The Nation Newspaper

Tag: workshop

  • Centre holds workshop

    The Centre for Gender and Development Studies, Ekiti State University (EKSU), has organised a one-day “Train the trainers” workshop on Gender Mainstreaming.

    Director of the centre, Prof Olabisi Aina said Gender Mainstreaming has become a practice in academic, socio, political and economic orders in first-class institutions all over the world.

    She said such universities have infused Gender Mainstreaming and its values into their Curricular. As such, she said EKSU should not lag behind.

    Dr. Toyin Ilesanmi, a clinical psychologist at the Centre, said the approach was not to elevate the female over the male gender but to achieve a balance in the improvement of the learning abilities of both gender.

    A psychiatrist and Clinical psychologist from the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Dr. Boladale Mapayi, noted that lecturers and university managers should be aware of the differences and similarities of both male and female to enable teaching methodology and pedagogy. The workshop also featured questions and answers, group works by the participants which included Deans and Departmental Heads.

  • ASUU workshop tackles ethical questions

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has urged lecturers to be mindful of their behaviour while discharging their duties.

    The union organised a workshop titled: “Academic ethics and principles of ASUU”, to address issues of ethical behaviour of lecturers on the campus.

    Its national president, Dr. Nasir Fagge, in his address,  said the union faces a moral challenge regarding the conduct of its members, which may not tally with the ideals of the group.

    Fagge, who was represented by the Vice-President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said: “You people are always asking government to put more money into the universities. You don’t monitor how the money is spent. Despite the review of your salaries, you still go ahead to exploit your students and some of you still sell scores for favours.”

    He underscored the need for members of the union to maintain their integrity.

    “We, as a Union, our greatest asset is our integrity. The moment we compromise our integrity, the respect for the Union would diminish,” he warned.

    At the event, FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Olusola Oyewole said issues raised at the workshop went beyond the requirements of ASUU to extend to the expectations of the university concerning lecturers’ conduct.

    He said lecturers should seek answers to the following questions: “What are the dos and don’ts of this community and this profession? What are my rights and privileges? What are the things I need to avoid as a lecturer? How can I operate with integrity as an academic staff? How can I meet with the demand of this profession of research and teaching?”

    He also appreciated the ASUU FUNAAB Branch for organising the workshop and engaging renown academics such as Prof Omotoye Olorode and Prof Ololade Enikuomehin.

    Oyewole said Olorode was already an established academic when he (Oyewole) was an undergraduate student at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.  He also said Enikuomehin was forthright.

    “I have been in this University for so many years and I have had great interactions with many people and one of the people that I know stand for that which is right or good is Prof Ololade Enikuomehin,” he said.

    On his part, the ASUU-FUNAAB Chairman, Dr Festus Adeosun, said the workshop was organised to enlighten members on their roles as lecturers so they could align with the union’s desire for members to live above board, and the university’s vision as it expands.

    “As a fall-out from this workshop, we expect that we would individually and jointly adopt the outcomes of this deliberation with the seriousness and the gravity they deserve and come out with concrete means and suggestions to implement and evaluate the outcomes,” he said.

    He said after the training the union expected that “breaches hitherto observed, will be a thing of the past”.

    Meanwhile, Fagge said the last national strike of 2013 achieved its objectives.  As a result of the federal government’s agreement with the union, he said, no Nigerian university would have less than N3 billion in its coffers in the next three years.

     

  • Workshop on rural IT Centres in Enugu

    A one-day workshop on rural information Technology centres for the Southeast states was held in Enugu with participants from all the five states of the zone endorsing the Rural Information Technology centres (RITC) sensitisation and sustainability training.

    The workshop was put together by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Foundation for Public Private Partnerships Nigeria (FPPPN) as a major instrument to drive the IT Centres and achieve the purpose of empowering underserved communities and bridging the digital divide would be realised.

    Participants also praised the focus of the papers presented at the workshop which captured the reason behind the RITC project: value addition to Communities; sustaining RITC infrastructure and focus; advocating the use of the PPP option to sustain the RITCs, and how to leverage FPPPN expertise to create partnership for RITC sustainability between NITDA and the private sector.

    The presentation of the chairman of the programme, Engr. Wilson Agu who is also a member of the board of NITDA, representing the South-East, added value to the training by expounding on personal testimonials and that of others on the importance of ICT in growing businesses in all sectors of the economy.

