By Ibrahim G. Ahmad

The newly appointed Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Zamfara, Malam Wadatau Madawaki, says Science and Technical Education will remain top priority of the state’s educational policy.

Madawaki, one of the 18 commissioners sworn in on Tuesday by Gov. Dauda Lawan, disclosed this while addressing  newsmen in Gusau on Wednesday,.

The commissioner explained that the state would adopt such policies particularly at the basic level,  so that the school children would be prepared  with techniques and skills to aid self-employment in future.

He said that such quality education at basic level would  develop the capacity of the children right from the beginning and serve as bedrock for their further education at the tertiary level.

Madawaki who recalled with concern how insecurity  disrupted and grounded educational structure of the state, assured that he would use his vast experience as an educationist to engender meaningful development in the system.

“Our educational policy will  give required attention to science and technical vocation as part of means of empowering our youths and reviving the state economy.

“We are engaging experts and specialists from all parts of the state and beyond to use their experience and revive educational system of the state.

“Henceforth, non of our children will graduate and be waiting for government jobs because they would have acquired skills at the basic level for self-employment,” he said.

Madawaki maintained that  secondary and tertiary education could only be meaningful with a solid foundation at the basic or elementary level .

He, therefore, promised that the state would ensure provision of quality education at the basic level to serve as bedrock for other levels of learning. NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Olawale Jokotoye/Julius Toba-Jegede

By EricJames Ochigbo

The Federal Government has insisted that no federal university is allowed to charge tuition fees for students in the country.

Mr David Adejo, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said this at a public hearing by the House of Representatives ad committee on students loans in Abuja.

Adejo said that the recent increase in charges by federal universities in the country was unfortunate.

“What they collect is charges to cover cost of accommodation, ICT, power, among others. It is the Governing Councils of the Universities that has the power to approve such charges for them.

“The only university that increased charges after the signing of the student loans act is the university of Lagos.

“They came to the Ministry with a proposal to Increase their charges because all Governing Councils were dissolved and we gave them approval.

“Immediately that was done, there was a resolution from the House stopping increase I fees and the President also gave a directive stopping any increase in fees and that is where it is, even though several others have brought their proposal,” he said.

Adejo said that the charges collected by the institutions were used to pay for some of their services, including electricity bills.

He faulted claims that the signing of the students loan act was responsible for some of the hike in the university charges.

Adejo said that in spite of the charges, the universities had not been able to meet up with some of their expenses.

He said that modalities had been put in place for the take off of the students loans scheme in the 2023/2024 academic calendar.

Adejo said that President Bola Tinubu had given directive that all necessary works must be completed on the modalities for the take off the scheme to enable its take off in September.

The chairman of the committee, Rep. Teseer Ugbor said the students loan was part of the palliatives by the federal government to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians and to ensure access to higher education by interested Nigerians.

He, however, expressed concern over the disbursement process, the recovery of the funds from beneficiaries as well as the possibility of some students not been able to access the loan.

He call for dialogue in the process of trying to amend the law to ensure that all Nigerian students interested in the loan benefitted from it. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu

A UK-based Nigerian, Gloria Ojekwe-Uche, has said that the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), should be upheld, protected and preserved, describing it as a national asset.

Ojekwe-Uche said this while addressing the media in Lagos on Monday ahead of the planned 25th Anniversary Reunion of Batch A corps members that served in Bauchi in 1998.

She said that given the challenges in ethnicity, it has become imperative for the Federal Government to continue to preserve the ideals of the NYSC in line with the philosophy of its founding fathers.

“I believe that the NYSC programme is a very laudable one.

“When we served in Bauchi 25 years ago, many of us from the Southern part of the country went to the North for the first time in our lives and it was so enlightening for most of us.

“Beyond service to Fatherland, the relationships that were formed all these years had continued to flourish in spite of our political, ethnic and cultural differences.

“It is against this backdrop that we have decided to organize a reunion in Lagos this August.

“Some of us will be seeing ourselves again after over two decades,” Ojekwe-Uche said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vincent Obi

By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Co-founder of Afrelib Academy, Abuja, Joseph Ajuwon, has said without qualified and motivated teachers, children stand very little chances of realising their potential.

Ajuwon said this in Abuja on Saturday on the sidelines of the Afrelib Academy’s 2023 Annual Teachers’ Conference with the theme: “From the classroom to the world: Redefining teaching for the 21st century.”

He said for teachers to stay motivated to impact knowledge on students, governments at all levels must join hands to empower teachers adequately.

According to him, the training was organised to train educators because of their primary contact with the students.

He said, “There are lots of talks about children being the future of tomorrow and that is all based on giving them all the learning they need to know to survive for the future.

