Category: Education

The National Mathematical Centre, Abuja has pledged its readiness to strengthen its relationship with the Nigerian Mathematical Society.

The Director-General (DG) of the Centre,  Prof. Promise Mebine, stated this when the national officers of the society, led by its National President, Prof. Bashir Ali, visited him at the centre’s parmanent site in Sheda, Kwali, Abuja.

In a statement by Deputy Controller, Information and Public Relations, Dr. Onyekachi Njoku, Mebine said the centre would work with the society in the development of Mathematics.

He challenged the society to design programmes with incentives to attract students who would be ready to study mathematics from first degree to Ph.D level.

Mebine urged the society to support the Centre in its efforts to overcome the challenges and phobia associated with the teaching learning and research in Mathematics.

Read Also: 25 bag First Class as Crawford graduates 346

Earlier, Ali decried the increasing rate at which new universities were springing up and being accredited and developed thereby increasing the need for mathematicians and Mathematics teachers.

This, he said, would negatively impact on the quality of Mathematics graduates produced in these universities.

He stressed the need for effective collaboration with the centre so that both parties could achieve their common goals.

Ali further noted that the NMS, being a member of International Mathematics Union (IMU), promotes international cooperation and collaboration in the area of mathematics.

The NMS chief, therefore, gave the assurance that the Society would support the Centre in the effort to achieve its mandate of developing effective teaching, learning and research in mathematics.

 

A total of 25 students made first class out of 346 comprising 324 undergraduates and 22 postgraduate students  as Crawford University,Igbesa,Ogun State is set to hold its 13th Convocation on November 3, 2021.

This was made known by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Reuben Jiya Kolo, during a pre-convocation briefing.

He noted that the convocation lecture entitled: ‘Youth innovation and empowerment-Driver for transformational change and sustainable development, would be delivered by Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The VC also said students of the institution would be awarded three certificates on academics, Information and Communication Technology and entrepreneurship.

Read Also: Mind Builders alumnus counsels class of 2021

“On graduation, our students are awarded three certificates on academic studies, Information Communication Technology and Entrepreneurship i. e. vocational skills, making them fully equipped for the future. We have developed management schemes for our graduating student to be job creator. We train their intellect and hands,” he said.

Kolo noted that the institution had been working with security agencies to ensure a safe and conducive environment for unhindered learning.

“In terms of security, we have been working with security agencies around coupled with training and seminars on safety, health and environment.

“Most importantly, we rest upon God with prayers for His mercies and protection,”he added.

School Connect Africa Services, an Non-Government Organisation (NGO) has unveiled a  digital interactive platform — the School Connect Africa Project.

It is an initiative designed to connect the huge and ever-growing educational sector players across Africa with the global business world through an e-commerce solution.

The solution would enable schools first in Nigeria and then in other African countries to access products and services with just one click, thereby creating a platform for commerce, training and resource acquisition.

The Lead Consultant of the group, Dr. Adefunke Ekine, said the project would change the narrative and build the first digital edu-economy in Africa. She noted that the educational economy had a market capitalisation of over $1billion.

Ekine, who spoke at the unveiling of the platform in Lagos, said the project would serve as a market where corporate entities would have the opportunity to smartly spend their budget on a clear specific channel.

According to her, the education sector in Nigeria as well as across Africa, is expected to also benefit immensely with access to funding, training for teaching and non-teaching staff, curriculum development in line with global best practices.

She, therefore, advised private school owners, educators, educational service or product providers, education support institutions, parents and pupils to consider this one-of-a-kind  platform by registering on its website.

She explained that the digital platform was leveraging technology to connect school owners, teachers, pupils and parents.

“You will agree with me that the pandemic that we all went through  last year has affected us. One of the major sectors affected was the education space where teachers, learners, everyone involved could not go to school,” she said.

Head, Strategy and Collaborations of the group, Ladipo Oke said  the education sector had indeed not  risen up to optimise the use of technology  to deliver  quality service across our schools.

He said: “We are bringing the School Connnect Africa as a conduit/platform where every stakeholder in education can actually relate, engage, and share best practice. It will also offer opportunity to access quality training, what’s the best and where the best you can get it from any institution in the world both for the teacher, the school owner  and among others.

“What we are trying to do is to navigate this as a platform to share the best of experiences, best of training and best of  access to an average school owner and others.’’

Be studious! Be versatile! Be ready to lead! These were some of the counsel that Damilola Awoyomi gave to the graduating class of 2021 during the valedictory and graduation of Mind Builders High School, Ikeja, Lagos.