    Agu encouraged participants to make use of the RITCs situated around them to access benefits derivable from ICT.

    At the end, a communique was issued which recommenmded that there be provision of adequate security for the RITCs infrastructure (computers/accessories, alternative power supply facilities, tables and chairs, etc).

    That a manpower development programme for efficient functionality, management of the RITCs be put in place as well as development of a business plan  for the financial sustainability of the RITCs.

    It was also recommended that a multi-stakeholders partnership be formed for the effective management of RITCs a deliberate courting of decision makers to ensure the needed political backing for government funding and patronage.

    Also, demographics that favour youth population should serve as a criteria for selecting locations for siting RITCs and viability assessment and needs assessments should be carried out to determine sustainability of RITC and whether the community of choice understands the need for it.

    It was further recommended that a token sum should be imposed on users of RITCs for maintenance purposes and to ensure community people value them, just as libraries, RITCs should issue registration cards for paid membership.

    The participants unanimously agreed with the leacture paper that the public-private partnership (PPP) option is the best and most viable option for sustaining and maintaining the functionality and performance of the RITCs. Through the PPP arrangement there will be: an infusion of additional capital into the RITCs; improved customer service orientation as a result of performance-driven management; and significant cost savings in the delivery of RITC and its objectives.

  • Group plans workshop on women empowerment

    Women across Africa under the aegis of Women Building Communities (WBC), are coming together in the UK, to chart a new cause for the development of individuals and communities within the continent.

    The event, according to the Media/Public Relations Director of Women and Youth Empowerment Network (WOYEN), Mrs Rashidat Hassan, the event will hold from November 24 and 28. The event, she said, is jointly organised by WOYEN and Network for Development, a development training facilitation partnership between ICONNECTUK Limited and Mulirahd Group in Dubai and Nigeria respectively.

    WBC is a development intervention project with an initial five-year plan aimed at mobilising and enhancing the capacity of women and other stakeholders in building African communities through increased and effective women involvement.

    The group said: “The goal of this five-year plan is to achieve community development in Africa led by inspired and skilled women.”

    The organisation, along with other partners, shall work hard to   inspire 20 women across Africa yearly for them to take up development initiatives. The intention is to develop them the needed skills and capacity for embarking on effective projects within their communities.

    The group will also empower the women by creating avenues for networking and collaboration with those in the Diaspora. It will establish links and provide information on how to harness opportunities both within and outside their localities. Part of the strategies is to achieve this will be to bring together three major stakeholders in community development, community women and leaders, the Diaspora and international development organisations for the building of community development capacity among women in Africa. It will motivate the women by celebrating their achievements and awarding deserving individuals within the African communities through the organisation of a yearly award as part of the WBC event tagged Mother Africa Award (MAA) for Community Development.

    “The campaign hopes to spread to many parts of communities in Africa through our train-the-trainer toolkit. Participants would be trained to use the WBC capacity building to train the trainer,” she said.

    The toolkits are expected to train at least additional three women in their own local community.

    The programme, which has been strategically scheduled to debut in London, United Kingdom, is a strong indication of how Africans, particularly women of African origin, in the UK are determined to use the opportunity of their exposure in the UK and other developed parts of the world, to take Africa out of the shackles of under-development and bring about sustainable community development in African countries.

    WOYEN reiterates that the WBC is part of the organisation’s commitment to the advancement of women and youths wherever they are across the globe. This is because the world can only enjoy peace and unity when people’s lives and existence within communities are enhanced and valuable.

    The organisation, therefore calls on all stakeholders and people interested in African development to join in the campaign of building African communities through inspired and skilled women.

  • Ministry holds workshop on WTO trade agreement

    The Federal Ministry of Trade will next week, in partnership with the USAID’s Nigerian Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) programme, host a national workshop on “Implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.”

    The support is being given to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) as part of NEXTT’s overall engagement to improve the trade policy process, including policy formulation and coordination in Nigeria.

    The two days’ workshop, which is part of the process to domesticate the Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) agreed on in December 2013 at the 9th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation, will be attended by public and private trade facilitation stakeholders.

    Upon entry into force, the TFA will create binding obligations for WTO members such as Nigeria to improve customs procedures, transparency and efficiency as well as cooperation amongst border regulatory agencies and private sector.

    The developing and least developed members are expected to self-designate, on individual basis, the provisions of the TFA into Category A (implementation upon entry into force), B (deferred implementation) or C (linked with acquisition of capacity through assistance and support) and the date of their choice for the implementation of respective provisions.

    The workshop, which will hold from the 21st to 23rd October at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, will, among other things, enhance participant understanding of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and its implication; collect private sector inputs on the key barriers to trade Determine Nigeria target prioritisation of the TFA commitments

    It will also enhance participants’ awareness on the key success factors for the set up and strengthening of a National Trade Facilitation Committee and initiate the process of building project plans to request donor’s financial and technical assistance for Category C provision implementation

    Participants will include trade facilitation stakeholders from the public and private sector; development partners and the academia.

  • Presidency holds land reform workshop in Southeast

    Stakeholders in the Southeast geo-political zone have converged on Enugu on the promptings of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform (PTCLR) to brainstorm on Land Reform and Systematic Land Titling and Registration (SLTR).

    The workshop, which was coordinated by the Enugu State Ministry of Works, was attended by top government officials, traditional rulers, heads town unions as well as professionals on aspects of land from the five Southeast states. It was aimed at explaining the benefits of Systemic Land Titling and Registration (SLTR) and to convince them to adopt it.

    It is the first in the series to be held in all the six geo-political zones of the country.

    The benefits, according to the Presidential Technical Committee include significant enhancement in tenure security for all land resources, help to properly plan and manage the country’s land resources, generating reasonable revenue from land through land tax and land transaction fees, helping the development of land/mortgage market and promote economic growth, addressing the massive social inequities and issues that stem from the informalities in the land system and reducing land conflicts and attendant loss of lives and properties arising from tenure insecurity.

    Other benefits include improving food security by empowering farmers to access funds through the use of their lands as collaterals, enhancing rural and urban planning and boosting investment generally because of easier access to land.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, on the occasion made a startling revelation. Anyim, who was represented by Senator Ben Collins Ndu, shocked everyone when he said only three per cent of Nigeria’s approximately 923,768 sq. km of land has been duly documented, titled and registered. Anyim was declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Federal Government.

    He said land ownership was a critical factor in the socio-economic and political life of any country, even as he regretted that documentation and registration have been low.

    He told participants that due to poor documentation, titling and registration of the country’s land, the country has continued to be rated poorly among the comity of nations “with regard to the speed and efficiency in the processes and procedures for land governance.”

    The implication, he said, was that the land resources in Nigeria have not been put to optimal economic advantage, pointing out that the primary focus of the land reform effort was that the result would empower individual land holders and enable them to harness the wealth inherent in their land asset.

    He further said it was gladdening to know that the pilot Systematic Land Titling and Registration (SLTR) projects already embarked upon by the Land Reform Committee in collaboration with Ondo and Kano state governments respectively, were yielding remarkable results.

    Also commendable, he said, was the fact that the international development partners such as Growth and Empowerment in States (GEMS) which, he said, was funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), have supported the projects in these states while embarking on similar projects in a few other ones.

    “The pilot projects have proved that land titling could be transparent and quick,” Anyim remarked, adding that “the process of recording every parcel in the presence of adjoining owners is also expected to significantly reduce endless litigations. We are expecting that the first set of Certificate-of-Occupancy shall soon be rolled out from the pilot projects.”

    Anyim explained that the comprehensive inventory of land holdings across the country that would be generated from the ongoing titling projects should also aid housing census and provide data for planning.

    “It is pertinent to state that the greatest beneficiaries of the land reform programme are states and local governments…the revenues arising from the processes shall also accrue to the respective states,” he said.

    Advising state governments to understand the programme and sincerely key into the project, Anyim said the country has reached a stage “where appropriate inventory of our land holdings should be the concern of all.”

    The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Mrs. Akon E. Eyakenyi, commended the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform for organising the forum, thereby providing stakeholders the opportunity to engage on issues of reforming the land governance and administration processes in the country.

    The minister, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Mrs. Margaret Okolo-Ebube, said the aim of the workshop was to provide full understanding of the land reform processes and benefits to facilitate buy-in and ownership by all stakeholders, especially those in the Southeast zone.

    She said land was strategic and central to the national development process, emphasising that it was the “bedrock for the success of all government programmes and therefore the current transformation agenda of the Federal Government.”

    She recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan reconstituted the Committee on land reform in 2011, and noted with satisfaction the monumental successes that have been recorded by the committee since reconstitution.

