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Tag: AFED

  • Low-income school owners advise members on financial prudence

    Low-income school owners advise members on financial prudence

    The Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) has reiterated that balancing quality education with financial prudence in an unstable economy is a complex but achievable goal.

    Speaking at the second edition of its educational forum, the keynote speaker, Prof. Sikiru Tayo Subair, noted that this requires a multifaceted approach, encompassing strategic resource management, technological innovation, collaborative leadership and supportive policy frameworks.

    He also stressed that the increasing integration of digital technologies and the shift towards lifelong learning models will reshape how education is delivered and financed.

    Subair advised school owners to cultivate resilience by developing flexible budgeting systems that can easily respond to economic shocks without compromising quality.

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    He also urged the government and educational policy makers to create environment that can encourage innovation, accountability and flexibility.

    The event, which was held at Digital Bridge Institute, Cappa, Oshodi, was themed: “Building Resilience: For Quality Educational Delivery and Steady Finance Growth”.

    AFED National President, Mr. Emmanuel Orji, noted that the event represents their commitment to the collective mission of promoting education and financial growth.

    “This is an annual forum for us to review some of the steps we have taken in the past and also some other steps we need to take to ensure that we enhance our school and at the same time, open up potentials that will enable Nigerian children to have access to education,” Orji said.

    Speaking on the theme of the event, the Lagos State Controller, Mr. James Lartey-Lartey, said it is a call to action, a challenge to rethink on strategies, and a reminder that resilience is not just a trait, but a necessity for educators, students and institutions alike.

    “In today’s fast-changing world, resilience is no longer a luxury; it’s a requirement. It’s the ability to adapt, innovate, and to thrive in the face of adversity. It’s about creating a learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking and emotional intelligence,” he said.

    The Communication and Media Director, AFED Lagos, Mr. Olatunji Sufi, noted that finance poses a major problem in the educational sector, especially for the private school owners. He added that getting loan from most of the financial institutions is tasking.

    “We don’t need loans with high interest. The majority of us are low income school owners. We need finance. We are partners in progress with the government because we are the ones catering for the less privileged children,” he noted.

  • AFED urges educators to combine indigenous knowledge with innovations

    AFED urges educators to combine indigenous knowledge with innovations

    The Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) has urged educators and schools to combine indigenous knowledge with modern innovations into learning.

    This was the thrust of a two day African Education Conference, held by the association, on the theme:  “Education for all: Harnessing African Wisdom and Innovation for Sustainable Development”, in Benin City.

    They called for policy reform to improve learning, urging the government to give priority attention to the establishment of vocational centres in schools to enhance the future of the students.

    The National President of the Association, Emmanuel Orji, stated that the future of the country rests on how well it educates and equips the youth today and in the future.

    Orji also stressed that the nation must draw from the rich heritage of the traditional learning system, while embracing technological advancements and policy reforms that make education more inclusive and impactful. He said Africa had been a hub of wisdom, resilience and creativity; hence the need for incorporation of indigenous knowledge.

    “We must draw from African rich heritage, while embracing technical advancement and policy reforms that make education more inclusive and impactful.

    “We must work together – school owners, educators, policymakers and partners – to create a system where no child is left behind and where education should remain the strongest driver of sustainable development,” he advised.

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    United Nation’s Ambassador for Education, Dr. Adekunle Badmus, advised educators to inculcate skill acquisition into the curriculum.

    “This is very important. You need to partner with online platforms and institutes. This is the time we need to give to our students and mentors. If we don’t give them mentors, social media will,” he said.

    The wife of the former Governor of Oyo State and AFED’s national Matron, Dr. Bukola Ladoja, stressed that the government cannot do everything for its citizens, noting that it was for this reason AFED was birthed.

  • Don’t clampdown on schools, AFED begs Lagos Govt.

    The Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), has reiterated its  remained a formidable partner in economic and educational progress in Lagos State.

    The association spoke through its National President, Mrs Ifejola Dada at the International Literacy Day, which held at the National Stadium  last week. The theme of the event was “Read the past and write the future”.

    At the event, 1800 pupils from 40-member schools were in attendance. A representative from each school was requested to read a chapter of a work of literature aloud.

    Mrs Dada appealed to Lagos State government to refrain from its planned clampdown of 10,000 private schools as released in its statement, saying it portends great damage to government and business owners.

