Connect with us

Education

Giving 45,000 Nigerian Children Quality Education via OPM Free Schools

Published

on

opm free school
Share
By Emmanuel Afonne, (NAN)

For the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on education and training modalities by 2030, will be a herculean task in Nigeria.

According to the two UN organisations, one in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria, while about 10.

5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school even though primary education is officially free and compulsory.

In the same vein, infographics from Lauretta Onochie, Social Media Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, however, said that the number had dropped from 10.

5 million to 8.6 million.

Whatever be the case, statistics show that only 61 percent of six to 11-year-olds regularly attend primary school and only 35.6 percent of children aged 36-59 months receive early childhood education which, they said, was the major reason the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of achieving Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015 failed.

To narrow it down, states in the North-East and North-West are the worst hit with female primary net attendance rates of 47.7 percent and 47.3 percent, respectively, meaning that more than half of the girls are not in school.

The cause of education deprivation in northern Nigeria and some parts of the South is, however, not far-fetched.

The Boko Haram attacks and the mayhem unleashed by bandits and killer herdsmen on most of the Nigerian communities have made lots of children drop out of school and thereby putting a snag in government efforts to achieve the SDG 4 by 2030.

Economic barriers and socio-cultural norms and practices are also stumbling blocks to acquiring formal education, especially for girls, and by extension the UN development goals.

Interestingly, the General overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), and the President of OPM Foundation, Apostle Dr Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, have set “Operation Get 45,000 Children Back to School”.

The operation is aimed at ensuring that children of the less privileged from Northern and Southern parts of the country have access to free and complete quality education, within a safe learning environment.

This explains why Apostle Chinyere has built eleven free primary and secondary schools with the state-of-the-art facilities and the pupils and students given four pairs of free school uniform, free school shoes and free school books.

The schools are presently located in Rivers, Bayelsa and Abia.

The students and pupils are also given beverages (Milk and Milo) on regular occasion to compliment the schools free feeding programme.

He said: “Just like the United Nations is advocating, our programme ensures that education is prioritised and that it is targeted at children who are least likely to receive it.

“Our free schools are fully funded through the offerings and tithes received from our members in over 150 branches of the church within and outside the country.

“We want to assist the Federal Government in actualising the SDG by 2030 to make sure all the children have access and quality education, skills and knowledge for lifelong learning,” Apostle Chinyere said.

Seeing the less privileged parents squeeze out their hard earned little money to send their wards to school in spite government’s perceived free education unsettles.

Another free school is presently being constructed in Kaduna to ensure the less privileged in the Northern part of the country are not left out as Nigeria march towards achieving the SDG 4 by 2030.

Apostle Chinyere is taking the gesture to the next level; apart from establishing free primary and secondary schools, the man of God is constructing an all-girls’ free technical college which, he said, would be completed by December this year.

There is no doubt that the federal and state governments have made frantic efforts to ensure that there is free education from primary to junior secondary schools across the nation, but there is still a snag as parents still pay about N2,000 to get their wards go to school every term.

For instance, in some schools parents are forced to pay between N500 and N1,000 for school charge, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) dues and data (usually for computing of results) every term to attend the so called free public schools of government, but it is interesting to note that the cost of attending the OPM free schools is absolutely free.

Apostle Chinyere is saying it to the high heavens that everything in the OPM schools is “absolutely free”.

“We have four sets of school uniforms, school sandals, free school books, free lunch and free school bags. The pupils also go on international excursion; like the last time, they were in Paris.”

This is the reason the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), honoured him with the “Icon of Free Education Award”.

Mr Robin Nwokocha, Chairman of NANS, Rivers chapter, who presented the award to Apostle Chinyere on behalf of the national president, said the award came as a result of his commitment to the education of the less privileged children.

Apostle Chibuzor, who appreciated NANS for the award said that apart from the free schools, the church had also given scholarships to five students studying in Canada. He said three others are due to join before the end of the year.

In his words: “We also have a scholarship programme where we send undergraduate students to Canada to study; another three are due to travel soon.

“We also have a local scholarship for undergraduates here in Nigeria because of this, NANS leadership decided to give me an award of Icon of Free Education in Nigeria.

“I thank God for them; this is the first time NANS is recognising my impact in education for the less privileged.”

Apostle Chinyere may be getting close to becoming an Ambassador of the UN going by his humanitarian activities.

The aim of UNICEF’s education programme is to support the government in achieving SDG 4 by 2030 through improved planning and by addressing some of the systemic barriers that hinder the implementation of an effective education strategy.

The OPM founder seems to be keying into this opportunity to the benefit of the Nigerian child. He would not want the opportunity of attaining the UN development goal on education by 2030 to elude Nigeria like the MDG.

He is seeking to collaborate with the Federal Government, UNESCO, UNICEF and other agencies for this objective to be realised.

Source

Education

UNICAL VC Promises to Resolve Dentistry Students’ Crisis

Published

on

Share

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi has promised that she would do everything humanly possible to ensure that the ongoing crisis in the institution’s Department of Dentistry, is resolved.

Prof.

Obi made the promise in Calabar during a press briefing, stressing that she will resolve the crisis before leaving office.

She explained that the problem predates her administration, and pledged to intensify efforts to rectify the crisis.

She added that the crisis was as a result of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)’s refusal to induct 2016 Dentistry students of the institution.

She also debunked claims circulating on social media that the institution’s Dentistry programme has lost its accreditation, describing the reports as “misinformation and distortion of facts,” clarifying that the programme remains fully accredited and no students have been directed to transfer to other universities.

“At no point did the University ask Dentistry students to seek transfers to other institutions, nor were they advised to ‘go and learn a trade’ as falsely alleged online,” the VC stated.

“I will feel very bad if I leave without solving this problem and the students are left hanging without knowing their fate. I won’t be fulfilled,” she said.

She reaffirmed the University’s commitment to ensuring all Dentistry students graduate and are duly licensed as dental surgeons.

She noted that the Dentistry programme commenced in the 2013/2014 academic session, and in November 2019, the University secured pre-clinical accreditation from the MDCN and full clinical accreditation was subsequently granted in December 2022.

The VC added that the university’s synergy and partnership with the Minister of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to upgrade its facilities.

“All we asked for is time to engage with other institutions, update the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and follow through on due processes,” she noted.

Speaking further, Obi said that some of the affected students demanded to be transferred to the Department of Medicine and Surgery but said it was not the solution as the department was already saturated.

She urged the affected students to remain calm, noting that the university was doing everything possible to resolve the issues before the end of her tenure.

Continue Reading

Education

NUT Reaffirms Commitment to Teachers’ Professional Development in Kwara

Published

on

Share

From Abdullahi Abubakar, Ilorin

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kwara State Wing has restated its commitment to strengthening the professional growth of teachers across the State, to enhance the quality of education delivered in public schools. Speaking at the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop in Ilorin, the State Chairman of the Union, Comrade Yusuf Wahab Agboola, noted that continuous training of teachers remains a vital component of educational reform and improved classroom delivery.

The training, organised in collaboration with the NUT National Secretariat, is targeted at selected teachers and focuses on the “Study Circle Conveners’ Model”—a grassroots strategy for enhancing peer-to-peer learning and participatory leadership within the education sector.

Comrade Agboola explained that the workshop aims to equip teachers with practical skills in collaborative learning, peer engagement, and innovative teaching practices. He expressed optimism that the training would promote professional bonding among teachers and foster collective solutions to challenges facing the education sector.

Also speaking at the event, the National Coordinator of the NUT Study Circle Project, Comrade Solomon Igbelowowa, traced the initiative’s roots to 1985 when it was introduced in Nigeria by the Swedish Teachers Association, having recorded success in Sweden and other parts of the world. He commended the Nigerian Union of Teachers for sustaining the project over the years and urged participants to engage fully and make the most of the training opportunity.

The workshop was officially declared open by the National President of the NUT, Audu Amba, who was represented by the 3rd National Vice President, Bashir Oyewo.

He encouraged teachers to approach the sessions with dedication and punctuality.

Continue Reading

Education

JAMB Sets 150  Cut-off Mark for University Admissions

Published

on

Joint Admission and Matriculation Board
Share

By Tony Obiechina Abuja

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.

The decision was reached on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, with stakeholders from various tertiary institutions in attendance.

According to JAMB, 140 was approved as the minimum score for colleges of nursing sciences, while polytechnics, colleges of education, and colleges of agriculture will admit candidates with a minimum score of 100.

“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions),” JAMB announced via its official X account.

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

POLITICS2 days ago

Anambra: INEC Registers 96,085 New Voters, Extends CVR by Three Days

ShareThe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has registered 96,085 new voters in nine days and extended the exercise...

NEWS2 days ago

Tinubu Honors Buhari, Renames University of Maiduguri after Late President

ShareBy David Torough, Abuja President Bola Tinubu has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri, Borno State as Muhammadu...

NEWS2 days ago

C’River First Female NUJ Chairman Describes Tenure as Trial Period

ShareThe first female Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Cross River, Archibong Bassey has said that her...

NEWS2 days ago

Gov Makinde Confered With Prestigious Chieftaincy Title of Aare Omoluabi of Akure Land by Akure Kingdom

ShareThe Akure Kingdom will today bestow a prestigious chieftaincy title, Aare Omoluabi of Akure Land, meaning President of the Respectable...

POLITICS2 days ago

PDP Stakeholders Olorunda Pass Vote of Confidence on Gov Adeleke

ShareFrom Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo The Olorunda Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Stakeholders has passed vote of confidence on Governor Ademola Adeleke...

NEWS2 days ago

Town Planners Task Benue Govt on Regional Devt, Master Plans

ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Dr. Chime Ogbonna, has urged the Benue State...

NEWS2 days ago

Illegal Detention: Court Awards Bauchi Accountant General N100m

ShareBy David Torough, Abuja In a decisive rebuke of official impunity, the Federal High Court sitting in Bauchi has declared...

NEWS2 days ago

Military Cracks Down on Terror Collaborators, Exposes Arms Trafficking by Transport Union Members

ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced multiple breakthroughs in its ongoing counter-terrorism operations, revealing that Nigerian...

NEWS2 days ago

Peace, Order Return to Niger LG after Series of Banditry Attacks

ShareFrom Dan Amasingha, Minna Rijau Local Government Area, one of the Frontline Councils under sustained banditry attack is now heaving...

NEWS2 days ago

LG Pensions/Gratuities: Bayelsa Warns Principal Officers Against Sabotage of Quick Payment Policy

ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa Bayelsa State Government has warned principal officers of local government councils in the state to desist...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc