The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UNESCO

  • Expert urges Osun to invest in Osun Grove

    Expert urges Osun to invest in Osun Grove

    A tourism expert, Mrs Margaret Fabiyi, has called on the Osun government to invest in the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and Shrine to boost its revenue earnings.

    Fabiyi, the founder of Webisco International Federation of Women Entrepreneurs and Tourism of Nigeria, made the call in an interview with

    According to Fabiyi, the heritage site is a prominent cultural, craft and art centre and one of the most famous tourist destinations in Nigeria that should be supported to attract more tourists.

    “For instance, the government should build hotels and relaxation centres as well as put in place other tourism infrastructure around the grove to boost the tourism image of the state.

    “The grove and the shrine should be given a befitting look while the road leading to the site needs to be expanded. The River Osun environment needs to be cleaned up.

    “Osun grove is one of the UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites, so if the government can invest heavily in it, it will boost Internal Generated Revenue (IGR),’’ she said.

    Read Also: Why Osun adopted parliamentary system, by Aregbesola

    According to her, the evergreen jungle around the grove gives it a serene atmosphere, offering nature watchers additional attraction.

    Fabiyi said that many sacred places of interest within the grove such as Ile-Osun, the Osun Temple and Ojubo Osun were capable of  bringing in more tourists to the state.

    The news men reports that the Osun Grove and Shrine is a national monument situated about a kilometre from the Ataoja’s Palace, a prominent king in the state.

    The grove and shrine, located close to River Osun, attracts millions of local and international tourists annually.

    River Osun is a sacred river being worshiped because it is believed that it  has  the ingredients to overcome all human challenges.

    NAN

  • Why CSOs and Journalists must work together

    Why CSOs and Journalists must work together

    I remember having to ask Edetaen Ojo what is the difference between Civil Society Organisations ( CSOs ) and Non-Governmental Associations (NGOs). It was a long throaty laughter he gave when he tried to explain the difference.

    This was the first time I will be in a meeting of both Journalists and Civil Society Organisations, and Edetaen Ojo, who recognised the dilemma in my question, was quite patient to explain the difference.

    In his opinion, NGOs and CSOs are the same. However, Civil Society Organisation is the broader term used in characterising what the advocates of social justice and good governance do. Not to forget that Non-Governmental Individuals (NGIs) do exist; they are in Barrister Onyinyechi’s explanation, “the unscrupulous individuals that attract bigger funding from external bodies for a purpose, and end up sharing the money equally amongst themselves without using the fund attracted for its initial claim.” Social Justice is of no meaning to them, as they are in the business for the advancement of getting personal gain for themselves

    May be that was the reason the Federal Government sought to scourge them and fight them with several policies like the anti-NGO bill, threatening the core of their existence. The meeting facilitated by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) made me to understand that the media and CSOs are both advocates for social justice and good governance, employed in the service of the well-being of the greater good for the people.

    Thus, I wasn’t too surprised to see several organisations under the Civil Society Organisations. Initially, one would pass them as activists, probably noisemaking eloquent individuals that like to speak good English on TV. I was in an interview with an activist once and I knew how strictly I had to sanitise that report lest it rescinds into a libellous claim against the government and my organisation.

    CSOs are an integral part of the society. They have all the sources to the grassroots and public donors but they face one problem with the press. What Barrister Onyinyechi of the South Saharan Social Development Organization outlined as visibility. That is the area in which they need the press to help project their work to the people and the world beyond. In a society like Nigeria, where it is difficult to share human issues that people deal with on a personal basis, it is quite hard to go public for many reasons. Shame is a major part of the problem. Then there is fear, victimisation and stigmatisation. Coming out to talk on real human issues of abuse, Female Genital Mutilation, Rape, VVF, HIV/AIDS to mention a few is frantically impossible.

    Read Also: “Civil societies are the third sector of the society”- Edetaen Ojo

    With Civil Society Organisations, your secrets are safe. Some of the issues never cease to worry them in the least. They are ever willing to share and help. But must these CSOs then pay for press coverage? Bearing in mind that some members of the press could be owed salaries for months with their employers doing nothing to salvage the issues?

    Must they pay the press for coverage of the ideals that will promote human good, social justice and good governance? Do CSOs not have funding for Media campaigns?

    Many sides vary in this argument. But the most important aspect is that both sides must work together and generate a meaningful relationship beyond just transactional journalism to highlighting the real issues affecting people. People that both CSOs and Journalists have sworn to protect.

    What are the metrics of social justice and good governance? Is it the quarterly inflation rates of the UN, UNESCO, and other regulatory bodies that are churned out as reports daily? Over 6 million people lost their jobs in Nigeria last year. Is this the viable economy that our Ministers and Heads of State always push and propagate about?

    Social Justice and good governance is for the people. If the people are well taken care of, the Government will be applauded. Is it not the mandate of the people that the Government must obey? Social Justice is the link between the grassroots and the people. The CSOs must join hands with the fourth realm of estate as espoused by William Burke to bring the development to the Nigeria of our dreams we have always talked about.

    Let the Journalists and CSOs now work together. This way, the government will feel the due pressure to fulfil its numerous promises, be accountable to the people and good governance will ensue.

  • ASUP optimistic of resolving lingering issues with FG in 2018

    ASUP optimistic of resolving lingering issues with FG in 2018

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ( ASUP ) says it will intensify efforts to ensure that all lingering issues between the union and the Federal Government are resolved in 2018.

    Mr Usman Dutse, ASUP National President, said on Friday in Lagos that the union would build on the successes recorded in 2017.

    Dutse said the issue of the amendment of Polytechnic Act would be brought to the front burner, while the controversy over HND\B. Sc dichotomy would be resolved completely.

    He said the ongoing negotiation between the union and the federal government would be completed as early as possible in 2018 for onward implementation.

    “There are some major things on the front burner in 2017 and we have already reached an agreement and signed a Memorandum of Settlement and Action with the federal government.

    “Some of the things agreed upon, I believe, will be implemented immediately after the festivities. We hope to build on all our achievements in the new year.

    “Our grievances with government include non-implementation of the NEEDS assessment report, non-passage of the Polytechnics Act Amendment Bill, sorry state of state-owned institutions and shortfalls in personnel cost releases.

    Read also: Breaking: ASUP suspends nationwide strike

    “Others are withdrawal of allowances, non release of CONTISS 15 migration arrears, infractions in the appointment of rectors, and continued victimisation of union officers,“ Dutse said.

    On the 2018 budget, the union leader said the allocation to the education sector was grossly inadequate.

    He urged government to consider implementing the 26 per cent UNESCO recommendation to improve the sector.

    “Sincerely, we have said it severally that what the federal government is giving is grossly inadequate and will not bring the desired change.

    “Already, there are complaints of underfunding and the amount allocated is always changing in spite of the increase in the total budget.

    “We doubt the commitment of the federal government to improve education because we cannot do anything without funds.

    “Education, especially technical and vocational education, is capital intensive but what they are allocating is always shrinking and inadequate,’’ he said.

    Dutse added that the budget was not commensurate with the desired change required in the sector.

    “Government should not expect any exceptional performance with the allocation; with the present economy situation, the budget is just a drop in the mighty ocean.

    “Government should show more commitment; they should attach more priority to education and we will achieve the goal and the actual policy on education.

    NAN

  • UNESCO, World Bank to partner on early child education

    UNESCO, World Bank to partner on early child education

    The United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) has commenced talks with the World Bank to expand advocacy and supports for early childhood education in the country.

    UNESCO Regional Director, Mr. Ydo Yao, who stated that every Nigerian child has right to early childhood learning said there was need for partnerships to conduct needs assessment on the Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) Play and Resilient project, aimed at promoting basic education and enabling easy transition to primary classes.

    He disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting, held in Abuja to discuss report findings on the ECCE needs assessment conducted in Adamawa and Ebonyi States. The China-Africa collaboration project is being implemented also in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

    Responding to commitments from the World Bank representative, Dr. Tunde Adekola, who charged stakeholders to extend the study to other states, Yao said UNESCO was ready and willing to work with the Bank.

    The project was aimed at supporting states and non-state actors, challenged with poor ECCE to develop their capacity and materials production.

