The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Students

  • Award-winning Nigerian schoolkid urges students to be focused

    Award-winning Nigerian schoolkid urges students to be focused

    Award-winning Nigerian schoolgirl Katerine Eta has challenged students not to see failure as an excuse to quit.

    Katherine of Childville School, Ogudu, Lagos last week took the third place in the keenly contested 2017 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) held in Disneyland, California, USA.

    Organisers of Nigerian competition that gave her the platform to compete at the World Championship, ReadManna, is targeting more schools in order to provide opportunities for more students.

    Katherine, who spoke at the Murtala International Airport on arrival from the United States at the weekend, said: “You shouldn’t see failure as a reason for you to quit, failure should be a reason for you to work harder to do more of what you have already done”.

    Katherine, who received support from Zenith Bank Plc, was the only African Champion in this year’s championship. The bank had partnered with ReadAmana, since 2007 and sponsored Nigerian winners’ participation in the World championship.

    She said: “Last year I went for the world championship and I came tenth in the world and I decided that I was going to go again this year doing a different programme and this year because I work harder and because I was more determined, I came third in the world.”

    On what she planned to do with her newly acquired expertise in the Microsoft application, Katherine said she intended to get better still at using it and then help use the knowledge to help others.

    Chairman of ReadManna, Mrs. Ednar Agusto, said the organisation planned to expand the Nigerian competition so as to give more students the chance to acquire competencies in Microsoft applications.

    Agusto said she was motivated by the reality that competence in the use of the applications could help to increase productivity and improve self-esteem in students.

    “You know you will be able to stand and be able to do more things, it is a solid foundation in this ICT world because today, digital literacy is the language of the economy, so if you don’t know how to speak this language you are at a disadvantage, so we decided to start at the grassroots, work with the schools so that these children can have the right foundation and from there, they can move on to more advanced computer certification and knowledge,” she said.

    She promised that the organisation will invite more public schools to participate in the competition, saying that only one public school, Lagos State Model College, Meiran competed in the Nigerian championship, with fifteen students representing.

    For her effort, sixteen-year-old Katherine, received $1,500, a NuVision Solo 10 Draw Tablet at the world championship and another N750,000 ReadManna Chairman’s Prize. Wai Feng Cheng (Hong Kong) and Chi Kei Leong (Macao) came first and second respectively.

  • Ekpoma students laud Glo Mega Music tour

    Ekpoma students laud Glo Mega Music tour

    Students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, have praised Globacom for bringing the Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, to the university.

    The show, which had toured 14 other locations before coming to AAU, paraded music stars such as Olamide, Phyno, Flavour, Runtown, and Omawumi.

    Axterix, a new R & B discovery, was also at the show and opened the event.

    After the show, a cross section of the students showered praises on Globacom for making the evening a memorable one for them with the array of showbiz stars who performed.

    The president of the university’s Students Union Government (SUG), Comrade Cletus Oribhabor, commended the company for deeming it fit “to bring this world-class show to our campus free of charge to the delight of our students and members of the university community”.

    Also speaking after the show, Caring Ogbegie, a student in the Department of Microbiology of the university, said, “in my three-year sojourn on this campus, I have never witnessed this type of show and guess what, when the SUG guys said all these stars would be coming, I for one never believed them”.

    Their thoughts summed up the feelings of the students as the telecommunications outfit literarily brought the roof down on the fun seekers who  gathered at the Cordelia Agbebaku Auditorium.

    The show attracted a large crowd of students and other residents of the university town. Besides the five A-Listers, there were other artistes who added glamour to the evening. Nollywood divas, Uche Jombo and Ebube Nwagbo, were the anchors, while Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) led two other movie stars, Angela Okorie and Victor Osuagwu, to make celebrity guest appearances at the event.

    The auditorium was filled to capacity, and the organisers of the show had to provide a giant screen outside to enable those who could not be accommodated in the hall to be part of the fun.

    Axterix and Runtown performed in quick succession before handing over to an alumna of the university, Omawumi. She received special applause, and was followed by the Nabania crooner Flavour who capped his performance with his ‘Finally’ hit track. The duo of Phyno and Olamide, the King of the streets, treated the audience to a collabo performance.

    In his opening remarks, Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator, Mid-West, Augustine Mamuro, said the company will continue to meet their needs.

    “This show is at no cost to any of you here and this goes to show how we value and celebrate our subscribers,” said mamuro.

    “In the Globacom family, our subscribers are kings and queens and I can assure you all that we shall continue to attend to your telecommunications needs. Nobody does it better than Globacom.”

