The Nigeria Institute of Physics has raised the alarm over pupils’ poor performance in Physics, saying the development must be tackled quickly.

Its National President Prof. David Malgwi, spoke at its 39th conference  at Crawford University, Ogun State. The event had as theme: ‘Physics and the sustainable development goals.’

Malgwi noted that without sound background in Physics, other professions cannot excel and make remarkable progress.

“The Earth we occupy and the entire universe run according to the laws and theories of physics.

“In spite of this stark reality, our young school leavers continue to perform abysmally in their results in physics from both WAEC and NECO.  This is, indeed, a very serious problem in our hands, and if we do not tackle it now, our satellite launching and nuclear energy projects may run into very serious difficulties in future due to the imminent dearth of knowledgeable physicists, other scientists and engineers,” Malgwi said.

He added:”I want to emphasise once again that without good knowledge of physics, we cannot have engineers, technologists, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, surveyors, geoscientists/oil and gas workers, pilots, astronauts and air-traffic-controllers, among others.

Meanwhile, prizes and awards were given to pupils who excelled in the National Physics quiz which took place across the 36 states in the country.

Master Tungbulu Preye of Premier School, Yenagoa, won the competition with 85 per cent, beating Uzoma Stephen of New Capital Academy, Yenagoa, with 72.5 per cent and Abdulazeez Oluwagbenga with 70per cent to second and third places.

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Charles K. Ayo is the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State. In this interview with ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, the professor of Computer & Information Science, says NUC may hamper creativity in universities as certain diploma programmes run by some universities were borne out of ingenuity, and their scrapping may cause demoralisation.

Do you support NUC’s decision to scrap diploma programmes in universities?

Whether or not they are branded as certificate or diploma, any programme within the university system that is not run at degree level will tend to be branded diploma or certificate; but placing a blanket ban on all will kill ingenuity.

I also want to admit that if the university system and polytechnics are running same courses, there are bound to be conflict. So rather than outright ban, there should be a demarcation. Courses that are run at diploma level in polytechnics should be left within the polytechnics. However certain courses could be drawn out of ingenuity in service delivery. There are a number of novel courses that will benefit both teachers, students and professionals. I mean courses that are not being run in Nigeria before but evolved as a result of the dynamic nature of events

Could you give us instances?

For instance, while I was in office as VC of Covenant University, I was already working on a diploma programme in Electronic Health and Trado Medicine, which is not run anywhere but rather it is a course intended to bring about a level of awareness for medical doctors and other professionals in medical field, with respect to delivering medical services to remote centres.

These courses are not taught at degree level but rather it is just a novelty that one is bringing into the system. If you look at the state of our health and going by the statistics presented, when you have 0.28 physician per thousand of population, it won’t take us anywhere. But if as an institution we have e-health portal on the web and on that we have provision to collaborate with medical doctors all over the world, then there should be a little knowledge on how medical doctors can participate in it, that is the way I believe we can improve the quality of health services in Nigeria.

Not only that we are even looking at online education.  We need some progrmmes that will further enable the populace benefit maximally particularly our professors who may not be aware on how to perfectly run a programme with what they have. But nothing stops university system from short courses

Do you think NUC’s decision was to improve universities’ ranking globally?

I do not believe so! There are parameters for that. Teaching is one, staff-student ratio is another. We also have number of international students, foreign faculty, research citation and others as parameters that determine ranking. Like you rightly mentioned, running diploma programmes in universities might just be a way of jerking up internally generated revenue ofsuch university, but not affecting ranking.

So, what could have influenced the directive by NUC?

The diploma being awarded in polytechnics are categorised into two-OND and HND and looking at the job schedule, there are appropriate placements for the two. But in universities, where do you place them? (holders of diploma). This is rather causing some sort of confusion, and to think some universities will run a diploma programme and from there to advanced diploma form, is unacceptable.  We have seen individuals who went this route to shortchange the system by going further to have post graduate diploma, Master in Science and even PhD.

I sincerely believe we should streamline the award of diploma and advanced diploma certificate. These are not certification that one will get and be looking for job or admission in universities but rather it will enhance job performance of professionals.

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LandMark University (LMU), Omu-Aran in Kwara State, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) on the use of space technology to boost agriculture.

The institution is the first private university to partner the agency on research development in agriculture.

The university’s Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Aize Obayan, who made this known to reporters during the signing in Abuja at the weekend, said the deal would assist the institution deploy technology from the agency on agriculture.

According to Obayan, the data gathered by NASDRA would also assist the institution in software, satellite, space application and agricultural development.

She said: “We, at LMU, have a serious approach to driving agriculture. Food security is something we take seriously. We must do agriculture differently from the way our fore fathers did agriculture

She continued: “To boost food security is beyond doing agriculture the way it has always been done; this is from a scientific, mechanised, automated perspective. In view of this, we need information about weather condition, we need information about the seasons and a lot of other issues that always arise in the course of agricultural development and are controlled from the centres embeded in NASRDA.

“A lot of data is gathered from satellite and it will open Landmark up to seeing how, in areas of software application, satellite application and space application in the area of agricultural development involvement.

“This is very key as the university is looking at how to break new grounds in attaining new frontiers in agricultural development. The emphasis of government on agriculture now is central, considering that oil has failed the nation.”

Under the partnership, she said the institution would consider setting up aero space engineering and space physics for students who have interest to study.

“People come to the university to study Biological Science and others but beyond the basis, there are lots they can delve into. There are possibilities of working towards setting up Aero Space Engineering and Space Physics and those things that many universities are not offering right now. With all these in place, we are working towards what will make us a leading world class university,” she added.

NASRDA Director-General Prof Saidu Mohammed, said the agency would support the institution in its drive to develop agriculture.

According to him, space technology remains the only means to drive businesses and achieve better results.

He said: “I want to assure you that we would stand by you (LMU); and in order to get to that destination we need to formalise our relationship today.

“By this signature today my people will swing into action. They will release to you all the research data available in this country for free.

‘’By the quarter of 2018, this centre will have achieved 20 PhDs. Your university can key into this. This is what is done in India and Brazil. We need to break new grounds. With this collaboration, our alliance has grown.

“Space technology remains the technology of choice. It is the driver of business, it is the driver of most government activities and we believe working with you in several areas will go a long way in enhancing the capacity and the capability of your university.”

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National Association of Akwa Ibom Medical Students (NAAKIMS) of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), have appealed to Governor Udom Emmanuel to pay their grants.

At the inauguration of the new executive council of the body, its President, Comrade John Emmanuel, said medical students had been denied their medical grants for five years.

He said: “We are making a legitimate demand to the government of Akwa Ibom State to look into payment of medical grants to students. The sixth year students have only been paid once. This means the remaining five classes have never been beneficiaries.”

He stressed the numerous challenges students face, especially in  financing their medical training, but with which such grant has been of help.

“Such finances would help in offsetting expenses, such as school fees, accommodation, books, and feeding,” he said.

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JABU International School (JIS), an offshoot of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, has organised a three-day orientation for her new intakes for the 2016/2017 academic session.

Speaking on the occasion, which was anchored by the Guidance and Counselling unit of the university, JABU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sola Fajana, who was represented by the Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Noah Attah, challenged the pupils to be good ambassadors of the institution and make their studies a matter of priority.

JABU Counselling Committee Chairman, Prof. Adetokunbo Adeola, who spoke on: ‘The effects of discipline on academics’ emphasised the need for pupils to embrace the virtues of commitment, discipline and perseverance in their pursuits.

Head, Guidance and Counselling unit of the university, Dr. Cecilia Olaniyi, also charged pupils to learn how to quickly adjust to the new environment. He also advised them to develop strategies that would make them get to the peak of their studies.

Earlier in his opening address, the highly-elated school Principal Pastor Kayode Olaniyi, expressed appreciation to God, management of the university and his deputy Mrs Eunice Adesoji for their support. He enumerated the successes achieved by the school since inception.

Other themes of the event include: ‘You and your spiritual life; ‘Role of counselling in secondary education; ‘Impact of social life on education; ‘Healthy living, life in the hostel’; and ‘Campus-wide excursion’.

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Smiles lit his face as he rose up to be decorated for his latest award. The insignias were an academic gown, a professorial cap, a certificate and a plaque. The Science Technology Centre, University of Lagos, Akoko, erupted in jubilation as Prof. Guy Chibuzoh Ilogu received a honorary doctorate from European-American University in Dominican Republic (EAU).

The university President Prof. John Kersey, represented by Dr Joseph Ododo, said Ilogu was honoured with a Doctor of Science in Educational Development.

Ododo explained that the recipient merited the award as a quintessential scholar, a distinguished educationist, a man of integrity and lover of social justice and fairness.

“By this award, you are one of the values icons. You should see the award as a motivation to rededicate yoursef to the service of Nigeria,” Kersey said, while charging the don to continue to live up to expectation.

It was a brief ceremony, witnessed by the Head of Department Educational Foundations Prof. Ngozi Osarenren, and other colleagues – Dr. Monday Ubangha, Dr. Sola Aletan, Dr. Mopelola Alade, and some postgraduate students and members of staff.

An erudite scholar, Ilogu, a professor of Measurement and Evaluation, is also former Head of Department (HoD) Educational Foundations. The Ihiala, Anambra State-born teacher, author and motivator is perceived by many students as a mentor and role model.

Ododo, a 1987 Electrical Engineering graduate from UNILAG, noted that Ilogu has contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria through teaching and research. Urging Nigerians to celebrate their academic icons, he said their recognition would inspire the younger generation.

Odod said the West had always thought that Africans could not lead and must be led, noting that Ilogu had broken the jinx.

Ododo added: “Ilogu has taught many students and he is at the point of handing over to the younger ones. We have come to celebrate his leadership qualities and dynamism. He is using education as a platfo rm for developing the youths. He is a detribalised Nigerian.

Ilogu, who thanked the EAU, said the honour was not only for him, but UNILAG. He also called for the exchange of visits and other exchange programmes between EAU and UNILAG for the academic enrichment of their products.

The post Honour for don appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Ma’sud Kazaure, has said Nigeria needs private sector support the delivery of technical and vocational education (TVE)

He spoke to reporters in Offa, Offa Local Government of Kwara State on the sidelines of the eight convocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa.

He canvassed the establishment of more private polytechnics in the country.

He said: “More focus is now towards private sector participation in the delivery of education, no to mention technical and vocational education that we need most in this country.

“I want to assure you that from 2010 till date, we have had a lot of private polytechnics springing up, particularly in the Southwest region.  In particular when the current Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu took over, he gave approval to so many of these private polytechnics. It is out of this realisation that we need private sector support to deliver technical and vocational education.

“I want to also on behalf of the minister commend private sector’s efforts in the delivery of technical and vocational education in the country.”

Kazaure further lent his voice to the dichotomy between polytechnics and universities with respect to award of degrees.

He said: “According to the Polytechnics Act, polytechnics are not supposed to award degrees, but some have gone far, in affiliation with the universities to award degrees. This is borne out of the zeal of Nigerians to get degrees. That is why some of the polytechnics that have the capacity approached the National Universities Commission (NUC), which gave them approval to affiliate with universities that have the mandate to award degrees.”

The institution graduated 26,955 students in a combined convocation that stretched between 2009 to 2016 academic sessions.

Acting Rector of the institution Dr. Ayodele Olaosebikan expressed satisfaction that workers have now put behind the acrimony of the past that had hindered the progress of the school.

She is happy that all programmes in the school have been fully accredited and announced plans to introduce new courses that would make use of the increase in its infrastructure at the permanent site.

“We have critically examined our operations and resources and came to a conclusion that the polytechnic has the capacity of generating revenue to augment federal allocations,” she said.

The post ‘Nigeria needs private sector support to deliver technical education’ appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

The decision of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to scrap diplomas in universities will no doubt affect the institutions financially as many of them use the programme to boost their internally-generated revenue (IGR).  The scenario appears more compounded as public universities in particular groan under the weight of underfunding. Some policy makers support the NUC’s move; others think it will obliterate the town-and-gown culture universities are known for. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA and MOJISOLA CLEMENT-OMOBOWALE report

After much deliberation, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has finally

scrapped diploma programmes in universities nationwide.

The commission announced the decision at a three-day stakeholders’ meeting at its secretariat in Abuja last week. The meeting involved vice chancellors from public and private universities.

“The National Universities Commission (NUC) has scrapped sub-degree diploma programmes in the Nigerian University System (NUS). It has, therefore, called on universities running them to begin the process of winding them down,” the statement stated in part.

At the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, said primarily, issuing of diploma certificates is the prerogative of polytechnics. He, therefore, challenged universities to strengthen their part -time and postgraduate porgrammes as well as come up with new undergraduate programmes that can impact more on the society.

“Sub-degree diploma is not the business of universities, but that of polytechnics, more so when the Federal Government as far back as November 2001 had issued a circular stating that such diplomas could not be used for employment or promotion purposes in the public service,” the commission  further stated.

“Universities should therefore direct their energies towards their primary function of producing high level manpower for the economy, by strengthening their part-time programmes, in addition to offering high quality undergraduate degrees as well as post-graduate diplomas and degrees,” it added.

Other issues deliberated upon included governance structure, development of institutional research policy, establishment of Research Administration Directorate; ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) – Federal Government 2009 Agreement; accreditation of academic programmes by professional bodies, as well as incorporation of universities into the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information Systems (IPPIS), among many others.

Though it had been subjected to series of arguments in years past, the introduction of sub-degree diploma in the university system, aside being used for direct entry admission in some universities, has remained one of the components for jerking up their internally-generated revenue. Some universities run academic diploma, others run professional diploma, and many others run both programmes, in addition to postgraduate programmes – all in a bid to shore up funding for institutions that have been victims of perennial underfunding by successive authorities for decades.

With NUC’s sledgehammer, universities offering these programmes may have to re-strategise. They must start shopping for other arrangement with which they can make up for the ‘financial gaps’ that scrapping of diploma programmes will definitely leave in its wake.

Lagos State University (LASU), for instance, has just introduced a number of diploma programmes this academic year. This followed a period of lull, as some of the diploma programmes once ran by the university were rested under the immediate past administration, a development that further deepened the poor financial state of the institution at the time.

However, with the new diploma programmes, many of which have been advertised with candidates screened, LASU planned to re-engineer its financial situation before NUC’s directive last week.

Speaking with our reporter on Monday, Ag. Head of the Information, Mr MartinAdekoya, said the university would have no choice but heed the instruction of the regulatory body.

Though repeated attempts to get a conservative figure of intakes and the fees new diploma students would pay was not successful, Adekoya expressed confidence in the management’s ability to seek ways of making up the anticipated loss.

“NUC has taken a decision and we have to abide, “Adekoya told our reporter.

“But I believe management is more than ready to meet this new challenge.

“We have already revived our JUPEB (Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board ) programmes which is now fully operational in Topo Badagry. Management has also introduced new programmes like Local Government Education and some others at the undergraduate levels. Besides, we are strengthening our post-graduate programmes and ensuring consistency with time,” Adekoya said.

Nonetheless, the NUC directive did not go down well with Prof Abiodun Akinpelu of LASU Faculty of Education. He believes NUC is being misguided, adding that not all programmes could be run by polytechnics. According to him, diploma programmes in languages and some courses in sciences cannot merely be ceded to polytechnics.

Akinpelu believes that as academic centres, universities should design programmes that will not only improve funding, but meet societal needs.

As LASU Director of General Nigerian Studies (GNS), Akinpelu told our reporter that the university has just commenced about 20 diploma programmes across languages and sciences.

“Look at LASU for instance, began Akinyemi, “we are close to Alaba International Market. We have lots of those Igbo businessmen there travelling to China to import goods. Since LASU has a Department of Foreign Language, we decided to come up with a Diploma in Chinese. The idea is to give these Igbo importers some preliminary knowledge in Chinese that will aid their communications when transacting business in China, since many of them are often exploited in that country owing to their lack of understanding of that language.”

Akinpelu likened the step by LASU as conforming with the town-and-gown culture of universities worldwide, adding that any move to the contrary amounted to destroying that culture.

In a sharp contrast, ASUU appeared to have thrown its weight behind NUC.

Its National President Abiodun Ogunyemi, told The Nation that scrapping diploma would make their colleagues think of more ground-breaking research. ASUU’s fear, Ogunyemi said, is the authorities’ rigidity and failure to address gaps in funding of universities, the very factor that led to the introduction of diploma in public universities.

“Our position is that universities are ideally not supposed to be awarding diplomas which are meant for polytechnics because that would take them away from their primary assignment which is ground breaking research that would help the community at large,” Ogunyemi said.

“However, we have observed that many universities get involved in such programmes in order to generate more revenue. So when they do things like this (run diploma programmes), they lose focus. NUC is correct with the decision taken. However, government cannot go far with the implementation of the decision if they do not address the issue of funds in universities,” he added.

Deputy Director, School of Foundation Studies, University of Lagos  (UNILAG), Dr Mohammed Usman, told The Nation that the institution did not run diploma programmes. Yet Usman advised universities running diploma to toe Unilag’s line by having A Level schools.

“Personally, we don’t run that kind of programme here (UNILAG),” Usman said.

“NUC decision has its own merits as well as its demerits. Varsities running this programme should have their A Level school so that they only prepare these students but they don’t determine their performance like we do here. That way, the integrity of the programme can be proved. Over 5,000 students applied for A Level this academic session and we had slightly less than that last year,” he added.

Vice Chancellor Ezekiah University Imo State Prof Emeka Ezeonu disagrees with ASUU.

“For me outright ban is not advisable; rather let us design courses that will serve the interest of the society,” Ezeonu said.

He continued: “For me, we don’t need to limit university as to what they can do. Harvard University for example, does lots of diploma certificate programmes. Harvard uses this to widen the scope for people who can attend their institution.

“In Nigeria the need for revenue was what prompted most universities to run diploma; but what I realised was that people were not actually committed to these programmes. They were just running them as if they were pre-degree.

“Aside, most diploma programmes are not properly structured. If you don’t get a direct entry admission into university with it, you end up not doing anything. Some of them are also not properly branded. Imagine a person doing a Diploma in Law, where will that get you to? You definitely can’t practice.

“For instance, if you have a diploma in Legal Drafting which teaches people the art of writing letters, signing legal agreement and all that, the holder of such diploma can be useful in a lawyer’s chamber after graduation.”

The post Varsities’diploma: To be or not to be appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

From Tuesday, November 15 through to Wednesday, December 7, nearly 140 potential awardees comprising students, teachers and schools will be honoured courtesy of LearnAfrica Education Development Foundation.

The awards, which  are in two categories, national and state, are to honour candidates, teachers, as well as their schools for standing tall in the June/July 2016 NECO SSCE.

“The awards will be presented to students, teachers and schools who by their dint of hard work, diligence, commitment and extraordinary achievements, have become role models for others,” said a statement by Learn Africa Education Development Foundation, which is the corporate social responsibility arm of Learn Africa Plc.

At the national level, the trio of Egbunu Mudi Gabriel, Suleiman Ibrahim and Osemeke Ogorchukwu Mary, emerged three overall candidates in first, second and third positions respectively.

Interestingly too, the trio are from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Egbunu and Ibrahim are from the School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada, while Osemeke is a pupil of Louisville Senior Girls Secondary School, Gwagwalada.

In addition, a quartet also emerged overall best candidates in four selected subjects. Akpeti Loyalty Ayakpo of Delta Careers College, Effurun (Delta State) won in the Mathematics category, while  Iremiren Isaiah Izien of Rainbow College, Moba (Ogun State) dwarfed others in English Language.  Enenmoh Ikechukwu Augustine of Marist Comprehensive College, Nteje (Anambra State) won Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh Prize for the Best Grade in Biology, while John Felix Temitope of Knoxfield Comprehensive College, Ijoko-Ota (Ogun State) slammed others to clinch the J. F. Ade-Ajayi Prize for the Best Grade in History

At the state level, 111 candidates comprising three best performing across each state, including the FCT, will collect prizes at 13 award centres located in Ikeja, Kano, Ibadan, Zaria, Jos, Enugu, Benin City, Owerri, Akure, Ilorin, Abuja, Onitsha and Port Harcourt.

Similarly, 37 teachers from the school of the first prize winner in each state and FCT will receive special recognition in appreciation of their excellent contributions to the awardees’ success. The Foundation will also donate books to the libraries of all the schools that produced the three best performing candidates in each state and the Federal Capital Territory. The apogee which is the presentation of national award will hold at the Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja on Wednesday, December 7.

On the initiative Chairman of the organisation, Chief Emeke Iwerebon, appealed to governments and corporate bodies to further encourage the awardees.

“I hope that this initiative will continue to encourage our youth to make necessary efforts to achieve great results in their academic pursuits,” he said.

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Experience, they say, is the best teacher; and this popular adage has become an anthem to Mmemek-Abasi Etim, a final year Civil Engineering undergraduate of Landmark University, Omu Aran Kwara State.

Etim had the rare opportunity of representing Nigeria at the Engineering Education Conference held at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, South Africa. But stuck to Etim’s mind is how other students who represented their countries unleashed their creativity, something that seemed alien to the rather ‘bookish’ culture in this part of the world.

“Here we study engineering, there they do engineering,” Etim said while sharing his interaction with students at CUT.

“Over there, it’s less of books and studying; it’s about improving the way engineering studies are being done, the manner research works are conducted, and innovations and creativity unleashed rather than the theoretical aspect we often emphasise here.”

EEC is organised by Deans of Faculties of Engineering in Africa, with participants cutting across students and lecturers on the continent and the Diaspora.

The week-long event held in September opened Etim’s eyes to how South Africa leverages on solar to generate power, while at the same time keeping its industries running 24/7.

According to him, a Nigerian graduate can match his contemporary anywhere strength for strength, the missing link is that at the home front, they are less engaged, especially with respect to letting loose their innate talents.

“As I said before,” Etim continued, “We study engineering in Nigeria, but we get to the outside world and it looks as if we are starting another school again. A Nigerian (graduate) goes outside the country and emerges the best out there despite the poor education climate at the home front. It’s not that we don’t have the capacity; it’s about the Nigerian environment.

“At Central University of Technology, it’s more of practical engineering. For instance the Electrical and Electronic Department (of CUT), really conserves energy. There is uninterrupted power supply there. (When) You come inside there, you don’t need to put on the switch because there is a sensor that detects your presence and the light switches on and when you leave it switches off. Once you step into their rest room, the sensor detects your presence and water flushes before and immediately after you use the toilet.

“If there is power outage just for five minutes, that means every operation in Free State is down at that moment. The hotel I was staying had no gates, I was my own security. The hotel management only gave  every guest a remote, when you want to leave, you press the power button and the gate opens, and again you press and the gate closes.”

Etim noted that from his interaction with students across Africa and Diaspora, most tertiary institution and industries play down on the phenomenon of geniuses; but rather students that can meet specific needs through their creativity and skills.

“It’s about time; our institutions began to challenge us about what we can do.

“There, they are really engaging their students! But here in Nigeria, it’s all about studying and studying. Over there, it’s not about the best student in this or that course; it’s about the best in creativity, and skills, best in students’ ability to think out of the box and all that.

“I also realise that there, project work begins from your first year. You don’t just get into final year and get a project topic that is new. You get your project work from your first year and you get used to it until when you finish, and eventually the project gets published. But in Nigeria, most of our projects end in the library.

“Second, they don’t just generate a research topic; they approach industries and enquire from them what their challenges are. Let’s say Coca Cola has a problem, and I am able to solve it as a student, why will Coca Cola not employ me upon graduation? Truth is, the relationship between our institution and industries is very poor,” Etim concluded.

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No fewer than 300 primary school pupils of GidanTsara community in Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State were have received uniforms from the council Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Tsara.

He said the presentation was his contribution to boosting education in the state.

“The uniforms will go a long way in augmenting the efforts of their parents,” Tsara said.

“Similarly, the gesture would encourage more parents to enrol their children in schools.

“This is absolutely imperative, as there is the need to shore up the enrolment, retention and completion of the pupils,” he added.

Tsara promised to replicate same gesture across the council’s 11 wards.

“My administration will continue to accord priority to education as it is the elixir for national development,” he added.

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Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Ma’sud Kazaure, has said Nigeria needs private sector support in the delivery of technical and vocational education (TVE)

He spoke to reporters in Offa, Offa Local Government of Kwara State, on the sidelines of the eight convocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa.

He canvassed the establishment of more private polytechnics in the country.

He said: “More focus is now towards private sector participation in the delivery of education, not to mention technical and vocational education that we need most in this country.

“I want to assure you that from 2010 till date, we have had a lot of private polytechnics springing up, particularly in the Southwest region.  In particular, when the current Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu took over, he gave approval to so many of these private polytechnics. It is out of this realisation that we need private sector support to deliver technical and vocational education.

“I want to also on behalf of the minister commend private sector’s efforts in the delivery of technical and vocational education in the country.”

Kazaure further lent his voice to the dichotomy between polytechnics and universities with respect to award of degrees.

He said: “According to the Polytechnics Act, polytechnics are not supposed to award degrees, but some have gone far, in affiliation with the universities to award degrees. This is borne out of the zeal of Nigerians to get degrees. That is why some of the polytechnics that have the capacity approached the National Universities Commission (NUC), which gave them approval to affiliate with universities that have the mandate to award degrees.”

The institution graduated 26,955 students in a combined convocation that stretched between 2009 to 2016 academic sessions.

Acting Rector of the institution, Dr. Ayodele Olaosebikan expressed satisfaction that workers have now put behind the acrimony of the past that had hindered the progress of the school.

She was happy that all programmes in the school have been fully accredited and announced plans to introduce new courses that would make use of the increase in its infrastructure at the permanent site.

“We have critically examined our operations and resources and come to the conclusion that the polytechnic has the capacity of generating revenue to augment federal allocations,” she said.

The post ‘Nigeria needs private sector support to deliver technical education’ appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Emerging as the best graduating student in Animal Science at the Department of Animal Production of the University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna), will henceforth become more competitive. Reason: one of the teachers in the department, Prof Abdulmojeed Tunji Ijaiya, has pledged a N500,000 endowment for whoever clinches the trophy.

The award, which was pledged in honor of Ijaiya’s late mother, Alhaja Amunat Ajala, would take effect from the 2017/2018 academic session.

Ijaiya, a professor of Animal Production, announced the goody while delivering the 46th inaugural lecture of the university at the Caverton lecture theatre in Gidan Kwano.

He described the gesture as part of his contribution towards encouraging the best student in the department for his or her hardwork, while challenging others to aspire higher.

In his lecture entitled: ‘Waste to Wealth: Micro livestock production as a catalyst for food (protein) security,’ Ijaiya stressed the need to have livestock approach to livestock production and involve small livestock producers and expose them to up to date research findings and extension services to enhance micro-livestocks production.

Ijaiya also explained how various cheaper diets can be used in exchanging feeds for livestock without any effect on their performance.

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Former vice chancellor University of Lagos (Unilag) Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, has urged the Federal Government to make the nation’s polytechnics and colleges of education degree-awarding institutions. This would enhance quality of education and proffer solutions to the problem of overpopulation in tertiary institutions, Ibidapo-Obe argued.

Ibidapo-Obe delivered the lecture at the 15th matriculation of Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, at the weekend. The lecture had as theme ‘Attaining global relevance and national socio-economic advancement through university education.’

He explained that access and quality are major challenges in the nation’s tertiary institutions, adding that parents prefer their wards in universities, despite space constraint.

He disagreed with the notion in some quarters that quality of education in the country is falling. To Ibidapo-Obe, the standard is rising because most Nigerian graduates who seek further studies outside the country usually stand out among their contemporaries.

Nonetheless, he advised the Federal to Government to show more commitment in tackling corruption, which Ibidapo-Obe said is in every facet of the society.

“Corruption has been the bane of infrastructural development in the nation’s universities. The money that was supposed to be used in building infrastructure was usually embezzled by some of the leaders,” he said.

He advocated increased funding for education if Nigeria must attain global relevance and become one of the top 20 economies by 2020.

Addressing the new students, Chancellor of the institution, Dr David Oyedepo, stressed the importance of leadership in building the potential of Africans.

He said the university came into existence as result of his passion for change, which stirred the educational revolution being experienced at CU, adding that sound education was a sure foundation for every great nation.

Oyedepo, who admonished Nigerians to pray for the country, noted that the problem is not essentially religion but bad leadership.

Earlier, Vice-Chancellor of CU Prof Aaron Atayero, congratulated the new students for making it, out of numerous candidates that applied for admission. He praised their parents for bringing their wards to the university that is working tirelessly to become one of the top 10 institutions globally by the year 2020.

The university matriculated 1,974 students in the 2016/2017 academic session. This comprised 1,902 full time and 72 part-time students.

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Administrator, Grace Schools Gbagada, Mrs Tokunbo Edun, has stated that the school’s yearly indigent scholarship award is aimed at alleviating the plight of less privileged students in the society.

This was announced by Mrs Edun during presentation of scholarships valued at N1million to two beneficiaries – Adetoun Okuniyi of Wesley Girls Junior Secondary School, and Idris Morenikeji Oloruntade from Majidun Junior Grammar School, Ikorodu.

She assured of the school’s commitment in bringing smiles into the faces of poor but intelligent children, regardless of the economic recession.

Edun said the scholarship, endowed in memory of the founder, Deaconess Grace Bisola Osinowo, has invested almost N100 million to supporting the less privileged pupils through access to affordable and quality education. According to her, the scholarship has produced over 30 beneficiaries since its inception in 2004.

“The annual scholarships to indigent students is to enable them have access to qualitative education regardless of their background. This is one area Grace School becomes socially responsible by helping the less privileged in the society,” she said.

Potential awardees are either intelligent but poor children, or those whose poor state can be authenticated by management of Grace Schools, Edun added, while listing the two criterions for the scholarships.

The scholarship, according to her, is worth over N1million per session, covering tuition, books, uniforms, boarding fees, pocket money and even extends to beneficiaries’ university education afterwards.

Edun recalled how her later mother and founder could not begin school until she clocked 12, owing to financial challenge.

“I am passionate about the scheme because I know what poverty looks like. My mother was so poor that that they couldn’t afford palm oil in their soup. Instead of processing garri to remove the bad substance, her family would just fry it straight away because they could not afford to wait. When she had to go to school her brother out of excitement bought two left legs and that was how she used the sandal,” Edun recalled.

She said each session, Grace School sends scholarship application forms to public schools in Lagos and beyond to present their best candidates for a written examination. The best male and female pupils in the examination are then shortlisted for the scholarship, and, thereafter, awarded once she established the awardees met the criterions. She said over 500 pupils came for the written examination out of which 10 were shortlisted.

“I visit their homes to know they are really indigent or that their parents are not interested in investing in their education. There was one I visited whose family lived in a house made of iron sheets. I wept that day,” she said.

Grace School vice principal (Administration), Mr. Phillips Balogun, called on prominent Nigerians and corporate bodies to support them in providing top class education to the less privileged in the society. Balogun stated that the beneficiaries are properly integrated into the school system while all their basic needs provided by the school.

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The Provost, Adeyemi College of Education (ACE) Ondo, Prof Olukoya Ogen, has given reasons why peace has continued to prevail in the institution.

According to him, there is mutual relationship among the management, workers and students – a situation he said was not the case in many tertiary institutions.

He said his management is fully committed to the welfare of all students in the College.

Ogen, who spoke during the inauguration of the 2016/2017 Students’ Union (SU) Central Executive Council, pledged management’s commitment in operating an open door policy.