    Dada said: “The education sector is the hub of human capital development and transformation of the entire system. It is feeding the rest with the required human capital which is why it requires enabling policy from state leaders”.

    She continued: “Under AFED, we have 5000 members; in each school we have minimum of nine teachers to 50 pupils. If we multiply that, how many people will lose their jobs and be unemployed peradventure the government carries out its threat? The two million pupils in our different schools that were taken off the streets, return there?  We all know that our public schools are filled up and not enough to cater for these children”.

    While praising Lagos government for its cooperation, Dada recalled that the immediate past administration used more civil ways in handling the matter without closing down the schools.

    She said: “The administration of Mr Babatunde Fashola set up a committee in the Ministry of Education. They created the education stakeholders quarterly meeting, the grading assessment of private schools (GAPS), and the extension of public service provision by the British government”.

    She, however, assured the government that AFED was committed to delivering quality and functional education. She said the association will start to issue yellow cards to member schools that are deficient in one facility or the other, noting that such schools would be given the option of either closing down or merging and joining resources with nearby member schools in order to meet requirements.

    Director-General, Office of Education, Quality Assurance, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, said the Literacy Day was to enable pupils inculcate  the habit of reading, comprehension and not just speaking grammar.

    She said reading culture in children needs to be reawakened so that efforts can be made by schools, parents and other stakeholders to ensure that pupils cultivate that habit flawlessly.

    “We have to give big kudos to AFED for organising such a laudable event. To me, it is a day we are all coming together as stakeholders to promote literacy in Lagos State. We are celebrating the culture of reading as well as encouraging literacy,” she said.

  • AFED swears in new leaders

    The Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) has inaugurated a 16-member executive committee.

    They were sworn in at Glory Point International School, Ebute-metta West, Lagos State.

    Its President, Mrs Ifediola Dada, who is returning for a second term, said the election was an agreement which came out successfully.

    She noted  that the association had been facing continuity problems which she promised to eradicate.

    She praised the increased standard of education in the state, adding that her administration will be work on improving the curriculum and security in member-schools.

    Dada advised other newly elected officials to be good ambassadors of the association.

    “Whichever way you are called for any service, do it according to the will of God. If you are doing it in your own way, searching for your own selfish interest, God has a way of paying you back.

    “Don’t wait for man’s compensation, it will only trouble your life. What God has not given, you if man should give you, you will only fall, but when God gives you, it multiplies. That is the reality of life. Let us wait for God,” she said.

    She encouraged them to have team spirit for the growth of the association.

  • AFED holds National Week

    The Association For Formidable Educational Development (AFED), will hold its annual national week congress tomorrow at the Nigerian Army Resettlement Centre Oshodi.

    The President, Mrs Dada Ifejola said that the theme: Emerging Security, Threat and MDGs (Impact on Education was chosen because of the security challenges in the country.

    “AFED is disturbed over the rising of level of insecurity in the nation, as this portends a serious danger and threat to the Millennium Development Goals MDGs.

    “We seek an end to this unabated heinous and dastardly inhuman act perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgence.

    “The federal government must seek every means possible to actualizing this” she said.

    The president also added that an Associate Professor of the Department of Education, Dr Mrs Virgy Oyene  will be the guest speaker.

    Mrs Ifeloja pleaded with the government, both federal and state, to support AFED and  see that the MDGs are actualised.

  • School owners remember Chibok girls

    As part of this year’s Children’s Day, the Association for Formidable Education Development (AFED), an umbrella group of school owners, in conjunction with D,groove Entertainment hosted primary school pupils in Isheri Osun of Lagos State.

    AFED Assistant Chairman, Isheri Osun Chapter, Mr Olowu Adeyinka said the event was organised to remind the government of the girls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.

    “This event today is organised to join the global call reminding the government of the need for security referring to Chibok girls that were kidnapped, and some other areas of insecurity all over the country,” he said.

    He pleaded with the government and those in power to ensure that everything is put in place to rescue the girls.

    Proprietress of Omoye International schools and member of AFET, Princess Ikero Omoye, explained that though the day was meant to celebrate children across the world, saying the reverse is the case here due to insecurity situation.

    The event, which held at the Local Government Primary School Isheri Osun, witnessed special prayers, march past, choreography, cultural dance, among other performances.

