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CONTENTS

PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Catherine Oginni (Mrs.)

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

Adebayo Amodu

EDITORSOmolehinwa Aramide

REPORTER/RESEARCHEREneanya Gideon

Animashaun Oluwaseun

CORRESPONDENTS Adewunmi Joseph

Ugwoke MercyEgbe AdesuwaBenjamin Gift

CREATIVE ARTISTWale Hammed

PRODUCTIONLawal Taofeeq

Nnaji Bright

COLUMNISTFunmilola Padonu

Olanrewaju Temitope

LEGAL CONSULTANTS/ADVISERSKEHINDE OGINNI & CO.

ADVERT/MARKETING EXECUTIVESOsakwe Gloria

Anthonia Makanjuola

EDITORIAL BOARD Barr. Kehinde Oginni

Chief (Mrs.) Modupe A. JemibewonChief (Mrs.) Olufunke Davies Jones

Professor Isaac Olawale Albert

EDUCATION HUB MAGAZINE

Education Hub Magazine is a bi – monthly publication of IKOG CONSULTING LTD of Plot 142, Poatson House, Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria & UK Correspondent Office:146, Deptford High Street, London Se6 3NU. Tel: +2348035095770; +2348172865079, +447916308559; E-mail: eduhub@ikogconsulting.com Website: www.ikogconsulting.com, Blog www.nigeriaeducationhub.com All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part without prior written permission, is forbidden.

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The 2015 Ranking Of Universities in Africa by Webometrics

Technical Education: key to national development

Outstanding Private Schools in Lagos that have stood the test of time

Evaluating your own Teaching

Law as a Profession

US injects $2m fund in support of safe school initiative in Nigeria

LOCAL NEWS

The Safe School is an initia-tive of the Nigeria Business Community and the Federal Government for education of children across the country. The initiative was

conceptualized in response to the serial attack on schools, students and teachers across the country, particularly the sad incident of abduction of over 200 girls from Chibok community in 2014. The initiative was launched by the President Goodluck Jonathan and the UN Special Envoy on Education, Mr. Gordon Brown in a novel intervention geared towards making schools across the country safer and more conducive for learning for both the teachers and students

To demonstrate her commitment to this initiative, the Federal Government of Nigeria has contributed a whooping sum of $10 million dollars to support the laudable idea. As a mark of international approval, the U.S Government, through the USAID, has made a donation of $2 million dollars into this Multi-Donor Trust Fund and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Govern-ment through the Minister for Finance. In the same vein, the government of Qatar, through the Qatar Foundation, has also made a contribution of $2 million dollars into the fund. The Multi- Donor Trust Fund is domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Other countries and institutions across the world have begun to send in contributions and grants. For instance, the initiative has benefited from a con-tribution of two million Euros from the German government; a proposed grant of one million dollars from the African Development Bank, $1.5 million dollars donation from Norwegian government through the UNICEF; UK support of one million pounds in technical assistance and $10 million dollars pledge by a coali-tion of Nigerian Business Leaders.

The Finance Minister, Dr. Okonjo - Iweala said in an attempt to complement the effort, a separate Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF), had been set up within the UN system through Gordon Brown’s effort in support of the initiative which would be managed by the UNDP, UNI-CEF and UNOPs, all in a bid to source for donations from other governments and donor agencies.

As part of the terms of reference of the initiative, the Nigerian government had reportedly provided full scholarship for 2,400 school children from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to enable them transfer to 43 Federal Unity Schools across the country. The Federal Government is also partnering with international NGOs to offer scholarships to some victims of insurgency to enable them study in universities abroad. It is also good news to the stakeholders in the education sector to hear that with the support of UNICEF, education would be provided to children in Internally Displaced Person’s (IDPs) camps and host communities. So far, about 28,679 children had report-edly been enrolled into basic education through the double shift schooling system operational in the above mentioned States. Of these, 1,692 have been enrolled into Junior Secondary School, through

UNICEF with provision of 35,000 school bags with learning materials and `400 school in box’ provided by the Federal Government of Nigeria to support the IDP learners,’’ she said,

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, said the aim of the donation was to support education of children especially from northern Nigeria where enrolment was low, while it is also part of the US government’s support to Nigeria’s effort towards eradication of terrorism. The initiative would man-age school based interventions, such as the improvement of infrastructure and furnishings, provision of teaching and learning materials, among others.

I am indeed glad for a dream come true as I write this Maiden Editorial Message of the Education Hub Magazine. With this big step, education discourse has taken a new dimension in Nigeria

as the voices, faces, ideas, opportunities as well as challenges facing education in Nigeria is brought to the front burner in a unique and historic manner. We conceptualized this specialized magazine with a focus to lend a strong voice and give faces to diverse issues, analysis and news from both local and international perspectives all in attempt to address the needs of various stakeholders in the sector.

To us, less emphasis is placed on education report-ing when compared with the high number of enter-tainment, policy, political, sports and social maga-zines on our newsstands. This development clearly demonstrates that education, the bedrock of the society is receiving the least attention in the journal-istic world. Sadly, on few occasions that education news makes its way to the newspapers or magazines, the challenges in the sector are usually the focal point. Education Hub magazine is well positioned to high-light the huge prospects and opportunities inherent in the education sector; make a case for a paradigm shift from the usual thinking about the sector towards a new order while also keeping tab on the gargantuan challenges faced by the sector.

In this maiden edition, we highlight issues that we consider pertinent to the development of the educa-tion sector in Nigeria, particularly issues that have long been debated and often not given proper atten-tion afterwards. Our resourceful team of researchers and correspondents did justice to the role of technical education in nation building. This is critical at this stage of our national development as more attention has shifted to the employment of expatriates in the construction, information, communication and other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Also in this edition, we beamed searchlight on the place of private universities in Nigeria with a view to understanding the prospects and challenges faced by these critical stakeholders. This becomes imperative in the light of the recent ranking of universities in Af-rica by Webometrics where the first Nigerian Univer-sity to make it to the list is a private University.

No doubt, this editorial cannot capture all the captivating features in this edition. However, I urge all our readers to the liberty to read the magazine and I am cocksure that a good number of the reading public will concur with me that education reporting in Nigeria has truly taken a new dimension. Please stay with us.

Catherine Oginni

Our Giant stride

VisionTo build a new breed of thoroughbred professionals capable of transforming Nigerian economy through innovation, technol-

ogy and education.

MissionTo place education at the centre stage of national discourse

through balanced reporting geared towards transforming lives, institutions and Nigeria’s education system.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

First degree to be the minimum teaching qualification in NigeriaSince 1980, the minimum teach-ing requirement in Nigeria has been the National Certificate in Education (NCE) but a proposed change in the status quo has been announced by the Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, who broke the news on the plans of the Federal Government of Nigeria to make University first degrees minimum teaching qualification in Nigeria. Initially, primary school leav-ers were engaged in teaching but this was changed and raised to a minimum

qualification of Teacher Grade III in the 1960s and sometimes in the early 70s, it was minimum of Grade II which was later changed in the early 80s to minimum of NCE.

The need to consciously and continu-ously increase the number of teachers, improve the quality of teachers, raise the condition of teachers’ training institutions as well as periodic review of curriculum are essential in address-ing the myriads of challenges faced by education in Nigeria

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The 2015 ranking of Universities in Africa by Webometrics

LOCAL NEWS

A recent Webometrics rating of universities in Africa placed Cov-enant University, Ota, Ogun State as the first Nigerian University on

the list, a development that can be inter-preted to mean that the ranking has placed Covenant University as the best University in Nigeria. According to the ranking, Cove-

nant University ranks higher than Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU; University of Ibadan, UI; University of Lagos, UNILAG and University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, as Nigeria’s best institution. Here is a list of the first 25 Universities in Africa according to the ranking.

LOCAL NEWS

Nigeria Universities that made it into Webometrics 2015 ranking

1. Covenant University, Ota2. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife3. University of Ibadan, Ibadan4. University of Lagos, Akoka5. University of Ilorin, Ilorin6. University of Agriculture, Abeokuta7. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria8. Federal University of Technology, Akure9. Landmark University, Omu Aran10. University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Controversies have however trailed the ranking especially from the camp of many Nigerian stu-dents who hold opposing opinion about Covenant University, CU being ranked the best in Nigeria.

Many asked what the yardstick was for ranking an institution like Covenant University above other foremost Federal Universities in Nigeria. Shortly after the ranking was announced, the Vice - Chan-cellor of CU, Professor Charles Ayo, reacted by stating confidently that the institution would not rest on its oars until it becomes it joins the league of the best 10 universities on the African continent. This ranking also coincides with the report that the University has made plans to reduce the tuition fees at the shortest possible time all in a bid to attract more students who would like to benefit from the qualitative education the University offers.

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Technical Education: key to national developmentExperts say quality investment in technical education in Nigeria is the panacea to the current skills gap and rising unemployment in different sectors of the nation’s economy

After over 52 years of indepen-dence that has not produced much to cheer for her citizens, a synopsis of Nigeria in relation

to the global economy would read like this: A country endowed with diverse natural and human resources - oil, natu-ral gas, large expanse of arable land and other minerals. It has a large population estimated to be 160 million going by the record of the last census conducted in Nigeria. But the country has three criti-cal problems: poverty, corruption and unemployment. Cases of Corruption in the country have continued to be on the astronomical rise to the extent that it has almost turned out to be a national culture. This progression is linked to fundamental factors like unemployment and poverty among others.

The nation’s power, transport, health, educational and industrial sectors are all in shambles. Consequently, unem-ployment and crime have become a big source of worry. Over the years, millions of school leavers and graduates of tertiary institutions find it difficult to secure gainful employment. Statistics show that unemployment in the country is increas-

ing at an alarming rate. According to the United Nations, only three out of 10 fresh graduates in the country are sure of employment. Also, the National Bureau

of Statistics revealed recently that unem-ployment rate in Nigeria is always on the increase. It revealed that out of over 90 million youth population, about 56 per-cent are unemployed while only 9 percent are underemployed and only 35 percent are employed. Youths between the ages of 15- 24 and 25 - 44 are said to be mostly affected especially those in rural areas. Every year, various tertiary institutions in the country churn out graduates and this further compound the problem of unem-ployment because the jobs are not there. Therefore, many of the nation’s graduates are becoming economically dependent on their parents because they lack the necessary occupational skills to be self-employed. However, educationists say these skills can be provided by technical education. They contend that technical education can be a vehicle for addressing the current skills’ gap in different sectors of the nation’s economy. The National President of Young Nigerians for Change, Comrade Edwin Ekene said the issue of skills acquisition for the teeming youths in the country needed urgent attention because of its importance in the face of outright failure the nation’s basic educa-tion.

According to him, as a result of high unemployment, there is high prevalence of many Nigerian graduates engaging in armed robbery, militancy, kidnapping and a host of others criminal activities. It is his strong belief that technical educa-tion can be a tool for reducing unemploy-ment. He said, ‘‘Government should stop paying lip service to training technicians. It is one of the key ele-ments to the development of any nation. See what the Asian Tigers, including the Japanese are doing. Most of these expatriates you see in Nigeria are not university gradu-ates; they are technicians and Nigeria should emulate them when the youths are exposed to techni-cal skills in their various vocations

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like masonry, metal works, weld-ing, automobile mechanics and carpentry, they are not likely to look for any white-collar jobs; they are likely going to start their own businesses and employ people. It is an idle hand that the devil finds work for.’’

Similarly, a university don and an expert in Technical Education who is also a lecturer at the Department of Science and Technology Education, University of Lagos, Stephen Adenle is of the strong opinion that government could facilitate a programme where people who have gained skills from technical colleges are transferred to the industry. His words: ‘‘Government award contracts to big companies, they can put these gradu-ates or craftsmen or artisan under those contractors to put into practice the skills they acquired in the university. We had an exhibition at Lagos Television complex LTV where students from technical col-leges displayed what they have produced. I tell you they have what can compete with anybody from the developed world. Our problem is that we don’t value what we have”.

Technical education is a tool for the production of successful entrepreneurs in the country. Findings show that about 70 percent of small scale industries or busi-nesses that are found in Nigeria today are owned by technologists. For example, businesses like furniture making, metal fabrication, mechanical/concrete indus-tries, block making firms and some con-struction industries, etc, are run by tech-nologists. It would therefore not be out of place for technologists and technicians to be fully involved in entrepreneurship, as this has proved to be one of the channels of growth of most emerging economies. According to Britannica, a general Eng-lish Language Encyclopedia, technical education is the academic and voca-tional preparation of the students for jobs

involving applied science and modern technology. It is a planned programme of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options, supports basic academic and life skills and enables achievement of high aca-demic standards, leadership, preparation for industry defined work and advanced education. Technical education gives individuals the skills to work as a produc-tive citizen in a global society. It is both the academic and vocational preparation of students for jobs involving applied science and technology. The principal aim of technical education is to turn out the skilled manpower needed for industrial and technological development.

It is no gainsaying that technical education holds the key to national development and that no meaningful development could be achieved by a nation without sound and qualitative technical education. People who learn technical skills at the polytechnics and universities are called technologists. At the polytechnics, it is four years of study with two periods of industrial exposure - four months and later one year. This institution awards diplomas -Ordinary National Diploma, OND and Higher National Diploma, HND. The polytechnic system was designed to produce middle-level manpower. Their curriculum is designed and regulated by NABTEB. In Nigeria, the National Business and Technical Examination Board, is the body charged with the responsibility for the general conduct of craft level technical and business examinations conducted by various bodies notably the Royal Society of Arts of London (RSA), City and Guilds of London Institute (C & G) as well as Technical and Business Examinations conducted by the West African Exami-nations Council (WAEC). In addition, the Board has the statutory mandate to conduct other specified examinations on behalf of, or in collaboration with other

examination bodies or agencies; issue results and certificates and make awards in examinations conducted by it; moni-toring , collecting and keeping records of continuous assessment in technical col-leges and allied institutions towards the award of certificates in National Business and Technical Examinations and conduct research, publish statistics and other information in order to develop appro-priate examinations, tests and syllabi in technical and business studies.

On the other hand, universities cur-riculum is designed and regulated by the National University Commission, NUC. As for the university system, it runs four or five years Bachelor of Technology programme with six months industrial attachment exposure. No economy can be vibrant when the prerequisite skills are lacking. Therefore, technical education will go a long way in bridging the gaps in nation’s economy when students are being equipped with relevant and needed skills to be productive.

Since Nigeria is a developing economy, a lot of infrastructural development that requires technical know-how is still need-ed. Without skills which only the techni-cal education can offer, most of the jobs that will drive economic development will still be outsourced to foreigners with the right skills and knowledge. To this end, technical education remains the the bedrock of skill development of any na-tion. Adenle said technical education has been in vogue ever since the inception of man adding that our forefathers engaged in it in their rudimentary way. He also said it was the advancement that made it to be given the name technical education. Quoting from the book of Exodus 31:7-11, he said the biblical Moses made reference to the works of craftsmen. Also, Ekene believes technical education is the answer to Nigeria’s quest for development and transformation. According to him, the power sector which is one of the major challenges facing the nation as well as mechanized agriculture, defence, health, housing, aviation and virtually all min-istries and their paraphernalia require technical competence. He maintained that the hoopla about vision 2020 will be a mirage unless technical education is given the proper attention it deserves in Nigeria.

The country prides itself as giant of Africa but lacks the technical capacity it needs to become a leading economy in the continent. These days, Nigerians go as far as Niger Republic, Ghana, Benin Re-public and other neighbouring countries to bring in bricklayers and carpenters.

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-Ugwoke Mercy, Eneanya Gideon, Egbe Adesuwa

Government award contracts to big compa-nies, they can put these graduates or crafts-men or artisan under those contractors to put into practice the skills they acquired in the university. We had an exhibition at Lagos Television complex LTV where students from technical colleges dis-played what they have produced. I tell you they have what can compete with anybody from the developed world. Our problem is that we don’t value what we have.

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Those who have been patronizing local artisans and technicians complain that they are not as good as their foreign coun-terparts. This explains why the foreign technicians and artisans operating in Ni-geria get more patronage. According to a Lagos resident, Samuel Adedigba, “I have suffered a lot of headaches due to several disappointments from Nigerian artisans. Now, people that work for me –electri-cians, bricklayers, generator and vehicle mechanics – are from neighbouring West African countries.”Apart from Adedigba, many Nigerians have tales of woe to tell on their frustrating experiences with local artisans. For instance, many people say their experiences in trying to repair their cars in Abuja have revealed the lack of quality technicians that constitute a ma-jor bottleneck to economic development in Nigeria.

However, indigenous engineers have condemned the over-reliance on foreign artisans and craftsmen to execute proj-ects in the country. The growing trend of

hiring foreign technicians and craftsmen from outside of the country has led quali-fied indigenous technicians and engineers in the country into sourcing alternative means for survival. This is so because most of the foreign engineering compa-nies in Nigeria have ‘silent’ directors from people in governments, civil service while some are business partner to legislators, traditional chiefs and even the members of the judiciary. This practice is view as the height of corruption and it is rea-soned that until this form of corruption is eradicated, the country may continue to see inflated costs of services all over the country. All forms of corruption should be eradicated as well to move Nigeria forward. Experts believe that Nigeria’s domestic economic future lies more in developing our technical manpower and skills than relying on expatriates. In this lies the possibility of fixing our energy problems, road problems and the likes. Some educationists have urged the gov-ernment to compel companies to adhere

strictly to quota system for the employ-ment of foreign technicians so that jobs meant for Nigerians will not perpetually be taken over by foreigners. Investiga-tions revealed that the Nigerian building/construction industry which is the largest employer of labour has about three mil-lion jobs.

