Education
Eva Adelaja Girls’ At 60: Old Students Donate to Orphanage, Thrill Students
By Adedapo Adesanya
It has been an eventful celebration at the ongoing 6oth Anniversary of Eva Adelaja Girls’ Secondary Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos. The event was planned to celebrate the institution established by the late educator, Mrs Evangeline Adebayo Adelaja, in 1964.
Particular resplendent in this celebration are the alumni of the school, the Eva Adelaja Girls’ Secondary Grammar School Old Girls’ Association, which have been on the ground to ensure that the planned activities go smoothly.
The event, which kicked off with the Praise Day and Community Hymn Singing held at Chapel of Christ the Light in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, continued on Monday, with a visit to the prestigious Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home/School in Akoka, Yaba.
Items like bags of rice, beans, flour, wheat meal, and pasta alongside oils, toiletries, and cartons of noodles were given to the children at the sanctuary.
Speaking at the event, the president of the alumni association, Mrs Rhoda Ayinde, thanked the management of the home for creating a haven for the children to grow and develop and be festooned with the knowledge and skill of the real world.
“We express our gratitude to everyone working here and being a season of love, as you know, we just marked Valentine’s Day and what better way to celebrate our 60th than to show love,” she said.
In response, the administrator at the school thanked the old students and wished them a prosperous celebration ahead.
The selected alumni members who were present were shown around the facility and got first-hand experiences of the learning process administered to the children by the management.
On Tuesday, attention was drawn to Fun Day, a day to celebrate the current students at the school with varieties of activities ranging from a novelty football match, rally, health talk on drug abuse and prevention, and a raffle draw.
Expressing her delight at the celebration, the principal of the Eva Adelaja Girls’ Senior Secondary Grammar School, Mrs Oluyinka Soyoye, said the event was a testament to the vision and mission of the sixty-year-old citadel of learning.
“We are producing all-round women who will uplift the glory of their homes and nation at large. Now, this celebration has brought about a kind of motivation for them that they should be focused and have a vision that sometime very soon, they will grow from girls to ladies and then women and that they could also occupy vantage positions in society and give back to the society and their school.”
Her aspirations were echoed by her equivalent in the Eva Adelaja Girls’ Junior Secondary Grammar School, Mrs Vinuyon Buhari, who lauded the academic excellence that the school was famed for, adding that the school has produced some shining lights in different spheres of industry.
“The current students are experiencing what it feels to celebrate the founding of the school and what adds the colour to it is the coming back home of the old students’ appreciating where they’ve been so many years ago… This will serve as inspiration to the current crop when they leave the school.”
She added that the school was in tune with the current nature of learning with emphasis placed on digital learning and technological innovations like robotics and coding, which will boost self-reliance and sufficiency.
For Mrs Omolara Koya, a 1973-1977 alumna, and ex-teacher at the school, it was a good feeling to be back in one of the environments that shaped her to teach at the school in 1985 – 1993.
“I feel on top of the world even as my set was the 10th set to leave here, it felt like I was part and parcel of this school from the onset.”
Mrs Idera Williams of the 1971-1975 set and an executive officer of the UK Chapter of the Eva Adelaja Girls’ Secondary Grammar School Old Girls’ Association, said the feeling was indescribable considering the demise of many former classmates.
“It has been so lovely to be here today to celebrate 60 years is no easy feat.”
For Miss Damilola Fasida, a 2020 set graduate of the school, it was wonderful to see her successor appreciate the school and hope that in the future, she and her colleagues will be able to replicate and impact the school beyond its current state.
Adding her bit for the family, the granddaughter of the school’s founder [Mrs Eva Adelaja], Mrs Angel Kuye, was beaming with pride for what her progenitor established since waxing strong.
“It is exciting because in my everyday life, I meet alumni of the school; proud and excellent Evas, and it shows that if you build something that supports many, those blessings will not come back to you but to future generations.”
Commenting on the establishment of the N1 million Prize known as the Ben and Eva Adelaja Prize, which will be awarded to the best-graduating student moving forward, she said the family would ensure that this does not wane as future generations that spring up from the founder will carry on the legacy.
On Thursday, the Old Girls’ Association held an anniversary lecture and viewed a produced documentary on the school and its many legacies.
The celebration will culminate with a dual event starting with a thanksgiving at Chapel of Christ the Light scheduled to start by 9 a.m. on Saturday, February 24. This is followed by a reception and awards ceremony by noon.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Plans have been concluded by Nigerian Breweries to support about 1,000 Nigerian students in Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
The foremost brewing company is carrying out this empowerment initiative with a leading non-profit organisation, FATE Foundation, through the Orange Corners Student Ambassadors Programme of the Netherlands.
This partnership marks a significant step in advancing youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria, equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to build sustainable businesses and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.
This is because the scheme is to promote entrepreneurship and offer networking opportunities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Ambassadors are selected from specific universities to inspire students to see entrepreneurship as a desirable career path and to foster a culture of innovation within universities.
It targets students aged 18–35 currently enrolled in tertiary institutions across Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
“The partnership reinforces Nigerian Breweries’ long-standing commitment to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development. Through initiatives like this, we are creating pathways for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Nigeria,” the Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, stated.
He further highlighted the company’s track record in youth empowerment, noting that since the renewed focus on youth empowerment and entreprenuership, Nigerian Breweries has impacted 2,365 young Nigerians across 24 states and the FCT.
Also speaking on the partnership, the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Ms Adenike Adeyemi, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between Nigerian Breweries and the Orange Corners Programme.
“Nigerian Breweries has been a longstanding partner with Orange Corners Nigeria in many ways. We are delighted to have the company continue to support the Orange Corners Programme and elated that this commitment will reach an additional 1000 young Nigerians leveraging the proven Orange Corners Student Ambassadors framework,” she said.
Ms Adeyemi outlined FATE Foundation’s role to include designing and delivering the training curriculum, managing student registration and participation, maintaining accurate records of all beneficiaries, and coordinating all logistical and technical aspects to ensure successful programme delivery.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced the reopening of the 47 unity schools earlier shut down due to security concerns on November 21.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday.
It said that the decision to reopen the affected colleges across the country reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education.
On November 18, 2025, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.
Just three days later, on November 21, about 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger state.
In response, the federal government shut down 47 Federal Unity Colleges, and some states including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger also closed schools or restricted school activities, particularly boarding institutions.
Rights group including Human Rights Watch lamented that while these measures were aimed at protecting students, they disrupted learning for thousands of children, denied them access to education, and the social and psychological support schools provide.
FULL LIST OF AFFECTED UNITY COLLEGES
North-West:
FGGC Minjibir, FTC Ganduje, FGGC Zaria, FTC Kafanchan, FGGC Bakori, FTC Dayi, FGC Daura, FGGC Tambuwal, FSC Sokoto, FTC Wurno, FGC Gusau, FGC Anka, FGGC Gwandu, FGC Birnin Yauri, FTC Zuru, FGGC Kazaure, FGC Kiyawa, FTC Hadejia.
North-East:
FGGC Potiskum, FGC Buni Yadi, FTC Gashua, FTC Michika, FGC Ganye, FGC Azare, FTC Misau, FGGC Bajoga, FGC Billiri, FTC Zambuk.
North-Central:
FGGC Bida, FGC New-Bussa, FTC Kuta-Shiroro, FGA Suleja, FGC Ilorin, FGGC Omu-Aran, FTC Gwanara, FGC Ugwolawo, FGGC Kabba, FGGC Bwari, FGC Rubochi, FGGC Abaji.
South-West:
FTC Ikare Akoko, FTC Ijebu-Imusin, FTC Ushi-Ekiti, FTC Ogugu.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Online learning platforms, Coursera and Udemy, have reached an agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction, with the combined company’s implied equity value estimated at approximately $2.5 billion.
The agreement, unanimously approved by both companies’ boards of directors, stipulates that Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 shares of Coursera common stock for each Udemy share held.
Upon completion of the merger, Coursera shareholders are expected to own about 59 per cent and Udemy shareholders approximately 41 per cent of the new entity on a fully diluted basis.
The combined company will continue under the Coursera name, and maintain its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Coursera, founded in 2012 by Mr Andrew Ng and Ms Daphne Koller, is an online learning platform with 191 million registered users as of September 30, 2025. It collaborates with over 375 universities and industry partners to offer courses, specialisations, professional certificates, and degrees.
The platform includes features such as generative AI (gen AI) tools (Coach, Role Play, Course Builder) and role-based solutions (Skills Tracks) to support scalable and personalised learning. Coursera is used by institutions for workforce development in fields such as gen AI, data science, technology, and business.
Udemy is a platform that provides on-demand, multi-language courses to help companies and individuals develop technical, business, and soft skills. It uses AI to offer personalised learning experiences and supports workforce development in a changing workplace.
Mr Greg Hart, currently CEO of Coursera, is set to lead the enlarged organisation as CEO after the merger.
The board will consist of nine members. Six from Coursera’s board, including chairman Mr Ng and CEO Mr Hart, and three from Udemy’s board.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in which AI is rapidly redefining the skills required for every job across every industry.
“Organisations and individuals around the world need a platform that is as agile as the new and emerging skills learners must master,” Mr Hart said.
The combination is said to create a complete ecosystem of top instructors supported by AI tools, data-driven insights, and broader distribution, enabling more engaging, personalised, and dynamic learning at scale.
Projected operational efficiencies include anticipated annual run-rate cost synergies of $115m within two years after closing.
Udemy CEO, Mr Hugo Sarrazin said: “For more than 15 years, Udemy has helped millions of people master in-demand skills at the speed of innovation.
“Through this combination with Coursera, we will create meaningful benefits for our learners, enterprise customers, and instructors, while delivering significant value to our shareholders, who will participate in the substantial upside potential of the combined company.”
The merger is anticipated to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory clearances, approval by both companies’ shareholders, and other customary closing conditions.
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