Education
LASG, UNICEF Leverage Digital Learning To Reduce Out-Of-School Children
To address the problem of out-of-school children, the Lagos State government has embraced the digital platforms provided by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to tackle the menace, especially in rural communities.
Speaking at a two-day media dialogue organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with UNICEF, the Director, Policy, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Education, Dr. Afolabi Adejare, cited the recently launched Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP), an online/offline platform designed to complement the existing system of impacting knowledge, teaching and learning.
Already, UNICEF, using the NLP platform, an initiative of the Federal and State Governments in partnership with the agency, has trained over 3,000 facilitators and provided tablets for indigent students to learn.
At the event themed: ‘Digital Learning Platforms,’ Adejare said the initiative would boost learning and also equip teachers with modern skills, especially audio-visual, which will reduce abstract learning.
He said: “NLP is a complementary platform used to boost the normal traditional learning system, and address learning issues in rural communities like Makoko and other suburbs.
“We have a large number of out-of-school children, and some, who are slow in assimilating; the NLP platform will help students listen, watch, learn and understand better what they are being taught in the classroom”.
He explained that the idea was to bridge the gap between the fast and slow learners, adding that every child can learn at his/her own pace, and also revise topics to make them understand and assimilate better.
Adejare explained that teachers are incorporated in the system, as they have the opportunity to teach students by projecting the contents, adding that children are able to learn faster with audiovisual materials.
Speaking with journalists, Programme Specialist, UNICEF Nigeria, Joannes Yimbesalu, emphasised on its ‘Youth Agency Market Place’ (YOMA) initiative, a digital platform, which allows young people connect, learn, create employment opportunities and build the future they want.
Yimbesalu explained that the platform is concerned about young people and gives them the leverage to be employable.
He said: “One of the key things is about targeting the most marginalised, and the focus is working with key stakeholders and the media to ensure that no child is left behind.”
He noted that many of the digital platforms have been effectively tapped by young people, hence UNICEF’s engagement with the media to help in promoting available opportunities in the digital platforms.
The Lagos State Director, NOA, Adetola Adegboyega, noted that in this digital era, youths must be technically inclined as academic certificates are no longer enough.
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Education
800 students gains Admission Into Federal University of Environment And Technology,Ogoni…vc
The Federal University of Environment and Technology, Ogoni, Rivers State, is set to commence academic work for the 2025/2026 session with the approval for the admission of about 800 pioneer students.
Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Professor Chinedu Mmom, disclosed this recently when Executive Council members of County Grammar School, Ikwerre-Etche, Old Boys Association, paid him a visit at the school’s liason office in Port Harcourt.
Professor Mmom also disclosed that the university would commence with six faculties that have been approved following the successful verification and accreditation exercise carried out by the National University Commission (NUC).
The Vice Chancellor hinted that the faculties approved include Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, and Engineering Technology. Others are Natural and Applied Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and Management Technology.
He listed some of the courses on offer to include Cyber Security, Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Software Engineering, Architecture, and Environmental Management. Others are Surveying, Accounting, Management Technology, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Logistics and Supply. He stated that the Faculty of Agriculture will run two different programmes- a four-year degree course on Fishing and Acquaculture – and a five-year programme for the award of Bachelor of Agriculture degree.
Prof. Mmom told the visiting Old Boys of his alma mater that the management of the university is working assiduously to justify the confidence reposed in them by President Bola Tinubu who directed while inaugurating them in August to ensure that academic work commenced this session.
He stated that though the university was grappling with funding challenges, the management has adopted ingenious ways of overcoming teething problems associated with the establishment of new institutions.
He disclosed that staff recruitment will commence as soon as they scale the next stage of authorisation, noting that they are working to rightfully position the school and give it a firm foundation.
The Vice Chancellor also said that he is leveraging his old contacts and connections to secure partnerships and goodwill from relevant schools and organisations, such as the Louisiana State University, Centre For Environmental Justice and Governance, amongst many others, to enhance the status of the new university.
“By the time this university clocks two years, the world will hear about us,” he assured the association.
Earlier, the leader of the team and National President of the County Grammar School, Ikwerre-Etche Old Boys Association, Venerable Bekwele Wabara (Rtd), had on behalf of the association congratulated the Vice Chancellor on his, “well deserved appointment,”.
He said the association remained proud of his achievements in the past and confident that he would eminently justify the confidence reposed in him by the federal government.
Also speaking, Prof. Emenike Wami, a former president of the assocition, commended the new Vice Chancellor for the steps taken so far in giving the school a firm foundation.
The visit, which ended with prayers for a successful tenure for the Vice Chancellor, also had in attendance the Vice President of the association, Chief Vincent Erinwo, National Secretary, Dr. Dawariye Johnson, Chairman, National Congress Planning Committee, Dr. Edwin Ojirika, and a member of the national planning committee, Senibo Celestine Ogolo.
The Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, has commended the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Rivers State Command, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and others for the one-day illicit drugs campaign organised in the institution, describing the program as important to create awareness on the dangers of illicit drugs abuse and not for content creation.
Professor Georgewill stated this on Thursday during a drug abuse awareness campaign held in the university, stressing that the university remains a citadel of enlightenment where students are models for both moral and academic excellence.
“Our future cannot be built on abuse of substances. Today, we form a formidable coalition against drug abuse. The War Against Drug Abuse is not seasonal but a continuous campaign. We want to build a Nigeria where youth are not dependent on illicit drugs,” Georgewill said.
