Education
Nigeria University Lecturers Reject Buhari’s Appeal to Call Off Strike
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By Derrick Bangura
Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday pleaded with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other industrial unions in government-owned universities that are presently on strike to call of their industrial action in the interest of the students.
But in reaction, the university lecturers and non-teaching staff turned down the appeal by the federal government to go back to their posts while negotiations on the grievances continue.
The president, who made the passionate plea at the 19th National Productivity Day and the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award (NPOM) on 48 eminent Nigerians and organisations in both the public and private sectors, at Abuja, said it was high time the university lecturers considered the plight of students and call off the ongoing strike.
Buhari also urged students in the nation’s public tertiary institutions to be patient, saying his government was striving to address the nagging issues in the university system within the ambit of resources available.
He disclosed that he had directed his Chief of Staff, the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Education, Finance, Budget and National Planning, to immediately bring all parties to the negotiation table to again critically look at the grey areas in the demands of ASUU and all other university-based labour unions.
Commenting on the theme of this year’s celebration ‘‘Achieving Higher Productivity through Improved Education System,’’ the president pledged that the federal government would continue to do everything possible to uplift the standard of the educational system in the country, adding that his administration recognised that the future of any nation is premised on the standard of its educational system.
“Therefore, if we desire to transform Nigeria into a competitive, strong, vibrant, productive and sustainable economy, improving our educational system should be accorded the highest priority,” he added.
Reeling out notable achievements in the education sector including the drastic reduction of the number of out of school children from 10.1million in 2019 to 6.9 million in 2020, automatic employment for graduates of education, review of the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years, among others, the president said more still needed to be done.
According to him: ‘‘Quality educational system is good not just for the national economy; it is also good for the citizens.
“Ignoring the productivity dimension of education would endanger the prosperity of future generations, with widespread repercussions for poverty and social exclusion.
“It will be difficult to improve our economic performance and overall productivity, without improving our educational system.
“Government notes the emergency situation in our educational system with particular reference to the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at all levels of our educational system.”
To address these challenges, Buhari said his administration had reviewed the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years, while years of service have now been moved from 35 to 40 years to encourage more graduates to join the teaching profession.
The president also said government had approved a special salary scale for teachers in Basic and Secondary schools including provisions for rural posting allowance, Science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance, while prioritising timely promotion and prompt payment of salaries.
He further stressed that the reintroduction of bursary award to education students in universities and Colleges of Education comes with assurance of automatic employment upon graduation as well as payment of stipends to Bachelor of Education students.
Congratulating all the awardees for their various accomplishments and well deserved recognition, Buhari said they have been carefully selected from a multitude of competitors, saying ‘‘this award should spur you to greater heights.’’
He also commended the Chairman and members of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award Committee, including the management and staff of National Productivity Centre for a job well done, urging the recipients of the merit award and Nigerians to make productivity their watchword.
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said since the inception of the award in 1991, 382 individuals and 97 organisations have been honoured with the NPOM.
Dr. Stella Adadevoh and Mr. Babatunde Lawal, received posthumous awards at the 2019/2020 edition of the National Productivity Day.
Adadevoh, who died on August 19, 2014, was recognised for her outstanding performance in the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus in the country while Lawal, who until his death on November 6, 2020 served as Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Affairs Office.
Lawal, an economist by training with bias in fiscal policy analysis, management and strategic planning, was commended for his thoroughness and paying keen attention to every detail during his tenure as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service.
Other recipients include the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; immediate past Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi; Chairman and Founder, BUA Group, Abdusamad Rabiu; Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga Jnr; Director General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), Professor Stanley Okolo and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, Jim Ovia, among others.
Meanwhile, at the meeting between the federal government team, ASUU and other registered Trade Unions in Nigerian universities, as well as identified interest groups, the federal government prevailed on the striking workers to accept a deal of calling off their strike while efforts were being made to resolve the dispute.
However, the unions refused to back down from continuing the strike, saying there was nothing on ground from the government side to warrant that.
Although ASUU president refused to speak to journalists on the outcome of the meeting, one of the union members told THISDAY that there was nothing new except that the government team wanted them to call off the strike which they rejected.
“There was nothing on ground for us to consider. We are not stopping the strike untill something concrete is done,” he said
Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige who spoke journalists after the meeting said: “We have reached some agreements and we hope that by next week, those agreements will be maturing and the different unions will have something to tell their members, so that they can call off the strike.
“We have put some timelines for some aspects like renegotiation of 2009 agreement in terms of condition of service and wage review. So, we are hopeful that by next weekend, the unions will see a conclusion of that area.”
Earlier, while addressing the leadership of the unions and stakeholders at the opening of the talks, Chief of Staff to the president, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari appealed to the university workers to sheath their sword and agree to return to work while discussions over their demands go on.
He said that something needed to be done urgently to reopen the institutions and to prevent students from protesting on the streets.
According to him, allowing the strike to prolong further would not be in the interest of anyone, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari has mandate the team to try and end the strike so students, lecturers and other workers can go back to work.
On their part, the two Co-chair of the Nigeria Interreligious Council (NIREC), Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar II and president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev Samson Ayokunle urged ASUU and the non-teaching staff unions to accept the president’s plea and suspend their strike while efforts are made to address the issues in dispute.
However, ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke said that before the current strike, the union had given enough period of grace to enable the government and it’s agencies to meet with them and to address their demands but to no avail.
Education
NELFUND Disburses Over N20bn in Student Loans, Assures Transparency
![NELFUND Disburses Over N20bn in Student Loans, Assures Transparency](https://accessnews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Akintunde-Sawyerr-Managing-Director-Nigerian-Education-Loan-Fund-NELFUND.jpg)
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed a total of N20,074,050,000 in institutional fees, benefiting no fewer than 192,906 students across tertiary institutions in the country.
Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director of NELFUND, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, the Fund has received loan applications from no fewer than 364,042 students, while about 169,114 students have so far benefitted from NELFUND’s monthly stipends disbursement. He added that N12,818,960,000 had been disbursed as stipends, with each student receiving N20,000.
Expressing gratitude to the government, Sawyerr said, “We appreciate the unwavering support of President Bola Tinubu in making higher education accessible to all deserving Nigerian students.”
He further assured that NELFUND remains committed to transparency and efficiency in managing the student loan scheme, promising to continue providing accurate updates as disbursements progress.
Education
OISD Empowers Teachers with Digital Literacy and AI Skills to Revolutionize Education in Nigeria
![OISD Empowers Teachers with Digital Literacy and AI Skills to Revolutionize Education in Nigeria](https://accessnews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OISD-Empowers-Teachers-with-Digital-Literacy-and-AI-Skills-to-Revolutionize-Education-in-Nigeria.jpg)
The Organization for Innovation and Sustainable Development (OISD) has taken a significant step toward transforming education in Nigeria by organizing a one-day special training on digital literacy for secondary school teachers in Abuja.
The event, held at the OISD Training Centre in Abuja, was designed to equip educators with essential digital skills and increase awareness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance their teaching impact.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Jamilu Yusuf Dan-Ummah, the Executive Director of OISD, introduced the theme of the program: “Empowering Educators: Advancing Digital Literacy and AI Awareness for Secondary School Impact.” He emphasized the critical role teachers play in shaping the future of education and the need to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Mr. Dan-Ummah highlighted that the objective of the training was to bridge the digital gap in classrooms by empowering teachers with the knowledge and tools to integrate digital literacy and AI-driven solutions into their teaching methods.
According to him, educators must stay ahead of technological advancements to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
“This training is a response to the growing demand for educators who can leverage digital tools and AI to deliver effective learning experiences. Our goal is to ensure that teachers are not just aware of these technologies but are also capable of applying them to improve student outcomes,” Mr. Dan-Ummah stated.
The program brought together secondary school teachers from various schools across Abuja, providing them with hands-on training on essential digital tools, interactive learning platforms, and AI concepts.
Facilitators at the event shared insights on how to use technology to make lessons more engaging, foster critical thinking, and prepare students for a technology-driven world.
The event concluded with participants expressing their appreciation for the training and the actionable insights they gained. Some of the teachers highlighted the importance of continuous capacity-building programs to keep up with emerging educational trends.
Education
Army chief charges junior officers to be enterprising and resourceful
![Nigerian Army Debunks Reports of Mass Resignation, Clarifies Discharge Process](https://accessnews.ng/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Nigerian-Army-logo-1.jpg)
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has charged students of the Junior Course 98 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, to be enterprising, diligent and resourceful.
Oluyede gave the charge while addressing the students at their regimental dinner night on Wednesday in Jaji, Kaduna State.
According to him, possessing the attributes will enable them build successfully on their career and personal lives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner night is one of the major events lined up for the graduation of the students on Friday.
Oluyede said the objective of the college was to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of selected officers to prepare them for staff and command appointments.
He said the officers in the last 23 weeks had learnt some vital concepts like counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, estimate process and manoeuvring approach to warfare and peace support operations.
“It is also gratifying that you learnt the rudiments of time management, perseverance, determination, team spirit, staff work, and self-confidence and most importantly, discipline while on this course.
“Your leadership, dedication and ability to inspire and guide your teams are essential to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.
”As junior leaders, you must be able to inspire confidence in subordinates and not lead through intimidation or be overtly coercive.
“Your impact significantly contributes to the overall plan and objectives at the operational and strategic levels, “he said.
The army chief congratulated the students on the successful completion of their course
NAN reports that prizes were given to students who distinguished themselves
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