    According to Eyakenyi, such successes recorded by the committee included drawing up the draft regulations under section 46 of the Land Use Act which is “awaiting consideration of the National Economic Council before submission to the National Council of States and the ongoing pilot schemes of the Systematic Land Titling and Registration in Kano and Ondo states.”

    At the end of the conference, a communiqué was issued and read by the Chairman of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform, Prof. Peter Adeniyi in which it was resolved that the SLTR “is a process that enables complete inventory of land holdings and subsisting interest in a declared area.

    It was resolved that there should be continued sensitisation and mobilisation of stakeholders on the issue, even as there was the urgent need to embrace the process across all the states of the federation.

    The participants, according to Adeniyi, noted the importance and indispensable role of traditional rulers in land governance in Nigeria and appreciated that such role was being recognised in the implementation of SLTR.

    “It therefore called on the royal fathers and community heads to live up to expectation and play such role effectively when the process commences in their domains.”

  • SON’s workshop for block moulders coming

    The Standards Organi-sation of Nigeria (SON) has concluded arrangement to hold a training workshop for block moulders and allied products manufacturers in Lagos. The workshop which is billed for next week, is aimed at equipping operators based in Lagos and its environs a good opportunity to learn how to make products that meet the specifications for construction works.

    It also aims at ensuring that only standard blocks and related products are available nationwide, thus arresting the embarrassing spate of building collapse. The training, billed for the LTV auditorium, Agidimgbi, Ikeja, will be chaired by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi.

    Its Director, Special Duties, who also doubles as the chairman of the organising committee of the workshop, Mr George Okere, said the workshop tagged “Zonal Stakeholders’ Forum on Blocks and Allied Products,” is preparatory to the nationwide certification of producers whose process and system are in line with specified standards.

    According to Mr  Okere, the certification programme will be complemented with aggressive monitoring of compliance to the guidelines on blocks and concrete. “Our teams will routinely inspect blocks, concrete and other materials at both the factory and the construction sites and any structure that fails the test will be pulled down. The cost of block moulding and related malpractices in wasted lives and resources calls for strict sanctions,” he said.

    Okere explained that as a prelude to the certification pro-gramme, the Stakeholders’ Forum will adequately train block moulders on the relevant standards and prepare them to qualify for approval.

     

     

  • Group holds creative writing workshop

    Group holds creative writing workshop

    NIGERIA has abundant young writers, says the President of Women Writers of Nigeria, Mrs Mobolaji Adenubi. The writers, she said, should be mentored to make them win awards.

    She spoke at a Creative Writing Workshop aimed at inspiring and nurturing young talented writers.

    Mrs Adenubi founded a creative non-profit organisation, Splendid Literature and Culture Foundation (SLCF).

    Thirty budding writers between ages 11 and 21 attended event at the King’s College, Lagos, to hone their writing skills.

    Mrs Adenubi led five other facilitators to teach the Mechanics of Writing. She taught participants literary terms, such as “plotting”, “character development”, “description” and “points of view”, among others. Other facilitators were co-founder of WriteHouse,”Femi Morgan; full-time writer and editor with years of experience in print and online media and publishing,Adebola Rayo; poet, short story writer and occasional essayist, Dami Ajayi; self-published author of children’s stories, Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor;award-winning essayist, freelance writer and editor,Temitayo Olofinlua Amogunla and Oyindamola Olofinlua.

    “We encourage young people to think imaginatively, and help them develop how to think, not what to think. Older writers have more opportunities to sharpen their writing craft; hence this writing workshop is primarily for younger writers,” Mrs Adenubi said.

    Author ofHustlerpreneur,Morgan is optimistic over the growth of creative writing in the continent, saying: “My experience shows that there is hope for the new narratives from Africa. The foundation [not only] waters the creative imagination of potential writers and artists but [also] accompanies it with a realistic bluntness about the creative industry”.

    Mrs Amogunla facilitated a session on Online Writing and the Business of Writing. According to her, “Creative people usually have the failing of not being good at transacting business. Writing can and should indeed be big business!” She focused extensively on the opportunities online, how writing and indeed writers can be a “thriving business”.

    Rayo shared with participants how to become better writers: how to know whether their manuscripts is indeed ready, while highlighting what to do when one is done writing a manuscript, which she entitled My Manuscript and I, and how to get their works out.