    Assistant Manager Chellarams Plc and Co-sponsor of the event, Mr Okezie Iheduru, said the company graced the event as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR). Chellarams provided some of its products including milk, bicycle among others.

  • Children’s Day: Prayers, protests for Chibok girls

    Children’s Day: Prayers, protests for Chibok girls

    No fewer than six organisations stormed the Lagos House at Alausa, Ikeja, to protest yesterday the abduction of the over 200 Chibok school girls.

    Carrying placards with various inscriptions, they lamented the government’s failure to arrest the situation. The groups include Centre for Global Peace Initiative (CGPI), The Young Muslims Association (TYMA), Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) and Al-Mu’minaat Social Advocacy Project (SAP).

    The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, who met with them, received their protest letters on behalf of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

    CGPI Convener Shakiru Yekinni noted the government’s failure to stop Boko Haram.

    He said: “We as a collective of Muslim organisations condemn in  strongest term this heinous crime, and also express our disappointment at the manner in which the issue was previously handled by the Federal Government until recent external intervention. We say with every emphasis that acts of abduction, killing, kidnapping, wanton destruction and terrorism are all alien to Islam – both in letter and spirit.

    We affirm that these acts constitute not only crimes against humanity, but also crimes against Allah and His religion, for Allah Has ordained that to kill a soul is likeable to killing the entire humanity. We say likewise that Boko Haram and its ideology of forceful conversion of people away from their religion runs counter to the dictate of Islam which affirms that ‘Let there be no compulsion in religion, for truth is clear and distinct from error…’. We also reiterate that Islam forbids spreading evil and corruption in the land and recommends appropriate punishments for harbingers of evil and destruction like the Boko Haram sect.”

    The group expressed sadness over the incessant loss of lives and the destruction of properties on a scale unprecedented in the country.

    The TYMA national coordinator Abdulazeez Ajala said the abduction explains the long-time neglect and insensitivity of successive governments to the plight of the child. According to him, “It is the child of neglect and destitution, completely bereft of morals that can be easily bought, as an adult, to wage war against the society he belongs. It is shameful that this kind of crime occurs in a country endowed with abundant human and material resources. If the government of Nigeria values the lives and wellbeing of her citizens, it would have put security apparatus in place to nib insurgency at the bud ab initio. Why would it require, the intervention of any foreign country to search for the girls? Where are the forces and the Police? Should government blame an individual or group for its ineffectiveness? The leader of South Korea who resigned because of the lives lost in a shipwreck is a shining example of a sincere leader.  The love of power and affluence by our leaders has helped in hardening their conscience while hiding under sectionalism such as religion and ethnicity.”

    Ajala said Boko Haram neither represents Islam nor Muslims in Nigeria. “We believe that the aggravation of its devilish activities in  recent times is the handiwork of some elements who have selfish agenda to gain in a war-torn Nigeria. We fervently pray Allah to expose and shame all the perpetrators of the devilish act. We implore politicians and those who are aspiring for public offices to redirect their attention to the purpose of governance – providing basic welfare and security for its citizenry,” he said.

    AFED president Esther Dada,  urged government to stop playing politics the with the lives of the abducted girls. Mrs Dada said it is high time government accounted for the trillions of  naira budgeted for security over the years with nothing to show for it. The girls, she said, must be unconditionally released without payment of ransom. She appealed to Nigerians to keep praying for the return of the girls, alive and safe.

    The SAP coordinator Mrs. Sherifah Yusuf-Ajibade said the abduction of girls seeking education and the inability of government to secure their release had sent shivers down the spine of both mothers and girl-children. She said the act can negatively impact on the girl-child education which is a prerequisite for attainment of a number of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “This goal will be attained once we are able to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, and in all levels of education no later than 2015, particularly in Northern Nigeria where education has not been given the necessary attention,” she said.

    Mrs. Yusuf-Ajibade urged President Goodluck Jonathan and his team to act urgently. “The position of Islam is not obscure on education for both males and females. Islam is pro-education and not anti-education. Boko Haram is not Islam and Boko Haram does not represent Islam or Muslims. We as women and mothers will not stop at street protests to demand for action. We will mobilise, organise and fight for the protection of the rights of the girl-child in Nigeria. We will in this instance not relent until this government does what is expected of it: to apprehend the perpetrators and rescue the girls,” she said.