The Nation Newspaper

Tag: College

  • Three college students top Cambridge exams

    Three students of Oxbridge Tutorial College (OTC), have topped the 2016 May/June Cambridge International Examinations.

    The students-Mr. Bawo Theodore Ajuyah (AS Level), Mr Chidozie Onyeze (AS Level) and Miss Amarachi Tony-Ubah (A Level), were honoured in Chemistry, Mathematics and Sociology respectively.

    The trio were honored alongside their counterparts from other schools at the maiden British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award.

    Oxbridge Tutorial College also emerged the only sixth form institution that won the British Council recognition for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at maiden event which attracted dignitaries including top executives from the British Council, educationists and the media.

    The awardees expressed appreciation to OTC for  the sound academic footing they had  and which prepared them for the next phase of their academic journey. They also thanked their parents and teachers

    “’For me, this award is evident of the excellent tutelage I received at Oxbridge and is also a recognition of all the hard work I invested in my A-level programme. This motivates me to work harder in my current field of study to attain greater heights” said one of the awardees, Amarachi Tony-Ubah.

    “’A student is nothing without a teacher,” added Onyeze.

    “I can’t forget to thank all the people who, over the last two years, sat me down in class and drilled topic after topic into my head. I know I would not be where I am now if not for the diligent and knowledgeable teachers of this school. I am very grateful,” Onyeze added.

    For Ajuyah, he owed his parents for the success.

    He said:”Words cannot describe how appreciative I am to God for giving me such wonderful parents. They have motivated and guided me all through my secondary and pre-tertiary education. Besides just attending classes, my parents instilled in me the drive to have a work ethic and positive attitude to my teachers and classmates. ”

    Responding, the  management of OTC thanked the awardees,  individuals and corporate bodies that have aligned with the the dream of the college over the years.

    “We enjoin other well-wishers to congratulate our students in recognition of their outstanding achievements. Our appreciation also goes to all our partners whose support has helped in the delivery of world-class education using international best practices in preparing future leaders of our nation.

    “Over the years, Oxbridge Tutorial College has consistently produced some of the best results in the country and our students have progressed on to both Ivy League and Russell Group universities in different parts of the world. We also have a proud history of a robust network of alumni who are leaders in their respective callings, both nationally and internationally.

    The British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award resonate with our commitment to academic excellence as Nigeria’s first and leading sixth-form college.

  • College matriculates fresh PDE

    Topmost College of Education, Ipaja Lagos, has thrown its weight behind Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria’s directive that all teachers must have teacher qualification before being allowed into the classroom.

    The private college of education said it also supports TRCN’s stance that those who fell in love with teaching and are already plying their trade in the classroom but with no teaching qualification, must enroll for the Council’s Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PDE).

    The college management made its stance known at the matriculation of fresh PDE students into the 2016/2017 academic session.

    Provost of Topmost Dr Mabel Odunayo, praised the council for braving the odds by its announcement that come 2018, all unregistered teachers would be sacked.

    She said the Council’s action is like a soothing balm to Nigerian children, who according to her, are now liberated from the hook of unqualified and unprofessional teachers.

    “They (unqualified teachers), are all over the place parading our classrooms. But I can assure you that in no distant time, cheats and impersonators will have no place to hide any longer.

    In his address, the council’s Lagos State Director Mr Gbolahan Enilolobo, decried the poor capacity of teachers to deliver quality service commensurate with their qualifications and experience.

    “Such occurrences are a consequence of low commitment, poor pre-service training and dispassionate psyche of most emerging teachers. This all boils down to incompetence,” he said.

    Enilolobo added that TRCN as the regulatory agency for the teaching profession in Nigeria finds this scenario ‘highly worrisome’ adding that in order to address the shortfall, it introduced the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) for teachers seeking to register as professionals nationwide.

    “The PQE regime which is in consonance with provisions of TRCN enabling Law is aimed at ensuring that only teachers who have demonstrable competencies are registered to practice as teachers as against reliance on qualifications obtained from training institutions,” Enilolobo said.

    The PQE according to him, will take place between April and September every year, adding that since serving teachers are already scheduled for qualifying examination prior to registration,  graduating students cannot be inducted without their training institutions integrating the PQE in the induction protocol.

    “Therefore, all graduates of education programmes preparing for induction are to be short-listed for PQE at a time during their final examination. This means that eventual induction shall take place after passing final examinations approved by Senate or Academic Board of universities and colleges of education respectively in addition to passing the PQE,” he concluded.

     

  • Amaeochi’s hometwn gets naval war college, intelligence school

    Amaeochi’s hometwn gets naval war college, intelligence school

    Ubima, the hometown of the Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, is hosting the temporary site of Naval War College, the highest naval training institution in Nigeria, as well as the Nigerian Navy Intelligence School.

    The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, who inaugurated the two facilities yesterday, said training is the bedrock of military professionalism.

    The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice-Admiral Ibok Ibas; Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Kenneth Kobani; his Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson, also represented by the SSG, David Dokubo-Spiff; National Assembly members and other eminent personalities.

    The CDS said the military had been and would continue to place emphasis on training its personnel to ensure efficiency, greater productivity and effectiveness.

    Olonisakin said the approval of Ubima as the location of the Naval War College was given by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the facilities must be used responsibly and property maintained.

    The CDS hailed Amaechi, former Rivers State governor, and his successor (Wike) for supporting the college and school.

    He said the schools would enhance security in the host community (Ubima), known for kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, militancy and other criminal activities.

    Ibas said: “It is not surprising that premium is continually placed on improving the productivity and efficiency of our personnel. Nigerian Navy’s ability to discharge its mandate creditably is much of a function of available personnel quality, which in turn is governed by varied interplay of factors.

    “It is widely believed that from military organisation, a comfortable working environment, with the right working assets and equipment, is most essential and indeed indispensable to operational effectiveness. Nowhere else is the incorporation of such concept more required than in training structure, established to expand knowledge, to increase personnel confidence and raise productivity.

    “The Nigerian Navy fully appreciates this and, in tandem, naturally views training as our operational lifeblood. Training infrastructural deficit and decay are also being addressed. The centre is for specialised operational training, towards the promotion of national security.”

    The CNS hailed President Buhari for approving the war college and the stakeholders for their support.

  • Oyo college gets Bursar

    Oyo college gets Bursar

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the appointment of a new Bursar for the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora. He is Alhaji Sarafa Adewumi Agbogun.

    His appointment was announced by the college’s Interim Governing Council chairperson and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola, during the quarterly meeting of the held in the ministry.

    Until his appointment, Agbogun was the Deputy Director, Internal Audit Unit of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso. He is a fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI) and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA).

    He also holds Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

    Agbogun is also an assessor and examiner at the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).

    In a statement by the college’s Registrar, Mr Niyi Fehintola, the Bursar has over 15 years of professional experience in accounting, auditing, tax practices, banking and finance, as well as information management.

    Agbogun hails from Lanlate in Ibarapa North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

  • College vows to maintain status quo

    Bridge House College (BHC),  Ikoyi Lagos, has said it would continue to maintain the standard as a distinguished sixth grade school dedicated to preparing secondary school leavers for successful placements into top universities overseas. This is despite pressures from parents, students and other stakeholders to establish primary and secondary schools as feeder schools to the college based on its success stories.

    Management of the school disclosed this at a briefing with reporters as it announced the institution’s 13th anniversary.

    “On our plans for future, we have decided to remain the Sixth Grade that we are since inception. Owing to our success, there have been pressures from across quarters to establish primary and secondary school as feeder schools or even teacher training (college), but we said no. For now, we are happy with what we do,” said BHC Marketing Consultant Mrs Omowunmi Fatodu.

    “Another thing is that we have decided not to exceed the school population beyond 250. This is to sustain our standard and quality, while ensuring that our students enjoy the best facilities available,” Fatodu added.

    Sharing the institution’s success story, College Administrator, Mr Carman Latty, recalled how Bridge House started in January 2005 with eight students at a mini property in Abacha Estate, Ikoyi, before relocating to its present location in 2014.

    Ms Latty is happy that at present, the school has produced over 250 graduates who are holding their heads high at various universities in United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America; Canada; Ireland; and Ghana, among others.”

    Latty, who said she joined the college in 2013, described the institution as a ‘functional family,’ adding that the school has recorded excellent  performance in Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and university Foundation Exams

    With membership, ranging from Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN); Council for British Independent School (COBIS); and Association of International School Educators in Nigeria (AISEN), among others, the school has been able to  internationalise its students, inculcating in them the right values in a challenging world, Latty noted.

    She said the BHC, which is Cambridge International Examination (CIE), and Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) accredited centres, is proud of her alumni such  as Olumuyiwa Yusuf who emerged best in Economicsa Cambridge A-Level in Nigeria; as well as the duo-Damilola Ogunlana, and Nimibio Dambo that topped in Business Studies and Physics in CIE respectively.

    On career opportunities, Head Counselling &University Placement Mrs Olabisi Banjo, said BHC is in a marriage with over 30 universities across Europe, US and West Africa, and has successfully done placements for students some of who are at present studying Fashion Designing, Architecture, Engineering, Law, among others, in the aforementioned institutions.

    The college, she explained also shops for quality institutions both public and private across West Africa particularly, for parents who, due to financial constraint, could not afford to enrol their wards in institutions overseas.

    Nonetheless, what BHC considers priority is the children’s passion.

    “”While we find placements for them in the course of their choice, we try to distinguish between passion and career. For instance a BHC alumnus of 2006 set Chima Etekochay composed BHC anthem. Those are the kind of things we also look out and not merely what the students of their parents want them to study in the university,” Banjo noted.

    Vice Principal II Mr Richard Balogun, said the college underscores mentoring programme in addition to maintaining standard.

    “Here, we sustain our standard through regular quality Assurance by the University of Hull as well as Brook House College UK,” said Balogun who is also BHC Biology teacher.

    “At BHC, average class does not exceed 20. We also ensure that to every student there is a mentor. We do not take this aspect for granted because all we want is a total student that is confidence enough to rub shoulders with their counterparts globally. By the time they graduate (from secondary school) they are back here to garner more experience, and grooming so that in the end they are properly integrated for university life.”

    Rather than woo unsuspecting parents through advert placements in media,  Head of Marketing  Mowunmi Fatodu, said management has simply continued to consolidate on its strength, said

    “We don’t usually advertise or make noise like others. Words of mouth is powerful. Parents whose children have passed through here continued to spread the gospel of our achievements. Here, our strength is our focus. We attend school exhibitions and fairs and we encourage students to visit our schools to see our facilities.  facfailities.

     

     

     

     

  • Oyo college gets Bursar

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the appointment of a new Bursar for the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora. He is Alhaji Sarafa Adewumi Agbogun.

    His appointment was announced by the college’s Interim Governing Council chairperson and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola, during the quarterly meeting of the held in the ministry.

    Until his appointment, Agbogun was the Deputy Director, Internal Audit Unit of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso. He is a fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI) and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA).

    He also holds Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

    Agbogun is also an assessor and examiner at the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).

    In a statement by the college’s Registrar, Mr Niyi Fehintola, the Bursar has over 15 years of professional experience in accounting, auditing, tax practices, banking and finance, as well as information management.

    Agbogun hails from Lanlate in Ibarapa North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

  • 364 take matriculation oath at college

    364 take matriculation oath at college

    Freshers admitted by the Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Science in Nung Ukim Ikono have taken the matriculation oath last Thursday. No fewer than 364 students were inducted at a ceremony held at the college’s Sports Arena.

    Guests at the event included Commissioner for Education Paul Udofia and top management staff of the institution. The freshers beamed with smiles as they moved into the venue.

    The Provost, Mr Edward Ekpenyong, noted that the college has grown to become a model citadel for cutting-edge research and learning. He said the school was established with a mission to act as a pivot in leveraging on practical knowledge to promote development and entrench scholarship in attainment of its corporate responsibilities.

    Ekpenyong enjoined the freshers to key into the school’s mission in advancing knowledge thorough teaching and research to meet the need of local communities, states and the nation.

    Udofia described education as “a tool for building national identity through shared value and commitment to a common goal”.

    He urged the students to use the opportunity to acquire knowledge that would change the condition of their communities. He advised them to shun cultism and vices that could abort their academic pursuit.

    Some of the matriculating students who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE after taking the oath could not hide their joy.

    Gideon Etim, National Diploma (ND) 1 Natural and Applied Sciences student said: “I have looked forward to the day I would be admitted into a higher institution. Today, my expectation has come to past with the matriculation. Today would be a memorable day in my life, because the matriculation is a stepping stone to a greater height for me.”s

    Favour Amasughuyi, ND1 Engineering Technology student, said she was excited after being “formally admitted” into a discipline of her choice. She promised to abide by the rules and regulations of the school.