  • We study under trees, say students

    We study under trees, say students

    •Protest rocks federal varsity in Ekiti

    The students of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ikole campus yesterday protested inadequate infrastructure, poor power supply and other basic amenities.

    The students, blocked the Ikole-Omuo road, demanding that the institution’s management shared infrastructural development equally between them and their colleagues on Oye-Ekiti campus.

    The angry students said facilities at Ikole campus was so inadequate, adding that some of them receive lectures under trees.

    Other problems, according to them, are irregular power supply, dysfunctional Bursary Department and Engineering Workshop, non-availability of drugs at the medical centre, water tanker for Agric Faculty and shuttle buses to the main campus.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, promised that the complaints would be looked into.

    Soremekun said: “I promise that a committee will be set up to look into these issues.

    “I can assure you that Ikole campus would not be sidelined. Though my office is in Oye-Ekiti, I will be here at least once a month.”

     

     

  • Kwankwaso supporters protest plan to recall students

    Kwankwaso supporters protest plan to recall students

    Supporters of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso have called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, and national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to prevail on Governor Abdullahi Ganduje not to recall indigenous students studying abroad on scholarship.

    Reports are rife that the state is planning to recall the students, who were sent abroad on scholarship by the government of Senator Kwankwaso.

    But his supporters, under the auspices of Southern Mandate of Nigeria (SMN), said the government’s decision was targeted at the Senator, adding that the move was being sponsored by “political urban guerrillas” who see Kwankwaso as a threat in the 2019 election.

    The group’s National Coordinator Comrade Ikonomwan Francis, in a statement yesterday, said the government’s decision was shocking and disheartening.

    The statement reads: “It has come to our knowledge that the governor has perfected his plans to repatriate students  who are on scholarship home and abroad. This act is shocking and disheartening.

    “Former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso offered scholarship to the youths to study relevant courses which would enhance human capital development in the state.

    “Members of Southern Mandate of Nigeria (SMN) are surprised at the motive behind Ganduje asking that the students be repatriated without considering the effect of this inhuman decision, even at this critical moment of our national development.

    “It should be on record that Ganduje was part of the decision to sponsor these students. Kano State is highly populated but educationally deficient in some key professional areas like Medicine, Nursing, and Aeronautic Engineering etc.

    “Having observed these lapses, Kwankwaso decided to develop these key areas by sponsoring youths abroad, a decision that was accepted and applauded locally and internationally.

    “We view it as barbaric and cynical, that such gigantic project is about to be cut short to score cheap political points. It is worthy of mention that the Kano State government has invested so much in these students in the last three years, and they, on their part, have invested their time and energy to succeed.

    “We know Ganduje is being sponsored by some political guerrillas who see Kwankwaso as a major threat in the 2019 election. They, however, fail to realise that Kwankwaso can never be intimidated by his political foes.

    “We call on Acting President Yemi Osibanjo and the national, leadership of the APC to call Governor Ganduje to order, otherwise the devastating effect of the visceral on Kano State and the students alike will be unquantifiable.”

    As at last night, Commissioner for Information Mohammed Garba could not be reached to confirm the reported plans by the government to recall the students.

  • Group hosts career guidance workshop for students

    A student-focused group, Global Interns Nigeria, is to host its maiden career guidance workshop tagged: The career connect series.

    Tertiary institution and high school students are expected to attend the event holding on August 22, at Eko Hotels and Suites on Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The event, aimed at guiding students towards the right career path and prospects associated with them, will feature facilitators from various professions to address critical issues students encounter when making career choices.

    The group’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Modupe, said the initiative was informed by the need to properly guide the youth on their career paths. She said the workshop would help young people to understand the meaning of career choices and networking.

    “We promise the event would be practical and interactive between students and facilitators,” she said.

    Mrs Modupe noted that students were still being forced to make career decisions in line with the desire of their parents, without looking at the prospects and satisfaction in their choices.

    She said: “The workshop will provide a platform for students to enable them understand and take good decision in choices of career.”

    According to her, many young people had their aspirations dashed, because it was too late to reverse the choice they wrongly made. “This is why proper career guidance becomes relevant to fill the gap and help our young people. This is what the workshop aims to achieve,” she said.

    Global Interns Nigeria is an organisation that connects college and high school interns to lifelong rewarding internship jobs and volunteering programmes in Nigeria and Ghana.

