By Taiye Olayemi

No fewer than 2,000 Nigerian youths have graduated from the Terra Academy For The Arts (TAFTA), having studied scriptwriting, stage lightening and more.

Mrs Bolanle Austen-Peters, founder of Terra Kulture and TAFTA, during TAFTA maiden graduation ceremony in Lagos, emphasised the need to invest in knowledge acquisition for the youth.

She said that the six weeks online training was spurred by her interest in exploring creativity, to create wealth and her belief in potential of younger generation.

Austen-Peters said that the training was done in collaboration with Mastercard Foundation and was entirely free for the beneficiaries.

According to her, the goal of the Accademy is to have 65,000 young people trained in the creative space within five years.

“The dream of TAFTA for me is a journey of possibilities. I started Terra Academy from my living room because I believe in the future of the younger generation.

“I have been privileged to have an excellent team, who I know from nowhere. I appreciate the Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Prof. Duro Oni for their contributions.

“With the help of Prof. Oni and others, we were able to develop the curriculum to teach children on animation.

“I congratulate you all and I recognise that jobs are not available. Open your minds, you can get jobs anywhere in the world with the knowledge you have acquired,” she said

Earlier, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister for Information and Culture, urged TAFTA to work on more collaborations with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to expand training for the youths.

“On our part as government, I want to describe TAFTA as a partner in progress, as they are complementing the efforts of the government.

“This is not just to create jobs but also to create the enabling environment for the private sector, to provide jobs for the teeming population of our youths.

“I want to suggest that the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and TAFTA should explore areas of possible collaboration, especially to extend these invaluable training across the length and breath of Nigeria,” he said.

Mohammed commended the efforts of Austen-Peters in putting the nation’s creative industry on the global map with her wealth of experience in the performance arts and in movies where she has also excelled.

An actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekehinde, counseled the beneficiaries, saying, “education is priceless, to go far in life, you have to be meticulous and not be a mediocre.

Also, an actor, Deyemi Okanlawon, who recounted his experience, said he benefited from such free training 10 years ago.

“You all need to understand the business of creativity, set your goals, the impact you wish to make and you will all achieve it,” he said.

Adesokan Yusuf, a fashion designer and one of the beneficiaries who studied stage lightening, said he had always loved the concept of light which could be explored to relay different stories.

Yusuf said that he as a novice before the commencement of the course, could now do a lot in terms of qualitative stage lightening.

“I’m indeed impressed with the knowledge gained on stage lightening. Thanks to Mastercard Foundation and Bolanle Austen-Peters for this great and rare opportunity.

” We had six days practical classes which I initially undermined, but to my amazement, the six days was like 30 days because I was able to gain a lot of knowledge and we were fed all through.

Also, Dorcas Bakare, who studied Scriptwriting, said she had always been passionate about telling stories through written words, but was not converant with the way to go.

Bakare commended the TAFTA and Mastercard Foundation for the opportunity to learn and understand tbe rudiments of scriptwriting.

She said the methodology employed during the training was exceptional, as it was instrumental to ensuring the learning process easy and stick

“Now, I have been endowed with the ability to peach my words in convincing others. So, we are ready to take the industry by storm,” she said. (NAN) (nannews.ng)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu

Mrs Chineye Onuorah, Founder, Regalo Hope Foundation, (RHF) says that guidance and counseling units should be made active in schools, to enable students to ‘speak out’ on personal challenges.

Onuorah said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday against the backdrop of schools without functional guidance and counseling units.

She asked that the services of experienced teachers on the subject, who would make themselves approachable to students, be employed.

“Some schools don’t have an active guidance and counseling unit. Schools should create forums where students are made to open up.

“Schools should launch anonymous box, not the regular suggestion box, where students should be encouraged to write anonymously or express their personal challenges.

“The unit should be supervised by experienced counselors, who would check the notes and give talks on the issues raised with personal counseling,” she said.

Onuorah noted that her foundation carried out a campaign on teens suicide and on a one-on-one discussion with them, discovered that some of them had suicidal thoughts.

