The Nation Newspaper

Tag: workshop

  • Lawmaker holds water safety workshop for pupils

    A member of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rasheed Makinde, has hosted pupils of public and private schools in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), to an advocacy workshop.

    The pupil’s also went on excursion to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Water Safety Project as part of efforts to commemorate the World Water Day.

    The event, held at the APC Secretariat at Jankara in Ojokoro, Lagos, attended graced by teachers, principals, political and community leaders.

    Makinde said the event would educate and expose pupils to usage, purification and safety of water.

    “As safe and readily available water is important for public health, whether it is used for drinking, domestic usage, production or recreational purposes, the well-being of my constituents is paramount as contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to epidemic transmission such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid,” he said.

    The facilitator, Dr Sam Okom said, water was an essential commodity.

  • NIOB to hold workshop

    A two-day mandatory professional development workshop of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) is scheduled to across four cities of Abuja, Lagos, Uyo and Katsina. The Abuja and Lagos version will hold from March 29 to 30, while Uyo and Katsina will take their turn on April 5 and 6.

    According to the Chairman, Professional Development Committee of the NIOB, Kunle Awobodu, the theme of the workshop is “Site management practices for builders.” The theme, he explained, is further broken down into sub themes to deal with “Concept of Site Management”; “Construction Methodology” and “Project Programming.”

    During the two days, Awobodu said participants will be taken through the rudiments of site management. The training will also empower builders on understanding the importance of building site management; practical ways of managing a building site; ability to develop a work breakdown structure for a building project; preparation of a construction methodology for a building project, among others.

  • Lycee Francais holds curriculum workshop for parents of primary school pupils

    With Nigeria being surrounded by French-speaking countries, the French government has showcased the benefits of the French school curriculum through its Lagos-based school, Lycée Français Louis Pasteur, located in Victoria Island.

    The school, which belongs to the worldwide network of schools operating under the French Agency for Teaching Abroad (AEFE), is managed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    During an information session for parents of primary school-aged puils held at the Human Rights auditorium of the school, parents learnt about the French primary school system as well as the French curriculum in comparison with other international curricula – highlighting the school’s bilingual teaching.

    Principal of the school, Mr. Alain Berna, said with the world becoming a global village, today’s children should be exposed to values and skills that would prepare them to compete on the world stage.

    He said the French educational system promotes strong positive values such as freedom, equality, togetherness, respect, spirit of justice, solidarity, freedom of speech, openness, creative spirit, and diversity,

    He added that pupils that pass through Lycée Français are trained to develop curiosity and courage with which they can excel in all of their chosen endeavours.

    “At Lycée Français, parents can be assured of a teaching language that is rich, varied and efficient,” Berna said, adding that “the French language is the paramount language of instruction, but does not overshadow learning in many other languages like English, Spanish, German and others on request.”

    He said the school takes advantage of the diversity of its students and the languages they practice to make plurilingual education one of its priorities.

    Director of the school, Mrs. Pascale Lagleize, said parents of primary school-aged children were targeted because of the importance of primary education in the French Education system.

    “The primary school is the gateway to the French school system, which is divided into the eight kindergarten classes and 14 elementary classes,” she said.

    Lagleize explained that while following the French national curriculum, students benefit from reinforced English teaching through the bilingual system. She said personalised support, citizens, artistic, cultural projects, as well as numerous extracurricular activities complement this teaching and allows pupils to learn at their own pace and flourish.

    The French curriculum presentation was facilitated by Olivier Alfonsi, Head of Pedagogical Training at the school.

  • UNILAG holds workshop on allergens

    The Department of Botany, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Palynological Research Team in conjunction with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is organising a one-day Pre-project workshop on Tuesday next week to enlighten the public about allergens.

    A statement by Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, chairman, Local Organising Committee for the workshop, noted that six speakers drawn from UNILAG and other institutions will address the theme: “The Allergenic Activities of Pollen and Spores of Nigerian Plants and their Spatial Pattern” at the Julius Berger Hall of the university.

    The topics to be treated include: “Role of Pollen in Health Care Delivery and Socio-Economic Development”; “Allergic Rhinitis: Consequence of Environmental Triggers”; “Allergic Conjunctivitis: A Sequel of Environmental Allergens”.

    Others are: “Aeropollens: The Environmental Triggers of Allergic Reactions of Public Health Importance”; “Nigerian Air Quality and Allergenicity”; and “Allergenic Activities of Pollen and Spores of Nigerian Plants and their Spatial Pattern”.

  • Sterling Bank, NASME hold workshop

    Sterling Bank, NASME hold workshop

    Sterling Bank Plc in collaborations with Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (NASME) will from today kick off a three-day Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSME) workshop for members of the association. The workshop is scheduled to hold at the Federal Institute for Industrial Research (FIIRO) Oshodi, Lagos.