Awoyomi, who wore a pristine lawyer’s collar while addressing pupils of his former school, shared how he excelled in the Nigeria Law School after recalling his prize winning days at Mind Builders.

Although he did not graduate with a first class in Law from Babcock University, Awoyomi said he went on to make one of the best results at the Law School.

He also shared how Mind Builders prepared him for leadership and gave him music as a vocation as he learnt to play saxophone.

“I want to thank Mind Builders- from primary to secondary school. It was where I learnt to play saxophone. I was playing saxophone every weekend as a student of Babcock University. I have been in student government all the time. In Babcock I was Student Representatives Vice President. This shows you can combine academics with leadership and others.

Read Also: YABATECH preparing to grow vertically, says Rector

“I did not finish with first class from Babcock University though my sister did. I remembered how I used to win prizes at Mind Builders so I decided I would work hard and excel at Law School, “ he said.

In line with the theme: “Strive for greatness”, the guest cleric, Venerable Taiwo Adebayo, told the 17 graduands that the world was waiting for their greatness, urging them not to play around.

The keynote speaker, Mrs. Dideolu Adekogbe, shared 10 tips for greatness, including, setting realistic goals, self awareness, being committed, among others.

Chairman of the school, Mr. Bosun Falore, congratulated the graduands on achieving the milestone; while the Education Director Mrs. Bolajoko Falore, thanked the teachers for “being there for the children’’.

Highpoint of the event was the award of prizes to outstanding pupils.

The event was chaired by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, who was represented by the Director, Public Enlightenment and Community Relations, Mr. Oluwatoyin Awosika.

 

 

With a small campus in the Yaba metropolis that was home to 300 students at inception 74 years ago, Rector of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Mr. Femi Omokungbe, said the institution had to grow vertically to accommodate its over 20,000 students.

In an interview, Omokungbe, an engineer, said the institution was assessing structures on the campus to determine which could take more floors or which should go to give room for taller buildings.

He said: “When we look at YABATECH, a 74-year-old institution, this is a school that started with 300 students 74 years ago, with the same infrastructure (though) we now have well over 20,000 students. So, there is a need for the management to put on our thinking caps to see how we can solve this. This led to the launch of an endowment fund with the aim of raising N50 billion,

“It is ongoing and we hope that funds realised from this would be put to good use to at least bring the school to a world class standard.

“I know that the London School of Economics, in terms of area, is not up to YABATECH. They grew up vertically. So, for us to emulate such things, it means some of our old buildings will have to be knocked down since they were not designed to take such number of floors. We have also carried out integrity tests on some buildings that are not too good to see what we can do to strengthen them so they will be put to good use.”

Nevertheless, Omokungbe, who assumed office March 6, 2018, said the institution had expanded beyond the Yaba Campus by developing its Epe Campus to accommodate more programmes.

”We have transformed Epe to the best of our ability in the last few years. When I came in, there were two departments in Epe but now we have three faculties and six departments from two facilities and a whole faculty of school of technical education that we’re running in unison with UNN. 2019 tech intervention of the college was used for the construction of a faculty for school of Epe and we’ve been able to complete the perimeter fencing of Epe and some other programme we have done there.

Read Also: Senate moves to make Yabatech, Ilaro Poly universities

“We have spent the bulk of our money in Epe to develop it because the indigenes of Epe were thinking we took their land for the fun of it but we’ve proved them wrong by establishing our presence there. We have a director there, a full faculty and six departments. The last NUC accreditation took place in Epe because we have a school of technical education in Epe,” he said.

Omokungbe said the development in the institution under his watch was largely due to the grants provided by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).”

He said the college could have done more if funding from the Federal Government was available at the appropriate time.  He lamented that while TETFund grants get disbursed in a timely manner, allocations for capital projects in the education budget disbursed by the Federal Government did not do as well as TETFund grants because the money is never released on time, and when released, the college has little time to implement before the funds are again mopped up because the fiscal year is over.

“We no longer access capital the way we used to. Maybe there is a particular amount for capital grant, you won’t get first access to it till September and by end of October, they are ready to mop up. So, when you now make process for implementing that and you’re award that job at an Xyy amount, and by end of November the money is mopped up, the contractor leaves the site. When they’re called to come back, the job will now be X+Y and there will be variation and that is why you have abandoned project everywhere but TETFUND job, the money is already available, you complete it on time. So going to any institution, by the time you have a conclusion on what capital grant job, you’ll have done two, three of TETFUND. So why will you not reward TETFUND? Why will you not rate them?,” he said.

Speaking on the institution’s clamour for a university status, he said the college was following up the bill with law makers.

The Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Covenant University,Ota,Ogun State, Bishop David Oyedepo, has urged universities to tackle corruption by inculcating sound values in their products.

Speaking at the 16th  Convocation of Covenant University at the weekend, Oyedepo decried the erosion of morals and values, stressing that universities across the continent had failed in their duties.

“Corruption today is alarming at all levels; stealing seems no more a social vice, but a smart move. Looting public treasury has become culturally acceptable.

“Today, our value system has been negatively perverted; we have become victims of cultural failure. Universities across this continent have not shown adequate concern at all,” he said.

Read Also: Why I wear white suits, by Oyedepo

He, therefore, charged universities to place premium on recovering the lost heritage of Africa by making conscious efforts at repositioning graduates and imbuing them with appropriate culture.

Oyedepo also urged graduates to approach life with a contributor’s mentality and live a purpose-driven and impactful life.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, said 1,681 students graduated in the 2020/2021 academic session.

This comprised 216 students who made First Class; 719 Second Class Upper; 435 Second Class Lower; Third Class 30 and 281 postgraduate students.

Ms. Asaka Ewerechukwu Favour, a graduate of Computer and Information Science, College of Sciences, emerged the best graduating student, with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.00.

 

Bolade Junior Grammar School, Oshodi, Lagos and Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigidi-Akoko,Ondo State were recently named the best public and private secondary schools in Nigeria during the President’s Teachers and Schools Excellence Award (PTSEA) in Abuja. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE reports on what they did to win the awards.

Recently, Bolade Junior Grammar School, Oshodi, Lagos State and Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State were named the best secondary schools in Nigeria during the President’s Teachers and School Excellence Award (PTSEA) in Abuja.

Bolade Junior Grammar School won the award for public schools, while Greater Tomorrow won for private schools. Both were presented with Toyota Hiace buses at the colourful ceremony.

Getting the awards was no mean feat for both schools whose administrators went extra miles to make their schools stand out.

 

The making of Bolade  Junior Grammar School

 

The emergence of Bolade Junior Grammar School as the best public secondary school in Nigeria surprised many in Lagos State. But it was no fluke as its Principal, Mrs. Adenike Ojo, told The Nation that she had her eyes set on the prize and worked towards it.

Prior to PTSEA, the school, which has 1,099 pupils, had won the best school award for Education District VI and the best school award in Lagos State.

To get those awards, Mrs. Ojo said she ensured the environment was conducive for teaching and learning.

To compete on the national stage, Mrs. Ojo said she further improved the learning environment with the support of her Tutor-General Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Okelola Oludara, and other public spirited organisations.

She said: “I thank God for my TGPS. When my school won the best school in the District, and later the best school in Lagos state, I went to her that have won this and I would like to go for national and I would like all those things to be in the school.

“On her own she bought two smart TELE, which cost up to a million and I got some myself too with the help of NGOs and my own salary.

“For a school to have projector and interactive board, it a million plus. It was not an easy thing but I thank God Almighty he is really helping us in Bolade Junior Grammar School.

“Recently, an NGO brought 40 computer sets to our school and because of our achievements they brought solar energy but they are yet to fix those ones but I believe very soon they are coming around to fix those things so the school will be able to be using all those things effectively without any error.”

However, the Principal said the school environment was not just improved for the purpose of winning prizes. She said the interactive boards and smart television made teaching and learning easier.

“Our preparations were not just to win the award. I believed we worked hard earnestly in my school just to move education forward and to make sure our students are doing very well academically and morally. We are always prepared for any event or any issue.

“With the smart TELE we are able to teach very well instead of you going to your class with instructional material with the smart tele they can see everything they need to know. The smart tele teaches them so many things apart from the subject being taught.

“When we talk of TELE we all know what TELE does to children mere seeing that TELE in the classroom it pushes them to come to school very early and ready to learn.

“We have the smart TELE in all our classrooms and we also have projectors that has interactive board. That too I think is really helping us. With the interactive board you can easily use your flash drive or your laptop to teach very well. It even helps the teachers to work easily because there would not be any need for them to write lesson notes since they have stored every thing inside the laptop, flash drive or the CD. They just go in, slot it in and teach and students are ready to learn,” she said.

