Education
FG Tasks Varsities On Innovation, Presents $20,000 Prize Money To Veritas
The Federal Government has asked universities to take responsibility in training and grooming young Nigerians to become innovators, creators and critical thinking people capability of helping in solving the nation’s problems.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, gave this charge last Friday in Abuja, during the formal presentation of $20,000 to the management of Veritas University, Abuja, the 1st place award, won by the university at the just concluded African Telecommunication Union Innovation Challenge, held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Minister presented the prize money to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Rev Fr (Prof) Hyacinth Ichoku, at the brief ceremony held at the Galaxy Backbone headquarters, Abuja.
Recall that in a keenly contested Innovation Challenge organised by the African Telecommunication Union and sponsored by Intel, Huawei, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the GSMA, Veritas University’s “Software Engineering Lab,” won the competition with its “innovative focusing on providing hands-on learning experiences for young innovators”.
The award which was received by Representative of the Nigerian High Commissioner to Kenya as well as officials of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy on behalf of Veritas University and was formally presented to the Vice Chancellor of Veritas University last Friday.
Tijani said the world is evolving and urged Nigerian universities to help raise and groom strong people to become part of the workforce that would lift the nation towards economic prosperity.
He said he was extremely excited when he was informed about the outcome of the innovative challenge in Nairobi, Kenya, and decided to host the University to a befitting ceremony on behalf of the Federal Government for doing the country proud.
He noted that the feat achieved by the University calls for celebration recognizing that the University took its work seriously to be able to groom young people to compete in a global space and come out with the level of excellence expected from the country.
He added that there is nation that could progress without the contribution of tertiary education. He said many people do not know the role universities are playing in the society, emphasising that the quality of academic institutions is reflected on the quality of economy of any nation.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, emphasised the need for students to go beyond academic achievements during the university’s 43rd Convocation ceremony.
The theme, “The University Culture In Practice, The IAUE Experience,” highlights the importance of embracing cherished traditions and intellectual values that define great universities.
Prof. Onuchuku encouraged the new graduates to work hard and persevere, noting that their convocation marks a new beginning in their careers and personal lives. He emphasised that they must prove themselves worthy of the certificates and prizes they have received.
According to him, out of 2,887 first-degree graduands, four made First Class, 403 secured Second Class Upper, 2,030 got Second Class Lower, and 450 graduated with Third Class. Additionally, 1,492 postgraduate students graduated, including 306 PhD holders.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), praised the university’s commitment to academic excellence and institutional maturity. He commended the Acting Vice Chancellor for achieving full accreditation for 47 academic programmes and implementing the NUC’s Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards.
The administrator urged the new graduates to uphold the positive values instilled in them by the university and strive for continuous knowledge and improvement.
By: King Onunwor
The Niger Delta Students Union Government, Rivers State Chapter (NIDSUG), has suspended its planned protest against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) state office in Port Harcourt. The suspension followed an intervention by the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju.
The students had planned to protest on Thursday, citing alleged neglect by the NDDC, particularly in welfare and capacity-building programmes for students from the state. However, after the police intervention, the students agreed to participate in a roundtable discussion with the commission to address their concerns.
NIDSUG leader, Comrade Loveday Njoku, expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s alleged exclusion of students from benefiting from its programmes. He presented a seven-point demand, including the reintroduction of scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Njoku emphasised that education is crucial for community development and urged the commission to invest in the future leaders of the state.
The students warned that if their demands are not met, they will resume the protest and occupy the state commission office until their demands are addressed. Despite previous attempts to reach out to the commission’s management team, the students claimed their efforts were unsuccessful.
By: Akujobi Amadi
As part of efforts to improve the welfare and overall quality of education for students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the Sole Administrator, Sir (Dr.) Clifford Ndu Walter DSSRS, FCAI, JP, paid an unscheduled visit to Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi.
During the visit, Sir Walter expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of the school and its surrounding environment. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the development of the education sector, stressing its critical role in nation-building.
“I have visited the primary school in Ogbogoro, and now I’m here at the Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi. I am not satisfied with what I’ve seen,” he stated, indicating that more surprise visits to schools would follow.
To address the issues, the Sole Administrator directed the Council Engineer to commence process for rehabilitation of the school.
The visit was part of a broader initiative aimed at conducting on-the-spot assessments of educational facilities to determine the level of intervention required by the local government council.
Dr. Walter also assured the teachers of his unwavering commitment to revamp the school and improve the learning environment for both staff and students.