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Tag: UNESCO

  • UNESCO, SWAG Initiative, others to men: empower girl-child

    UNESCO, SWAG Initiative, others to men: empower girl-child

    IN a bid to empower Nigerian girls and work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has stressed the need for coordinated efforts to provide more opportunities and protection for the Nigerian girl child.

     Philippe Delanghe, Officer-in-charge of the UNESCO Regional Office, emphasized the transformative potential of education and the importance of safeguarding and increasing opportunities for girls. 

    He made these remarks yesterday in Abuja during the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child celebration organized by Stand With A Girls (SWAG) Initiative in collaboration with UNESCO.

     During the event, it was noted that girls in Nigeria face numerous challenges, including limited access to education, health risks, gender-based violence, and harmful practices like early child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting.

    Delanghe highlighted the critical situation of the Nigerian girl child, despite some progress in addressing the issues inhibiting her growth. 

    He pointed out that girls in Nigeria have fewer educational opportunities and face significant health risks.

    , including early and frequent childbearing, HIV, gender-based violence, and other harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting.

    Read Also: FG to open up 28 States for water transportation

     He also mentioned that despite various policies aimed at improving access to health and education, there are still an estimated 10.2 million out-of-school children aged 6-11, with a larger proportion of them being girls. Completion rates for girls in national primary schools are lower compared to boys.

     He lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation by causing prolonged school closures, exacerbating inequalities, reversing gains made in girls’ education, and exposing vulnerable children to protection violations, exploitation, and abuse.

     In response to these challenges, Delanghe stressed the need for a deepened level of engagement with a broad range of stakeholders in education, health, and well-being of school-aged children, especially girls, through effective reproductive health education. He emphasized the importance of involving men in this conversation to bridge the gap for adolescents and young girls as they transition into womanhood.

    He disclosed that UNESCO’s program ‘Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future’ (03 program), which addresses these issues through policy development and empowering young people with education and information, will be expanded to 7 States by 2027 from the initial 13 States.

  • UNESCO, SWAG Initiative, others to men: empower girl-child

    UNESCO, SWAG Initiative, others to men: empower girl-child

    In a bid to empower Nigerian girls and work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has stressed the need for coordinated efforts to provide more opportunities and protection for the girl-child.

    Philippe Delanghe, Officer-in-charge of the UNESCO Regional Office, emphasised the transformative potential of education and the importance of safeguarding and increasing opportunities for girls.

    He spoke in Abuja during the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child celebration organised by Stand With A Girls (SWAG) Initiative in collaboration with UNESCO.

    During the event, it was noted that girls in Nigeria face numerous challenges, including limited access to education, health risks, gender-based violence, and harmful practices like early child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting.

    Delanghe highlighted the critical situation of the Nigerian girl child, despite some progress in addressing the issues inhibiting her growth.

    He pointed out that girls in Nigeria have fewer educational opportunities and face significant health risks, including early and frequent childbearing, HIV, gender-based violence, and other harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting.

    He also mentioned that despite various policies aimed at improving access to health and education, there are still an estimated 10.2 million out-of-school children aged 6-11, with a larger proportion of them being girls. Completion rates for girls in national primary schools are lower compared to boys.

    He lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation by causing prolonged school closures, exacerbating inequalities, reversing gains made in girls’ education, and exposing vulnerable children to protection violations, exploitation, and abuse.

    Read Also: State of emergency: UNESCO REF proposes solution for food availability

    In response to these challenges, Delanghe stressed the need for a deepened level of engagement with a broad range of stakeholders in education, health, and well-being of school-aged children, especially girls, through effective reproductive health education. He emphasized the importance of involving men in this conversation to bridge the gap for adolescents and young girls as they transition into womanhood.

    He disclosed that UNESCO’s programme ‘Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future’ (03 program), which addresses these issues through policy development and empowering young people with education and information, will be expanded to 7 States by 2027 from the initial 13 States.

    Executive Director of SWAG Initiative, Margaret Bolaji-Adegbola encouraged girls to reject limitations, recognise their uniqueness, and use their voices.

    She emphasized that no society can truly prosper by leaving any gender behind and called for an all-inclusive approach that involves both girls and boys.

  • 2019 Osun festival will be a huge success, says Ataoja

    Five months ahead of the annual Osun Osogbo festival, plans to make this year edition a huge success and different from the previous ones have begun in earnest.

    The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Oyetunji, during the visit to his palace by a team of a tourism, art and culture consultancy group, the Equity Global led by its Principal Consultant, Mr. Williams Derrick, said the economic value of the festival to Nigeria is immeasurable.