“We will carry your executive along on any issues.  We want your ideas, let us rub minds together,” said Ogen, while addressing the students’ body.

Ogen, who described the occasion as significant, also praised the SU for guiding their colleagues to achieve smooth transition from one executive to another.

He hailed the outgoing SU President, Richard Ogunrotifa for outstanding performance during his tenure. Ogen said management had recommended Ogunrotifa for a special commendation for creating a bond with the legislature, executive and Judiciary arms of the SU, and for his boldness in presenting a statement of account after his tenure.

Ogen urged the new president, Omosebi Oluwatobilola, to emulate his predecessor’s values, while also adopting Dr. Folorunso Balogun who is the Dean, School of Science as his father throughout his tenure.

The Dean, Students Affairs, Mr. Olaniyi Olaluwoye, recalled that the second SU e-voting election took place on August 23, adding that it was very peaceful.

He appealed to the newly elected SU to see their offices as a call to service, and not as an opportunity to enrich themselves.

The Chairman, Senior Staff Union of College of Education in Nigeria, Mr. Jimoh Liasu and the Chairman, Non Academic Staff Union, Henry Akingbola also were also in attendance.

The high point of the event was the presentation by Ogen of a certificate and a new SU bus to the outgoing executives.

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Oyo East Local Government, which fell victim of an orgy of violence unleashed on three schools by aggrieved pupils over their failure in promotional exams, is setting some precedence by organising a stakeholders’ meeting. The aim is to ensure that public schools in its domain are more secured, to avert such uprising in future. Bode Durojaiye reports.

Following the violence  last week caused by pupils of some public schools in Oyo-East Local Government of Oyo State, the host community has convened a stakeholders’ meeting to forestall such ugly occurrence in future.

The mayhem, which left one person dead and several others injured, jolted the principals, teachers as well as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, who, with his entourage, paid unscheduled visit to appraise the scenes of destruction.

The Caretaker Chairman of Oyo-East Local Government, Mr. Azeez Ojetunde Tirimisiyu, had, equally, summoned an emergency meeting of traditional rulers. This was followed by another gathering which comprises the All Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools [ANCOPPS], chairmen of Parents Teachers Association, local inspector of education in the area, as well as representatives of the Divisional Police Officer, among others.

In the wake of the unrest, Oyo State Commissioner for Education Adeniyi Olowofela announced an indefinite closure of the affected schools, in addition to two other schools across three local government areas.

In another development, the police said they had arrested 22 suspects in connection with the mayhem.

Oyo Area Commander Oyeniran Oyeniyi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, confirmed this to our reporter on phone.

Oyeniyi said since the incident, police had begun a 24-hour intensive surveillance of public and private schools in the area to thwart a reoccurrence.

“We have met with all stakeholders, including PTAs, and urged them to warn their wards to refrain from roaming about and loitering during school hours as this will no longer be tolerated. Enough is enough. Untrained and intractable children constitute societal nuisance.”

It was the first time the schools will have a taste of violence on such a scale. Isale-Oyo Community High School, Oroki; Anglican Secondary School, Apara; and Oba Adeyemi High School, Agbogangan;  all in Atiba and Oyo East Local Governments were shattered by the violence perpetrated by pupils on Monday, last week.

The hooded protesters, The Nation learnt, had mobilised themselves, stormed the schools in groups, wielding dangerous weapons and charms destroying school  properties. In a flash, the once beautiful structures that adorned the schools, became mere shadows.

It took men of the state fire service hours to put out some of the building torched by the rampaging youths.

Sources told The Nation that the deceased who was said to have worn a mufti to the school premises during the crisis, was sent by his parents to pick his sibling who was trapped in the crossfire.

Narrating the ordeal to Oba Adeyemi, the school’s principal, Mrs Oyewo Olufade, who was close to tears, likened the incident to a ‘guerilla warfare’.

She said: “The students covered their faces with masks and were armed with dangerous weapons. They stormed the school in groups, and immediately the teachers saw them, they ran into my office. But the students continued to hurl stones continuously at my office.

“So, when the teachers sensed dangers they ran out of my office and scampered into the bush for safety through the swampy path behind the school. In the process, a female teacher, now on danger list at the hospital, had one of her cheeks battered.”

She added that the school’s night guard also sustained injury and has been hospitalised.

In his address, Tirimisiyu noted that there is hardly any child without certain negative tendencies regardless of how sound the child’s background is.

“It is either the child steals, is rude, not well mannered, or runs away from class,” Tirimisiyu said.

“If the child is a female, she might be sexually indulgent, which may create concerns for her parents. It is also possible that the child is a drug addict. In whatever way it is viewed, such a child is certainly a problem to the family and the society at large.”

Tirimisiyu, who felt sad about the situation, accused many youths who, according to him, are suffering from what he called social, moral, and economic indiscipline.

Speaking with reporters after assessing the schools, Oba Adeyemi described the incident as “disheartening, worrisome and disturbing.”

He challenged the society to war against rising crime, general indiscipline among youths, and particularly secondary school pupils in recent times.

The monarch said: “It is also sad to note that students’ indiscipline has had a lot of negative effects on the school system and learning, as academic calendar is often disrupted by their excesses.

“Students now form themselves into gangs, threatening lives of fellow students and teachers. It is as a result of this indiscipline that we now have secret cults even in our primary and secondary schools. For the country to achieve fame and progress, it is necessary for stakeholders to pay attention to frequent indiscipline among our students. This is because the fate of any nation depends on the youth she breeds as leaders of tomorrow.”

