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‘Change School For Handicapped To Special Needs’

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The Head of Depart
ment (HOD) of the Visually Impaired (Blind), ‘Special School for Handicapped Children,’ Mrs Catherine Atteng has called on the Rivers State Government to change the name of the school to “School for Children with Special Needs.”
Atteng, who made the call midweek, in an exclusive interview with The Tide in her office in Port Harcourt, stated that the change is necessary among other things, to erase the stigma of being handicapped.
“The name of the school should be changed because it is not right to tag the children by their disabilities, or handicaps, as some would call it,” she said.
She explained that in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which clearly states the rights of children globally, that the children are physically challenged does not make them handicapped in the context it is commonly used.
“They are only persons with special needs, not handicapped or physically challenged,” she said, noting that the current name has a way of making pupils/students seeing themselves as being segregated by society.
She also used the opportunity to urge parents not to hide their children/wards who require special needs but to bring them early to the school.
According to her, “many parents due to ignorance keep their children/wards who require special needs at home and by so doing end up not bringing out the potentials of such children.
On his part, the vice principal of the secondary school, Mr. Eli Onisokien told The Tide that the school needed a conducive environment.
We need a model special school because we lack space (here). The environment is not conducive because the school is situated in between two markets: the Creek Road and New-Layout market.
“There is no provision for sporting activities or recreational ground for the students and we also lack vocational amenities,” he said.
He, therefore, urged the Rivers State Government to move the school to a better location.

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Education

BUK Taps Content Creators to Expand Its Digital Footprint

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Bayero University, Kano (BUK), has unveiled a team of Digital Media Ambassadors as part of efforts to strengthen the institution’s online presence and deepen engagement with stakeholders.
The initiative was announced in a statement signed by the Head of the Digital Media Unit, Mr Nura Garba, and shared on the university’s official social media platforms.
According to the statement, the Digital Media Unit held its inaugural meeting with the selected content creators on Monday at the unit’s office in the Senate Building.
Garba explained that the ambassadors were appointed to serve as digital brand advocates for the university across various online platforms.
“The ambassadors will serve as digital brand advocates, content creators and community connectors, helping to expand the University’s online reach and engagement,” he said.
He added that the appointees would support official communication, promote university events, document campus experiences and provide feedback on public perception of BUK across digital platforms.
Isa Kaita College
The appointed ambassadors are Ameer Umar Ibrahim, Arafat Yakubu Onono, Okeneme Favour Mmesoma, Abubakar Zubair (Master), Mustapha Sani Jibril, Auwal Muhammad Hamma, Idris Abdullahi, Nuruddeen Murtala Muhammad, Mukhtar Muhammad and Samuel Maina.
Garba noted that the initiative forms part of the university’s broader strategy to enhance its digital footprint and ensure effective, timely communication with internal and external stakeholders.
“The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to professionalism, collaboration and the promotion of the University’s image on global digital platforms,” the statement added.
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Education

RIVCHPP Set To Take Health Insurance Scheme To Tertiary Institutions In Rivers State

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Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), the state health insurance agency, is set to take the health insurance scheme to schools, especially tertiary institutions, in the state.

This disclosure was made by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of RIVCHPP, Dr. Vetty Rolegherighan Agala, when she led a team from RIVCHPP on an advocacy visit to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education on Friday, 16th January 2026.

Dr. Agala, who solicited authorisation from the Ministry for RIVCHPP to write to the institutions under Ministry’s mandate so as to begin enrolment of students in the various schools , said that for the health insurance agency to expand universal health coverage of the state, then students need to be enrolled into the programme.

RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary announced that the agency has also started talks with the State branch of Nigeria Association of Proprietors of Private Secondary Schools (NAPPSS) to ensure that no one in the state is left out from having the opportunity of accessing quality healthcare services without passing through financial hardship.

Dr. Agala also commended the innovative policies that the Permanent Secretary have brought to bear towards improving the educational exploits in the state, saying that the changes align to the interest and mandate of Governor Siminialayi Fubara stance on education.

RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary appreciated the Permanent Secretary for giving the team audience, pledging her team’s dedication and commitment to clients’ satisfaction, calling on schools to embrace the S-SHIP package dedicated for the well-being of students in Rivers State.

In her remarks and response, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr.(Mrs. ) Azibaolanari Uzoma-Nwogu, who warmly welcomed the RIVCHPP team, promised to share with and disseminate all information about RIVCHPP to all public schools in the state so that the schools will be willing to give RIVCHPP opportunity to sensitise them on what RIVCHPP is all about and the benefits of signing up with RIVCHPP.

Dr. Uzoma-Nwogu advised RIVCHPP to be proactive and consistent in the mandate of providing affordable and quality health care to Rivers residents.

The visit witnessed a presentation of RIVCHPP’s sensitisation/campaign materials to the Permanent Secretary by RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary

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University Don wants AI to be made compulsory course 

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A university don, Prof. Sunday Olatunji, has argued that Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be made a compulsory course for all students in higher institutions across Nigeria, irrespective of their field of study
He also called on Nigeria and Africa to build an intelligent, inclusive and technologically sovereign future to elevate human potential through artificial intelligence.
To achieve these goals, the Professor of Artificial Intelligence urged the nation and continent to: institutionalize capacity building for AI excellence; develop functional policy and ethical frameworks for responsible AI; build artificial intelligence literacy and workforce development; make AI a general course in all higher institutions; promote no-code
 AI and machine learning pathways for beginners; develop public-private-academic partnerships; and build inclusive and culturally grounded AI.Prof. Olatunji, who is ranked by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the Best AI Researcher in Nigeria (2025), made these statements on Tuesday, while delivering the 53rd Inaugural Lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, held at the University Multipurpose Hall.
The lecture was titled, Symbiosis of Mind and Machine: Harnessing AI for National Development.He stressed that artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction but a reality that permeates every stratum of human life. “Just as Computer Appreciation became a national requirement decades ago, the time has come for AI Appreciation as a compulsory General Studies (GST) course.
This course should introduce all students, regardless of discipline, to aspects of AI including: AI fundamentals, machine learning concepts, applications of AI in their respective fields, ethical implications of AI, and its role in national development, among others,” he said.
The lecturer called on governments to establish AI innovation hubs in all tertiary institutions and research centres; promote cross-disciplinary collaboration integrating computing; provide national research grants focused on AI solutions for local challenges; and recruit and train faculty specialised in AI, machine learning, data science, robotics, and computational intelligence.
Prof. Olatunji allayed fears that AI could replace humans or end humanity, positing that, “Many fear that the rise of artificial intelligence signals the decline of human relevance – that the machine might replace the mind. But history teaches otherwise. Every technological revolution – from the printing press to electricity, from the internet to AI – has not diminished humanity but rather redefined it.
Today, AI diagnoses diseases, predicts the weather, translates languages, and protects nations.
   Prof. Olatunji has garnered from far and wide and commended his role in setting up the Faculty of Computing and for doing a yeoman’s job as its founding Dean.
The Vice Chancellor also noted that Prof. Olatunji is a well-respected and accomplished academic and researcher who has carved an enviable niche for himself in the digital world of computing and artificial intelligence.
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