Education
Lagos Monarch Asks Government to Increase Funding to Education
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, Lagos State, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, has appealed to the government to increase funding to education so as to develop the nation.
The Lagos monarch said this when he addressed newsmen over the weekend in Oyo State when he was honoured alongside some members of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association (UIAA), Oyo State branch.
The lawyer-turned traditional ruler also said apart from the government, parents, guardians and corporate organisations have roles to play if the educational sector must be better.
“I support the call for the government to increase funding for education and there is an internationally acceptable standard and we would urge the government to do more in that regard. I will continue to be an ambassador of the call that a large chunk of our budget should be allocated to education so that we can have an improved educational standard in the country.
“But, we know that government cannot do it alone, for instance, in my own little capacity in my domain, I have utilized every opportunity to mobilise resources for an improved education through construction of classrooms, award of scholarships to indigent students and we will continue to organise lectures to educate our wards on the dangers of joining bad companies and dangers of gangsterism in all ways,” Mr Kasali said.
The ceremony, which precisely took place on Saturday, September 11, 2021, in Ibadan, was held to recognise the old students for their various contributions to their field of endeavours.
Other recipients also echoed the thoughts of the monarch as they agreed that quality education would secure the future of Nigeria.
The Director of Program Operations, Children Community Services, New York, United States of America, Mr Rafiu Afolabi Laguda, in his submission, said parents need to train up their children to be independent, especially in their actions and decisions, lamenting that many students fell to the trap of joining cultism as a result of peer pressure.
Mr Laguda, a youth mentor and coach, who was honoured with the Worthy Ambassador Award, said getting the best of the country’s educational sector requires a collaborative effort from the government, parents, corporate organisations, and every other relevant stakeholder.
“The government is trying, parents need to support. When you talk about institutions abroad, it is not only government that is funding them. It is a collaborative effort.
“But in Nigeria, we tend to leave a bulk on the table of the government and we think that government is the superman to do everything and address all the problems.
“Parents, corporate institutions, government, all of us have roles to play in the educational development of our country.
‘On cultism and hooliganism, these are social vices driven by peer pressure. We all had the option and choice to join a cult group but we did not when we were in school,” he said.
“I know many youths who are well trained from home but who missed it when they got into campus. Parents must train up their children to be independent and learn to take independent decisions.
“Let them be accountable for whatever decision they take so that they know the task and responsibility ahead, let them know that they are always responsible for their actions and decisions,” Mr Laguda added.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development, Social and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Christianah Abioye, described the honour as a rude shock as she was not aware that her efforts in the fields of social work were being monitored.
She assured that the Worthy Ambassador Award conferred on her will help her expand the scope of her work and facilitate opportunities for more youths, less privileged and vulnerable to be impacted through synergy with the UIAA and members of the community.
Mrs Abioye noted that government cannot handle all the issues facing the society alone but that some people have left everything in the hands of the government, adding “but it is not so. We need to come out as parents, elderly ones, brothers and sisters, teachers, neighbours, colleagues, we need to do it together. We need to change society.
“We need to let the children who are not finding it easy know that it is a matter of patience and time while also encouraging them to concentrate on their studies and or vocation and let them know that they will through that part achieve a lot more for themselves and the society at large,” she stated.
Other awardees at the event included the Sabiganna of Iganna, Oyo State, Oba Salau Azeez (Royal Ambassador Award), Dotun Sanusi (Outstanding Alumnus Award 2021) and Dr Fola Akinosun (Commendable Philanthropist Award), amongst others.
By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel
Over N7 million in cash prizes, laptops, phones and mPulse goody bags would be won at the 2021 mPulse Spelling Bee organised by telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria.
The contest, which is opened for primary and secondary students in Nigeria, comprises three rounds as the first round is currently being run alongside the ongoing registration.
The acting General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Mr Idowu Adesokan, noted that the deadline for the registration has been extended to Sunday, October 24.
“We took the mPulse Spelling Bee competition online to advance digital literacy and guarantee safe participation from students across Nigeria regardless of their location.
“We believe that every child qualified to participate should have the opportunity to and our extension of the deadline accommodates and encourages this,” he explained.