    Yao said: “UNESCO is not a funding agency but when we heard about you saying money is not an issue, we are very happy. As you know, we are technical cooperation agency. We initiate some ideas on technical issues that we share with government and when government sees that it is good like this project, we are very happy.

    “The government has bought into this, so the second phase is to look for partners, who will accompany us to make maximum impact on children in Nigerian as much as possible because, you have really said it, the few states we conducted the study on are not enough and all Nigerian children deserve to be taken care of.

    “I can assure you that my team and others will meet very soon, come up with a proposal so that you can accommodate us in this scaling up and majority of the children can benefit from it.”

    Adekola, who is World Bank Senior Education Specialist, urged all concerned stakeholders to replicate the study in the states, especially Kano, Jigawa, Niger, and Sokoto.

    He called for consistent capacity building for teachers in order to deliver good and quality education to the pupils.

    According to him, the ECCD is a very sustainable strategy to reduce out of school children in Nigeria. “The experience has shown, when people get closer to education, it is like air. Once you breathe in, you won’t die. You can talk about the quality of air you breathe which will determine your lifespan but in terms of existence, you need air to breathe, the same thing with education.

    “If children start breathing in very early in life, many of us who are here it’s because we are part of the experience. I will like to say ECCD can provide equity of opportunity for everybody to have same opportunities to have access and better life in the future so that things will go on,” Adekola said.

    The representative, who lauded UNESCO’s effort on the recommendations in the report restated commitment of the World Bank to addressing the situation and to solve problem of inequality and guarantee better future for the children.

    His words: “I will advise Niger, Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto State to replicate this type of study in the states. Let’s meet with the SUBEC Chairman on this so they can use it as a tool for policy dialogue. It is not by coming to Abuja and talking to people here but the real people are over there. Anything we discuss here, we are just discussing between ourselves.

    “We are ready and we will support part of the meager resources. We also have resources in additional financing to states in the north east, so we need to do everything possible to ensure they also have this type of study.”

    “We are ready to support you in advocacy, capacity building of all the relevant stakeholders of the state actors and non-state actors, federal, state, local governments and the biggest of all caregivers, the teachers themselves, Adekola added.”

    He argued that the chunk sum of budget to the sector is being spent on the teachers, thus similar value should be derived from teachers to the pupils.

  • UNESCO, CBAAC to celebrate 40th anniversary of FESTAC 77

    UNESCO, CBAAC to celebrate 40th anniversary of FESTAC 77

    UNESCO in partnership with the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) would mark the 40th anniversary of FESTAC 77 to push for the preservation of images captured across the globe for posterity.

    This is contained in a statement by Mr Olushola Macaulay, UNESCO’s National Information and Programme Officer in Abuja, to mark the World Day for Audio Visual Heritage.

    He said that the event would come up in Lagos from Nov. 6 to Nov.11.

    FESTAC 77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, was held in Lagos from Jan. 15 to Feb. 12, 1977.

    It was a celebration of African culture, music, fine art, literature, drama, dance, and religion.

    FESTAC 77 placed audio visuals in the spotlight, and UNESCO, at its 21st General Conference on Oct. 27, 1980, agreed to safeguard and preserve the images and consequently initiated the World Day for Audio Visual Heritage.

    According to Olushola, people still capture moving images across the world, but lack the ability to preserve them.

    “Everyday, all over the world, people capture moving images to record all facets of life, from science to culture or to education.

    “Some of the images depicting different events and situations of life are lost due to inappropriate preservation.

    “The World Day for Audio visual Heritage, therefore, provides a platform for preserving and promoting our heritage.

    “Not only does it provide a platform for highlighting audio visual preservation, it also provides an avenue for building dialogue around it.

    “As conserved material, audio visual archives form a cornerstone for the memory of the world and preserve recordings for future generations.

    “UNESCO in collaboration with CBAAC celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Second World African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77), holding in Lagos from Nov. 6 to Nov.11,” he said.

    “FESTAC 77, places in the spotlight, the role of audio visual preservation in ensuring that the memory of FESTAC 77 is kept for future generations to see,” he said.

