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17-year Old Nigerian Wins Commonwealth Essay Competition

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A 17-year-old Nigerian student, Nnemdi Ozoemena, has emerged the runner-up in the senior category of the 2019 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.

Mr Blackson Bayewumi, Country Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society in Nigeria and Chairman Nigeria Conversation, said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

Bayewumi said that the Federal Ministry of Education had on March 11, inaugurated the competition in Abuja on behalf of the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) Nigeria during commemoration of the Commonwealth Day.

According to him, the Royal Commonwealth Society in Nigeria inaugurated the Essay Competition in Lagos on Feb. 20, 2019 and that the competition was held all over the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth.

“Ozoemena emerged runner-up courtesy of her literary piece chosen from more than 11,000 entries from across the five regions of the Commonwealth.

“She wrote about “Hello” a tale of two young people struggling with issues in their society and who do not feel truly appreciated for whom they are told through direct messages on Twitter.

“From different countries, backgrounds they find common ground and become friends; the One Final Panel Judge described the piece as ‘shop window of how youth are speaking to each other today’.

“Ozoemena will be invited to attend an Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace where the Duchess of Cornwall will present them with their certificates on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen,” he said.

Bayewumi said that Ozoemena came closely behind a 15-year-old Canadian, Beached Wang, in the senior category.

He added that Veronica Shen, 13, from Singapore emerged winner in the junior category while 12-year-old Ghanaian, Elise Jensen, emerged runner-up.

He, however, said that the senior category was for people between the ages of 14 years and 18 years, while the junior category was for those who were 13 years old and below.

Bayewumi said that notable authors would read extracts from the winning pieces at the ceremony as part of a week of cultural and educational activities in London, UK.

He explained that the 2019 competition titled “Connected Commonwealth” required applications on how the contestants could use cultural, technological, and environmental connections for positive change across the Commonwealth.

Topics for the competition provided room for young people to write on ways that Commonwealth potentials could be used to strengthen the vast and varied links between citizens.

“It is important to conclude that Nigerian young people have the competence, capacities, capabilities, and intelligence to compete globally and excel if given the opportunity and the right environment.

“While few Nigerian youths indulge themselves in crime, there are millions others making the nation proud in academics, sports, science and technology, entertainment, and other dignifying human endeavours,” he said.

He said that a pan-Commonwealth body consisting of more than 100 volunteer judges across 40 different countries assessed the entries for the competition.

Bayewumi also said that the judges commented on the skill and talent shown by any of the young writers, with entries described as ‘massively memorable’ and ‘very powerful’.

The competition is the oldest international schools’ writing competition organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society founded in 1868, as network of individuals and organisations to improve prospects of Commonwealth citizens across the world.

The society seeks to promote Commonwealth societal values through youth empowerment, education and advocacy. (NAN)

Education

FG to Develop Data on all Schools to Address Challenges in Education

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The Federal Government says it will sign a partnership contract with an ICT firm to generate data on all schools in Nigeria in order to tackle challenges in the sector.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at a two-day capacity building workshop for Desk Officers in the ministry, its Departments and Agencies.

Reports says the capacity building workshop focuses on the implementation, collation, harmonisation and reportage of ministerial deliverables.

“It is our plan that by end of this year or early next year, we will be signing a partnership contract with a firm that will be working with our IT people to generate data on all schools in Nigeria.

“This is because we need to know our teachers, and every single student, we need data to know the trend of learning, our school infrastructure.

“This exercise will enhance decision making and policy formulation as the data collected and collated will aid evidence based planning, measure implementation and progress and identify areas where improvement is required,’’  he said.

Mamman added that data would help to advise the state governments on the right policy to make that would affect the schools positively.

He charged heads of MDAs, desk officers and other participants to tailor their programmes, activities and projects towards the realisation of the deliverables.

“The uppermost focus of the Ministry in general is in the areas of ensuring generation of credible, timely and reliable education data at all levels; and promotion of skills development.

“It is also in the enhancement of skill development across the entire education landscape for innovative and employability education; teachers training and development; and reducing the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“I believe if we get it right in education, everything else will fall in place.

“The doctors who man our hospitals, the nurses who delivers the vaccines, the engineering in charge of our construction works, everybody is the bye-product of our activities,’’ he said.

The minister commended the government of Kaduna state and the security organisations for helping in the release of the 287 abducted school children in the state.

The Senior Education Officer, Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) , Ian Attfield, pledged to support government in actualising the deliverables and as well support in addressing learning crisis through continuing education financing.

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu in his Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector signed a 23 Ministerial Deliverables and the 13 Pillars of the Education Sector Roadmap 2024-2027.