The RFH boss said some of them had low self esteem because of the way their teachers spoke to them.

She said the NGO launched a mentoring club, being an intermediary between schools and the students.

“We stand in the gap for schools that don’t have guidance and counseling units in their schools. The schools approach us and we talk to the students on issues bothering them.

“Some of the students are dying in silence, looking for an avenue or someone to pour out their hearts to; which if they don’t get, may start having suicidal thoughts,” she said.

Onuorah said that the foundation’s learning hub has a part that says ‘Ask the Counsellor’, where students are to write from wherever they are.

“We address them, and when severe, refer them to a psychologist.” (NAN)

Edited by Chidi Opara/Oluwole Sogunle

By Florence Onuegbu

The Lagos State Government said two children died at school in 2022, due to negligence from school officials.

Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), made this known in Ikeja on Tuesday.

She disclosed this during a Stakeholders Meeting for the Year 2022 Intervention Report on Safeguarding and Child Protection in School.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that the first death was a case of drowning at the school pool, while the second was a case of the child ran down by a vehicle, after crossing the school gate, without vigilance from the school officials.

She said that while in school, some children had been physically and sexual abused, and the state government really frowned at such.

”We had a couple of sexual abuse allegations made against teachers, school bus drivers, janitors. We had physical abuse, sexual abuse,” Vivour-Adeniyi said.

She said that majority of the cases could had been avoided if relevant safeguarding measures were put in place in the schools.

”The Joint Task Force on Safeguarding and Child Protection, in the past one year, visited several schools where we received child protection and safeguarding concerns. As a result of these visitations, we came up with our report, our end of year report.

”We deemed it expedient to have this roundtable meeting, which is a two-day programme, to conduct a postpartum assessment of these different cases, understand the trends, understand lessons that we can learn, forge a way forward from a more preventive lens.

”So that it is not until these cases happen, that we have to respond and it is important that we learn from our mistakes or errors, or from history, from the past, with a view to knowing the way forward in issues that pertain to safeguarding and child protection in schools,” Vivour-Adeniyi said.

She said that findings during the visitations revealed that there was no level of awareness about the existence of the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy in schools.

According to her, there was a low level of awareness about support services that schools can take advantage of, with the unfortunate instance, that disclosure of safeguarding and child protection is made.

”So, it is important that as government, we continue to create awareness about the existence of the relevant laws, and let education institutions know that government is a partner in progress, and if there are issues, they should not hesitate to escalate appropriately,” she said.

In her welcome address, Mrs Toyin Oke- Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, said that many school children were vulnerable to abuses, hence, required protection.

Oke-Osanyintolu, who was represented by the Director, Social Welfare, of the ministry, Mrs Toyin Jaiyeola, said that there was the need to review existing policies and fashion out new strategies to help protect children of school age, amongst others.

”There is the need and importance for continuous collaborations in organising awareness programmes, raising campaigns against all forms of abuse and promoting wellness for peace, justice and safety of our children,” she said.

Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, said that ensuring implementation of the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy in schools should be a joint effort, of different ministries and agencies.

”The truth of the matter is children are dying, the truth of the matter is children are not safe,” Seriki-Ayeni said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Jacinta Nwachukwu

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on its members nationwide to vote for candidates in the forthcoming general election, who are worker friendly.

The National President, NUT, Comrade Titus Amba made the call at the Union’s Annual Solemn Assembly held on Monday in Abuja.

According to Amba, teachers train all the professionals in different fields, but it is surprising that they are the least paid and most relegated in the country.

“I, therefore, urge all our members to vote wisely but should not vote for any candidate that is not worker friendly, no matter the inducement, persuasion or any consideration” he said.

“Remember that your voter cards are your voices and power. Therefore, we cannot afford to be mute in this critical and decisive moment of our nation’s history.

“In most of the developed countries even the developing ones; they place more priority on the welfare of teachers,” he said.

Amba said when one neglected the welfare of teachers certainly one would not get the needed result.

He said that the leadership of the union had increasingly engaged the states government on the issues of N30,000 Minimum Wage and Consequential Adjustments.