It is one thing to have the facilities and another to put them to use. Making optimal use of the facilities is not easy because of unreliable power supply. Nevertheless, Mrs. Ojo said she pulls all the stops to ensure there is power for the school to function during the school hours – even if it meant spending personal funds.

“We all know the power system of our country is very bad.  But we thank God for Lagos State Government and our Commissioner Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo and my TGPS, Mrs. Okelola Oludara. They are really helping us in our school. I use our running cost and my own personal money. Because once I want them to use those things our generator has to be on 24 /7,” she said.

The impact of the instructional media, as well as the school’s emphasis on quality is already paying off in the performance of the pupils in terminal examinations.

Mrs. Ojo said the school recorded 100 per cent pass in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

“This last exams we did – I am talking of BECE exams, our school had 100 percent in all subjects. In Mathematics and English we had only As and Bs and only one C out of 315 students that sat for the BECE exams,” she said.

It is expected that as Principal, Mrs. Ojo would praise her school. However, many others have joined in the praise.

Bolade Junior Grammar School has such ambience that visitors stayed longer than planned in the school.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said that when he visited the school with his team, he spent over two hours.

“I am not surprised Bolade won the award. We spent over two hours in that school. We were at home and we could see the quality and the confidence they had in what they were doing.  She (Mrs. Ojo) leads from the front. I want to plead that what you gave them you give the senior secondary school too,” he said at an event to hand over house keys to 2019 PTSEA winners.

Director, Policy Planning Research and Statistics, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Dr. Olufunke Oyetola, said when he visited from Abuja, the head of the assessment team for the  PTSEA was so impressed by the school’s toilets that he made a video of the place.

 

Setting standards at Greater Tomorrow College, Arigidi-Akoko

Greater Tomorrow International College, the best private secondary school in Nigeria, was established in September 2001 by Mrs. Mojisola Lawal.

Speaking on the award, Mrs. Lawal said she was elated.”The entire staff student, parents and all Greater Tomorrow stakeholders feel elated about the award, we are so grateful to God and appreciate the Federal Government for the honour,” she said.

The school, located in Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State, has over the years emerged victorious in various external competitions at state, regional and national levels. Just last academic session (2019/2020), the school emerged the national champion in 774 YONSPA competition held in Abuja. The school also became a national champion in 2021 JETs Science competition held in Lagos. GTIC was the overall champion in the BTO Mathematics competition. Added to this is regional champion that the school won in Nigeria Spelling Bee held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Among others, the school clinched the state champion in national spelling competition and state champion in the Mathematics Association of Nigeria competition. Mrs. Lawal said the school boasts of a serene and conducive environment that makes learning easy for students, who go on to excel in public examinations and competitions.

“Students of the noble college have also distinguished themselves in recent times by recording excellent results in WASSCE, NECO and JAMB, and foreign exams like SAT, IGSCE, TOEFL.

“GTIC is well-equipped with many ultramodern facilities that aid learning. It parades a crop of highly professional staff who carry out their daily activities with great finesse. Apart from the boarding house facilities that give maximum comfort for students, it has a modern art studio with various musical instruments,” she said.

She said the school also has modern classrooms with relevant electronic equipment that make teaching and learning seamless in the school.

Beyond academics, she said the school pays attention to other aspects of lives of the learners.

“The physical, moral and religious well-being of the students are catered for through well-organised dining halls for students, chapel and mosque for Christians and Muslims and effective transport system that ensures safe conveyance of students to and fro the school.

“The students maintain physical fitness by engaging in extracurricular activities such as football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, cycling, just to mention a few.”

“Clubs in the school such as press club and music club enlighten the students and arouse their passion for creativity.  All programmes of the school ensure the development of a total child,” she said

 

Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said his administration is building 40 digital literacy centres across the State to build the knowledge economy.

The Governor, who spoke in Ilorin on Tuesday at the commissioning of an ICT Lab donated to the Government Secondary School (GSS) by Huawei under its Youth hub Africa Initiative, said the government is making deliberate efforts to raise a new generation of digital natives in Kwara.

“In the next few years, everything we do will be ICT driven. It is therefore important for all of us to plan for the future. In a world where robots and artificial intelligence are fast taking up jobs hitherto held by humans. The best investment for the future is a deliberate investment in digital education,” AbdulRazaq said.

“Our administration is seriously committed to this goal. At the moment, we are building at least 40 modern digital literacy centres in schools across the state. This is unprecedented in the history of Kwara State.

“We are also hosting a smart school donated to the state by the UBEC. However, that is a drop in the ocean compared to our needs to grow a new generation of digital natives.

“The ICT Lab we are launching today is a great boost to the efforts. It is a gift from Huawei to the Kwara child. It is the best investment in the future of our children. For me, it is a shining example of how conglomerates can partner with government to build sustainable future anchored on digital education.”

AbdulRazaq urged the authorities and students of the school to make good use of this multimillion naira facility.

The Governor, who also promised to fix some facilities at the iconic GSS, directed immediate supply of 100 units of furniture to the school.

He commended the Huawei for the ICT intervention, saying: “It is the best investment in the future of our children. For me, it is a shining example of how conglomerates can partner with government to build sustainable future anchored on digital education.

“Huawei is a leading telecoms giant in the world. With over two decades of operations in Nigeria, this gift speaks so highly of Huawei’s credibility and commitment to grow with the Nigerian people. I’m not surprised at the company doing this.

“This is because it has been a trustworthy partner working with various ICT players in building reliable telecoms infrastructure across Nigeria, and partnering with governments in ICT trainings for civil servants, students, and young graduates.

READ ALSO: AbdulRazaq sets up panel to probe pupils’ battering

“We are grateful. Yet, we request Huawei to do more for the Kwara people, while encouraging others to follow this fine example of corporate social responsibility.”

Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu said the facilities would go a long way to broaden the knowledge of students’ information technology.

National President of the GSS Ilorin Old Boys Association Engr Suleiman Alapansanpa said the facility would position students of the school to compete favourably with their peers around the world.

“It gladdens our hearts that the students of GSS Ilorin can now digitally communicate, create, disseminate, store and manage information, while teaching and learning via ICT, compared to the old system of chalkboards or white boards.

Commending the administration for its strides in education infrastructure across the state, Alapansanpa appealed to the governor to help in reviving the institution by giving prominence to its many decaying facilities.

Deputy Managing Director/CEO of Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited Kelvin Yangyang explained that Huawei had developed various initiatives in building talents and future of Nigerian youths.

Rotimi Olawale, executive director of YouthHub Africa, urged the students to make judicious use of the facilities and work hard to become great in their fields.

The Confucius Institute(An Institute established to promote the Chinese language in Nigeria) located at the University of Lagos has honoured Grace Schools as an outstanding partner institution in promoting the teaching of the Chinese language and culture in Nigeria.

The award coincides with the celebration of Nigeria and Chinese Independence with the symposium.

The Nigerian Director of the Institute, Professor Chidi Maduagwu, said the Institute has trained over 12,000 people in Chinese language and culture since its inception 12years ago.

Maduagwu lauded Grace Schools for its commitment to promoting the Chinese language through its investment in training and solid partnership with the Confucius Institute.

Maduagwu stated that Grace Schools has remained consistent in promoting Chinese language and culture and become a major institution of repute through its robust curriculum.

The Chinese Director of the Institute, Professor Zhao HongLing, said the Institute facilitates the Chinese language and promotes Chinese cultural transmission in Nigeria.

The Executive Director of Grace Schools, Mrs Iyiola Edun, said that it is the vision of the school to produce globally acclaimed scholars who can compete favourably with their counterparts across the globe.

Edun said the Chinese language remains one of the pivotal areas of interest to develop a robust and dynamic curriculum for the school.

She asserted further that Grace School has become a major provider of qualitative educational service delivery through its consistent focus on a global learning approach.

The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has disowned reports that it is recruiting new lecturers.

Its Public Relations Officer, Sam Kpenu, said there was no time the management of the institution issued advertorials for lecturers’ employment.

Kpenu in a statement on Sunday said: “The attention of the management of the University of Port Harcourt has been drawn to a publication making the rounds on the social media to the effect that, the University is recruiting academic staff.

“Members of the public are, therefore, enjoined to distance themselves from such publications, as it can only be the handiwork of fraudulent individuals with unsuspecting members of the public as their targets.

READ ALSO: Student drown in UNIPORT pool

“For the avoidance of doubt, the university only advertised for the appointment of External Auditor, Director of Works and Services as well as Director of Procurement.

“If and when the University has need for any recruitment exercise, official notice will be channeled through its website @ www.uniport.edu.ng as well as mainstream/conventional media outlets.

“This fake and fraudulent recruitment exercise has been reported to the security agencies and it is expected that, for those involved in this unwholesome practice, the long arm of the law would soon catch up with them”.