    The bank had organised similar workshops in Port Harcourt and Kaduna for MSME operators as part of its nationwide workshop to empower MSMEs. The next workshop will hold in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    NASME was registered in 1996 as a Business Membership Organisation (BMO) to co-ordinate and promote the growth and development of the MSME sector of the economy, and has pursued its objective through strategic collaborations with institution such as Sterling Bank Plc.

    The bank in  a statement  said the workshop would provide participants with the opportunity to fully appreciate the concept of entrepreneurship and  better position them  to improve their managerial capacity in the areas of risk management and profit maximisation.

    “It will  also cover Basic Accounting Skills, Customer Service and Team Building, Sales and Marketing, Essentials of Business Plans and Human Resources Management, among others,” the bank added.

    The Executive Director, Finance & Strategy of the bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman announced at a press conference earlier in the year that the Bank would be anchoring a series of workshops for MSME operators in various states nationwide.

  • Energy health workshop held in Enugu

    A workshop on energy health, perhaps the latest form of alternative medicine, has been held in Enugu. Its aim was to train professionals in the field.

    The two-day workshop organised by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in collaboration with the Foundation for Energy Health International, Nigeria witnessed a large turnout of alternative medical practitioners.

    The president of the Foundation for Energy Health International Nigeria, Professor Joseph Okoro Akpa, in his opening remarks, told participants that the workshop would inculcate the knowledge of Energy Health to all Nigerians as to what they can do for themselves to achieve health without spending too much money on drugs.

    Akpa also disclosed that the workshop aimed at establishing institutions of research and Energy Health Education “not only in Nigeria but in other countries of the world as well as to affiliate with any International organisations that have some identical ideas with us.”

    He posited: “It is to make Nigeria the land of Energy Health where people from other countries of the world will be trooping in for treatment and knowledge, hence this is the first time that there is a comprehensive programme for the study and research on Energy Health that is not available even in advanced countries.”

    While defining Energy Health as “the most natural scientific method applied in the treatment of human diseases, solution of other health problems and social maladies in the human race, Akpa explained that the concept was that man is living because man absorbs universal energy usually called Cosmic Energy into the system through energy centres in various points in human body.

    The Enugu state commissioner for Health, Dr. Samuel Ngwu who was represented by Dr. Christian Ochi said he was impressed by the gathering and commended the efforts and approach of Professor Akpa in establishing the Energy Health as an alternative medicine in Nigeria.

    He said the ministry would explore ways to partner with the foundation.

    The executive secretary of NBTE, Dr. M. A. Kazaure who was represented by A.D.K. Mohammed expressed delight at what he witnessed in the Energy Health programme.

    He hoped that the outcome of the workshop would lead to the accreditation of Energy Health Education in Nigeria.

    The deputy director in NBTE, Dr. Abdul Isa Kofarmata insisted that the workshop should endeavor to establish a minimum standard programme in order to ensure accreditation.

  • BREATH OF LIFE MINISTRY HOLDS CONCERT, WORKSHOP

    A Saxophonist and Lecturer at Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON), Mr Imole Ayo, Lagos has said Nigerian gospel musicians must learn not just the skills of music but its theory. He said only musicians who know the theoretical aspect of music can be classified as professional musicians.

    He spoke during a musical concert and workshop organised by the Youth Church of The Breath of Life Ministry in Lagos.

    The concert featured comedy from Kenny Black and training on various musical instruments including, drum set, key board, bass guitar, lead guitar and saxophone.

    According to Mr Ayo, it is only professional musicians that can stand the test of time of becoming a successful musician, making good money in the music industry.

    Ayo, while teaching the gathering how to play the Saxophone, lamented the fact that gospel musicians are fund of self tutoring because they probably have the gift naturally.

    Host and Pastor of the Youth Church, Temitope Odebiyi said the concert and workshop was to build entrepreneurs in the music industry.

    According to her, the training would enable musicians know better ways to carry out their music skills as business.

    “It is not all about knowing how to play the instrument but there is more to knowing how to develop you skills into Small Medium Enterprise (SME), so that as a musician one can be an employer of labour,” she said.

    Odebiyi, who also plays the drum set, added that it is crucial for musicians to understand the foundation and basis of the instrument they are playing.

    She said the training is the Church’s way to enhance nation building through developing youths in music skills to make them entrepreneurs, rather than looking for job after school.

    The Presiding Pastor of the Church, Samson Jedafe noted that musicians must know how to bring down the presence of God with the instrument they play.

  • Support for workshop on Research Council’s reform

    Support for workshop on Research Council’s reform

    The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Nigeria Strategy Support Programme (NSSP) Office are ready to contribute to the National Workshop for the Reform of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN).