    Ajayi and Chiazor-Enenmor shared their publishing stories to inspire. According to Ajayi, he has secured a deal and his soon-to-be published collection of poetry was shortlisted for the prestigious Melita Hume Poetry Prize.

    Oyindamola taught Copyediting 101 with focus on how writers can first edit their own writing.

    Elated Jamiu Basit,a participant, said: “SLCF Creative Writing Workshop has given me everything, including the sparkling tools to win a Man Booker.”

  • Young at Art holiday workshop is 10

    Young at Art is 10. The holiday art workshop made its debut in 2004 as a yearly event for children and young adults between the ages of four and 19.

    Young At Art Children Creative Workshop  started on August 4, 2004 at Specifics Gallery in Ikeja, Lagos, with only three participants: two boys and a girl – the children of the founder Biodun Omolayo.

    According to the organiser, this year’s anniversary will hold in the  second week of next month because most of the people involved would have been back from summer vacation. “We do not want anyone connected with Young at Art to be left out,” it was said.

    Activities marking the anniversary include Special Creative Workshop for children from selected orphanages, homes and public schools in Lagos; presentation of photo book featuring its old and new members with all the activities from inception to date; presentation of special paper on the Role Of Children Creative Education In National Development; and anniversary dinner; awards for the initiative’s facilitators, class governors, parents, supporters, sponsors and the media.

    According to Omolayo, the art initiative has grown without losing focus of the original vision of developing the creative potential of the child for future benefits of the larger society along with engaging the best human and material resources to develop a happy creative well-motivated and culturally-sound child.

    The initiative has since added other events, such as May 27 Children Day and Free Art Workshops, especially for children from public schools, orphanages and the physically challenged. In addition, the initiative provides employment opportunities for undergraduates and graduates on permanent and part time.

    Its quarterly publications Young at Art Express is distributed free to schools, colleges, organisation and missions across Nigeria.

    The initiative, an institution operating through Biodun Omolayo Art Gallery is also consultant to the British Council Lagos  It has facilitated a one week art workshops Young at Art 100 for teachers of junior and senior secondary schools sponsored by the British Council, to celebrate Nigerian centenary. “We are looking forward to having workshops in Mathematics in other to assist those children who are weak in the subject, since some of the parents complain that a lot of the children who love art seem not  good enough in Mathematics,” Omolayo discloses the future pals of the workshop.

    Part of its plan is to have our own permanent facility where the children can camp during the workshop. This will be referred to as Young at Art Village.

  • Young at Art holiday workshop is 10

    Young at Art is 10. The holiday art workshop made its debut in 2004 as a yearly event for children and young adults between the ages of four and 19.

    Young At Art Children Creative Workshop  started on August 4, 2004 at Specifics Gallery in Ikeja, Lagos, with only three participants: two boys and a girl – the children of the founder Biodun Omolayo.

    According to the organiser, this year’s anniversary will hold in the  second week of next month because most of the people involved would have been back from summer vacation. “We do not want anyone connected with Young at Art to be left out,” it was said.

    Activities marking the anniversary include Special Creative Workshop for children from selected orphanages, homes and public schools in Lagos; presentation of photo book featuring its old and new members with all the activities from inception to date; presentation of special paper on the Role Of Children Creative Education In National Development; and anniversary dinner; awards for the initiative’s facilitators, class governors, parents, supporters, sponsors and the media.

    According to Omolayo, the art initiative has grown without losing focus of the original vision of developing the creative potential of the child for future benefits of the larger society along with engaging the best human and material resources to develop a happy creative well-motivated and culturally-sound child.

    The initiative has since added other events, such as May 27 Children Day and Free Art Workshops, especially for children from public schools, orphanages and the physically challenged. In addition, the initiative provides employment opportunities for undergraduates and graduates on permanent and part time.

    Its quarterly publications Young at Art Express is distributed free to schools, colleges, organisation and missions across Nigeria.

    The initiative, an institution operating through Biodun Omolayo Art Gallery is also consultant to the British Council Lagos  It has facilitated a one week art workshops Young at Art 100 for teachers of junior and senior secondary schools sponsored by the British Council, to celebrate Nigerian centenary. “We are looking forward to having workshops in Mathematics in other to assist those children who are weak in the subject, since some of the parents complain that a lot of the children who love art seem not  good enough in Mathematics,” Omolayo discloses the future pals of the workshop.

    Part of its plan is to have our own permanent facility where the children can camp during the workshop. This will be referred to as Young at Art Village.