held penultimate week, was unprecedented in the school’s history.

It was attended by top professionals and major players in the Information, Communication and Technology industry from all over the world.

They discussed how to deploy technology to solve the basic problems confronting theNigerian economy.

The visionary of the Queensland Hackfest event, Mr. Jacob Ajala, said “such an event becomes necessary in schools particularly in the wake of the present difficulties confronting the various sectors in the country.”

Participating schools were presented with problem statements to work with within a specified timeframe. The programme  also featured prototyping and storyboarding.

During the two-day event, the participating schools they battled for the ultimate prize.

They included Mater Dei College, Grace Schools, Riverside College as well as teams from the host school, Queensland Academy. Some others like Canterbury Schools and ST & T Schools participated virtually.

Welcoming the invited schools, Mrs. Folakemi Okunoren, the Supervising Director of Queensland Academy, commended the bravery of all the teams and challenged them to bring their creativity to bear.

Keynote speakers from India, Mr. Viqaruddin Surki of IBM, India, and Professor Sudeshna Chakraborty of Sharda University, respectively, provided the much required impetus to ignite invaluable thirst and insights in all stakeholders, especially the contestants.

In his address Mr. Ashutosh Srivastava of Amazon shared how a similar event was the beginning of his IT journey. The keynote speaker on the second day and CEO of Simplex Solution Limited, Mr. Femi Adeniyi, expressed his satisfaction with the participants and encouraged them to see themselves as winners irrespective of the outcome of the event.

For the competition, the students had breakout sessions. To ensure proper monitoring and objectivity, each team (both physical and virtual) was assigned a mentor. The teams brainstormed and generated ideas on the problem areas during the breakout sessions after which they presented their projects.

A-three-member team of judges comprising top professionals in the IT industry scrutinized the projects.

More intriguing was the day two of the event when the winners were announced.

Grace Schools emerged overall best and won the N100,000 grand prize. In second place was ST & T Schools with N50,000 and a team from the host school, Queensland Academy, came third and won N25,000.

Pupils of Queensland Academy actively participated in the organisation of the event – showcasing their leadership and critical thinking skills and the school’s core values of respect, responsibility, initiative, passion, enthusiasm, adaptability, and team spirit.

 

Former high schools students  in Kwara state have asked the state government to always seek for their input in the appointment of principals of their old schools.

This, according to the old students, would ensure the appointment of best hands that would not retard the schools’ development.

National President, Offa Grammar School Old Students Association, Bisi Salau, an engineer said this at the 40th reunion of the 1981 set held at the school premises in Offa.

Salau said that such consultation by governments would play a significant role in the quest to improve the fallen standard of education in the country.

He said: “Government should always consult the old students of schools in the country before the  appointment of their principals.

“Experience has shown that former student when appointed as school principals have shown more Commitment and dedication to the growth and development of their Alma Mata becuase they believe they are part of the success story.

“We were shocked with the level of infrastructural decadence we saw. And you cannot expect us to be upgrading infrastructures while we are not involved or aware of the choice the leadership for the school.

“OGS old boys have always been up and doing continously giving back to it’s Alma Mata. That is why the school don’t rely on government and does not lack infrastructures. However, proper maintenance of these structures has been the issue”.

He added that the school has produced great men like General Alani Akinrinade and the present Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari among others adding that “there is no where you will go that you will not find OGS products.”

In her remarks, the Acting Principal of OGS (Senior Secondary School), Mrs Adeoye Felicia Titilayomi said the school has been blessed with it’s old students who have continued to give back.

He particularly thanked the 1981 set for the huge donations to the school to improve learning.

Also speaking, Olofa of Offa Oba Mohammed Gbadamosi represented by High Chief Bode Onawola urged the old students not to relent in their quest to make their former school great.

The monarch added that “I hope and wish you will continue in this manner to uplift your alma-mater to higher heights.”

Responding, the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Kayode Alabi who was represented the TIC chairman of Offa Local Government, Adejare Olatundun said the association should make its request for consultation formal by writing through the ministry of education to the state government

He thanked them for their unrelentless effort in bettering the lots of education in the school and the state in general.

The old students donated items worth six million Naira to their alma mater.

Items donated by the set include two modern mowing machines, 150 chairs and lockers for junior and senior secondary school, cash support to teachers and repair of broken floors of six classrooms among others.

The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, on Wednesday said it generated revenue of N3.1 billion between January and October.

Prof. Solomon Ekwenze, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University, made the disclosure during the ongoing 2021 budget assessment and 2022 budget defense, before the state House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, in Awka.

Ekwenze said the revenue was generated from school fees, part-time programme, postgraduate programme and the sale of Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination forms purchased by over 5,000 students seeking admission in the university.

He said that the university got over 40 approvals for funds from the N427 million 2021 budgetary allocation for the university but the university did not get any release to carry out slated projects.

“We proposed to construct and equip a new and modern library, infrastructure upgrade of the university and recruitment of the adequate number of staff.

“The most important is that the university requires accreditation of programmes. This year we lost pharmacy accreditation and we might lose more, if we do not get funds to put the required modalities in place.

“So, we appeal to the Assembly and the government to intervene, so we can get funds and get accreditation for our courses,” he said.

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Reacting, Mr Lawrence Ezeudu, member representing Dunukofia Constituency, expressed dissatisfaction over the challenge of getting accreditation for courses in the university.

“It is sad and embarrassing to the state that our university lost pharmacy accreditation. We have to do whatever it takes to ensure such does not occur again,” he said.

Mr Noble Igwe, a member representing Ogbaru l Constituency, said the university required all attention as the only state owned university.

“The House Committee on Tertiary Education will visit the institution to carry out thorough oversight function to ascertain what is happening in the university,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Obinna Emeneka (Anambra East), lamented that the university management failed to appear before the Assembly when it was summoned for bilateral talks.

“We understand the financial problems of the university and as concerned institution, we invited the university management but they did not show up.

“We would have found a way to make recommendations to resolve the problems,” Emeneka said.

(NAN)