“None of that would be possible, no matter how many programmes are run per session, without the teachers who are central to all the learning that happens in the classroom.

“The teachers influence so much about these children. Today’s session is for us to focus on the teachers themselves, on how we can get them to the point where they’re no longer demoralised, disillusioned, disappointed or discouraged about the vocation.”

Also, the academy’s Head of Operations/Programme, Joyce Gomina, said the conference was organised to remind teachers of their call and how much they could contribute to nation building.

“Every nation is as great as the quality of their teachers. We want to remind them to give their best so that at the end, we’ll raise people who will be proud of their experience at school having acquired a lot of skills.

” This is because they came in contact with teachers that are very mindful of making intentional influence and impact on the children they work with,” she said.

An Educational Administrator, Dr Emmanuel Aina, while delivering his keynote address, recommended a review of curriculum for teachers’ education with special attention to technology.

Aina also called for realistic remuneration packages for teachers in order to attract the best to the profession.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference brought together over 80 teachers from different schools across the FCT. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

By Justina Auta

Stakeholders on Wednesday advocated for an end to special schools for children with disabilities, urging support to mainstream inclusive education for all persons to learn equally.

They made the call during the close-out meeting of Support Mainstreaming Inclusion so all can Learn Equally (SMILE) project in Abuja.

Dr Sunday Isiyaku, the Country Director, Sightsavers Nigeria and Ghana, said making schools more inclusive for all learners would promote the well-being, inclusion and ensure People with Disabilities (PWDs) were not left behind in access to quality education.

Isiyaku stressed the need to strengthen the systems by implementing policies that would encourage inclusive education, as well as train teachers to enable them to impact on the students.

According to him, the SMILE project was piloted in some selected schools in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State to gather evidence on effective inclusive education practices that could inform the education sector.

“The project aims at ensuring that children with disabilities can go to normal schools.

“The general idea is to have children with disabilities go to special schools, but the reality of life is that they attend special schools, but outside these schools they face challenges in terms of integration with communities.

“So, this project is saying that normally most parents, who have children with disabilities are concerned that the child cannot get adequate education.

“So, what we are aiming to say is that a child can have a good inclusive education and what the project has done is to make the parents aware and to send their children to school.

“Let’s make sure that teachers are trained to teach children with disabilities, so that they can learn and communicate with their peers in school,” he said.

Mr James Lalu, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, represented by Mrs Nike Akinbola, the Head, Development Programmes and Planning Unit, said fast-tracking inclusive education will ensure PWDs are at par with their counterparts globally.

“Studies have shown that children with disabilities constitute more than 50 per cent of all the 10.5 million of out of school children in Nigeria.

“And according to the United Nations, UNICEF, about 95 per cent of children with disabilities amount to several million children with disabilities that are out of school in Nigeria.

“Remember that children with disabilities also need to become professionals one day, ministers and want to grow up to be president of this country too,” he said.

Also, Mr Aisue-Dion Akhere, the Deputy Director, Special Needs, Federal Ministry of Education, said: “The Federal Government has already reviewed, or they are in the process of completing the review called National Policy on Inclusive Education.

“This will make sure that all children with disabilities are involved in any segment of the education sector.”

Also, Ms Zainab Isah, a teacher at UBE Township Kafanchan, Jema’a LGA, commended the government, Sightsavers Nigeria and other donor partners for improving access to quality education for children with disabilities.

“The SMILE project has put smiles on their faces and many lives, especially those with special needs because the parents feel so secure and happy to take their children to school,” she said.

NAN reports that other highlight of the event was the presentation by students with disabilities under SMILE project and award presentation to supportive partners towards the success of the project. (NAN)

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Ruth Oketunde

Two foreign charities have signed a memorandum of understanding to forge a partnership to offer scholarships to young Nigerians in some private universities in Nigeria.

The two charities are the UK-based IA-Foundation, which has been active in Nigeria and another charity, known as Values of Affordable Education (VOA), which is based in the U.S.

The charities are partnering to sponsor indigent students to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related courses, “based on merit and proven financial needs”.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IA-Foundation, Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that the scholarship was to reduce dropout rate of students, eager to pursue tertiary education but constrained by funds.

“The scholarship will provide a university scholarship of up to five million naira for each beneficiary to cover tuition, accommodation, feeding and logistics throughout the four-year undergraduate study duration.

“Although students can be supported in other private universities in Nigeria, Babcook, Redeemers, Kings and Covenant universities are the preferred institutions,’’ she said.

Adeagbo said that the partnership with VOA was aimed at eliminating financial barriers to university education in Nigeria and ensuring that no child was left behind in acquiring education in the 21st century.