  • Students canvass open data policy

    Students canvass open data policy

    In line with the global campaign for open data, students in Nigeria have urged governments at all levels to adopt open access to data as a national policy because of its benefits.

    Students, under the auspices of Open Con, at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Tuesday, organised a conference, which sought to address challenges facing open access to data.

    The convener, Bolutife Adisa, a 400-Level Electrical Electronic Engineering student, said adopting the policy would make online research and data freely accessible to people.

    He said the policy would help improve government’s performance and give the citizenry the opportunity to make informed decisions and hold government accountable.

    Bolutife said: “Open data is crucial to the development of the country. It will help in achieving accuracy in academic research, data science, medicine, software development, corporate governance, transportation and every other area of human endeavours.

    “One of the reasons Nigeria needs to facilitate open data is that, it will drive technological innovations and enhance the efficiency of researchers. This has been adopted by many countries globally and it is yielding positive gains.”

    Stressing the need for communities to come together and advance the campaign for open data, Bolutife said it would drive the nation forward if the policy is implemented.

    He said: “We want to create a platform where our works would be openly accessible and software will  equally be accessible. Open Con creates platform where students can come together, deliberate and do projects that will advance open access to data.”

    The event featured a panel of discussion, where Kayode Yusuf of Tech Lead Creative Commons spoke about licensing open data. During the session, Sam Oyeyele of WikiMedia Foundation discussed how best to share data on Wikipedia.

    Oyeyele said making data open would improve the way people access information and promote innovation in transportation, elections, health and energy.

  • UNILAG students seek to generate electricity outside national grid

    Engineering students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) are seeking ways to generate electricity outside the national grid for rural communities in a bid to promote research and growth.

    The students are making the effort under the umbrella of University of Lagos Engineering Association.

    “We want to proffer a solution to poor electricity supply. We want to see how to give electricity in rural areas a boost.

    “We want to generate electricity that will be independent of the national grid,’’ Mr. Mojolaoluwa Keshinro, a member of the association, said in Lagos yesterday.

    Keshinro, a mechanical engineering student, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said Nigeria was lagging behind in technology and needed to adequately fund research to encourage innovation.

    “The world is moving fast in terms of technology.

    “The last innovation in Nigeria was carried out by the late Prof. Ayodele Awojobi, one of the best brains produced by UNILAG,’’ he said.

    Keshinro called for sponsorship of competitions that would encourage innovation.

    The President of the association, Olarenwaju Adejumoriola, told NAN that Nigeria’s inadequate investment in research hindered it from tackling some challenges.

    Adejumoriola, a final year chemical engineering student of UNILAG, said adequate funding of research would provide solutions to many of Nigeria’s problems.

    “The purpose of education is to mold minds and not to look for jobs.

    “This country is blessed with intelligent scholars with highly creative minds and innovative thinking.

    Nigerians are some of the best brains found in many parts of the world,’’ Adejumoriola said.

    “We, as engineering students, are concerned with how to think critically about issues that affect the society and work hard to proffer solutions.

    “However, we are saddened by the fact that there is no adequate support from governments, especially in providing research materials and grants,’’ he said.

    He appealed to governments to improve research funding.

  • South African varsity meets students, parents

    A delegation from the University of Venda, South Africa led by the Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Mbati will hold a public forum on Monday.

    It holds at the Sheraton Hotel Ikeja, Lagos by 9:30am.

    Tagged Friends of University of Venda, the forum is open to prospective students, parents and stakeholders in tertiary education.

    Mbati said: “The University of Venda is an internationally oriented rapidly growing, vibrant comprehensive university with approximately 15200 students in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes offered in science, engineering, technology, health, law and humanities with a mission to be a leading regional African University.”

  • 17 indigent students get scholarship

    Seventeen indigent students in Edo State have benefited from the scholarship scheme of the Arise Education Scholarship Foundation (ASEF).

    The beneficiaries were sent to some of the best public schools in the state such  Edo College, Benin City, Model Girls School, Ubiaja and Federal Science Technical College, Uromi.

    The foundation settled the bills for their secondary education  – from Junior Secondary to Senior Secondary School.

    Founder of AESF, Mr. Rex Osagiede, who spoke at the 10th anniversary of the foundation, urged Nigerians to be selfless and show concern for the plight of the poor.

    Osagiede said the foundation was borne out of his passion to provide an enabling environment for young under-privileged children to have access to good education.

    He said he wanted to serve as a bridge between the haves and have-nots, as well as create a platform of love for the poor.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki, represented by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Ms Osayuware Idahosa, said his focus on the educational sector was to get it right.

    Obaseki said his interest to pay attention to technical education was because he believes skill are needed for the industries his administration would attract to the state.

    He noted that people would soon begin to see the transformation in the Benin Technical College.

    According to him, “Doing it right will take the state to the next level; there will be more infrastructural development and pedagogical training for teachers”.

    Mr. Nehizena Uyiekpen, a United Kingdom-based HSBC Consultant, said her contribution to the foundation was to enable her give back to the people.

    ‘’I am giving back to where my parents came from, where they started.

    “It  is not one man that raises a child, but a village; the future is not far, the future begins today,” he said.

    He thanked the children for being committed to their studies.

  • Parents kick over students expulsion

    How will the rift between the Ajayi Crowder University (ACU) in Oyo and some of its expelled students be resolved?

    This is the question many are asking as parents of the students have accused the university of doing everything to destroy their children’s future.

    But the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Folorunsho Asaju, said the students won’t be reabsorbed because the institution’s Senate’s decision on the matter was final.

    The parents alleged that due process was not followed in expelling the students. The Students Handbook of Information and Regulations, they claimed, was circumvented in expelling the students, most of who were accused of taking hard drugs, is a criminal offence.

    It all started on April 7, when  Asaju visited the Halls of Residence over students’ complaint of power cut. Some students were alleged to have poured water on him during the visit. The chancellor who reportedly to left in anger.

    On April 11, 70 students were asked to appear before the university’s Disciplinary Committee the next day.

    The disciplinary committee comprises the VC registrar, Dean, Students Affairs, the university’s legal officer, two students (elected by students fellowship), and the Students Affairs Officer, who serves as secretary. The VC is the chairman. Also in attendance were the hall administrators, deans and heads of departments of the affected students, academic officer, chief security officer, guidance and counselling officer, and the university’s Chaplain.

    An  affected student said he was accused of smoking Indian hemp when he appeared before the committee.

    He said he denied the charge, adding that contrary to the students’ handbook provisions he was summoned before the panel for a criminal offence.

    Chapter three of the handbook categorises offences into two types, misconduct and criminal. Misconduct borders on unruly behaviour, indecent behaviour, vandalism, membership of secret cult and transfer of bed space, among others.

    Criminal offences include fraud, theft, burglary, assault occasioning harm, murder, possession of firearms, arson, rape  and possession and use of hard drugs and drug trafficking. Possession of Indian hemp is in this category. It further states: “All criminal cases shall be handed over to the police for necessary action”.

    Another student, who also appeared before the committee, denied the charges of throwing water on the VC and smoking Indian hemp. The student said he was wrongly accused by a porter of smoking Indian hemp, adding that he was ready to confront his accuser.

    Dissatisfied with their expulsion, which was only published on the university’s website, their parents got lawyers to fight what they described as “injustice”.

    The claimed that contrary to the university’s rule, they were not written over their expulsion nor granted a right of appeal.

    The parents’ appeal to tamper justice with mercy was also shunned.

    A parent, Chief Olu  Aiyemoniage, whose son Tosin was expelled, said no trace of hard drug was found on the boy when he was screened.

    He said the boy’s interrogation by the state security also indicated that he was not involved in any crime

    Mr & Mrs  Abiodun Segilola, whose son Olarenwaju was also expelled, wrote the university, condemning the manner of his expulsion.

    “This is totally unacceptable and it is not what I expect as a parent from this school. Ajayi Crowther University has the contact of all parents and regularly informs us of all happenings in the school which include: payment of school fees, resumption, holidays, and every update regarding our children in the school, but to my biggest surprise, this was never communicated to us and I was surprised when my son came home to inform me about this;

    “The allegations against him were not properly investigated, the investigation panel setup to confirm this misconduct did not give the students any chance to speak, instead, they were expelled without giving them any room to defend the allegations. My son was not among the group of guys that threw water at the school’s vice chancellor and I can comfortably beat my chest that he doesn’t smoke Indian hemp, cigarette or any drug whatsoever,‘’ the Segilolas said. Defending the school, Asaju said since the case had been decided by the university, there wass nothing anybody could do about it.

    On the letter from the students’ lawyers, he said they or their parents could go to court but the university still stands on its decision.

    His words: ’’I am sorry we can’t discuss that issue at all. It (expulsion) is a decision of the university’s Council and once anybody’s case has gone to the Council and the university Council has taken a decision, it is final. Nobody can even discuss the issue here. The affected students can go to court. If they decide to do that, they are welcome to it.’’