Education
British Council To Train 2,500 English Teachers
The Director, British Council in Nigeria, Mr David Higgs, in Lagos last Wednesday disclosed that the organisation would train about 2,500 Nigerian teachers in the use of English language.
Higgs, who spoke with newsmen added that the training programme was in line with the council’s commitment to improving the competence level of young Nigerians in the use of the language.
“Experience has shown that a lot of English language teachers in Nigerian schools have a low level competence of the subject. So, we are working toward increasing the number of English teachers that we have trained in the past two years to 2,500, between now and early next year, “ he said.
Higgs further disclosed that 300,000 pounds sterling had been set aside as counterpart funding, to support state governments that were interested.
He said that participants at the ‘train the trainers‘ programme would be drawn from selected Colleges of Education across the six geo-political zones.
“After training teachers from the colleges, they will in turn train their colleagues in primary and secondary schools, especially those in rural communities. We are committed to making sure that many young Nigerians effectively speak and write good English. We know it is not their language. This is why the council is prepared to give them the basics,“ he said.
The director said that the teachers’ low level knowledge of the language was responsible for their students’ poor performances in written and oral English.
Higgs said that it was only when the teachers were knowledgeable in the use of English that they could effectively impact it on their students.
He said some northern state governments had signified their intention to participate in the programme.British Council to train 2,500 on English
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
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