  • College hosts symposium on development of coastal areas

    AN international conference to map out strategies on development agenda for the three tiers of government in the coastal communities across the country has been hosted by the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo in Ondo state.

    At the conference, multi-national and indigenous companies prospecting for oil, gas and other natural resources in the communities were charged to fulfill their social responsibility to the people by embarking on projects that would add value to their lives.

    Scholars from various tertiary institutions in Nigeria and overseas participated in the conference which had as theme: “Community, Trade and Religion in Coastal Yoruba land,”

    Paper presenters were drawn from fields such as Sociology and Anthropology, Humanities, Arts and Science.

    A communiqué at the end of the conference signed by Professor of Humanities from the University of Texas, Austin, United States, Toyin Falola, decried what the participants called ‘low level’ of socio/economic development of Yoruba coastal communities, in spite of its abundant natural resources.

    While attributing the development to long years of neglect, the don noted that for the situation to improve there was need for government at all levels to place more emphasis on the provision of education, jobs and basic amenities such as good roads, potable water and health facilities for the people of the communities.

    Besides, the communiqué underscored the need to take note of the aquatic nature and marine life of the people of the communities.

    The communiqué also expressed the need for government and other stakeholders to give adequate attention to environmental protection and degradation through massive investment in coastline development, enactment of legislation that would boost capacity of local fishermen, development of tourism, introduction of conflict and resolution strategy.

    It also called for accurate mapping of towns and settlements located in coastal communities as well as development of economic blueprint that would help in accelerating rapid transformation of the region by state government.

    The Adeyemi College Provost, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, said the conference was organized as part of efforts by his management to promote intellectual development and enhance human capacity in the institution.

    He acknowledged the support received from eminent personalities including Prof. Toyin Falola, Dr. Insa Nolte from the University of Birmingham and other scholars from various tertiary institutions who took part in the conference.

  • Businesswoman donates classrooms to Oyo college

    Provost of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora, Prof Gbemiga Adewale has hailed the Managing Director of BOVAS and Company Limited, Mrs Victoria Samson, for the donation of classrooms to the college.

    The provost expressed appreciation to the businesswoman during the ceremony held to lay the foundation of the six classrooms valued at N11.08 million.

    Prof Adewale said Mrs Samson’s gesture would impact positively on the standard of the college, noting that the classrooms would help realise the institution’s vision food sufficiency through knowledge and innovation.

    The provost said the government alone could not provide quality education needed to drive the economy, saying the gesture demonstrated the need for partnership with private sector to enable higher institutions realise their visions.

    He urged indigenes of Ibarapa area of the state in private sector to follow Mrs Samson’s example by donating to the college.

    The Librarian and chairman of College Project Committee, Dr Olatunji Olaojo disclosed that the donor had released 75 per cent of the funds needed for the construction of the six classrooms. He added that the balance would be released when the project is about to be completed.

    Dr Olaojo assured the donor that the project committee would support the contractor working on the project to ensure it is completed in three months.

    The foundation laying was performed Mrs Samson’s representatives, Mr Babajide Olomola, Legal Officer and Mrs Mobolaji Ogunnaike, Corporate Affairs Services. They were joined by Prof Adewale and members of the college’s management team.

  • College urges repair of bad road

    Members of staff and students of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra State, are waiting for Governor Willie Obiano to fulfil his promise to rehabilitate the dilapidated Nsogwu road leading to the institution.

    Obiano had promised to repair the road when he visited the institution recently.

    Public Relations Officer of the college, Sam Otti, said the busy road serves not only the college community, but residents of Nsogwu and other neighbouring settlements.

    He explained that the road, in its bad state, had become a death trap for users, following its neglect by past administrations.

    He noted that the management of the college renamed the link road as Chief Willie Obiano Boulevard during his visit to the college, where he donated a 32-seater bus.

    According to him, the college management renamed the road after the governor in recognition of his laudable infrastructural development and improvement in the education sector of the state.

    To alleviate the suffering of the people, Otti said the Prof Josephat Ogbuagu-led management of the college, took up the task of regular rehabilitation of a new road that leads to the college, but the road could not be tarred due to paucity of funds.