    He added that the celebration would feature panel discussion with the theme “The Histori-cultural Importance of Audio Visual Preservation and the presentation of the Archive Digitisation Project.’’

    NAN

  • ‘UNESCO chose Ibadan for learning’

    ‘UNESCO chose Ibadan for learning’

    The Oyo State government has said its efforts at turning around the Education sector is yielding results, as Ibadan has been adopted as a learning city by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

    The government said the state will be honoured with the UNESCO institute of lifelong learning progress award.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Dr. Bisi Akin Alabi said the educational policies of Governor Abiola Ajimobi earned the state the UNESCO recognition.

    The governor’s aide said policies, such as School Governing Board (SGB), abolition of automatic promotion, 80 per cent attendance by pupils and Oyo State Model Education System Interventions (OYOMESI) were yielding results in the sector.

    She spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting between the OYOMESI Project Committee and chairmen of school governing boards on the need to enrich the educational contents to uplift moral values of pupils.

    According to her, OYOMESI, which encourages positive character building, has been fused into SGB programmes.

     

  • 264m children worldwide are not in school – UNESCO

    264m children worldwide are not in school – UNESCO

    Some 264 million school-age children and young people worldwide were not in education in 2015, the United Nations culture and education agency UNESCO said on Tuesday.

    The agency, in a progress report on the UN’s development goals for education, said that after a decline in the early 2000s, out-of-school rates have started to stagnate.

    “Worldwide, there was a completion rate of 83 per cent for primary education, falling to 45 per cent for upper secondary schooling,’’ the agency said.

    The agency meanwhile quoted household survey data from 128 countries for the 2010 to 2015 period.

    There were 40 countries where fewer than one in four young people had completed secondary education, but only 14 where no less than 90 per cent had done so.

    UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, however, called for more government accountability.

    The report noted that while 82 per cent of national constitutions mention a right to education, only 55 per cent of countries make that right enforceable in the courts.

    “Governments are the primary duty bearers for the right to education, yet this right is not justifiable or capable of being the basis for a court case in almost half of countries, and the primary course of action for those with a complaint is lost,’’ Bokova wrote.

    While calling for accountability at all levels, the report said accountability measures for schools needed to be flexible and carefully designed.

    “Schools may adjust to performance-based accountability systems in negative ways, gaming the system and avoiding sanctions to the exclusion of longer-term reforms,’’ the agency warned.

    NAN

  • NUT urges KDSG to pay backlog of salary arrears

    NUT urges KDSG to pay backlog of salary arrears

    As teachers celebrate World Teachers’ Day, the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers ( NUT ), has urged the state government to pay salary arrears owed its members.

    “Some teachers in Kaduna State are owed up to 11 months salary arrears; we think this is unfair,” Mr Audu Amba, the NUT chairman in the state, said on Thursday in Kaduna, at an event organised to mark the day.

    Amba equally decried the consistent delay in the payment of local government teachers’ salaries.

    “Sometimes, teachers are paid two or three weeks after other workers have received their salaries. We find this disappointing,” he said.

    The chairman also urged government to pay teachers the balance of 2015 leave grant, as well as the 2016 leave grant that was still being awaited.

    “Ten per cent of teachers’ salary is deducted monthly and paid to them as their leave grant at the end of the year; paying the grant should actually be a right and not a privilege,” he said.

    Amba called for more training and re-training of teachers, especially those in primary schools, so as to boost the quality of service delivery.

    He said that the theme of the 2017 teachers day, “Teaching in Freedom: Empowering Teachers”, was to emphasise the need for a free teaching atmosphere.

    “Teaching in freedom will encourage teachers to discharge their primary responsibilities of imparting knowledge, skills and character on the younger generation,” he explained.

    Amba, nonetheless, commended the state government for the the massive rehabilitation and furnishing of public schools, and also lauded the unprecedented budgetary allocation of more than 33 per cent to the education sector.

    “That huge budgetary allocation far exceeds the UNESCO recommendation of 26 percent,” he noted.

