Education
Chibok Girls: UNICEF urges Nigerian Govt. to make schools safe
Chibok Girls: UNICEF urges Nigerian Govt. to make schools safe
As part of activities marking the eight years commemoration of the Chibok girl’s abduction in Borno State, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has, in a statement, appealed to authorities in Nigeria to make schools safe and provide a secure learning environment for every child in the country, especially for girls, to increase girls’ enrolment, retention, and completion of education.
The statement, which was signed by the UNICEF country representative, Peter Hawkins, on Thursday, was to mark the abduction of the 276 students at Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok.
Read Also: NGO Describes Osinachi’s Death As Wake-Up Call To End Domestic Violence
“Today marks eight years since the first known attack on a learning institution in Nigeria on 14 April 2014, in which 276 students at the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok in North-East Nigeria were abducted by a Non-State Armed Group.
“Since then, a spate of attacks on schools and abductions of students – sometimes resulting in their deaths – has become recurrent in the last two years, especially in the North-West and North-Central regions of Nigeria. Since December 2020, 1,436 school children and 17 teachers have been abducted from schools, and 16 school children lost their lives.
“Unsafe schools, occasioned by attacks on schools and abduction of students, are reprehensible, a brutal violation of the rights of the victims to education, and totally unacceptable. Their occurrences cut short the futures and dreams of the affected students,” Peter Hawkins remarked in the press release.
Hawkins added: “Attacks on learning institutions render the learning environment insecure and discourage parents and caregivers from sending their wards to schools, while the learners themselves become fearful of the legitimate pursuit of learning.
“The invisible harm school attacks inflict on the victims’ mental health is incalculable and irredeemable.”
He further said, “Girls have particularly been targeted, exacerbating the figures of out-of-school children in Nigeria, 60 per cent of whom are girls. It is a trajectory which must be halted, and every hand in Nigeria must be on deck to ensure that learning in Nigeria is not a dangerous enterprise for any child, particularly for girls.”
The organisation stated that “In Nigeria, a total of 11, 536 schools were closed since December 2020 due to abductions and security issues.
“These school closures have impacted the education of approximately 1.3 million children in the 2020/21 academic year. This interruption of their learning contributes to gaps in children’s knowledge and skills and may lead to the loss of approximately 3.4 billion USD in these children’s lifetime earnings. This risks to further perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality.”
According to the press release, UNICEF, with generous funding from donors, is collaborating with the government of Nigeria to protect children’s right to education in a safe and inclusive learning environment. This involves building the capacity of School-Based Management Committees on school safety and security and strengthening community resilience.
The statement read further: “In Katsina State, 300 SBMC members have been trained, and schools, supported through the Girls’ Education Project funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, have developed Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans to mitigate the impact of potential and actual threats.
“Multi-sectoral task teams on school safety have also been established across all the 34 LGAs of Katsina State to provide timely and efficient networking among actors on school security, with particular focus on the safety of girls. Additionally, 60 Junior Secondary Schools have developed emergency plans and tested the plans in evacuation drills.
“In Katsina State, government and communities have fenced some schools, and this is encouraging girls to attend school, underscoring the reality that collaboration is required in addressing insecurity in schools and making schools safe, especially for girls,” said Hawkins.
“Although Nigeria has ratified the Safe Schools Declaration, schools and learners are not sufficiently protected. Unless greater attention is given to protecting children, teachers and schools, they will continue to come under attack. Urgent, coordinated action is needed to safeguard the right to learn for every child in Nigeria.”
BOSU VC PROMISES TO PLACE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES ON AUTO GOVERNANCE
By: Bodunrin Kayode
The second Vice Chancellor (VC)of the Borno state university (BOSU) Professor Babagana Gutti has said that he would hit the ground running by placing all academic activity in the University on auto governance.
Prof Gutti said during a recent briefing with newsmen that it was his desire for the University community and the general public to be able to see what their wards are doing on campus at each time.
“We shall work with partners and the media to achieve this because the media is part of the University and it is my intention to ensure that this University is one of the best in this country by the time my tenure ends.
“We will use the auto governance system to monitor what the students or members of the University community are doing at every time. I will ensure that technology, research and learning go together
” I expect students to register real time for their programs from any part of the country or the world. The truth is that most Universities do not have such facilities which makes the work very easy to handle for both management and the community.
“We shall present minute by minute development in the campus for the whole world to see.” Said Gutti shortly after taking over the reigns of activities from the acting VC Prof Haruna Dikwa.
Earlier acting Vice Chancellor Professor Haruna Dlakawa said he was excited and grateful to the visitor Prof Babagana Zulum for giving him the opportunity to have served the University in an acting capacity on the exit of the pioneer VC Professor Kyari Sandabe.
He asked the University community to forgive him wherever he had offended any of them during the period of acting capacity as the Vice Chancellor.
Unveiling his report card, the second VC noted that the young University which started with just 30 programs have graduated it’s first set of graduates cutting across all the facilities..
“As at today, we have 835 staff employed directly by BOSU while 270 were absorbed from the Kashim Ibrahim College of Education. And because of the memorandum of understanding we have with the University of Maiduguri 193 staff are on visiting appointment.
” Also, the University now has 19 Professors on sabbaticals while the student population has risen up to 7,398 in the campus.
” I want to report to you that 26 physical development project has been executed so far on campus while some of them have been stalled temporarily and I will be calling on the second Vice chancellor to look into these projects.”