    Oba Oyetunji said the festival annually contributed not only to the local economy but the national economy with influx of people from all parts of the world to participate in the religious tourism.

    He explained that he was determined to preserve the heritage of the festival and the Osun Sacred Grove, which was listed among the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site in 2005.

    The Ataoja said as a custodian of Osun deity he has the responsibility to ensure her preservation and safe keeping preservation.

    The first class monarch, who denied alleged sales of Osun deity, which he described as an “immovable spirit,” advised the people to disregard the accusation.

    He maintained that selling Osun deity amounts to selling his throne as the Ataoja of Osogbo, saying he derived part of his power from the existence of the Osun goddess.

    In his remark, Mr. Derrick, who noted that the Equity Global has been appointed the new consultant for Osun Osogbo festival, said this year edition of the festival will witness some innovations.

    According to him, the Equity Global will this year work with more local people in diverse trades and arts and culture business to make the festival memorable and eventful.

  • Ericsson, UNESCO launch AI programme

    Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has partnered the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to develop a new digital skill learning programme that would expose young people to Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    The initiative was launched at Mobile Learning Week 2019, UNESCO’s flagship education conference held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris earlier this month.

    The advancement of technologies such as mobile broadband, cloud, IoT (Internet of Things), automation and AI, has increased demand for a new set of skills in the job market.

    Ericsson and UNESCO are combining their strengths to create opportunities to scale up skill development in AI and other key digital skills for young people under the AI for youth initiative.

    The partners will develop and manage a repository of AI and other key digital skill training courses that will be available globally as well as build capacities of master trainers from selected countries with advanced knowledge of AI skill development.  These master trainers will also get support to mobilise AI hub centers and hackathons to train young people on developing AI applications.

    Read also: MTN, Ericsson launch first 5G customer trial

    Heather Johnson, Vice President Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Ericsson, said the firm’s partnership with UNESCO would enhance the project.

    “This public private partnership focusing on skill development for Artificial Intelligence is an excellent example of what can be achieved when leaders work together to promote knowledge sharing and cooperation. “

    Borhene Chakroun, Director of Policies and Lifelong Learning Division, UNESCO, added: “At UNESCO we think that artificial intelligence is to be put at the service of sustainable development, a whole set of new education and training programmes has to emerge to equip youth with skills required to live and work in artificial intelligence era. Our partnership with Ericsson is critical to advance this agenda”.

  • ABE UK, UNESCO to train 1.2million youths

    The Association of Business Executive, United Kingdom in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Read and Learn Federation are set to improve business and education for aspiring entrepreneurs in the country. The aim to empower young people by training them in different skills  to be business and community leaders.

    The President, UNESCO Read and Earn Federation, Abdulsalami Ladigbolu said there is need to work with the relevant and internationally recognised organisation such as ABE UK, which shares the priorities and aspiration of the UNESCO TAP Project.

    Ladigbolu spoke during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNESCO Read and Earn Federation and  ABE,UK in Abuja, stating that the objective was to lay emphasis on entrepreneurship among youths for job creation.

    The MoU is to ensure that ABE train youths in different ecognised programme to curb illegal migration. Its target per year is 120,000 and in 10 years, it is eyeing 1.2million  to be trained in different skills.

    The objective is to curb illegal migration from Africa, to provide youths with a gendered focus on women the opportunity to acquire internationally recognised entrepreneurship skills and knowledge in becoming a global work force and a relevant alternative resource to oil exploration for the nation’s economic growth before or by 2030.

    UNESCO president said this include increasing the capacity of the youths to learn and understand the dynamics of approaching and dealing with international markets. This also is to enhance the aspiration of the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to make Nigeria economic powerhouse on the international stage.

  • ASUU Strike paralyses Academic activities in UNIBEN

    As the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) enters its third day, academic activities at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in the Edo state capital have been paralysed.

    A Correspondent who monitored the compliance level and the effect of the strike on lecturers and students in Benin on Wednesday observed that the institution was unusually empty, as only a few persons were around the campus.

    The institution’s ASUU chairman, Prof Julius Iyasele, who spoke with, said that government’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians and public tertiary institutions in the country prompted the strike.

    Iyasele disclosed that other reasons for the strike were the under-development of tertiary institutions, the revitalization of the country’s education system, insecurity in the country, as well as the non-implementation of a previous agreement reached between the union and the federal government.

    He stressed that the government, after reaching agreement with the union, later reneged, adding that the union was now prepared to implement the Ghana model of not returning to work, until government does the needful.

    The UNIBEN ASUU chairman said that in most countries of the world today, tertiary education was free, as education was a public good and the pivot of every developing nation.

    “But here in Nigeria, we see a situation where government wants to take education beyond the reach of the common man.

    “The UNESCO budgetary standard for education is 26 per cent, but in Nigeria, we have moved from nine per cent in 2011 to six per cent, and we are saying no, we cannot continue like this.

    “The government wants public universities pauperized so that private universities can flourish, because most of them in government are proprietors of private universities.

    “For instance, Dr Wale Babalakin, the leader of the government negotiating team is building a private university; that is why he is fixated that government can’t fund tertiary institutions, and that is why ASUU is saying that Babalakin must step down as a representative of government,’’ he said.

    He, however, said that it was sad that government’s insensitivity was causing a setback to students and parents, adding that clearance for new students for the new academic session ought to have commenced on Monday at UNIBEN.

    “But we h ave directed all the students to go home, and they have gone home.’’

    Meanwhile, Mr Sunday Ogheneyore, a 400-level Economics and Statistics student at the institution has lamented the ongoing strike.

    According to him, “I am supposed to be doing my project work, but I can’t do that now due to the strike. The irony is that I don’t even know when it would be called off.

    “As it is now, I don’t know whether to go get a job somewhere and be working first or not,’’ he noted.

    Similarly, Miss Jacinta Ikediuwa, another student of the institution, said it was sad that government was playing politics with the education and the future of her youth.

    ASUU announced an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday over the non-implementation of its memorandum of Action (MOA) signed with the Federal Government.

    The association’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the strike would involve all federal and state-owned institutions.

  • Obaseki links Edo’s growing investor, voter confidence to open governance

    The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said that there is a correlation between his administration’s open governance model and the growing investor and voter confidence in the state.
    Obaseki said this on the occasion of the celebration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information, marked on September 28, each year.
    He explained that “as a matter of policy, we publish all our reforms across the various sectors of the state and their outcomes online, for potential investors and the public to know what we are doing to develop the state.”
    The governor noted that “Information and communication technology and the information super highway have made it easy to communicate governance to members of the public.
    “We place huge premium on transparency and accountability and the efforts we have made in pension reform, health, education, job creation and other key sectors are in public domain. They can be accessed online.
    Commending the United Nations for setting aside a special day to celebrate universal access to information, Obaseki said information explosion remains a remarkable achievement in the 21st century, and urged global leaders to take advantage of the information superhighway and the new technologies to guarantee unfettered and unencumbered access to information, revolutionise governance and carry the electorates along on government processes, procedures, achievements and challenges.

    Read Also: Victory shows APC is preferred party —Obaseki

    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), said that “since 2016 it has marked the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), following the adoption of a resolution (38 C/70) declaring 28 September of every year as International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
    “IDUAI has particular relevance with the new 2030 Development Agenda, and in particular with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 16.10  which calls for ensuring public access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms.”
    UNESCO said it hopes that the event will encourage more countries to adopt Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, develop policies for multilingualism and cultural diversity in the cyberspace, and ensure that women and men with disabilities are integrated.
    “These steps will further strengthen progress towards the 2030 Development agenda and pave the way for the creation of knowledge societies worldwide.”

  • World Peace Day: Aisha Buhari canvasses justice, equity

    The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has canvassed for a society where justice and equity reigns as the world marked 70th anniversary of UN Peace Day.

    She made the appeal on Friday in Abuja at the 2018 UN Peace Day celebration organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).

    She was represented by a former Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mrs Pauline Tallen.

    She described this year’s theme, “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Right at 70’’, as apt in the light of the Sustainable Development Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

    According to her, peace is only possible when there is equal access to justice.

    “’Peace is feasible only when we promote peace and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels,” she said.

    The UNESCO Regional Director, Ydo Yao, who represented the Director-General of UNESCO, Audray Azoulay, noted that peace would remain elusive as long as cases of human rights violations still persist.

    “There will be no peace on this planet as long as human rights are violated somewhere in the world.”

    Azoulay explained that on this International Day of Peace, the words of René Cassin, one of the architects of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, remind us that “peace will remain an unattainable ideal as long as fundamental human rights are not respected’’.

    She said that respect for the fundamental human rights was a prerequisite for a peaceful society, in which everyone can fully enjoy equal and inalienable rights.

    “Peace is imperfect and fragile unless everyone benefits from it; human rights are either universal or they are not.

    “This intrinsic link between peace and respect for human rights is the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace, as this year we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    “The ideals of peace and universal rights are challenged and violated on a daily basis,” she said.

    The Royal Father of the Day, Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, the Emir of Bade, Yobe State, said there was need for a role for traditional institutions in enthroning lasting peace in the country.

    “I appeal to the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and her partners to consider the role of the traditional rulers as consequential to the recovery of peace and sustainable rulers in the country on conflict resolution.

    “On daily basis we resolve many conflicts in our respective domains to ensure orderliness.

    “I therefore urge the Federal Government to provide IPCR funds for the training of royal father’s in mediation and conflict resolution.

    “We shall do our best as royal father’s to ensure peaceful coexistence among the people of the country,” he said.

    The Acting Director-General of IPCR, Dr Bakut Bakut, had earlier said the institute had in pursuance of peace in Nigeria and beyond, established National Peace Academy, with the hope to produce peace advocates throughout the country.

    Bakut said that the importance of peace in any given society could not be overemphasised, noting this underscored the fact that peace is necessary condition for any development to take place.

    He called on political leaders and their followers to pursue peace at all cost as the nation moved closer to 2019 elections.

  • Increase tax revenue to fund education, Actionaid tasks govt

    The Country Director, Actionaid Nigeria, Mrs Ene Obi has urged federal and state governments to take decisive steps to increase the funds allocated to the education sector in order to improve the quality of education.

    Obi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria  on Monday in Lagos on the sidelines of a workshop on Breaking Barriers for Girl’s Education.

    She tasked the governments to break the barriers to quality public education by improving tax revenue, particularly corporate tax, as a way of providing sustainable funding to the sector.

    She listed some of the barriers to public primary education as poor school infrastructure, violence and discrimination, failure to recruit and retain good quality teachers among others.

    “If states commit to finding resources to increase the size of their education budget for globally agreed targets, all children including the poorest and most marginalised will enjoy free, quality public education,” Obi said.

    Obi revealed that Actionaid had received 6.2 million dollars grant from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) to influence policy making and initiatives to increase the size and share of education budget.
    In addition, she said the project aimed at ensuring the public education system became more responsive to the needs of girls and marginalised children.

    NAN reports that about 10.5 million children are out of school in Nigeria, with the country investing only about seven per cent of its budget on education, short of the UNESCO 20 per cent benchmark.

    Experts observe that there is a link between the crumbling education service and evasion of tax by local and multinational companies in Nigeria.

    They note that money accruing from a proper tax regime can be useful in addressing infrastructure deficit in Nigeria’s education sector.

    Statistics obtained from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) show that out of the 450,000 limited liability companies operating in Nigeria, no fewer than 125,000 representing 27.7 per cent pay any form of taxes.

    Dr Charles Nwaobia, an education stakeholder, observed that the Education Tax Act indicated that government intended to have a sustainable education system funded through tax.

    He said the tax imposed by the act was meant to fund the federal, states and local government educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools.

    “Two per cent shall be charged on the assessable profit of a company registered in Nigeria.

    “The Federal Board of Inland Revenue shall assess and collect from a company the tax imposed by this act.

    “Accordingly, the higher education shall receive 50 per cent, primary education 30 per cent; and secondary education shall receive 20 per cent of the total tax collected in any one year,” Nwaobia said, citing a portion of the act.

    Nwaobia said the number of companies that were taxed would determine the amount of money put into the education system.

  • LASU introduces international students’ identity card

    Lagos State University ( LASU ) says it has introduced an International Student Identity Card ( ISIC ) to serve as a valid proof of identification for its students worldwide.

    According to LASU’s official bulletin obtained by the newsmen registration for the ISIC commenced on Monday and will end on April 30.

    The bulletin said that ISIC would give LASU students an opportunity to be part of the largest globally recognised, acceptable and verifiable students’ identity.

    It says the UNESCO-endorsed ISIC is a passport for reasonable discount on goods and services for students in selected enterprises globally and enables them to pay less on trainings and courses.

    “It is a single card for identity, payment and access to deep discount worldwide and gives the students an opportunity to save money daily both home and abroad.

    “It offers discount on travel, shopping, museum, food, entertainment, transportation, education, among others,” it said.

    Read Also: LASU VC, Olanipeku’s son, 62 others listed for SAN

    The bulletin said that ISIC also offered scholarship worth 10,000 dollars yearly in partnership with Global Study Awards British Council IELTS and STUDY PORTAL and students registered under it could benefit.

    In another development, the university has directed its students to swear a court affidavit to be of good conduct.

    LASU said the directive was issued against the backdrop of poor attitude, moral laxity and some negative acts displayed by some students of the institution.

    “In view of this, all students are hereby requested to submit the sworn affidavit on or before May 15, as failure to comply with the directive by any student will attract sanctions,” it said.

    NAN