The deliverables are: strengthening research and innovation in education sector, reviewing the status of technical and vocational education board, strengthening the education management information system, among others .(NAN)

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Sen. Buba Pays UTME Fees for 350 Science Students in His Constituency

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Sen. Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South at the Senate, has paid 2023/2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) fees for no fewer than 350 Science students in his constituency.

Mr Mohammed Dahiru, the Senator’s Programmes Supervisor, said in Bauchi on Monday, that in addition, all the beneficiaries will also be sponsored by the Senator in any university of their choice within the country.

Dahiru added that the Senator urged the beneficiaries to be more serious and read well in order to pass their exams.

Some students who are the beneficiaries of the gesture commended Sen. Buba for paying their fees.

They told newsmen in Bauchi, that the gesture had relieved their parents of the burden to pay for their UTME fees as they kept struggling to put food on their tables.

Jabir Khalid, one of the beneficiaries admitted that his parents couldn’t pay his examination fees because they had no money.

He extended his gratitude to the senator, adding that Buba also organised UTME lessons for them so that they could pass the examinations.  

“Sen. Buba came to my rescue and paid for me and many other students. And I shall be writing my exam on April 19,” he said.

Similarly, another beneficiary, Khadija Hassan, who was elated by the gesture, said her parents tried and paid for the first UTME she wrote but couldn’t raise money for this second one.

“I want to call on the senator to continue with his good deeds,” she said.

Also, Abubakar Ibrahim, commended  the senator for paying for their UTME fees in this difficult time when things are hard especially for the poor masses.

 “Some politicians don’t care about people’s education, not minding if you can afford to go to school or not.

“However, Senator Buba has shown us that he cares about our education to the extent of paying our UTME fees and I am among the lucky beneficiaries.”

“I also wrote the JAMB mock examination which I passed. The main examination will be held on the April 19,” he said. (NAN)

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Education is Dying in Nigeria, People no Longer Read Books – Arogbofa

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Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, a leader of the Yoruba Sociocultural Groups, Afenifere, says education is dying in the country because people no longer read to improve their knowledge.

Arogbofa said this on Saturday in Akure on the occasion of his 85th birthday and public presentation of his new book, “The Psychology of Growing Old: A Personal Experience for both Old and Young”.

The Afenifere stalwart, while addressing the people present at the event, noted that education would die without books.

Arogbofa observed that the book publishing industry was also dying, mentioning some of the renowned publishing companies that had gone into extinction.

“Education is dying.

I know we have modern technology like this and that, but we can’t begin all this without writing; without producing the books, and we are not producing. Where do we go?

“This is a challenge for us in education. And of course, without books, we can’t move ahead.

“I’m aware that some will write in their bedroom or publish in the kitchen, and nobody, no editor will know what they have written, and they will go in front of their house to start selling the books.

“The next thing is that we find them in the hands of our students. And that is where education is going,” he said.

Arogbofa appealed to the state government and all stakeholders to see how to revive the reading culture in the country.

Speaking at the event, Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State congratulated Arogbofa on the occasion of his 85th birthday.

Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Segun Omojuwa, saluted Arogbofa’s courage, mental alertness and scholarly exposition which he said were visibly demonstrated in the new book.

The governor said the occasion was not just for the presentation another book by one of the most versatile authors, but for celebrating hard work, focus and resilience of an icon who had served the Yoruba nation and Nigeria.

“It gives me great honour to be present at this auspicious occasion of the public presentation of the latest book of our revered elder statesman, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, OFR.

“Let me first of all congratulate baba on his 85th birthday anniversary. Four scores and five years are no mean feat. It has undoubtedly been by the benevolence of the Almighty.

“This is even more outstanding and commendable when one takes into consideration his age.

“Baba is an exemplary leader and elder, I admire for his forthrightness, honesty, truthfulness and for always standing for a just cause.

“We hope to continually tap from your knowledge and wealth of experience,” he said.

Also speaking on the sideline of the event, former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, said government needed to do more in terms of social security for elderly.

“As part of social security plan, we must take care of our old ones, especially the healthcare, there must be a healthcare security mechanism to take care of our old ones,” he said.

A former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, identified inadequate funding and population challenge as the bane of education in the country.

Shekarau said that the rate of population growth has outgrown the planning and funding of the available facilities.

“I and those before us, the maximum in a class was 30, 40. I remember in the 80s, my government decided to make maximum in a class 50, but today, we have 100,150,” he said.

Shekarau later said all these were not beyond what the government could still address.

Reports says that the book was reviewed by the Ondo State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Kayode Ajulo, SAN.

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