    IFPRI’s Senior Research Fellow and Head of IFPRI Office, Dr George Mavrotas, made this known at the National Workshop for the reform of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) in Abuja.

    He also stressed that IFPRI is a partner in this exercise in view of its synergy with an IFPRI Office and country programme in Nigeria since 2007.

    The workshop was the final stakeholders national workshop on the ARCN Reform that had participants within the spectrum of top management of various relevant ministries, agencies, research and  allied institutions, parliament, development partners, farmers’ organisations and  other relevant stakeholders.

    This was a culmination of the various earlier zonal retreats and change management workshops that held in Ibadan, Enugu and Kaduna in October and last month.

    The key objective of the ARCN transformation work is to study in depth the organisation of the agricultural research system in Nigeria with a view to developing a strategy for transforming the ARCN (and its component research institutes) into a more efficient and functional body capable of driving agricultural development and change in Nigeria.

    Meanwhile, a consultant to the World Bank, Prof Martins Antekhai, has said the agriculture sector is decisive to the quality of economic growth amid new challenges posed by climate change and other issues.

    Antekhai of the Department of Fisheries, Lagos State University (LASU) urged the government to review outcomes of the sector’s various blueprints for the work.

    Antekhai urged the government to focus on ensuring improving the effectiveness of capital allocation on projects aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in agricultural and food production.

    He said the sector’s low efficiency and lack of investment have undermined its actual potential in the economy. He expects the government to develop an overall strategy to create a longer-term vision for this important industry.

    Within the strategy, he said, attention needs to be paid to facilitating the transition of the agricultural sector from a traditional setting to a more industrial and modern structure.

    The transformation, according to him, will require investments in infrastructure as well as attention to issues such as promoting public-private partnerships to improve the conditions in production, storage and distribution across the country.

    The plan, he added, should  inspire confidence in the economy’s prospects by tackling head on imbalances and pervasive infrastructure deficits, including shortfalls in the power and transportation sectors.

    Promoting the agricultural sector, he maintained, would be a unique opportunity for the government to achieve some important goals.

    To improve the economic resilience on a  longer term, he urged the government to reform the agric research to focus on fostering and deepening production base, increasing local value added and improving the quality of the workforce.

  • Disability workshop to hold next January

    The Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) will hold a workshop next January to propose ways of dealing with employment issues among persons with disability (PWDs), LASODA’s General Manager Dr. Babatunde Awelenje has said. He addressed reporters at the Alausa secretariat in Lagos.

    His words: “We are partnering with some NGO’S affiliated with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to ensure that qualified people living with disability can gain easy employment.

    “The workshop will be focused on seeking ways to work with businesses to remove barriers to employing people living with disabilities. This office has been collaborating with the civil service commission to ensure that more people living with disabilities are easily employed into the civil service.

    “We will continue to intensify our advocacy that corporate organisations abide by the provision of the Lagos State Special People’s Law (LSSPL) of June 2011 which stipulates that one per cent of the total workforce be people living with disabilities.

    “The level of compliance is low for now. Mind you, LASODA commenced operations in 2013 and I believe we will achieve more with time. By the time we launch our disability fund next year, problems of sourcing for fund will be a thing of the past. As we speak, one in every six persons in this office has one form of disability or the other. If you go to any Lagos State institution, you will find people living with disabilities gainfully employed there. We are looking towards extending this to the private sector.”

  • College holds workshop on ‘tolerance’

    College holds workshop on ‘tolerance’

    As part of activities to mark the UN International Day Of Tolerance, The Edidot College, Badore, Lagos, has organised a workshop to sensitise its pupils on the merits and demerits of tolerance.

    The workshop themed: “Talents for tolerance”, which took place at the schools premises, was led by a consultant/emotional Intelligence trainer at FINK AFRICA, Abigail Adeyanju who explored the pupils’ emotions by creating varieties of hate and compassion situations.  She prodded the children to brainstorm and discuss the potential effects of intolerance in their immediate community, society and the world.

    Adeyanju identified injustice, violence, discrimination and marginalisation as common features of intolerance. Nonetheless, she noted that acquiring education to tolerate others should aim at countering influences that lead to fear and hatred for others.

    “Schools are where we can capture children because the world is interested in the application of knowledge they learnt from schools,” she said.

    Speaking on the gains of the workshop, Principal of the College,  Mrs Franca Alayo said it would help the pupils to be tolerant, love and be patient with one another.

    She, however, called on parents not to renege on their primary role, which is the upbringing of their children, to compliment what they acquire in school.

    Mrs Alayo also said if the campaign on tolerance is well coordinated and sustained through workshops and other forums, terrorism, war, and unhappy relationships, among other vices would reduce in Nigeria.