    NAN

  • Mass literacy: Commission targets 10m Nigerians

    Mass literacy: Commission targets 10m Nigerians

    The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult Education and Non-Formal Education ( NMEC ), says it has developed an operational plan for a “National Mass Literacy Programme’’ aimed at reaching no fewer than 10 million Nigerians.

    Prof. Abba Haladu, NMEC Executive Secretary, said this on Tuesday on sidelines of the Ministerial Press Briefing in celebration of The International Literacy Day in collaboration with UNESCO in Abuja.

    He said the plan would speed up goverment efforts of addressing the issue of illiteracy in the country.

    “In the National Mass Literacy Programme that we have developed, it is actually envisioning that in the next three years over 10 million Nigerians will actually be targeted.

    “So we are actually soliciting the support of the federal government and of course we have to collaborate with the state government and local governments and other partners.

    “So we will continue to mobilise and we hope that the government will actually finance it and we hope the government will give the sector the attention it deserves.

    “We hope that the private sector will also give its helping hand and contribution so that through this every Nigerian we have the opportunity to acquire basic literacy skills.’’

    He stressed that the non-formal education sector should be given as much priority as the formal sector in order to achieve sustainable development in the country.

    Haladu said that there must be the political will by state and local governments to provide the necessary material support for the eradication of illiteracy in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

    “The non-formal education sector is very important just like the formal education sector and it needs to be accorded greater prominence in terms of political will and in terms of funding from all tiers or levels of government.

    “So once we have this realisation and the fact that all political office holders from top to bottom give the sector a priority, I assure you within a few years a lot of the challenges and problems we have in the sector will actually be addressed.

    “Nigerians are ready and we should mobilise them to ensure each and everyone gives his own contribution to educate our children, to educate our youths, to educate our adults for sustainable development.

    “No development can take place so far as a significant percentage of our population of our country remains illiterate.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this year marks the 51st International Literacy Day since the day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1966.

    The theme of this year’s celebration is “Literacy in a Digital World’’ and it highlights the challenges and opportunities in the promotion of literacy in the digital world.

  • SSANU, NASU, NAAT to commence indefinite strike Sept. 11

    SSANU, NASU, NAAT to commence indefinite strike Sept. 11

    Non-teaching staff of Nigerian Universities under the auspices of Joint Action Committee ( JAC ) says it will embark on indefinite strike from Monday, Sept. 11 over non-implementation of the 2009 agreement.

    The unions are made up of the National Association of Academic Technologists ( NAAT ), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions ( NASU ) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU ).

    A statement jointly signed by Mr Sani Suleiman,  Mr Chris Ani and Mr Samson Ugwoke, Presidents of NAAT, NASU and SSANU made this known in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Ugokwe said that the Federal Government was taking the non-teaching staff of universities for granted as it had breached the implementation of agreement of 2009 and Memorandum of Understanding signed with JAC in January 2017.

    He said the unions had waited for eight years for the government to implement the agreement it freely entered into with them.

    According to him, eight years after the agreement, government has not been responsive to the demands of the unions and no action appears to have been taken on any of the issues.

    “Our demands includes, the payment of earned allowances to our members, a review of the governance system in our universities.

    “Improved funding in line with UNESCO recommendations, provisions of infrastructure in universities and payment of salary shortfall being owed members.

    “Implementation of the National Industrial Court judgment on University staff schools, registration of NUPEMCO, implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for technologists, improvement of teaching and learning facilities in the universities.

    “Stemming the tide of corruption in the university system, showing more commitment and seriousness in the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/University unions agreement, among others,” he said.

    He said that during the strike, there would be no provisions of services, no matter how skeletal.

    He said that concessions would not be granted “while all our members are to stay at home till further notice unless as directed by JAC through their respective presidents.”

    He, however, noted that the unions had engaged in various consultations and dialogues with government on the issues at stake and had written several letters and embarked on several protest to no avail.

    Ugwoke said that several representations made by the unions  had been ignored by the government.

    “Rather than address the demands of the union as contained in the agreement, universities have continued to deteriorate.

    “Also, poor governance system has become the order of the day and has brought the universities to their knees,” he said.

    He also alleged that corruption had taken its toll on the university system, while infrastructure and facilities were nothing to write home about, among others.