Oba Adeyemi said he instructed the police not to use live bullets on the young protesters in the face of provocation, adding that were the policemen not tactical, tolerant and responsible enough, the situation could have spiralled out of control.

Under the new policy of the Oyo State government, pupils would no longer be promoted to another class on trial, unless they meet the cut-off marks in joint promotion examinations.

Folllowing the last promotional examinations in the state, government mandated swapping of answer scripts among schools before markings, to prevent favouritism and other forms of malpractices by schools.

After marking, results were collated and sent to owner schools for onward distribution to pupils.

Some of the pupils, realising that they failed woefully, were enraged and immediately mobilised themselves for mayhem, The Nation gathered.

The post Violence in Oyo schools shakes community appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

Nigeria LNG Limited has awarded 3,053 scholarships to Nigerian students.

The latest set of 10 beneficiaries – among whom is a visually impaired female Law Graduate from Bonny Island, NLNG’s primary host community, – were awarded the Overseas Post Graduate Scholarships at a ceremony hosted recently in Port Harcourt.

The event was attended by the beneficiaries, their families and friends, as well as representation from the Rivers State Government and NLNG.

This batch of the Post Graduate Scholarships beneficiaries brings to 48, the total number of such awards since the commencement of the scheme in 2013.

The beneficiaries from all over the country, who emerged via a rigorous qualification exercise involving more than 2,000 applicants, shall be pursuing further education in specialty areas in top universities in the United Kingdom.

Speaking at the occasion, the General Manager, External Relations of Nigeria LNG Limited, Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke said, “The goal of the Nigeria LNG Post Graduate Scholarship Scheme is to provide support for the development of competent professionals who will bridge the specialists’ manpower gap in the country, especially in high profile fields of Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Studies, Management Sciences, Information Technology, Law and Medicine at Masters Level only.”

The 2016 award will cost the company over N200 million to cover tuition, living expenses accommodation and travels for the beneficiaries.

“The overseas scholarship scheme is another effort by Nigeria LNG Limited to consolidate on its human capital development aspirations, in a bid to trigger the necessary indices required for the growth of Nigeria’s economy besides the current state of dependence on oil and gas.” said Kudo Eresia-Eke, General Manager, External Relations.

“When most companies are winding down their operations and reducing production costs; including laying off workers and abandoning all Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in order to survive the recession, NLNG is still keeping faith with its programmes, particularly, the aspect that touch on human capital development”, he added.

Beneficiaries of the 2016 scheme include Miss. Ibiere Helen Jumbo, a Law Graduate who is going to study Energy & Environmental Law with Professional Skills at the University of Aberdeen UK; Miss Zainab Diana Titus, awarded to study Petroleum Engineering also at the University of Aberdeen; Ihuoma Mamma Onwusor proceeds to study Public Health at the University of Bradford in the UK; Miss Ihuoma Gift Amadi will be studying Medical Science with specialisation in Human Nutrition at Glasgow University, and Mr Jonathan Olanrewaju Aina who was awarded to study Digital Communications at the University Of Leeds.

Other beneficiaries are Miss Tamunoibim Elaine Anidima awarded to study International Health at the University Of Leeds; Miss Mvena Jennifer Chubu is going to study Sustainable Energy Systems at the University Of Leeds; Miss Bisa Tuwonimi Tuonims was awarded to study Human Resource Management at the Glasgow Caledonian University; Miss Hafsat Muhammed Kaugama who was awarded to study Information Systems at Middlesex University; and Miss Loveline Chizobam Owoh who declined the award offer to study Oil and Gas Management at Coventry University for personal reasons.

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Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB) Chairman, Mr Ganiyu Sopeyin has promised to sustain the performance that won him the “Best Performing Chairman in the Southwest” award presented by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

The award was presented during the Inter-SUBEB Schools Debate Championship and National Final & Awards  in Minna, Niger State.  The Lagos team came third.

Sopeyin said the award was possible because of the commitment of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration to take basic education in the state to an enviable height as promised during the elections.

“The quality of education in the state is improving with the provision of education facilities, teachers’ welfare and training, construction and rehabilitation of schools and employment of teaching staff as approved by the state government,” he said.

Sopeyin promised that the government would continue to strengthen the cooperation between the state and other stakeholders in the education sector.

Chairmen, SUBEBs of Kastina, Cross-Rivers, Taraba,  Anambra and Niger states, also won awards, while Team Imo and Anambra came first and second in the debate championship respectively.

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The Chairman Governing Council of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Oto/Ijanikin, Prof Tunde Samuel, has received this year’s African Education Personality Leadership award.

It was presented to Samuel at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja by the African Institute for Leadership Excellence, organisers of the award.

Samuel is one of the only 25 professors in the field in Africa.

Samuel was the pioneer Provost of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija, Epe, between 1994 and 2002.

A former special adviser to former governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he is a member of  the state Governor’s Advisory Council, the apex advisory body in the state, others.

Samuel thanked the organiser for finding him worthy among a legion of African scholars. He pledged to improve on his service to humanity.

The African Prize for Leadership Excellence is a yearly award bestowed on some selected African personalities who have made impact in the development of the African economy through innovation, creativity and leadership.

The Provost, Dr Ladele Aina, described Prof Samuel’s award as “deserving” of a leader and an academic who has devoted many years into scholarship and using his knowledge for the greatness of Lagos State.

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