She restated that IA-Foundation was committed to strategic partnerships to ensure that the numerous challenges facing education in Nigeria were addressed, to build a better future.

“As a young charity with over 100 children in schools across nine states in Nigeria, we are happy that more children will be able to receive quality education in science and technology courses.

Adeagbo expressed her optimism that the scholarship scheme would change the lives of beneficiaries for the better and improve their socio-economic conditions forever.

IA-Foundation has been active in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Delta and Nassarawa States, where the foundation has been playing crucial roles to tackle the problem of out-of-school children.

The UN agency UNICEF reports that some 20.2 million kids are out of school in Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous nation.

Also speaking, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VOA Foundation, Dr Victoria Adekoya, said that the partnership of the two charities would go a long way in creating opportunities for students from poor backgrounds to acquire quality education.

“At VOA Foundation, we are deeply passionate about promoting the uptake of STEM courses as a strategy to breeding future innovators, critical thinkers and problem-solvers in Nigeria.

“We are aware that there are very intelligent children with interest in pursuing STEM courses but who cannot afford to pay for university education even in the most affordable schools in the country.’’

Adekoya said that the partnership would make the two charities to identify qualified children and place them in private universities in Nigeria where they could receive quality training and complete their studies on schedule. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Mr Andrew Adejoh, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education and Kiki Saggy during the event in Abuja. Photo Credit: Collins Yakubu-Hammer (NAN)

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Andrew Adejoh has lauded the efforts of students of Federal Government Girls’ Colleges (FGGC) Sagamu, for the development of a robot named Okikiola Sagamu aka ‘Kiki Saggy’.

Adejoh gave the commendation in his speech at an event to present and demonstrate how Kiki Saggy operates in the area of Artificial Intelligence on Tuesday in Abuja.

The permanent secretary congratulated the school’s leadership and the Robotics Team of the school.

He added that he was thrilled by their human minds and effort in the development of Kiki Saggy.

“I have seen same technology twice. Today, I am seeing this. I want to congratulate the unity colleges community for coming out with these ideas.

“Unity colleges should be taking the lead, and robotics is happening to present that opportunity for us to be number one.

“And like I have always challenged others, I am challenging Saggy Queens on this robot; think of extending your effort to also include something that will serve food in your cafeteria.

“If you succeed in doing that, a bigger and brighter opportunity will open for you to explore. So this is a big job and I congratulate you.

“I know you might have spent a lot of resources and thinking. This is what you should do more, because technologically speaking, the world is going to be driven by artificial intelligence in the next five years,” he said.

According to him, it is already happening in advance countries, stressing that in other countries in Asia there is a restaurant where everything is done by robots.

“So it is good that you students are catching up and we as a ministry are also trying to look at our curriculum. We have discussed with NERDC and they said they have done that for secondary schools.

“But we said that if you have done that for secondary schools, what about the base (primary schools); the base is also necessary. Children in developed world begin playing with computer in primary school,” he said.

Speaking, the Director/Principal of FGGC Sagamu, Dr Muyibat Olodo, said she led the college’s Robotic Team which consists of some students and members of staff who are coaches to the ministry.

“I led them here to present to you an innovation of the college, a HUMANOID named Okikiola Sagamu aka Kiki Saggy.

“The reason for the name is that FGGC Sagamu has been known for many initiatives and innovations since I assumed duty in the college.

“Okikiola means “the game of wealth”. Definitely, FGGC Sagamu has a wealth of knowledge in its students and teachers and the same time, Okikiola Sagamu is bringing the college to the limelight.

“We pray that FGGC Sagamu in particular will continue to remain in the limelight for the good of and all Federal Unity Colleges across the country,” Olodo said.

Meanwhile, one of the students, Miss Esther Ogunaike said Kiki Saggy is purposeful, stressing that it can bend and pick things, and can be used for industrial purposes.

According to her, the version of Kiki Saggy is the first, adding that the team hopes that in the next version, it will be improved upon.

“We have a big plan for it,” she said.

However, the SS 2 student explained that the process of building Kiki Saggy was not an easy task.

“Building was a bit challenging, especially the software, hardware, programming, cutting and drilling of holes. It is not easy.

“A foundation helped us. Also, Madam Lisa from the United States was of assistance to us.

“We are hoping that the Ministry of Education will give us the support and encouragement for us to make a better version of Kiki Saggy,” Ogunaike said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event attracted officials of the Ministry of Education and other relevant stakeholders.

NAN also reports that high point of the event was the demonstration by the team where stakeholders interacted with robot. (NAN)