According to Mr Adesokan, the first 1,000 students who come out with the highest scores in the first round will then proceed to the second round.
Explaining the healthy and competitive nature of the challenge, he stated, “Students have the opportunity to compete in this online competition from anywhere in Nigeria, with a chance to win cash prizes, laptops, smartphones and many more gifts for themselves; while their teachers who supported them in preparing to get rewarded with cash prizes and devices too.”
To participate, students across the country in Primary and secondary schools must be within the age bracket of 9 to 15 years.
He said that interested participants can still register in the MTN Spelling Bee contest on the website (https://mpulse.mtnonline.com/).
However, to do this, they need to migrate to a current and active mPulse plan which can be done by sending impulse text to 344 or dialling 3441# on their MTN line.
The grand finale of the previous edition, which took place virtually on Saturday, December 12, 2020, saw the emergence of Snow George, an SS3 student of Starville School, Abuja who received a scholarship grant worth N2 million, a laptop, and a smartphone among other gifts.
By Sodeinde Temidayo David
The fourth edition of the International Conference on Safe School Declaration (ICSSD) will hold in Nigeria, the federal government has confirmed.
This is the first time the event will take place in Africa and it is coming at a time Nigeria is working tirelessly to tackle the incessant kidnapping of schoolchildren by terrorists in the northern part of the country.
It was gathered that other 112 members of the group will converge on Nigeria for the event to exchange experiences, learning, and present their strategies, progress, as well as challenges in making the commitment to safe education a reality for all children in conflict situations.
The Minister of State for Education, Mr Adamu Adamu, disclosed on Sunday, October 17 that the conference will build on previous events by galvanizing support for the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) and monitoring UN member states’ progress in carrying out the declarations commitments to better protect learners and learning institutions.
The conference tagged Ensuring Safe Education for All: From Commitment to Practice will commence on October 25 and finish on October 27, 2021.
According to the Minister, the programme will also serve to maintain and amplify the momentum of the SSD and its commitment to making safe education for all a reality.
It will also be used to strengthen implementation of the declaration by sharing good practice in implementing key commitments in the declaration, inspire other states to adopt the practice within their own context and forge global cooperation in the protection of education and deterring military use of schools and universities by bringing together education, defence, and foreign affairs ministries.
In addition, the confab on school safety will also be a forum for multilateral and civil society organizations to discuss prevention and response measures, and Identifying actions that governments can take to better achieve accountability for attacks on education and justice for the victims by building and strengthening international and national legal mechanisms.
He said Nigeria is co-hosting the conference with the African Union Commission (AUC), the governments of Argentina, Norway, and Spain, as well as the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Oyo State Government has threatened to revoke unexecuted contracts on renovation and construction projects under its 2012-2018 UBEC/SUBEB Intervention Project from defaulting contractors in the state.
This threat was made on Thursday by the Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Nureni Adeniran.
Speaking with the 22 contractors in Ibadan, the state capital, Mr Adeniran this action may likely be taken under the breach of contract terms.
He noted that many of the contracts, including those awarded by the previous administration had been dragging since 2018, adding that this is in contravention of the time frame of the contractual agreement which stipulated two weeks for completion of borehole and a maximum of 24 weeks for completion of model schools.
Mr Adeniran said the board would not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against these defaulting contractors, who have failed to meet project specifications in the execution of UBEC/SUBEB jobs in the state.
He added that the contractors may answer queries from the anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after the November 2021 deadline, adding that they also risk being blacklisted by UBEC for further contracts of UBEC/SUBEB nationwide.
“The message here is clear, the job has taken too long, your failure to deliver on the agreed dates is affecting the wellbeing of our children, we will reverse the contract,” he said.
“We have issued several warnings, this is about the third time. We need to revoke the contract and give those that will do the job. The guideline is clear and we are not going to compromise,” he warned.
The SUBEB boss, who was at the meeting in the company of the management staff of the Board, queried the rationale behind the contractors’ refusal to deliver results, despite the mobilization fee Government had given them.
The educationist noted that as part of concerted efforts to enforce standards, as well as ensure that there are only appropriate executions of projects, the board in 2019 did not revoke their contracts, despite the fact that they were issued by the former administration.
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