About $6.4 million was spent on Revitalizing Adult and Youth Literacy (RAYL) programme in two years through the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals (OSSAP-MDG), the Federal Government has said.
The government said the OSSAP-MDG made the funds available for the project which was aimed at reducing illiteracy level in Nigeria and to building a critical mass of educators for literacy and life skills acquisition.
The final report on implementation of the RAYL which was presented to Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, stated that 4.5 million graduated from the programme.
The report stated that a total of 5,101,719 learners enrolled in the programme between 2013-2015 in 146 focused Local Governments, from which 4,589,637 of them have been made literate, even as 4,807 facilitators were also trained.
The minister in a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Chinenye Ihuoma, said: “The ultimate beneficiaries of the project are those who have not been reached, the marginalized or excluded from formal education system, mainly young girls and women, youth and out -of- school children.”
Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, commended all stakeholders in the project including UNESCO, parastatals of the ministry and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); adding that as the projects terminate by the end of 2016, stakeholders should continue to make efforts towards eradicating illiteracy.
Chairman of RAYL Steering Committee, Prof. Gidado Tahir, stated that equipping of Community Learning Centres was established in 13 states, publications on adult and non-formal education.
Prof. Tahir said the committee faced the challenges of lack of commitment by states to utilize the trained facilitators, poor condition of service for Non Formal Educators, Boko Haram insurgency in the North and limited political will at all levels.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Director, UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja, Dr. Benoit Sossou noted that the RAYL project had awakened the interest of many state governments in Non- Formal Education as well as bringing to limelight some best practices.
Specifically, he said that Ondo State established a separate ministry for Adult and Vocational Education ; Zamfara State reviewed its law to provide five per cent of Local Government Fund to cater for Non Formal Education, just as Bauchi and Taraba States provided one per cent of the consolidated Local Government fund to support the effort.
Kano state, he said, established two Learning Centres in every ward and engaged full time facilitators.
According to him, Anambra state established literacy centres in all major markets and ensured regular skills acquisition training while Cross River state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) engaged facilitators as permanent and pensionable civil servants.
He added that Lagos state ensured effective mobilization of partners and use of mobile learning platforms for adult and non -formal education.
The Nigerian Air Force has continued to invest heavily in the welfare of its officers and men especially through the provision of standardize educational facilities for dependents of its personnel. Assistant Editor, Seun Akioye who was at the commissioning of two schools reports
Inside the headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Abuja, the vision statement of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar was boldly written. The statement reads: “To re-position the NAF into a highly professional and disciplined force through capacity building initiatives for effective, efficient and timely employment of air power in response to Nigeria’s national security imperatives.”
On the surface, it may look like one of those well-crafted mission statements which usually end up as empty statements, but for the man who is referred to simply as “chief”, the vision is worth every weight.
NAFOWA Little Angels Primary School Kaduna
One of the ways which the CAS is hoping to re-write history and fulfill his vision is through education not only of Air Force personnel-which is done through training- but also providing for the needs of the dependents of his men through provision of world class educational facilities.
One of such is the Air Force Girls’ Comprehensive School located at the NAF Base Abuja. The NAF was not the original initiator of the school, but the Nigerian Air Force Officers Wives Association (NAFOWA), led by Hajia Hafsat Abubakar, wife of the CAS. But the NAF took over the construction of the school after NAFOWA ran out of resources to complete it in 2013.
In December 2015, the CAS directed that work should resume and in eight months, a world class infrastructure stood in the ruins of the abandoned structure. What was built was described by the Minister for Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folasade Yemi- Esan as a “21st century school.”
The sparkling new school boasts of a mini stadium, dining hall, hostel, tennis court, fully equipped classrooms, a library and a clinic. A standby generator is on hand to provide electricity while the science, Art and Agriculture laboratories and four other classrooms are equipped with interactive white boards which enables the students to experience the three ways of learning: hear, see, and feel.
Educating the girl child
Air Force comprehensive girls school Abuja
The CAS did not bite his lips when he enumerated the importance of educating the girl child and why the NAF view it as one of its cardinal focus.” Our experience in fighting insurgency in the Northeast indicates the exploitation of the girl child by insurgents due to low literacy level. At present, birth rate statistics show that 65 percent of births are girls. It is documented by most state Ministries of Education that the enrolment of girls in secondary schools is below 45 percent.
“This statistic is further supported by the results of the West African Examination Council. For instance in 2011,out of a total of 688,516 girls that sat for the examination, only 226,804 got 5 credits. Similarly in 2012, about 747,553 girls sat for the examination and only 310,822 were successful.”
The CAS said this NAF resolved to establish the school as “our modest contribution to Mr. President’s efforts at enhancing girl child education in Nigeria.” With the new school, the NAF now has two secondary schools dedicated to girl child education with one in Jos and Abuja respectively. He added that the school will educate the hearts and minds of the girls that would pass through its gates.
For the Minister of Education, the construction of the school was “humbling” also stressing that the ratio of girl child education to boys is 1:3 in some states. This is also reinforced by the extremism of Boko Haram and the risks associated with girl child education kept the female educational attainment perpetually low.
After commissioning the school and a tour of the facilities was conducted, Dr. Yemi Esan said: “ I came here with some uncertainties but I am impressed, this school is directed towards the underprivileged to curt out of school syndrome, we encourage other arms of government to follow suit, this is a 21st century school.”
Yemi- Esan would not be the only one to be impressed, the next day at the Air Force Base Kaduna where NAFOWA had rehabilitated a nursery school and added the NAFOWA Little Angels Primary School, the CAS was also left impressed.
“I am overwhelmed,” he said when he was called to make a remark after the school had been commissioned by Hajia Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the wife of Kaduna State Governor, Hajia Hadiza El-rufai.
“Four years ago, I brought my daughter to the crèche here, but I am sure she cannot recognize her school again because of the transformation,” he said. Like the girls school, the NAFOWA Primary school was built to world standard with ample playing room for the children, a fully equipped library and computer centre, spacious and conducive atmosphere for learning, white black boards, fully equipped home economics room and a crèche with modern facilities.
While the CAS may have focused on education for the dependents of personnel, the real driver of these projects is adding value to the society.” Adding value to the society is our core mandate, I strongly belief that adding value to the society is the best legacy we can bequeath to our children,” he said. But there is also a greater vision, that of thinking ahead. “ We have recruited 2,400 personnel ad with the increase, you must start thinking of infrastructure. Our actions are driven by the desire to add value to society and that is the right direction to go,” he said.
There are many worries that come with such projects, will the infrastructure not a pointer to an exorbitant school fees. Will the school be opened to children of civilians and how would the NAF maintain such a high standard facility, how much was expended into the project?
The CAS has answers for all. The school will follow the usual NAF fees schedule without adding anything on, the school will be opened to civilians, the NAF has maintenance structure put in place and the schools are of high standard so will stand the test of time and the schools are built using direct labour from the NAF, thereby cutting costs and enhancing the skills of Air Force engineers.
The Federal Government on Monday said about 25.3 million Nigerian children and youths are out of school across the country.
To reduce this figure, the government said it plans to enrol about 2. 9 million pupils annually in four years to reduce the figure of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Nigeria currently has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world with 11. 4 million out – of – school children out of the 20 million worldwide.
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said 60 per cent of the 11.4 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls.
Adamu, who said this at the presentation of “Education for change: a Ministerial Strategic Plan (2016-2019) to stakeholders in Abuja, said only 3.1 million or 17 per cent nomadic children of school-age had access to basic education despite decades of intervention.
He therefore said government would urgently raise the national Net Enrolment Rate (NER) to ensure that are enrolled in basic education schools in the next four years.
The Minister said: “About 25.3 million students at all levels of education are out- of- school in the country.
“Nigeria has the highest number of out of school children in the world with 11. 4 million out- of-school children of the 20 million worldwide. These include the girl-child, Almajiri-child, children of nomadic pastoralists and migrant fishermen and more recently the children displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.
“60% of the 11.4 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls. Only a fraction (17%) of the 3.1 million nomadic children of school-age has access to basic education despite decades of intervention. Similarly, only a small proportion of the FME’s 20120 estimate of 9.5 million Almajiri children have access to any form of basic education.
“An increasing number of displaced children (1 million) are being forced out of school in the insurgency-stricken states. These figures suggest that the educational process has given these groups of marginalized children very little access to education.
“For the 11.4 million out-of-school children the most urgent concern is raising the national Net Enrolment Rate (NER) to ensure that all of them are enrolled in basic education schools in the next four years. To achieve this target, the government planes to enrol, 2, 875,000 pupils annually for the next four years.
“The FME will come up with more effective strategies for engaging with states in addressing the problem of escalating numbers of out-of-school children including where necessary, the use of targeted funding that deliberately addresses the factors of exclusion.”
Adamu said the government would renovate the schools destroyed by Boko Haram and construct additional 71, 875 classrooms annually for the next four years to accommodate the pupils.
The minister also said the government would provide additional 71, 875 qualified teachers through the deployment of the 14 per cent of the new teachers to be recruited by the federal government annually to cater for the anticipated increase in pupils’ enrolment.
“The government will renovate the schools destroyed by Boko Haram and construct additional 71, 875 classrooms annually for the next four years to accommodate the anticipated increase in enrollment of out-of-school children.
“Provide additional 71, 875 qualified teachers through the deployment of the 14% of the new teachers to be recruited by the federal government annually to cater for the anticipated increase in pupils’ enrolment.
“Raise the current enrolment of girls in the basic education schools by 1.5 million girls annually for the next four years if the 6 million girls currently out of school are to be provided with access to basic education as required by the UBE law.
“Deploy 37, 500 qualified female teachers, (or 7.5% of the 500,000 new teachers to be recruited by the federal government annually), to serve as role models for female pupils/students; and determine the amount of resources in terms of the learning materials and other facilities, as specified in UBEC’s school norms and standards, required for training the Education For All (EFA) goals,” he added.
Earlier, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, said the education sector needed strengthening for Nigeria to meet goal four of the SDG.
According to Anwukah, the efficient and effective implementation of the Strategic Plan when finalized by all levels of governments and stakeholders would offer Nigerians the means to optimize opportunities, create solutions and find new paths to a better future.
He said: “For Nigeria to meet the targets of the SDG 4, the education sector needs strengthening, our dilapidated schools must be provided with befitting infrastructure to become learner-friendly for all learners, including girls, the vulnerable and those with special needs.
“We must recruit and re-train existing teachers for quality delivery. Every child, girl or boy must not only enroll in school but must complete the full cycle of basic education and must be seen to learn. Our tertiary institutions must be citadels of learning that foster innovation to meet the needs of the workforce, strengthen research capacities and advance knowledge by increasing higher education opportunities for young people.
“It is important also to say that education for change must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of their own times.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike to press home its demands for the implementation of its 2009 agreement with the Federal Government.
The ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Prof. Olusoji Sowande, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Sowande said that the union was planning to toe this part after several efforts to ensure that the government address the pending demands, proved abortive.
He said that the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on funding of state universities, breaches of the conditions of service and re-negotiation of the agreement, were still pending.
The coordinator also mentioned other demands like the exclusion of Nigerian universities from Pension Management Company and non-release of NEEDS Assessment Intervention Fund.
He said that funding of state universities, earned academic allowance and renegotiation of the agreement were parts of the outstanding issues.
Sowande recalled that the union had embarked on strike in 2012 and 2013 as part of the efforts to make the government implement the agreement, adding that the issues remained unresolved.
He said that the 2009 agreement provided for a periodic review after every three years which had not been done.
“The review of the agreement should have been undertaken in 2012 and 2015 but that did not happen.
“The implication is that our union has shown enough patriotism and understanding on these matters in the last four years.
“We are perplexed and disappointed that both the Federal and State Governments are not responding to our consistent appeals to bring about genuine transformation in the education sector, ‘’ he said.
According to him, embarking on strike has never been a favourable choice as the Students and ASUU members have always suffered the pains more.
“It is unfortunate that the only language government appears to respect and listens to is that of industrial action like strike,”he said.
The don said that the National officers of the union had met with the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on May 10 and tabled ten-point demand.
He said that the minister had promised that the issues would be resolved within two weeks but nothing had been done till now.
Sowande said that based on MOU signed in November 2013, “Nigerian universities requires N1.3 trillion to revitalise the system’’, adding that the government was already in arrears of N605 billion as at the third quarter of 2016.
He said that the government had refused to release N128 billion and N250 billion respectively for the earned academic allowance of three years after the MoU was signed.
“In order to forestall this avoidable crisis, we appeal to all genuinely progressive individuals and groups to prevail on both the Federal and State Governments to commence release of funds for the listed purposes.
“This is to arrest the brewing and potentially combustible situation in the Nigerian university system before it degenerated into a serious conflagration,” he said.
The Federal Government Wednesday said it was working on a decision that would allow states that have not been able to access the N64.8 Universal Basic Education funds for the development of basic education in the country have access to do so.
Only nine out of the 36 states and FCT were able to access the funds in 2015. 28 states could not because they failed to provide the matching grants or afford to pay counterpart funds required to access the funds.
Some of the states include: Oyo, Ekiti, Kwara, Bayelsa, Zamfara, Enugu, Plateau, Rivers, Nasarawa, Abia, Niger amongst others.
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, had said the ministry was working to reduce or do away with the requirements for matching grants by states for them to have access to the funds.
“Meanwhile we at the ministry we are doing our best to reduce or do away with the requirements for matching grants so that states can just apply to UBEC and get what is their share,” he had said.
Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hameed Bobboyi, told journalists during a meeting with state chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in Abuja on Wednesday that for states to be able to access the funds without meeting the requirements, the UBE Act 2004 has to be amended.
Bobboyi stated that ministry of education has presented the challenge faced by states before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for consideration.
He said: “The Federal Ministry of education and the relevant agencies has been doing quite a lot to ensure that the funds that are un-accessed are accessed by the states. This case is before ministry of education which is taking up the issue with the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and I think when the FEC makes its decision these things will be available for each and everywhere person to know just where we stand on this issue.
“There are two parties involved here and I think we should understand the major reason of instituting the matching grant of the UBE Act is to ensure that you build sufficient resources for the basic education sector where whatever the federal government brings the state governments will also match those funds and that is how the funding formula was developed.
“The idea is for us to push and ensure that people understand the initial impact of having the matching grants but subsequently also to see what could be done to see policy changes which could come from government because it involves change in UBEC Act that will facilitate or institute a lower percentage of matching grants to enable a large number of states which may be in some difficulties to access the funds.”
He blamed some states for failing to take basic education seriously even before the present economic challenges affecting the country.
According to him, the government is worried about the numbers of out-of-school children in the country and the poor quality of teachers in the basic education sector.
He added that teacher development was crucial to sustaining the quality of basic education in Nigeria.
“But unfortunately because of certain factors, even before the economic crisis that people are talking about, there are some states, perhaps who have not taken basic education very seriously. UBE has a road map for the development of basic education in this country. Any Executive secretary who comes will look at this and see what the priorities of government at any moment are.
“This government from the discussions and mandate that was given to us when we were inaugurated is to look at such key areas and ensure those concerned areas are addressed.
“The worrying areas of out of school children, issues of teachers’ development are crucial to sustaining the quality of basic education in Nigeria because if we don’t develop the teacher it becomes very difficult for us to realize the quality we are looking for.
“You know the key area that concerns this government is that area of accountability and transparency in the use of funds. And I think UBEC is going to improve its monitoring processes to ensure that whatever funds that come from UBEC are utilized in a transparent and accountable manner so that we can realize the core mandate of the organization that has been put in charge.
The Executive Chairman/Dean of SUBEBs, Prince Stephen Alao, confirmed that some states have been able to access 78 per cent of the funds.
He said: “Most states as I speak today have been able to access 78% of the fund for major infrastructural development across the nation and it is a continuous process.
“Most of the governors take basic education as a priority and the money that they have to pay for them to access is quite a lot of money and I am very happy, for example we have been able to access and we are working.
“There are some states that have not access for quite some time. I will mention like Ebonyi state. I want to commend their governor. Today they have accessed almost all their funds in UBEC and a lot of work is going on there.
“Our job is to talk with our various chairmen to dialogue with their governors. Of course most governors know that basic education is a priority in this country. You and I know if that if you miss basic education there is no nation. So I think all of us are on the same page in this matter.”
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu Thursday said that entrepreneurship holds the key to solving the mounting unemployment challenges of the country.
He spoke on the occasion of National Conference on Entrepreneurship Education at Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Uwanna Afikpo, Ebonyi state.
The programme was held by the institution in conjunction with the National Board for Technical Education.
Adamu who said that entrepreneurship is key to survival in the present knowledge based economy urged students, graduates and unemployed youths to embrace entrepreneurship as a way out of unemployment.
According to the Minister who was represented by a Director in the Ministry Dr. Chimezie Aguiyi, in an effort to combat Youth Unemployment and Eradication of Poverty, the National Council on Education (NCE) approved the mainstreaming of entrepreneurial education into the Senior Secondary Schools Curriculum in 2012.
He said: “The NCE also made it compulsory for students to offer at least one trade and entrepreneurial subject at the senior secondary education level”.
‘’Some states have challenges with the implementation of the Trade and Entrepreneurship component of Senior Secondary Education Curriculum’’.
“The concept of education stems from the realisation that education is not only a tool of impacting knowledge, ability to read and write nor investment in human capital or an index towards economic development of the nation, but also an avenue for the acquisition of values, attitude, skill and knowledge needed in impacting positive change in the immediate and larger environment; as well as the development of an individual to appreciate the dignity of labour.
Earlier, the Rector of Akanu Ibiam Federal Poly Unwanna Ven. Ogbonnia Ibe-enwo urged graduates not to be job seekers but job creators by engaging in entrepreneurship, adding that white collar jobs which they have been relying on is no longer available.
The Federal Government on Wednesday directed secondary schools to ensure that Islamic Religious Studies (IRS) and Christian Religious Studies (CRK) are taught as separate subjects.
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu gave the directive in a statement issued in Abuja by the ministry’s Deputy Director (Press), Ben Bem-Gong.
According to the statement, the directive became imperative because of speculation regarding the merging of the two subjects.
The statement quoted the minster saying that students would not be compelled to study the two subjects, adding that secondary school students are at liberty to choose any of the two subjects depending on their religious beliefs.
The statement said: “The directive has become necessary following weeks of speculations in the social and conventional media networks across the country that the two subjects have been merged into one.
The confusion was created by a publisher who produced a book on the subject, combining Islamic Religious Studies (IRS) and Christian Religious Studies (CRK), which is being used in some private secondary schools.
“There is no compulsion in the study of the two religions. Secondary school students are at liberty to choose any of the two subjects depending on their religious leanings.
“The Christian Religious Studies and Islamic Religious Studies have remained separate subjects in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
“If such a change has occurred (merger of IRS & CRS), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) would have reflected same in their programmes and examinations.”
The Federal Government Thursday scrapped the conduct of post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) for candidates seeking admission into higher institution.
The government explained that all tertiary institutions were at liberty to conduct screening for candidates seeking admission into any school.
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said this on Thursday in Abuja after declaring open the 2016 Combined Policy Meeting on Admissions to Universities, Polytechnics and other higher institutions in Nigeria.
Adamu, expressed confidence in the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), adding that there was no need for other examination to be conducted by universities after JAMB.
He said: “As far as I am concerned the nation has confidence in what JAMB is doing. The universities should not be holding another examination and if the universities have any complain against JAMB let them bring it and then we address it.
“If JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain admission.”
The Minister also asked the JAMB to stop extra charges on several categories of changes on admissions such as the change of course, change of school and others.
Meanwhile, the JAMB has pegged the cut – off mark for admission for 2016 at 180.
The 180 benchmark, applies to all universities and higher institutions in the country, including polytechnics, colleges of education, and others.
JAMB’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, after a long debate with delegates from various institutions, told journalists that no institution would go below the 180 cut-off set by the board.
He said: “180 is given, no institution will go below 180 this year, And some universities can go above it, I know University of Ife will not go below 200 and University of Lagos will not go below 200 and also UI. All these ones stand but 180 as bench mark for others.
“This year we have more than enough candidates, we have over 1.5 million candidates so we will get enough candidates to take in all the schools if they are serious. Re-distribution is already ongoing, because it is embedded in the registration procedure.”
President Buhari being welcomed by Minister of Defence, Monsur Dan Ali, Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, DG National Intelligence Agency Amb. Ayodele Oke and Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Hon. Abike Dabiri.
President Muhammadu Buhari arrives the United States to hold bilateral talks with the United States’ Secretary of States, Senator John Kerry at the Walter Washington Convention Centre.
The Minister of Education Alhaji Adamu Adamu had it rough with the House of Representatives Committee on Education Tuesday as the committee urged him to reverse the controversial sack of five Vice Chancellors (VCs) of the 13 newly established federal universities.
Hon.Aminu Suleiman, Chairman of the House Committee, at a meeting Tuesday, said that education stakeholders are concerned with the manner the five VCs were removed by the Minister.
According to the lawmaker, “pockets of mass protests on the issue prompted the House to adopt a motion mandating this Committee to investigate the matter.”
Other members of the committee, Hon. Sam Onuigbo (Abia, PDP),Hon Ezenwa Onyebuchi (Imo,PDP),Hon Mojeed Alabi (Osun, APC) were if the opinion that the ministry should have waited for the tenure of the affected VCs to expire before their removal.
But the Minister defended the action saying President Goodluck Jonathan established these universities indiscriminately and that the removal of the five VCs was based on the illegality of their appointments, adding that the institutions they headed were also illegal.
He said his ministry follows the provision of the law on the issue.
Adamu told the committee that President Muhammadu Buhari rightfully exercised his powers under Section 3 sub-sections 6 and 7 of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1999 to remove the VCs.
This explanation however did not go down well with the Chairman of the House Committee.
Suleiman told the Minister that the law is clear by the provision of the Act that a Vice-Chancellor can only be removed based on misconduct or inability to perform the functions of his/her office.
“For you to tell me that there are no laws governing these 12 universities is wrong. The only thing you can tell me is that the law is not gazetted. To that extent it is wrong to have acted on that basis”
A former Minister of State for Education Hon Aishatu Dukku who is a Committee member expressed concerns about the minister action, saying it was indefensible.
Another member, Mojeed Alabi a professor and former university lecturer said the sack of the Vice Chancellors was an act of impunity.
Eventually, the Minister was asked re-appear before the Committee on Tuesday, March 8th, 2016 with “facts and more convincing reasons for the sack.”
