Education / News

Aisha Buhari commends UNESCO over women education

First Lady Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has commended UNESCO over its efforts towards women’s advancement.

She made the commendation during a courtesy visit by the director-general of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, on Monday 13th September 2021 at the State House, Abuja.

She said as with UNESCO, education is one of the areas of focus of Aisha Buhari Foundation.

“I am pleased to inform you that I just built a school in Maiduguri, Borno State, to cater for the education needs of the teeming population of orphans and other victims of insurgency in the state,” said Mrs. Buhari, adding that the aim is to provide such children with an opportunity to have access to quality education that will transform and prepare them for a productive life.

Earlier, Ms. Azoulay had expressed happiness visiting Nigeria, a country she addressed as an extraordinarily diverse country, saying UNESCO has many good reasons to enjoy a historic relationship with Nigeria.

Azoulay noted that the ongoing International Coordinating Council on Man and the Biosphere Program (ICC-MAB) addresses the relationship between people and their environments.

She said some activities that harm biodiversity also have severe consequences for vulnerable people all around the world, and therefore called for concerted action to reverse this trend.

She commended Nigeria for showing commitment in this regard.

The UNESCO director-general was in Nigeria to attend the International Coordinating Council on Man and the Biosphere and was accompanied by the Ambassador of Nigeria and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Dr. Hajo Sani; UNESCO Regional Director, Dimitri Sanga, and Director-General, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria and President of the ICC-MAB. Professor Adesola Adepoju.…

Education / News

Lagos insists on reviewed boarding fee for Model Colleges

The Lagos State Ministry of Education has appealed to parents of students of Model Colleges to accept the upward review of the boarding fees, saying it was in the overall interest of the students.

This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the Ministry’s Public Affairs Officer, Ganiu Lawal.

It stated that Folasade Adefisayo, Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Education, made the plea while addressing the concern of some parents on the review of the boarding fees in the 32 Model Colleges across the state.

According to the statement, the boarding fees charged per term for the past 18 years have been N25,000 for a student, adding that parents are expected to show understanding in the matter and development. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that parents of Lagos State Model Colleges had kicked against the astronomical increment of students’ feeding fee from N25,000 to N75,000 per term.

Adefisayo said: “The Ministry had meetings and engagements with the parents’ fora of the model colleges and upgraded schools where reasons for the review were `clearly and unambiguously’ enumerated.

“It was agreed that the review of the fees became necessary due to economic realities viz-a-viz the current cost of food stuff, provision of energy, medical care and general school maintenance.”

The Commissioner hinted that as at June 2021, the market cost of commodities and school maintenance services analysis showed that N125,000 would be required to keep a student in a Model College, with 80 per cent of the cost to be expended on meals.

She said: “Hence, the resolve to peg the boarding fees at N50,000 per term is premised on the realization that the State Government will bear N75,000 subsidy per child, while the school will receive subventions per term to cater for the expected gaps.

“Feeding a child at N73.30k per meal is not healthy for growth; hence the government cannot be running a boarding system with same amount that has been in place for over 18 years.”

According to Adefisayo, the State Government runs a free education policy, …

Education / News

Senate passes establishment bill for Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo

The Senate has passed the bill for the establishment of Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.

This followed the consideration of two reports by Senate Committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary); and Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND at Tuesday’s plenary.

The Chairman of the Committee on Health, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC- Kwara), in his presentation said the the bill for the University of Medical Sciences, Otukpo would give legal backing to the institution which was already in existence.

Oloriegbe said: “Mr. President and Distinguished Colleagues, this is coming at a very important time in our history. “With the challenges of the pandemic and the importance of the health sector generally in Nigeria and globally, creation of a University of Health Sciences is very necessary.

“More importantly, the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo is already in existence but needs legal backing to effectively carry out its mandates.”

The lawmaker explained that the bill sought to among other things, address the dearth in admission of students aspiring to study Medicine and Allied Health Sciences in Nigeria.

Oloriegbe said the university would fill the vacuum created by the loss of manpower in the country’s health services industry to migration and brain drain.…

Education / News

Nigeria now has highest number of Out-of-School Children — Minister

The Minister of State, Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said Nigeria has the highest number of Out-of-School Children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nwajiuba stated this during the inauguration of: “Better Education Service Delivery For All,” in Katsina on Monday.

He announced that Nigeria has an estimated 10,193,918 out of school children.

According to him, the current challenges affecting the Nigerian education system has left much to be desired, saying the system is characterized by high illiteracy level, infrastructural decay and deficits.

Nwajiuba congratulated the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, on his giant stride to reposition education in the state.

He said this is a clear demonstration of leadership quality and personal commitment to education as well as the passion to revitalise the educational sector in order to develop the abundant human capital of the state.

The Minister stated that BESDA focuses on 17 states in the country, including all 13 states of the North West and North East geopolitical zones.

Niger, Oyo, Ebonyi and Rivers State are also included.

In his remarks, Masari commended the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission for their foresight and commitment in coming up with laudable programmes for the development of the education sector in particular and the development of society in general.

The program started in 2018.…

Entertainment / News

Pharrell Williams Opens Private Schools For Children of Low Income Earners

Pharrell’s non-profit organization, Yellow, is expanding its education branch to include a handful of private schools in his homeland of Virginia that serve low-income pupils. He’ll open the first school in Norfolk, Virginia’s Ghent neighborhood, which is near to his hometown of Virginia Beach. Children in grades three through five will be able to enroll at the Yellow hab school. Tuition will be free for at least the first year with costs covered by charitable donations. The skills Pharrell’s foundation gained while running youth summer programs are being put to good use.…