The Rivers State Commands of Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Police, on Thursday, 30th October, 2025, took the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) to the University of Port Harcourt in furtherance of the campaign for a drug-free society.
In an interview with journalists at the sidelines of the event, Voke Emore, Chairman of PCRC in Rivers State, said, “The PCRC has done this for two years running now, and this is the third year. We did it in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State University, and our idea is to drive home the message of the War Against Drug Abuse, where our young people, and even some old persons, who abuse drugs, falling victims to drug abuse, should abstain. We have a lot of deaths, and it needs to stop.
“One of the causes of insecurity and the devices the enemy uses against young people is that they carry weapons and commit crimes under the influence of drugs. We want to say no to drug abuse. We have to put our hands on deck to keep speaking against drug abuse.”
Also speaking, Assistant State Commander, Drug Demand Reduction Unit, in NDLEA, Rivers Command, Grace Adeniyi, said, “Drug abuse is a problem that is ravaging everyone, and there are stages where they should be able to say no to drug abuse and yes to life.
“While they watch who they associate with, mingle with, they should not be pressured into taking hard drugs.
“Our university campus is a place where nobody monitors your activities. You come on your own and stay on your own. Whatever anybody tells you is your ability to say no, I will not be involved in it. So many of the students coming in are young minds; they are just 16 and above, and the elders will bully them into accepting the use of hard drugs.
“The programme is very important. Drug abuse is everywhere. If it’s not in your family, it’s in your neighbourhood. A drug-dependent person is a risk to himself and everybody around him.
“Prevention is better than cure. Don’t go into it. You will be able to avoid so much of the crisis because every other vice is committed under the influence of drug abuse.”
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, represented by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Choba Police Division, Ahmed Doma, listed increased risk of chronic diseases and permanent damage to brain function, etc., as dangers of drug abuse.
CP Adepoju urged students and everyone to stay away from drug abuse, while reiterating the commitment of the Rivers Police Command to ensuring a drug abuse-free state.
By: Akujobi Amadi
Education
2025 Book Reading: TotalEnergies Commits To Unlocking Potentials, Career Choices In Students
TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited says it is committed to unlocking reading potentials and passion in students to guaranteeing successes in their educational futures.
The Deputy Managing Director, Joint Venture Asset (JVA), TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Olivier Cassassoles, stated this while delivering his speech at the 2025 Book Reading & Open Day Event For Senior Secondary Schools In Rivers State, held at the TotalEnergies Event Centre, Trans-Amadi, PortHarcourt, at the Weekend, with the theme ‘Paragraphs, Pages, and Chapters: Unlocking the Secrets of Success through Reading’.
Cassassoles who noted that the present era is characterised with endless distractions said students need a deliberate push for self-discovery and growth in their educational pursuits adding that reading, for students, is more than preparation for exams; as it is a gateway to new worlds, cultures and ideas, with each book serving as a passport to empathy, critical thinking, and self-expression.
While noting that the event marked a celebration of curiosity, imagination, and the transformative power of books, Cassassoles insisted that there is no greater spark than the one lit by a good book, adding that by supporting education, the company nurtures future leaders, innovators, and change makers.
He said “Today, we unite under a theme that resonates deeply with every learner: “Paragraphs, Pages, and Chapters: Unlocking the Secrets of Success through Reading.” This is not merely a motto, but a journey we embark on together. Each paragraph contains wisdom, every page opens a new possibility, and every chapter marks a new beginning in our personal stories.
“At TotalEnergies, our commitment to energizing society goes far beyond fueling vehicles or lighting homes. For over 60 years, we have been passionate about lighting up minds and empowering future generations through education. We are honored to invest in education, knowing that by supporting today’s youth, we help shape a brighter tomorrow. Let’s turn the pages together and unlock the next chapter of greatness”.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr (Mrs) Azibaolanari Uzoma-Nwogu, stressed that the journey of life begins with reading, expressing confidence in the schools and students of the state in their commitment to making the state proud in both national and international competitions.
Represented by the State’s Deputy Director, Senior Secondary Schools, Gbaranwi Charles B, Uzoma-Nwogu thanked TotalEnergies for its contributions to the growth, development and success of education in the state and pledged the ministry’s partnership in instilling reading habit in the students thereby shaping their minds and molding them like clay in the hands of a skilled potter.
Presenting awards to the representatives of the winners of the ‘Schools Presentation on TotalEnergies’, the General Manager, Country Services, Adesua Adewole, commended the students for their resilience and commitment to studies urging them to remain relentless for greater future achievements.
In his Closing Remarks, the Deputy General Manager, External Communications, TotalEnergies, Nigeria, Dr. Charles Ebereonwu, who noted the continuous evolvement of the company even in guiding educational and career paths, wished the students the best in their career decisions.
The year’s event featured a Nigerian literary classic novel: ‘The Potter’s Wheel’ by renowned author, Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike; a novel that not only mirrors the journey of many students as they navigate challenges, learn responsibility, and discover their voices but serves as a beacon of character, discipline, and personal growth.
Participating schools were Community Secondary School, Okuru-Ama (winner), Model Secondary School, GRA (1st runner-up) and Immaculate Heart College, Borokiri (2nd runner-up).
Others were Pabod Model Secondary School, Old GRA, Enitona High School, Borokiri, SeaCrest Preparatory School, Redeemer’s International School, Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri and Community Secondary School, Abuloma.
By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu