TheNewsGuru

Tag: Education

  • 200 girls to study medicine abroad under Sokoto govt. sponsorship

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, says his administration has concluded plans to send 200 students to India and other countries to study medicine.

    ImageFile: 200 girls to study medicine abroad under Sokoto govt. sponsorship
    Gov. Tambuwal: Working to save girl-child education in Sokoto

    Gov. Tambuwal made the disclosure in Sokoto on Monday night at a media parley to commemorate the 2017 Democracy Day.

    The governor said majority of those to be sponsored would be girls.

    “Discussions are in top gear with a university in India to send one hundred youths, mostly women, to study medicine.

    “This is to shore up the number of women medical doctors in the state, hence, encourage more women to seek medical services in the hospitals.

    “We are also discussing with other universities across the world, with a view to send another batch of one hundred youths to study various medical professional fields like pharmacy, dentistry, radiography and medical laboratory science, among others.”

    Tambuwal explained that the programme was part of ongoing efforts to reposition the education sector in the state.

    The governor stressed that the administration would continue to “take the bull by the horn” and encourage more people in the state to acquire qualitative education in spite of dwindling resources.

    “This is sequel to the desire of the state government to provide more efficient healthcare services to the people of the state,” he said.

    Tambuwal also spoke on other interventions in the health sector, saying that the government had set up a malaria control agency, with a view to taming the disease, which he described as deadlier than HIV/AIDS and cancer.

    He said that a contributory health agency has been established by the government to utilise some idle funds from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to provide affordable healthcare services to the people.

    “The state government had since provided N100 million as take-off grant to the agency, while the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, had also paid N1 million to it.

    ”Communities across the state are also being sensitized to key into the scheme, with a view to ensuring state-wide coverage,” Tambuwal added.

    He disclosed that the government had since brought all primary healthcare services under one roof, to enhance access and efficiency.

  • 12,430 cultists surrender in Rivers state

    No fewer than 22,430 cultists have surrendered and returned 911 assorted arms to Rivers state Amnesty Committee, Governor Nyesom Wike said on Monday.

    Wike said at a Town Hall meeting and accountability Forum in Port Harcourt to mark his administration’s second anniversary.

    He stated that the amnesty programme had reduced cult related violence and other criminal activities in the state.

    The governor noted that the programme had also recovered 7,661 assorted ammunitions and 147 explosives by the repentant cultists.

    Wike stressed that the government provided over 150 patrol vans to the security agencies to fight crime in the state.

    He said that the government also handed over some gun boats to the Nigerian Navy to patrol and protect the Rivers waterways.

    The governor stated that the administration had in the last two years made unprecedented investments in infrastructure, which had led to economic boom.

    He noted that 13 General Hospitals in 13 local government areas were undergoing reconstruction with the completed ones awaiting furnishing and inauguration.

    ‘’ We are also completing the regional hospitals started by the immediate past administration, located in Etche and Degema councils to serve as referral centres for secondary and tertiary health care, ‘’ he added.

    He said that the government released over four million US dollars to equip and upgrade the Braithwait Memorial Hospital to international standard.

    Wike stated that the gesture was to enable it serve as the Teaching Hospital for the Rivers State University Medical School, pending the construction of its permanent site.

    He noted that moribund businesses were gradually re-opening in the state, while fresh local and foreign businesses were being attracted to the State.

    The governor disclosed that the administration has streamlined multiple taxation in order to enable business to thrive to the benefit of the people and to attract more investors.

    “We are also supporting the growth of indigenous entrepreneurs through contracts as well as encouraging small and micro-enterprises with financial support to revitalise local economies, ‘’ he added.

    Wike said that in the administration had invested over N145 billion on the construction of roads, bridges, pedestrian walkways and underground drainage systems.

    ” As we speak, several road construction works are either underway or completed in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Akuku Toru.

    ‘’Also in Degema, Etche, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Ikwerre, Emohua, Khana, Gokana, Okrika, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Oyigbo, and Tai Local Government Areas of the State, he said.

    The governor pointed out that his administration was improving the quality of education by creating enabling environment for the system to produce graduates with skills and knowledge to drive development.

    He noted that 300 primary schools were being refurbished and equipped across the state, while infrastructure at the Rivers State University was being upgraded to ensure successful accreditation of courses.

  • If Northern Nigeria were a country, it would be poorest in the world – Sanusi

    If Northern Nigeria were a country, it would be poorest in the world – Sanusi

    The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II has lambasted northern leaders for their complicity in further impoverishing the region through their neglect of activities and policies that can improve productivity and prosperity of the region.

    Sanusi said this in his key note address at the opening ceremony of the second edition of Kaduna state’s investment programme titled ‘Promoting Investment Amidst Economic Challenges.’

    The prominent ruler explained that the North east and west are the poorest in the country and even in the world.

    Sanusi urged the region not to use the oil rich Niger delta, commercially viable Lagos and business oriented south east to mirror the living standard of the North.

    Going further, he urged Muslims to imbibe education and stop using religion and culture to set the region backward.

    The former Central Bank Governor also used the occasion to raise alarm over the increasing debt in the country.

    He stated that among other producing countries in Africa, Nigeria has been on a borrowing bench, “Borrowing domestically to fund current expenditure”.

    He added that the growth of Nigeria was driven largely by rising commodity prices and debt, and the module has reached the logical limit such as the collapse in oil price.

    He said according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the Federal Government of Nigeria is spending 66% of its interest revenue on debt, which means only 34% of its revenue is available for capital expenditure, recurrent expenditure and development.

    Sanusi said the 2017 budget presented by the Federal Government is a budget that goes for more debt.

    He explained that, “As a country, we must understand that the module of government borrowing and spending has reached its limit, therefore growth must only come from investment”.

    The Emir crtiticised leaders that go to China to sign MoU and come back with debts forgetting their areas of development.

    “A nation and a state is only transformed by vision, once that vision is lost every other thing around the vision collapses,” the Emir said.

     

  • Unilag to award first class degrees to 231 at 49th convocation

    No fewer than 231 out of 12,617 graduating students of the University of Lagos (Unilag) will be awarded first class division during its 49th convocation scheduled for Jan. 24.

    It’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahmon Bello, who said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos added that 46 of them would be from the Faculty of Engineering.

    According to him, 6, 900 out of the 12,617 students that would be graduating, representing 54.7 percent, would receive first degrees and diploma certificates.

    He said 5,717 others, representing 45.3 percent, would receive postgraduate degrees.

    “With this output, the institution is maintaining its stance of gradually becoming a postgraduate institution,’’ the V-C said.

    Bello, giving a further breakdown of the categories of the graduating students, said that 1,705 of the students would be passing out in Second Class Upper division.

    “We will also be graduating 2,972 students in the Second Class lower division, while 1,372 others will be graduating in the Third Class division.

    “Also, 103 students will graduate with ordinary pass degrees, while 517 others will have degrees or diplomas that are not classified,’’ Bello said.

    According to him, 5,420 postgraduate students will receive their Master’s Degree certificates in various fields during the convocation,

    He also said that 95 others would be conferred with the Doctor of Philosophy (P.hD) degrees in various disciplines.

    Bello said the university produced two female students, who came top in the first class category with ‘perfect scores’ Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.00 point in the 2015/2016 academic session.

    They are Miss Taiwo Bankole from the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Miss Ajoke Omotuyi from the Department of Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.

     

  • Despite IT boom, over 90% of Africans have no Internet access

    While Internet services have been quite phenomenal in the rest of the world, access to the Internet remains very low in Africa, especially in rural communities, according to the Internet World Stats for Africa 2016.

    According to the Internet World Stats, only 9.3% of people across the African continent have direct access to the Internet, and analysts, stressing that the Internet is one of the most important enablers of social development and education, have decried this “backwardness”.

    Dayn Amade, Founder and CEO of Kamaleon, a Mozambican technology startup saddled with the responsibility of helping to solve problems relating to lack of access to much-needed health education and counselling platforms in Africa, has said, “A few years ago anyone who could not read and write was considered illiterate, but today this concept goes further, encompassing people who do not know how to use information and communication technologies”.

    Dayn Amade stressed that “In today’s digital world, bringing Internet access to rural communities is a tremendous step in the right direction of social development and education”.

    Calling on the leadership of African nations and major stakeholders in the industry to develop innovative and engaging ways of promoting digital literacy, and Internet access to Africans, the Kamaleon said, “I believe technology and digital literacy can contribute to greater effectiveness of civic education campaigns in various communities”.

  • Education, a vital tool to combat poverty – Ambode

    Education, a vital tool to combat poverty – Ambode

    …Tasks public service on innovative ideas

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday justified the massive investment of his administration on improvement of educational infrastructure and upgrade of curriculum to meet current realities, saying that education remains one of the critical tools to combat poverty and secure a better future for the State.

    Governor Ambode, who spoke at Lagos House in Ikeja after swearing-in a new Permanent Secretary and Tutor General for Education District Six, Mrs. Olabisi Olufunmilayo Onadipe, said the massive investment on education architecture and continues empowering and equipping of teachers were all in a bid to raise the next generation of Lagosians who will be ready to take on the challenges of the future.

    While alluding to the fact that the State Government placed high emphasis on education, Governor Ambode charged the new appointee to see her appointment as very critical to the future progress of the State, and as such, she must add value not only to the present administration and the public service, but the State.

    The Governor said the public service, as a vital institution primarily responsible for policy implementation, has been given a pride of place, and recalled that since inception of the present administration, a lot of attention had been given to appointment of only officers with credible record of performance into leadership positions.

    He said no matter how good a policy is, its effectiveness in terms of achieving the desired impact would only be determined by the competence and commitment of those charged with the responsibility of implementation, a development the Governor said called for the need for greater sense of dedication.

    According to Governor Ambode, “A lot of attention is given to ensuring that only officers with credible record of performance are appointed into leadership position in the public service. The global rating of Lagos State requires that only the best hands must be engaged to drive the key sectors of the State economy. This is the only way we can guaranty effective and efficient service delivery and synergy between the public and the private sector.

    “I therefore use this opportunity to demand greater sense of commitment and responsibility from the leadership and the entire workforce in the State public service. You must be open minded and ready to embrace new and innovative ideas that are consistent with global practices.”

    Responding, the new Permanent Secretary thanked Governor Ambode for the confidence reposed in her, and expressed her readiness to discharge her duties effectively and efficiently.