BOSU VC PROMISES TO PLACE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES ON AUTO GOVERNANCE
Education
Nigerians Need to be Educated on Stressors, Coping Strategies Against Mental Health Disorders- Foundation
Nigerians Need to be Educated on Stressors, Coping Strategies Against Mental Health Disorders- Foundation
By: Michael Mike
An empowerment foundation, Webmark Empowerment Foundation has advocated the need to educate Nigerians on strategies to identify stressors and be conversant with with our to cope with them in order to significantly reduce the risk of mental health disorders in the country.
The foundation said there is an urgent need to raise an awareness about the critical impact of stressors on mental health and the proactive measures that can be taken to prevent mental health disorders across the country, during a virtual event it held on Friday in Abuja in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Lugbe FHA Estate, Connect Her Network Foundation, and Secure the Future International Initiative to commemorate the 2024 World Mental Health Day themed “Health at Work”.
The World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on Oct. 10, to raise awareness about mental health around the world and to mobilise efforts to support those experiencing mental health issues.
Speaking at the event, a Mental Health rehabilitation professional, Dr. Saadatu Adamu, highlighted the psychological effects of stress and its potential to lead to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
She said: “Mental health is how we think, feel and act. Stress is a silent epidemic that can manifest in various ways, affecting not just individuals but an entire society.”
She added that: “By learning to identify stressors and implementing coping strategies, we can significantly reduce the risk of mental health disorders.”
Adamu also recommended some practical techniques for stress management, including mindfulness practices, physical exercise, and the importance of social support systems.
Also speaking, Webmark Empowerment Foundation trustee member, Dr. Maha Michael said that one in four Nigerians, approximately fifty million people, are suffering from some sort of mental illness according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Concerned about these statistics, he advised citizens to take their mental health more seriously especially with the pressure of prevailing economic challenges.
He also noted the growing concern over the mental health crisis exacerbated by various societal pressures, including economic instability, social isolation, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michael added that recognising and addressing these stressors is essential for fostering a healthier society.
On her part, founder Connect Her Network (known for empowering women and girls),
Ambassador Victoria Ojiah emphasised the unique challenges faced by marginalized groups.
She said: “Women and girls are particularly susceptible to stressors related to societal expectations and economic pressures. It is crucial to provide them with the tools and resources to manage their mental health effectively.”
Ojiah also highlighted the crucial role of mental health to overall wellbeing, saying that good health encompassed physical, mental, social, spiritual, and financial aspects; going beyond the mere absence of diseases or infirmity.
The Programme Coordinator of the Foundation, Mrs Alukwe Ugochinyere reiterated their commitment to breaking the stigma associated with mental health disorders by bringing these issue to the forefront, to encourage individuals to seek help when needed and to support one another in their mental health journeys.
Nigerians Need to be Educated on Stressors, Coping Strategies Against Mental Health Disorders- Foundation
Education
The School of Politics, Policy and Governance Announces Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2024: Shaping a New Generation of Leaders to Disrupt Bad Governance in Nigeria
The School of Politics, Policy and Governance Announces Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2024: Shaping a New Generation of Leaders to Disrupt Bad Governance in Nigeria
By:Michael Mike
Celebrated and award-winning novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, will be the keynote speaker at the Graduation Ceremony of the class of 2024 School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG) scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja.
The event, with the theme “People, Politics, Policies and the Power of Words”, will also see two-time Minister of the Federal Republic and founder SPPG, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) SPPG, Ms Alero Ayida-Otobo and the Dean, SPPG, Dr Abiola Akiyode address the graduands who are poised to become transformative leaders in Nigeria and beyond.
Speaking with Tribune Online in Abuja, the CEO, SPPG, Alero Ayida-Otobo, said the School aims to disrupt the cycle of poor governance by training a new generation of ethical and effective leaders through its innovative curriculum.
She added that the time is ripe for Africa to take the bulls by the horns, challenge the status quo, and bring on board in their numbers people with character, and competence to redirect the African course.
“For as long as Africa continues on the path of very poor politics, a political culture that subordinates the common good for personal, private or narrow interest, there is no chance of Africa achieving economic development. This event underscores SPPG’s commitment to cultivating a new breed of leaders dedicated to improving governance in Nigeria and Africa. As Nigeria grapples with ongoing governance challenges, the importance of equipping leaders with character, competence, and capacity to serve the people cannot be overemphasised.
“So, if Africans need to transform our politics and we just sit back as citizens hoping that those who have entrenched poor governance as a matter of political culture will someday have a Damascus experience, we will wait forever. We have proven that people of character, competence, and capacity will enter Africa’s politics in great numbers. This will challenge the existing monopolistic pipeline of poor politicians giving bad governance.
“The graduation theme, “People, Politics, Policies and the Power of Words,” reflects SPPG’s mission to prioritise citizen engagement and foster a governance model centred on the needs of the people. We are dedicated to transforming politics and governance across Nigeria and Africa by training a new generation of political leaders with values-based, disruptive thinking. The ceremony will include keynote addresses from esteemed leaders and a celebration of the graduates’ accomplishments,” Ayida-Otobo said in a statement.
The School of Politics, Policy and Governance Announces Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2024: Shaping a New Generation of Leaders to Disrupt Bad Governance in Nigeria
Aftermath of Modi’s Visit: Nigeria Should Expect Rise in Already Existing Over 200 Indian Companies, Growth in $27 billion Indian investment, Indian Government Promises
Senator Lawan Acknowledges APC Party Efforts Across Borno Central, Shows Appreciation Through Generous Gestures
Nigerian Army troops recover arms, dismantles refining sites, and seizes stolen oil in Niger Delta
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
EYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
News8 months agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions3 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News8 months agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
ACADEMICS9 months agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns9 months agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions9 months agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Opinions3 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
National News9 months agoFraud and Mismanagement Rock INGO’s IDP Cash Assistance Effort in Bama