Amba said that the Union had also filed trade dispute with the Registrar of Trade Unions against some non-cooperative states governments.

He reaffirmed the determination of his administration to take the Union to greater heights, through the immense, solid and numerous achievements of his predecessors.

Earlier in his sermon Imam Muhammad Bin ‘Uthman urged government at all levels to ensure adequate security for the nation towards better learning condition .

Bin ‘Uthman said for any nation to be educationally developed, there must be physical and spiritual security, saying that insecurity is a big challenge to national development.

He added that other factors necessary for national development included food security, job opportunity, power supply and quality healthcare system.

Also speaking, Rev. Fr. Nduka Uzo, advised that Nigerians should learn to live together in love and harmony irrespective of their differences.

Uzo encouraged teachers to always come to God in prayers, praises and thanksgiving, saying instead of complaining, they should use the time to ask God for provisions.

He said that being a teacher was a vocation, so they should not give up in the struggle.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NUT solemn assembly was to commit the leaders, teachers, their welfare and action plans to the hands of God towards an all-round success for the good of the profession and the nation. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Auwalu Birnin Kudu/Razak Owolabi

By Ikenna Osuoha

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Friday urged increased investment in the education sector to ensure quality of education to school age children, particularly girls.

Okonjo-Iweala said this in Abuja on Friday at a summit with the theme: “Girl Child Now: Nurturing Our women-Nigeria’s own wealth “.

She described investment in the education of the girl child as a ‘smart investment’, saying that it fosters inclusion of women in economics.

Mr Gordon Brown, UN Envoy, Global Education, said the summit reinforced the importance of education for the girl child.

Brown affirmed his support for a social contract between Nigeria and girls to enable them thrive and not just to survive.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO), said that investing in women and girls education would enhance societal prosperity and equality.

Ghebreyesus expressed optimism that education for girls and women would go a long way in reducing early marriage and other forms of Gender Based Violence.

Mrs Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs, reiterated the commitment of the Buhari-led administration to improving the welfare of women and girls through education.

Tallen, who described the girl child as a representation of the continuation of the cycle of live, said education for a girl child was education for the society.

She therefore called for mass enrolment of women and girls in schools to create a sustainable economic future for them.

Ms Ulla Mueller, Country Representative, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), called for a continued conversation between parents and relevant stakeholders to promote girl and women education.

Mueller said that education was important to successful and prosperous society especially for women and girls.

Dr Adeleke Mamora, Minister of Science and Technology, expressed the need to support girls and women to achieve their potentials to the fullest.

Mamora urged the dismantling of societal prejudices that tend to subjugate the girl child impeding her access to education.

“The societal monsters that subject women to cultural and mental subjugation must be confronted.

“Government’s social contract forbids discrimination in many ways,” he said.

The minister said there was a strong chord between health, education and wealth which women and girls must be provided access to.

He explained that the mission of his ministry was to move the Nigerian economy from resource based to knowledge based.

Dr Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, expressed the commitment of the Federal Government to adequate funding for safety of schools in Nigeria.

Ahmed said that they had included in the National planning for Agencies and Ministries to be gender focused.

According to her, the government is working with the private sector to create fiscal incentives to promote girl child education.

Dr Ayoade Alakija, Founder Emergency Coordinated Centre (ECC), WHO Special Envoy, urged women and girls to always be bold and courageous.

Alakija said that such boldness would only be possible with foundational education as support.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit is organised by Emergency Coordinated Centre (ECC), to address the plight of women and girls in the area of educational marginalisation. (NAN)(www.nanews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Uche Anunne

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Ojah Scholarship Foundation has opened its portal for application into its annual scholarship programme for indigent undergraduates in the Niger Delta region.

The foundation’s Secretary, Mrs Bisi Olabode-Foghi, who made the disclosure in a statement, on Friday in Abuja, said that the portal would remain open till April 30.

Olabode-Foghi added that the applicants must be students with interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics areas.

She said: “The applicants must have gained admission for the current year (2023 -2024) to a Nigerian public university (state or federal) or is already in year onevor year two in a Nigerian public university.,”

While advising interested applicants to log on to https://www.ojascholarships.org/ for registration, Olabode-Foghi said non-Niger Delta students with extraordinary performance in academics could also apply.

The secretary, who doubles as a trustee said that the organisation was a non profit one providing access to higher education for remarkable, yet indigent students from the region.

She said: “Our interest is to contribute towards closing the present gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in this region.

“We also want to set in motion a strategic advancement that will see Niger Delta become a giant in the STEM field in the near future.”

Olabode-Foghi added that the vision to launch such an initiative has been a slow-cooking plan, saying: “we have always helped people get education.

“We also yearn to see a real change, systemic and lasting improvements/projects that breed better life and growth for our people at home.

“So, merging these two aspirations together was the next best thing for us.

“The idea is not to only grant scholarships and set them on their way, we are keen to providing necessary mentoring, career opportunities and support for as long as it is needed.

“We are looking to help shape this younger generation into renowned professionals.

“We want these people to be advantageously placed so that they are also be able to give back much more and altogether build the Niger Delta,”she added.(NAN) (www.nannewd.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Jacinta Nwachukwu

Some stakeholders in education sector have urged parents to allow their children pass through all the academic stages as stipulated in the education policies instead of skipping classes.

They expressed this concern on Monday, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

They said students who skipped classes were most times slaves to their emotions, being not mature for the challenges ahead.

According to them, education is the bedrock of development and for any meaningful development to take place a person has to pass through some stages of development both physically, mentally and psychologically.

Mr Pius Godwin, the Principal of Kings’ Kids International School, Gwagwalada, frowned at the rate JSS 2 and SS2 students enroll for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE).

“We are in an era, where students are in a rush to graduate from school as soon as possible without putting into considerations, first their mental and academic development,” he said.

He said that parents were part of the problems, adding that parents of such student always come up with excuses that favour them not minding the consequences on their children.

According to him, when a child is pushed above his or her class, such student may not be able to stand academically to defend the certificate.

“He or she may not be able to solve problems that involve intellect in the place of work and may not be able to make meaningful contributions in policies that concern education.

“Also, such an individual may not be able to teach others; he or she will be unemployable in any institution whether government or private sector.

“Equally, he or she may not be able to replicate who they are in any sector they found themselves not minding the implications,” he said.

The principal further said that psychologically, such students might exhibit arrogance and rudeness when they failed to carry out an assignment perfectly after graduation.

He said that the most annoying aspect was that this might extend to even their next generations.

He, therefore, encouraged parents to allow their wards pass through all the academic stages as stipulated in the education policies.

Similarly, Mr Haruna Idachaba, a father of three said that some parents took pride on their wards or children’s capability above their mates; hence they encouraged them to skip classes.

Idachaba noted that allowing a child to skip his or her class might cause more harm than good for that child in future.

He said that for the sake of academic development of that child parents should allow their children to go through all the academic processes.

Also, Dr Olatunji Jekayinfa said schools might allow students to sit for external examinations such as BECE and SSCE in JSS2 and SSS2 to assess the readiness of the students and their level of preparedness ahead final year.

Jekayinfa, who is a Research Fellow at the National Mathematical Centre, said students who happened to come brilliantly well at the penultimate year should be made to stay back to write again at the final year.

According to him, this is because students at the penultimate year most times, although academically sound may not be emotionally and physically mature.

“And, ready for the next level of their education if they are allowed to skip the final year class.

He said that in spite of the child’s academic brilliance such student tend to be easily influenced negatively by their older colleagues.

According to him, due to their tenderness and age disparity among their colleagues, such a student is more vulnerable to vices associated with adolescence.

“The school system ultimately should produce rounded graduates who are sound academically and are morally and emotionally matured.

“This may be a far cry if students are allowed to skip vital and important classes just because they are successful in their external examinations at the penultimate class.

“The disadvantages are too enormous to waive aside,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Ben Ezuwu/Isaac Aregbesola