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IVY LEAGUE

Outstanding Private Schools in Lagos that have stood the test of time

Atlantic Hall is a co-educational full boarding secondary school set in extensive and beautiful grounds in Poka, Epe, a safe rural setting close to the Atlantic Ocean. The school has chosen to maintain its existing population of about 650 pupils between the ages of 10-17 and has a staff-student ratio of 9/1 to allow for optimum learning and to ensure each child is known. The school is committed to and reflects academic excellence and a well rounded education. Atlantic Hall was established in January 1989 by the Atlantic Hall Educational Trust Council - a registered non-profit sharing organization. The body is composed of members from various professions who share a common

passion for a 21st Century Nigeria with an enviable and competitive standard of education. Academic attainment and leadership are the cornerstones of the school but these are not exclusive.

What makes the School one of the most sought after :• The school has a rich history of

existence that spans over two decades. This in itself depicts mastery, recognition and ac-complishment.

• The strong and rich blend of curricula.

• The school is anchored on academic excellence and has over the years produced a lot of accomplished and successful graduates in different walks of

life. • Atlantic Hall is a registered and

approved examination centre of the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).

• Opportunities to take Inter-national Examination thereby offering students admission into choice Universities abroad.

Should you be interested in enrolling your children or wards into Atlantic Hall Schools, kindly contact the school campus at Atlan-tic Hall, Poka Epe, Lagos, Nigeria. Telephone: +234(1)2912647 Mobile +2347042932098. Email: enqui-ries@atlantic-hall.net web: www.atlantic-hall.net.

Atlantic Hall

Quests for Foreign CertificatesAs quests for acquiring foreign university education increases among Nigerians, educationists and an-alysts explain reasons for this trend and offer tips on what to look out for before deciding on a choice of school or country to study abroad

That Nigerians place a lot of value on education is no longer hidden. Every year, parents and guardians spend bil-lions of naira on the education of their wards within and outside the country. Today, there is a growing quest for for-eign university education by Nigerians. This trend is not unconnected with the fact that many Nigerian scholars have lost faith in the country’s educational system and are desperately looking for ways to leave the shore of Nigeria in search of foreign education. The quest for foreign education has seen many Nigerians travelling to far flung countries such as Finland, Australia, Malaysia and India among others in search of university admission. There are many reasons for the growing trend of Nigerians seeking education abroad. Some of these, accord-ing to educationists include exposure to research, up - to - date facilities and

-Adewunmi Joseph, Benjamin Gift

Greensprings School’s history dates back to January 1985 when it started off as a Montessori school offering nursery edu-cation to children aged 2-5 years. Since then, the school has grown remarkably and is today one of the leading institu-tions offering first class education from their first campus, situated in the heart of Lagos Mainland, with an initial student body of 3 pupils. Greensprings has now established a state of the art campus on the Lekki Peninsula with student strength

of over 2,500.

What makes the School most sought after?• The school’ existence that spans three

decades. This depicts competence, excellence and accomplishment. The history of the school can simply be re-ferred to as the making of the colossus from 3 registered students to 2, 500 students strength.

• Adequate blend of curricula that fits

the Nigeria education market.• Conducive and safe learning environ-

ment.• The school runs from elementary to

Senior Secondary school thereby cre-ating an easy and simple pathway for various ages.

• Opportunities to take International Examination thereby offering students admission into choice Universities abroad

IVY LEAGUE

To be admitted into the school, a formal application must be made to be followed by informal assessment for preschoolers and en-trance examinations for years 1-10 after which successful candidates are informed via SMS, email or phone call.www.greenspringsschool.cominfo@greenspringsschool.com+23418541472, 0704550244

The Anthony Campus 32, Olatunde Ayoola Avenue Anthony, Lagos, Nigeria The Lekki CampusK/M 40, Lekki/ Epe Express Way,Ibeju-Lekki (After Grown Estate), Lagos, Nigeria.

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a consistent academic calendar. Fidelia Ideha, a Nigerian studying at a university in South Africa, said she opted to study abroad because the educational system over there is better organized. In her words: “unlike Nigerian schools, you will do a lot of practical work and complete your programme at the right time.” Nigerians spend a fortune on foreign education. Revealing how much Nigerians spend on foreign university education, former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido said that Nigerians spend over one billion dollars annually to acquire education in Ghana only. He also disclosed that there are about 71,000 Nigerian students in Ghana, paying one billion dollars annually as tuition fees. Maxwell Uranta, a university lecturer said that the quest for foreign certificates amongst Nigerians is as a result of the government’s failure to develop institu-tions in the country. He maintained that people go abroad for different reasons but it is mainly because our institutions are not well funded. He buttressed his point by stating that it would take students years to complete a PhD programme in Nigeria but less than four years if a student travels abroad for the same programme. Like Uranta, speaking to an Education Consultant, Mrs. Catherine Oginni, an Executive Director at IKOG CONSULTING, she said that one of the main reasons why Nigerian scholars account for higher percentage of interna-tional students across campuses around the world is largely due to the numerous problems plaguing the nation’s educa-tional system. To her, this trend has led to increased quest for foreign education by parents of those students who can afford it.

She further identified poor fund-ing and implementation of education policies as some of the major problems confronting the most important sector. According to her, ‘the competitive struggle for admission through University Matriculation Exami-nation and Post UTME test appear too herculean for some students to surmount given the fact that on the average, about one million people take the University Matriculation Examination (UME) each year and only about 250,000 can be offered placement in all the universities and polytechnics in the country. The implication of this is that the remaining number of students un-able to gain admission in a partic-ular year adds up to the fresh stu-

dents eligible to take the entrance examination the following year, a development that creates a back log of un-admitted students run-ning into over a million each year. The question is: What happens to this back log?

Mrs. Oginni contended that part of the huge drive for foreign certificates is that curricular developed by Nigerian Univer-sities are not adequate to address con-temporary global issues. Popular courses in Nigeria include Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Civil Engineering, Account-ing, Business Administration, Law, Mass Communication and few other courses, leaving students with desire for careers in Plumbing, Music, Fashion Designing, Film Editing e.t.c with no choice than to pursue their dreams in other countries offering such courses and other multi - disciplinary opportunities. In the course of our interaction with students over the years, top study destinations include USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, India and few other countries. A further prognosis at the choice of study destina-tions by students and parents revealed that they are more interested in countries that had exhibited great potentials for qualitative research; offered worldwide acceptance of degree certificate and made giant strides in various academic fields. For instance, Information Technology, Medicine and Engineering are synony-mous with the US, India and Germany while students interested in studying Law, Literature and related courses always exhibit preference for UK. Nigeria needs to be known globally for outstand-ing academic excellence and scholarship in a certain field in order to be able to attract her own citizens and foreign stu-

dents as well to its universities, polytech-nic and colleges. She said that the private sector should also be encouraged to play a key role in the development of our educa-tion sector by way of sponsoring research, collaborating with the government and the universities in developing industry - compliant curriculum. She went further to say that notwithstanding the poor quality of tertiary education in today’s Nigeria, Nigerian students could do bet-ter if the government gets right in terms of policies and proper implementation. She supported her point by stating that Nigerian students often excel outstand-ingly when they study abroad compared to when they attend schools in Nigeria.

Responding to the issue of employabil-ity rate of graduates from foreign schools and those of Nigeria schools, Mrs. Oginni stated thus: “the employability rate of graduates of some renowned top British/Canadian/US Universities is twice as high as their contemporaries who graduated from universities in Nigeria particularly when considered in terms of chances to land a good job anywhere in the world. An MSc or PhD holder from say Glasgow University, Scotland would no doubt make such a person simply irresistible in terms of employment as there is nowhere in the world such a person cannot get a job. This is not to conclude that none of the Nigerian universities is unknown in the international education market. While they are very good and well known ones, a good number of them are not so popular and well rated. She concluded by saying that the craze for foreign educa-tion flows from the realization of the fact that students who struggled to make good grades from reputable schools in Britain, Canada, United State.

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However, experts have urged parents and guardians to do their due diligence very well before sending their children and wards abroad for studies. One, parents have been advised to make sure they have enough information about the countries and the schools their children intend to attend. Also, they need to have a contact in the particular country where the school is located. Mohammed Idris, an Educa-tion Consultant based in Kogi State, said that most parents are of the erroneous beliefs that as long as a university is in the UK or in the US, then it is good. There are a lot of dodgy institutions whose cer-tificates are not worthy. They are simply money - making ventures that will come to Abuja, Lagos or Kano, distribute the best brochures in town while the qual-ity of their education is not worth the glamour of the public relations efforts,’’ he said. He advised that when parents are making decision to send their children abroad, they should not just give them money as if the child is out shopping. Many parents lose their children this way. Frequently visiting your child and main-taining contact with him/her on phone will be helpful. In fact, in this age, parents are encouraged to maintain facebook and

twitter accounts and join the list of friends of their children on these platforms in or-der to sufficiently monitor them. Parents should have copies of their timetables, their assignments and also mandate them to send cop-ies of their results to them once they are available. These are still not enough as your prayers, counseling and mentoring will be useful throughout his stay in the school. He advised that anyone who intends to study abroad should seek adequate consultation from experts who have the experience before making their choices of courses and universities, adding that for engineering courses, foreign universities will be a better option because most Nige-rian universities don’t have the necessary facilities to groom students in this field. Anyone wishing to study Mechanical

Engineering may be advised to consider United States, India or UK while Russia and the US are ideal destinations for a like Chemical Engineering and related courses. As for Medicine, United States, India and Canada are a good choice while applicants for Computer Science and related disciplines are look no further than United States and India. Applicants for law degrees and humanities can find a good academic comfort in the UK and US schools.

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Private Universities: The Opportunities, Challenges

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Private universities in Nigeria have been in the forefront of offering high quality curricular and ground-breaking innovations thereby giving hope of a better future for the nation’s university education.

Private universities are fast gaining acceptance among Nigerian youths due mainly to stability of

their academic calendar. Unlike what obtains in public universities where students spend more years than necessary following incessant industrial strikes by the Aca-demic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, lecturers and students in private universities rarely embark on industrial strike that could jeopardize academic activities. Ever since private universities in Nigeria came in to fill a vacuum in the nation’s tertiary education sub-sector, the story has never remained the same. The entrance of private universities has brought

stability into the system while the quality of education offered by the private universities is said to be a strong attraction to Nigerians. According to Abiodun Olayemi of Department of Educational Foundations and Management, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, private universities have raised academic standard. In his words ‘‘they boast of high standards of education that seems to have eluded some public universities,’’ When one looks at it critically, many young Nigerians that would have been languishing in frustration of poor access to university education are now blazing the trail in these ivory towers.

Private institutions of higher learning is perceived to offer quality of education, cater for a larger number of school-age populations than government-sponsored institutions while some of their students have demonstrated outstanding excel-lence and scholarship in their studies. Not too long ago, an 18-year-old under-graduate of Crescent University, Miss Zulikha Ibrahim emerged came first in ICT-based National Microsoft Competi-tion far ahead of all many other partici-

pants from public universities. Also, the atmosphere at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, was full of excitement when a 19-year-old Wukeh Egem-Odey, who obtained a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.89 out of a possible 5.0 emerged the best graduating student. Such excellent achievements are becom-ing common in these ivory towers these days. As if this was not enough, another young scholar, Opeyemi Deborah Sodipe bagged her doctorate (PhD) degree in

Business Information at Babcock Univer-sity (BU), Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State at a prime age 25 years.

The trend in university education has not gone unanalyzed by watchers of events as some have attributed the remarkable feat to high emolument and motivation provided by these schools for their lecturers. For instance, Profes-sor Oyewale Tomori, Vice Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ogun State has said the institution pays its staff salaries

-Adewunmi Joseph, Egbe Adesuwa

Pg. 14

that are about 10 per cent to 15 percent higher than what their counterparts in federal universities earn. Professors in private universities earn about N700, 000 monthly as against N600, 000 by lecturers in public universities. At Benson-Idahosa University, the univer-sity recruits only top-ranking professors. The President, BIU, Bishop Faith Benson-Idahosa once told newsmen that in order to ensure that the lecturers are abreast of contemporary issues, the institution routinely gives them special training.

Also at CU, annual training programme called Executive Advance is organized for all faculties and senior non-teaching staff. Some programmes are organized outside the country to give lecturers the opportunity to compare notes with academics from other parts of the world. The essence is to enrich their knowledge. Another strategy adopted by private universities to achieve high quality educa-tion is to admit fewer students and peg the admission age of students in order to avoid overstretching available facilities and distractions. At CU, in furtherance of its mission to attract and transform young lives, the university, as a rule, does not admit students who are above the age of 22, and its female students are not al-lowed to get married or become pregnant until after their graduation. By pegging the age limit of prospective students at 22, the university management believes that such youngsters will easily be ame-nable to rules and policies that would shape and make them better individuals.

“Our commitment is: get these fresh ones and give them the shape you think will be most suitable for their destiny. We don’t admit married people. Why, so that they don’t influence or corrupt the life of the young ones who are coming in; because now, like you know, people come into the university at 15 or 16. So, the university management decided to put up certain guidelines that will keep that envi-ronment safe. You can’t get into Covenant University outside the age of 22,”

said Bishop (Dr.) David Oyedepo, Pro-Chancellor of the University. Private universities are also blazing the trail in research. Research is the hub around which academic success is built. This explains why private universities allocate huge funds to get the best research facili-ties.

CU is breaking new ground in research as it is on record that the university had invested over N2billion in the procure-ment of engineering equipment for its

research work. The result was that three certificates of patent were awarded to the university by the National Office for Technological Acquisition and Promo-tion, NOTAP, Abuja, for three prod-ucts produced by the university’s team of researchers. The products include pawpaw beverage, fermented rice and culture medium. No wonder the uni-versity won three awards and became the overall second best among the 25 universities that exhibited over 200 sci-

ence and technology products during the December 2010 Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State. At Redeemer’s University, research is also given top priority. Each year, N20 million is allocated to research. However, the university is yet to come up with any research products or inventions to show for its efforts. The management of BIU believes that research is one thing private universities should not sleep over. To promote this area of learning, the institution poached Ernest Izebvigie, a Professor and Deputy VC from Jackson State University, Mississippi, US, who has within one year researched on vari-ous issues, including the use of bitter leaf to counter tumors and diabetes. Some of the students of BIU have won awards in Korea and India for their inventions. One of the students invented a machine that cleans shoes once the wearer steps on a carpet.

The serene environment in several private universities is also believed to contribute to their success. With its array of attractive structures, well maintained flower lawns and good road network, Babcock University, is arguably, one of Nigeria’s most beautiful campuses. The same is true of Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State where students testified that power and water supply are constant. Discipline is another unique selling point for private universities. Operators of private universities are known to instill discipline in their stu-dents more than the managers of public universities. At CU for instance, students cannot step out of the campus without the permission of the authorities; they are forbidden from using GSM phones on campus, they must adhere strictly to certain dress codes and are also barred from indulging in students’ unionism. As part of the disciplinary measures, students in private universities exit the four walls of the institution only when permitted. At Madonna University, the situation is even stricter. Students have to apply two days before the intended exit and because the process is rigor-ous, some students prefer to remain in school till the end of a semester than face the exit protocol. No matter the way it is viewed, the disciplinary mechanisms put in place by private universities have positive impact on students and also help in achieving high standards of education. However, the story of university educa-tion in Nigeria today has largely been that

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COVER STORIES

Pg. 13

Our commitment is: get these fresh ones and give them the shape you think will be most suitable for their destiny. We don’t admit married people. Why, so that they don’t influence or corrupt the life of the young ones who are coming in; because now, like you know, people come into the university at 15 or 16. So, the universi-ty management decided to put up certain guidelines that will keep that envi-ronment safe. You can’t get into Covenant Univer-sity outside the age of 22,

of mixed fortunes. According to Olayemi, there are many challenges confronting private universities in Nigeria. Promi-nent among them is inadequate funding. He is of the view that running a private university is a capital intensive venture that a ‘trader’ cannot venture into. In his words: ‘to run a university is not cheap and unfortunately many private universi-ties owners in Nigeria appear not to have the financial muscle to bear the financial burdens of these institutions adding that the high cost of facilities such as building for classrooms, offices, furniture items for students and staff, laboratory equipment, relevant books and journals in the library in terms of procurement and mainte-nance, however, constitute a very serious problem to private universities’. Olayemi further opined that some of the needed or required manpower are not available to some of these private universities. ‘Major-ity of their staff, especial academic staff are bottom heavy in terms of mix. Many of these private universities are con-tending with the problem of shortage of faculty members to drive or beef up their universities. ’ He asserts that non-profes-sional teachers who are neither good nor effective cannot be said to be contributing much to quality education adding that many of the lecturers are found to lack both technical and personnel competenc-es required in teaching because they are not professionally qualified.

Another factor, according to him is the

wideness of social gap. He asserted that education services provided by private in-dividuals do create inequality and widen the already existing social gap between the children of the well-to-do Nigerians and that of commoners. The children of the rich have more access to private universities than the children of the poor and this has continued to aggravate the social gap between the rich and the poor in the country.

Also, former Vice Chancellor of the Uni-versity of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Banjo has suggested that funding of all universi-ties in Nigeria, including the private ones, should be jointly shared by the three tiers of government and the proprietors, while a little contribution is made by the ben-eficiaries themselves. While maintaining that no first-class university can be pro-duced without adequate funding, Banjo, who is currently the Pro - Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, lamented that the most serious problem facing universities in

Nigeria currently is that of inadequate funding.

There seems to be a popular opinion among Nigerians that many private universities owners are motivated by profit rather than service. It has also been argued that many Nigerian private uni-versities are also in dire need of adequate human capital, modern infrastructure without which one cannot run and man-age an ideal university that is globally competitive and locally relevant.

Realistically, most of the owners of the private universities in the country are businessmen and women who have invested heavily in education and there-fore expect returns on their investments. Some academic scholars have maintained that the quest to recoup investments by the school owners at the expense of quality may affect their output eventually. Most of the private universities in Nigeria offer courses that reflect either a com-mercial consideration or religious orien-tation which requires less investment in terms of infrastructure and equipment. Their thinking is that by offering market driven courses like Accountancy, Bank-ing & Finance, Business Administration, they would be able to break even. This is unlike their counterparts in some other parts of the world who put in capital investments in infrastructure and other facilities to offer courses like Medicine and Engineering, which are highly capital intensive.

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COVER STORIES

17EDUCATION HUB

KIDDIES ZONE

Match OppositesMatch the words which have opposite meanings (antonyms) to each other by drawing a line between them. Right DownBig NoHappy ClosedSlow ExpensiveYes LeftNegative GoUp FastOff SadCheap OldOpen OnStop PositiveYoung Small

BrainTeaser T in it? A: A teapotQ. How many letters are there in the English alphabet? A. There are 18: 3 in ‘the’, 7 in ‘English’ and 8 in ‘alphabet’Q. Which month has 28 days? A. All of them of course!Q. What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs?A. A clock!Q. What is the easiest way to double your money?A. Put it in front of the mirror of course!Q. What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive?A. A glove.Q. What has to be broken before you can use it?A. An egg.Q. What has a neck but no head?A. A bottle.Q. What gets wetter as it dries?A. A towel.Q. What goes up and doesn’t come back down?A. Your age.Q. What belongs to you but is used more by others?A. Your name.Q. Everyone has it and no one can lose it, what is it?A. A shadow.Q. It’s been around for millions of years, but it’s no more than a month old. What is it?A. The moon.

THE MAGIC 9Figure nine is a funny number with a secret that is kept from everybody, including you. If you don’t mind, let us work it out. When you multiply nine by any figure, apart from 1 that gives you 9, your answer would be more than 1 digit. Go on to separate the digits of your answers by putting a plus sign (+) in between all the figures. Add them together and your answer remains 9.Let us consider some examples.9 × 9 =18 1+ 8= 99 × 3 = 27 2+ 7 = 99 × 4 = 36 3 + 6 = 99 × 5 = 45 4 + 5 = 99 × 12 = 108 1 + 0 + 8 = 99 × 100 = 900 9 + 0 + 0 = 99 × 386 = 3474 3 + 4 + 7 + 4 = 18 1 + 8 = 9 9 × 5955 = 53595 5 + 3 + 5 +9 +5 = 27 2 + 7 = 9

Dear readers, if magic 9 wants to disappoint you, dial my nos 999.I will come to your rescue.

Ayotosimi AyoadeBasic Five, Oakdale School, Lagos

Pg. 18

KIDDIESZone

Riddles and JokesQ. What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it? A. ShortQ. What word begins and ends with an ‘e’ but only has one letter? A. EnvelopeQ.What has a neck but no head?A. A bottleQ. What type of cheese is made back-

wards?A: EdamQ. Why did the boy bury his flashlight? A. Because the batteries died.Q. What starts with a ‘P’, ends with an ‘E’ and has thousands of letters? A: The Post Office!Q. Why can’t a man living in New York be buried in Chicago? A: Because he’s still living!Q. What begins with T, ends with T and has

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TEACHER’S DIGEST

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOLThe name of my school is Oluwakemi Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. I love my school so much and I am sure you want to know why. It is simple. In these days of Jam-boree, my school still stands tall for academic excellence, integrity and diligence. My school is old and affordable as my parents often say thereby making qualitative education afford-able to all. The motto of the school says it all: “Way to Success” and the school is really a way to success. All students that come to my school stay there to become bright. In some cases, pupils leave my school because the

school management is not ready to bend their rules or for other reasons and I meet these friends and classmates on my way to church or outings. They narrate how they are leading their classes in their new schools. I can’t help smiling as I know that Oluwakemi will give the solid foundation for years to come. If what you are after is quality education for your chil-dren, choose Oluwakemi Nursery and Primary school TODAY.

Folabi Kehinde - OginniBasic Two, Oluwakemi Nur/Pry School,2,Keji Close, Dideolu Estate, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.

Pg. 17

Evaluating your own Teaching

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TEACHER’S DIGEST

Methods for Evaluating your TeachingSelf-monitoring: A good teacher moni-tors his/her own performance as he/she teaches. Teachers should monitor them-selves while teaching. After each teaching session, teachers should ask themselves (or complete a brief self-evaluation form) on whether they have met their deter-mined goals and objectives, and evaluate the good and the to-be-improved aspects of the session. Teachers can keep a log (i.e. a teaching portfolio, or a video log) to track their own progress and improve-ment over time.

Self-monitoring is a meaningful source of information for evaluating teaching. Teachers would take special notice of (and record) those information which are particularly important to them, like a cus-tomized profile for individual teachers.

However, self-monitoring involves self-judgment. It is often difficult to be totally fair and objective. Personal biases and misinterpretations of students’ reaction by the teachers themselves may interfere with the effectiveness of the evaluation.

Audio and video recording: Teachers can audio- or video-tape their teaching sessions, which allows them to keep re-cord of and investigate their actual teach-ing performance in detail. Teachers can review the records with other colleagues

to discuss the areas for improvements. Audio and video recording provide

teachers with objective information that reflects what was actually happening in the class. It is always easy for people to monitor others and notice their weak-nesses, but it is rather difficult for them to monitor themselves, especially during teaching when teachers are devoting most of their attention in instructing and explaining to students. Recording reflects the actual teaching performance, but it is meaningless by itself. For example, it does not tell teachers whether speaking at a particular pace is good or bad. Teach-ers have to discuss with their fellows to obtain opinions to identify the strengths and weaknesses in their teaching so as to give room for improvement.

It is a good idea to arrange several re-cording sessions throughout the semester (e.g. one at the beginning, one in the middle and one at the end of semester) to check with the progress and improvement of specifically targeted areas. However, it is important to obtain the consent from students and the faculty before commenc-ing the recording.

Furthermore, keeping a log of class video records can help teachers track their own progress, and it is also a useful

reference material for new teaching staff to learn from.

Students’ feedback on teaching: Students’ perception of learning experi-ence in class is sometimes the most direct way to weigh how effective a teacher delivers his teaching. After all, the goal of education is to make students learn and understand. Therefore, what students perceive and experience in class would directly determine how effective they are learning. Collecting students’ perception of teaching should be carried out sev-eral times in a semester (at least once at mid-term and once at the end of term), to allow opportunities to correct poor practices rather than leaving them till the end of the course. Two common methods of collecting information about students’ perception towards teaching are ques-tionnaires and interviews.

Questionnaires: This is a com-monly used method of collecting stu-dents’ opinion about teaching, and it has been adopted widely across universities as a standard practice. Standardized questions on the questionnaires collect information about students’ background, general opinions about the course (e.g. the topics are interesting, course materi-als are difficult, too many

Evaluating teachers’ own teaching is a way to identify the strong aspects of their practice as well as their weaknesses which may need to be changed and improved. Teachers should take initiatives to evalu-

ate their teaching and make improvements over time. It is important to understand that evaluating your teaching does not mean you are a bad teacher, in fact, it means quite the opposite.

A good teacher teaches and learns. You could be the best teacher with the best course materi-

als, course activities, learning outcomes and assessments but as time changes, course needs to be revised to suit the needs of the society, the employers and the diversity of students. A good teacher will take in criticism, initiate evalu-ation and learn from their students.

Pg. 20

assignments, comments given on assign-ments are helpful etc.), and an overall evaluation on the effectiveness of the course and the teacher, using predefined scales of quantitative scores (e.g. 1 – Strongly Agree,…..,5 – Strongly Disagree). Some general open-ended questions such as “What do you think can be improved in this course?” and “What do you like most about this course?” are usually included in the questionnaires. Of course, teachers can put down some specific topical ques-tion on which they particularly would like to know about.

Questionnaires can collect responses from a large number of students simulta-neously, which provide a comprehensive picture that reflects the opinions of the whole class (i.e. good representativeness), and can be efficiently administered in terms of time and resources. Responses in questionnaires are given anonymously, so students are more willing to freely express what they actually think and perceive about the course.

However, the limitation of question-naire lies at its standardized organization of questions. Questions on the question-naires are fixed, and therefore the teach-ers cannot probe further information of their interests immediately based on the respondents’ responses as in interviews. Also, questionnaire survey is better to be administered by someone who is not in charge of the grades of students, so that students would feel more comfortable to express themselves. Questionnaire survey must be carefully designed to avoid confusion and negative effect from the students (e.g. students may think that this is a way to test how much they have learnt).

Interviews: Focus-group interviews with students can be conducted by the teachers themselves (if trust has been built among the teacher and students) or an outsider (if greater level of objectivity is required). Teachers can set the ques-tions that they are interested to know about with their faculty’s colleagues and consultants in advance, and probe more detailed information and clarifications from students during the interview. It is obviously a more flexible option compared to a large class questionnaire surveys.

Directly interviewing students can usually reveal students’ thoughts on some unanticipated aspects, which can gener-ate lots of useful information. However, interviews can usually only be conducted with a small portion of students in the class, which may not necessary be reflect-ing the whole picture of thoughts of the

entire class.Apart from the above mentioned meth-

ods, teachers can also deduce how well the students are learning and acquiring knowledge from the class by looking at their assignments and test results. This can however be effective if the assign-ments and tests are well-designed and have high validity in measuring students’ learning achievements. If the assignments and tests meet the above conditions, they can be good indicators of how effective the goal of helping students to learn is achieved by the teaching delivered. How-ever, teachers cannot infer from assign-ments and test results about what is good or bad about their teaching, and what causes students to learn better or worse.

One general limitation of assess-ing teaching quality based on students’ feedback is that their opinions can be very biased. Many students may not actually know what they should know and learn from the course. Also, students usually do not possess enough knowledge about how the course can be taught, including the possible pedagogies and course contents.

It is also very important that teachers should tell students that they are aware of and are genuinely interested in the opinions given. After receiving students’ feedback, teachers should describe to the students what changes are made in response to their opinions, and also explain the reasons why they choose not to change the other practices as requested by students. Students would question the usefulness of collecting their opinions if teachers do not let them know their opin-ions are heard.

Feedback from observation by other colleagues and experts: Teach-ers can invite other colleagues or experts to sit in their classes and directly observe how the teaching is conducted (includ-ing teaching style, contents, pace etc.), to

give feedback and constructive criticisms. Similar to video recording, observation by other people allows teachers to become aware of many things that they are too busy to notice while conducting their teaching. Teachers can confer with the observers before the class observation regarding the areas of focus, and discuss the important points in a debriefing meet-ing afterwards.

Peer-observation: Junior teachers can invite other junior peers to observe and give feedback to their teaching. This would be free from any political risk and peers would be willing to exchange and share their ideas freely and honestly.

Observation by senior colleagues: Teachers can also invite experienced se-nior teachers to be their observers. Senior teachers who have experience in teaching can often provide useful opinions for new teachers to get started smoothly. Never-theless, political risks can be a concern since some teachers behave differently when they are being observed by seniors who make decisions about their promo-tion and tenure.

Observation by professionals from an outside party: Teachers may consult their university’s teaching support center or similar organizations to arrange a teaching consultant to observe their classes. These consultants do not neces-sarily need to possess adequate knowl-edge about the subject being taught, but they can provide objective comments to teachers on general presentation skills, skills on facilitating student discussions, and ideas for active and interesting learn-ing approaches.

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Cyprus is fast becoming a top Study destination for Nigerians

Chan C. (2010) Assessment: Evaluating your own Teaching, Assessment Resources @HKU, University of Hong Kong [http://ar.cetl.hku.hk]: Available: Accessed: 24th February, 2015

Cyprus has in a couple of years back remained one of the top study destina-tions for Nigerians and scholars from other African Countries. There are more than 40,000 students studying in Cyprus thus, creating a very unique multicul-

tural atmosphere and platform to meet people from different countries around the world. Thus you get to know not only Cypriot culture but many other too. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ministry of education and sports awards

scholarships to international students based on academic performance and sporting activities. Some of the top uni-versities patronized by Nigerians and why is chronicle in this edition.

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Top Universities in North Cyprus: What makes them attractive to Nigerian Scholars

European University of Lefke

Studying in North Cyprus is gaining popularity in Nigeria as more Nigerians seek admission into major universities in the country. Here are some of the most patronized Universities by

Nigerians. In this edition, we would be reviewing two of the top universities, Check out what the attractions are:

The European University of Lefke, founded by the Cyprus Science Foun-dation, officially started its academic activities in 1990 as a State Foundation University. The University and all its re-spective departments are accredited with the Turkish Republic’s Higher Educa-tion Council (Board) since its first day of establishment. The University campus is located on the hill in one of the island’s richest natural corners, overlooking the local landscape and with a full view of the blue waters of the Mediterranean. With its quite and tranquil setting, it offers students an ideal environment to pursue their academic studies. With its excellent infrastructure and technological equip-

ment, EUL is the leading brand of educa-tion in the west of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The university offers contemporary, sustainable and quality education of international standards, conduct qualita-tive research, contribute to the needs of the society, and meet the needs of stake-holders and graduate students in a multi - cultural environment. It also strives to become a preferred, participating, autonomous university open to change and development, producing science and technology and serving as a model with its multicultural diversity.

More importantly, EUL’s aim is to train the students in becoming honest,

innovative and professionally responsible individuals with distinct personalities who are capable of critical thinking and ability to contribute to the society on scientific matters; to develop cultural diversity, intercultural competence, and empathy within the University and in the society; to contribute to the welfare of the society and peace in the region and the world; to assume a pioneering role in the economic, social and cultural develop-ment of the country by giving highest priority to quality in areas of academic freedom, education, and to accelerate the scientific and technological innovations and developments.

-Catherine Oginni ( Executive Director, Ikog Consulting)

What makes the university attractive to Nigerians

Cyprus International University

The University currently has nine (9) fac-ulties offering Undergraduate, Postgradu-ate and Doctoral degrees. Most of the courses are taught in English Language with two major intakes in a year (Febru-ary and September) thereby giving pro-spective students a rare opportunity for entrance twice a year. EUL offers one of the most attractive entrance scholarships of 40% to all international applicants with a highly competitive tuition fee for most undergraduate programs ($5,000 USD per academic year). EUL provides comfortable and affordable accommo-dation in a conducive environment on campus at a highly reasonable, affordable

price ($2,100 (meal + accommodation} or $1,100 for accommodation only). Application processing is swift and ef-ficient as the processes can be completed and offer of acceptance can be issued to student within two weeks of application. Similarly, visa processing from Nigeria is easy and not so cumbersome and with the assistance of the International Team of EUL, a student is 80% rest assured of a transit visa from the Turkish Embassy in Nigeria. EUL recruits student throughout the world either through direct applica-tion or through an Education Agent. EUL accepts students from Nigeria with WAEC or NECO and does not require

English Language test for students with at least C5 in English Language these examinations. HND graduates are equally offered placements in Masters pro-grammes provided such applicants meets the minimum entry requirement for the course. There is also an opportunity for seamless transfer of students from any of the universities in Nigeria, even for hold-ers Ordinary National Diplomas (OND) into different levels at EUL depending on the previous courses taken and their relevance to the intended course to be undertaken.

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Cyprus International University campus is situated at the foothills of picturesque Besparmark Mountains and is ap-proximately 5 minutes from the city centre of the capital and 15 minutes from Ercan Airport. CIU is a recognized institution of higher learning in the international arena

and since its inception, has the development of interna-tional education as its main ethos. The University places great value on development and international cooperation resulting in the approval and accreditation by many major accrediting bodies.

Why Nigerians patronise Cyprus International University

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

CIU endeavors to meet the housing needs of all students and currently provides 17 high quality, comfortable and well-designed on-campus accommodation buildings providing free and unlimited access to internet, bookshelves’, fridges, desks and office chairs, beds, mini fridge, landline telephones and TV connection. CIU on-campus apartment consists of two types studios and apartments both with different sharing options .CIU offers an all inclusive package comprising of discounted tuition fees + accommoda-tion + meal (3 times daily). However, students are not compelled to purchase the all inclusive package as students can freely choose between on - campus accommodation + meal or without meal or live at private residences off campus altogether.

CIU offers scholarship opportunities and discounts to international students. All tuition fees for international students are already discounted by 37%. Further-more, sibling scholarship is available to brother and sisters studying together at CIU provided they are able to provide evidence of relationship as each of them

will be granted 25% reduction of their tuition fees. Ambassador scholarships are opened to students that have opted for the all inclusive package provided they apply based on academic achievement or sport performance. The all inclusive – package for most programmmes at the undergraduate level varies depending on room sharing arrangement but starts from a base cost of € 6,700 per academic year while tuition fees for most under-graduate programmmes is put at €3,610 Euros per year which places the school at a very competitive advantage.

Admission process is fast, online based, convenient and smooth. It takes a maximum of two weeks to get a decision on one’s application from the University and depending on the applicant’s readi-ness, all the application processing, visa and actual resumption on campus may be facilitated or completed with 4 - 6 weeks.

For Nigerians seeking admission into CIU, WAEC or NECO is acceptable with a minimum of five credits including English Language. Nigerians with a WAEC grade of “C” in English Language need not take language proficiency test or examination.

The university organizes its own English Language proficiency test at no cost to the student. Prospective students who possess High National Diploma (HND) certificates are directly admitted into CIU’s Masters degree programmmes while credits can also be transferred from the Nigeria universities to relevant pro-grammes of CIU.

CIU parades a team of highly qualified and supportive international team who are always available to give support to the students all the way through their studies in Cyprus. The member of Nigerian stu-dents studying at CIU is increasing by the year; the international team also makes periodic visits to Nigeria to have one-on one interaction with prospective students. The university works with agents across the world to recruit suitably qualified students into their various programmes. Some of the agents they work with in Nigeria are IKOG CONSULTING. It is the responsibilities of the agent to give proper counseling to prospective students and guide them through the application and visa processing stages in addition to pre - departure briefings.

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Testimonials --Benjamin Gift

Studying abroad is gaining popularity among Nigerian scholars in recent times. This can be attributed to a lot of factors from incessant strike actions to poor funding and infrastructural decay, amongst some other factors. In order to convey a first -hand and undiluted information to our readers, Education Hub Magazine took its time to meet with and gathered testimonials from individu-als who are currently or have completed their studies abroad.

Q. Can we meet you?My name is Obaoye Adenike Titilayo, a

student of Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, Berlin Germany. I am undergo-ing a Masters degree in Public policy and Good Governance at the University. I previously had Masters in English Lan-guage from the prestigious University of Ibadan and a Bachelor of Art in English and Literary Studies from the Lagos State University, (LASU). I worked for three years as a Program Officer at West Africa Network for Peacebuilding Nigeria before I took the decision to pursue another Masters in Germany.

Q. What informed your decision to study abroad?

I have always loved travelling and wanted to try the educational system outside Nigeria.

Q. What are those things you find different about studying abroad? We mean the difference between the German education system and that of Nigeria.

What I found so different about study-ing abroad are many but I would catego-rize them under three themes. Firstly, the teaching pattern or style is different. Here in Germany, teachers do not exhibit mas-ter - servant relationship. Respect is re-ciprocal. Teachers are down to earth and see their students more like colleagues and go a long way in promoting easy access to the teachers thereby increasing students’ knowledge and understanding of the course(s). Secondly, the two cur-ricular – German & Nigerian – are miles apart. In German schools, particularly my university, curriculum is regularly updated and adapted to contemporary issues and use in real life situations. This to me explains why there are more breakthroughs in research from the de-veloped nations and this accounts for the ease with which the developed nations are able to proffer quick intervention on issues that are capable of turning the whole world into desolate. Furthermore, the curriculum is developed in such a way that teaching ads are often used, this in my opinion assists students to relate directly with what is being taught in class. Lastly, information is updated regularly

Q. Can we meet you?My name is Akinyosoye Olumide

Micheal, an ex- student of European University of Lefke, Cyprus. I hold a Masters degree in Business Administra-tion (MBA) and Bachelors in Computer Engineering/Science from the same University. I lived in Cyprus for over four years as an international student at EUL.Q. Why did you opt for study

abroad?Getting qualitative education at the

scheduled time was a top priority for me. This I knew could only be achieved outside the shore of Nigeria. Cyprus, and the European University of Lefke in particular was a perfect choice for me

because I am a naturally calm and quiet per-son which this country offers me perfectly. Q. Do you

see any dif-ference in the educa-tion system of Cyprus and that of Nigeria?

I would say that what I find very dif-ferent about studying abroad is that teaching is more practical than theo-retical. Exposure to practical aspect of my course helped to deepen my

abroad not in Nigeria where a lecturer might be repeating the same thing or illustration for several sessions. Lecturers take pain to update themselves regularly and there is absolutely no period of inter-ruption in study time by unnecessary dis-tractions such as strike actions, cultists’ attacks and students’ unionism. I have studied under both systems and I know exactly what I am talking about. It is so much joy for you to know that you put in for an 18 months programmme and actu-

ally graduate at the nick of time.Q. what lessons would you have

loved to be replicated in Nigeria education system.

It is passionate appeal to Nigerian Government to invest more in the educa-tion sector; engage in regular training of teachers and employment of qualified teachers. On their part, teachers should continuously keep themselves updated.

Q. In what areas do you think Nigeria education System performs better than that of Germany?

I don’t think Nigeria does anything right that is absent in Germany.

Q: How were you able to adapt and settle in properly in school and Germany, in particular.

It was easy for me to adapt because I have been travelling outside Nige-ria before my studies and again I am someone who is open and willing to learn new things. The only challenge I had is the weather during winter but I am now coping well.

Q. what is your advice to anyone who desires to study in Germany.

For anyone coming to Germany to study, I would advice such a person to have basic knowledge of German lan-guage as this will go a long way to help him/her adapt quickly.

25EDUCATION HUB

VALUE ADDED INFORMATION

Procedures for establishing Institutions of Higher Education in Nigeria

---- Kehinde Oginni Esq (Regulatory Compliance Consultant)

There is an upward shift in demand for Higher Education in Nigeria in recent times. A reaction to this demand has oc-

casioned the birth of various institutions of higher learning in various states of the federation. Despite the increase in the number of higher institutions in Nigeria, demand continues to grow. This creates a platform of opportunities for investors and education service providers many of which are interested in making an entrance into the big education market. The Nigerian Education system is solely regulated by the Government under its Education Ministry with various organs and parastatals for ease of supervision and coordination. The National Universi-ties Commission is directly responsible for the regulation, coordination and su-pervision of Higher Education in Nigeria.

Pursuant to the recommendations of the National Universities Commission on the review of Higher Education in Nige-ria, the Federal Government of Nigeria has approved guidelines for the establish-ment of higher institutions of learning in Nigeria. Relevant excerpts contained in the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institu-tions) Amendment Act No. 9 of 1993 are reproduced hereunder:

“19A. An institution of Higher Educa-tion may be sponsored or owned by the Government of the Federation or of State or Local Government or by any of the following, that is:-

a. By a company incorporated in Nige-ria; or

b. By an individual or association of individuals who are citizens of Nigeria, and who satisfy the criteria set out in the

Schedule to this Act for establishment of institutions.

“19B. (1) Application for the establish-ment of an institution of higher education shall be made to the Minister:

a. In the case of a University, through the National Universities Commission;

b. In the case of a Polytechnic or Col-lege of Agriculture, through the National Board for Technical Education;

c. In the case of a College of Education, through the National Commission for Colleges of Education; and

d. In any other case, through the Director-General of the Federal Minis-try of Education, in accordance with the guidelines prescribed for making the application.

(2) No State, Local Government or tertiary institution shall benefit from the education tax with respect to a tertiary institution unless the application for the establishment of that tertiary institution was made in accordance with the provi-sion of subsection (1) of this section.

(3) No person shall be granted approv-al to establish an institution of higher education unless the criteria set out in the Schedule to this Act have been satisfied.

understanding and appreciation of the course as I was able to relate with all that I was taught in real life. The University parades renowned and first class teachers, these teachers serve as motivation for students to study hard in order to meet the demands of the teachers which is to follow well in class and excel at examinations. Lastly, the environment is safe and conducive for learning to achieve success. This helped me a great deal. Q. Can you say of any area

where the Nigerian education System is better than that of Cyprus?

None. I can’t think of.Q: Did you encounter any prob-

lem living and settling down in

the school and Cyprus at that time?

Coping was hard at the beginning. The weather, getting to learn new culture and language, making new friends and a whole lot of new, funny lifestyle were really very challenging. Over time, I settled in perfectly. The school and my foreign friends made it easier for me. Q. Any advice for anyone who

desires to study in Cyprus. For anyone coming to study in

Cyprus, I would advice such a person to be focused and determined, define your goals as this will help you shut out distractions. Learn to cultivate good manners, be prayerful and trust in God. Pg. 26

1.) The academic structure and spread of discipline of the institution shall be such as would cater for areas of felt needs.

2.) (1) Evidence shall be produced to show that the institution would be pro-vided with adequate:

a. Funding, both Capital and Recur-rent;

b. Academic and Support Staff.3.) The proposed staffing guidelines

shall meet with current guidelines of;(a) The National Universities Commis-

sion; (b) The National Board for Technical

Education; or(c) The National Commission for Col-

leges of Education, as the case may be, staff ratio, based on the courses contem-plated.

4.) The Federal Government must be satisfied that, on approval being given, the source of funding and necessary funds will be available.

5.) The Federal Government or its accredited agency shall ascertain and be satisfied itself that;

a.) The fixed and enabling assets, that is funds, land movable and immovable assets, are appropriate for establishing the institution in the light of such factors as;

i. The type of institution envisaged,ii. Its philosophy and objectives,iii. The cost of goods and services pre-

vailing at the time;b.) The assets shall be assigned to the

institution on approval being given for the institution to be established; and

c.) The applicant has supplied a con-crete and guaranteed source of financial support for the University to the tune of N200 million, N100 million for Polytech-nic or Monotechnic, and N50 million for a College of Education, over a period of 5 years.

6.) (1) A proposed institution shall have clearly spelt out master plan for infrastructural and programme develop-ment for at least 20 to 25 years which shall make adequate provision for:-

a.) Plan space, aesthetic beauty and fixed financial assets;

b.) Minimum land area of 100 hectares for a University, 50 hectares for a Poly-technic or Monotechnic and 25 hectares for College of Education, in a salutary

site.(2.) The site distance from an urban

complex shall take into account availabil-ity of municipal services, including water, transportation, private accommodation, communication and other consequential inadequate in its Community.

7.) (1) A proposed institution shall have an adequate environment base and shall be open to all Nigerians irrespec-tive of ethnic derivation, social status, religious or political persuasion.

(2) Accordingly, its laws and statutes shall not conflict with the conventional responsibilities in academia or interfere with avowed traditional institutional autonomy.

(8.) To pre-empt problems of inad-equate municipal facilities, the proposed institution shall have a clear policy on student and staff accommodation and catering services.

(9.) The proposed institution shall have a well-articulated mission and set of objectives which may be original and in-novative but unequivocally in consonance with the socio-economic and political

aspirations of Nigeria.(10.) To create and sustain credibil-

ity and confidence from the start, the administrative structure of the proposed institution shall not depart too radically from established norms.

(11) The library, laboratory and work-shop facilities including instructional tools and consumables, shall be adequate and there shall be long - range plans for sustaining them.

(12) The planning and feasibility report of the proposed institution shall include proposed contracts and affiliation with existing similar institutions and plans for cooperation and interaction.

(13) The criteria set out in this Sched-ule shall also apply to a proposed institu-tion which is an Open University except that:

a.) The minimum land area require-ment shall not apply; and

b.) Guidelines prescribed by the ap-propriate authority as regard technical infrastructure for functional and effective operation shall be satisfied.

26 EDUCATION HUB

VALUE ADDED INFORMATION

Criteria for establishing an Institution of Higher Education

Procedure and Legal requirements for the establishment of a Private University in Nigeria

Note: Items (x & xi) could be submitted to the Committee at the time of its second veri-fication visit to the proposed university.

27EDUCATION HUB

English Words that are often misspelt: Their parts of speech and meanings

LEARNING CURVE

1. Absence: It is a state of being away from a place or per-son (noun).

2. Apparent : To be clearly visible or understood; obvious(Adjective)

3. Atheist: This is person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods (Noun).

4. Believe – to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so ( Verb)

5. calendar – a chart or series of pages showing the days, weeks, and months of a particular year, or giving particu-lar seasonal information ( Noun)

6. collectible - able to be collected( adjective)7. column - an upright pillar, typically cylindrical and made

of stone or concrete, supporting an entablature, arch, or other structure or standing alone as a monument( Noun)

8. conscience – an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior( Noun).

9. conscientious – (of a person) wishing to do what is right, especially to do one’s work or duty well and thoroughly( Adjective)

10. discipline - the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct dis-obedience( Noun)

11. embarrass (ment) – a feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness ( Noun)

12. exhilarate - make (someone) feel very happy, animated, or elated(verb)

13. Fascinate: attract the strong attention and interest of (someone)( Verb)

14. fiery - consisting of fire or burning strongly and brightly.( adjective)

15. foreign – of, from, in, or characteristic of a country or language other than one’s own.(adjective).

16. gauge - an instrument that measures and gives a visual display of the amount, level, or contents of something. (noun )

17. guarantee - a formal assurance (typically in writing) that certain conditions will be fulfilled, especially that a product will be repaired or replaced if not of a specified quality.( noun)

18. harass subject to aggressive pressure or intimidation. (Verb)

19. hierarchy - a system in which members of an organiza-tion or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.( noun)

20. humorous – causing laughter and amusement; comic. (adjective )

21. indispensable - absolutely necessary.( adjective)22. inoculate - treat with a vaccine to produce immunity

against a disease; vaccinate.( verb)

23. jewelry - personal ornaments, such as necklaces, rings, or bracelets, that are typically made from or contain jewels and precious metal. (noun) noun: jewelry

24. judgment - the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions. (noun )

25. leisure - time when one is not working or occupied; free time.( noun)

26. liaison – communication or cooperation which facilitates a close working relationship between people or organiza-tions.( noun)

27. library – a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for use or borrowing by the public or the members of an institution.( noun)

28. license – grant a licence to. (verb)29. maneuver – a movement or series of moves requiring

skill and care. (noun)30. millennium – a period of a thousand years, especially

when calculated from the traditional date of the birth of Christ. (noun)

31. mischievous - causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way.( adjective)

32. misspell – spell (a word) wrongly. (verb)33. neighbor - a person living next door to or very near to

the speaker or person referred to.(noun)34. perseverance – persistence in doing something despite

difficulty or delay in achieving success. (noun)35. precede – come before (something) in time. (verb)36. privilege - a special right, advantage, or immunity

granted or available only to a particular person or group.( noun)

37. pronunciation - the way in which a word is pronounced. (noun)

38. questionnaire – a set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers, devised for the purposes of a survey or statistical study. (noun)

39. referred - mention or allude to. (verb)40. rhyme - correspondence of sound between words or the

endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry. (noun)

41. sergeant – a rank of non-commissioned officer in the army or air force, above corporal and below staff ser-geant. (noun)

42. threshold –a strip of wood or stone forming the bottom of a doorway and crossed in entering a house or room. (noun)

43. tyranny – cruel and oppressive government or rule. (noun)

44. vacuum - cruel and oppressive government or rule. (Noun)

45. weird - suggesting something supernatural; unearthly. (adjective)

Pg. 28

i.) Application in writing, addressed to be Executive Secretary, stating the intent for the establishment of the University,ii.) Issuance of N1,000,000.00 Bank Draft in favour of NUC for ten (10) copies of Ap-plication Form;iii.) Issuance N5,000,000.00 Bank Draft in favour NUC for processing of the applica-tion (inclusive of verification visits);iv.) Academic Brief;v.) Physical Masterplanvi.) Counterpart of Deed of Assignment;vii.) Certificate of Incorporation/Registration Proprietors;viii.) Deed of Assignment/Certificate of occupancy;ix.) University Law;x.) Letter of Available Liquid Cash; and xi.) Bank Guarantee of Funds to the tune of N200 Million from a reputable Bank.

28 EDUCATION HUB

LEARNING CURVE

Let’s learn some few words in local Nigerian languagesAfterall there is no harm in trial. Exposing oneself to some new words in various languages might be crucial at one point in time or the other. Join us as we learn basic words in Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa languages.

Learn some New Languages

VOX POP

ENGLISH YORUBA IGBO HAUSAFATHER Baba Nna BabaMOTHER Iya re Nne UwaBROTHER Egbon kunrin mi Nwonem Nwoke WaSISTER Egbon birin mi Nwanem nwanyi YaruwarUNCLE Egbon kunrin Dede KawunaAUNT Egbon birin Dada NIECE Aburo Nwa nwanne YardangiNEPHEW Aburo Nwoke nwa nwannem Dan waCOUSIN Egbon Dan UwanI Emi Gi wa NaWE Awa Anyi wa ImagesUS Awa Anyi wa MuTHANK YOU O se Daalu NagodeGOODBYE O dabo Ka o di Ban kwanaWELCOME Kaabo Nno MarabaHELLO Pele o Nnoo SannuSORRY Ma Binu Ndo YihakuriPLEASE Jowo Por favor Don allah EXCUSE ME Motoro gafara Cheregodi Gafara dai

A child is expected to start a proper school environment starting from age two and by that age, a child is expected to start talking and identifying things around him/her. At this age, they are curious to know what ever thing that they come across especially colours and shades. They love colours and shades, so they should know the names of colours and basic shapes and as parents, we must learn to call things by their real names and not see them as babies so that they can grow with mental alertness with full knowledge of things around them. As they are grow-ing and learning they might not talk right because they are still babes buy we need to correct them when they talk because that is the time to catch them young.So as from age two, I feel a child should leave home to a proper learning envi-ronment.Mrs. Imahe IrenaThe School Head, Marvel Angel Pre-school.

Every child needs to be trained right from 9 months minimal but this depends on the parent especially the mother. If they have the time to take care of the child fine they can keep them at home, if not they should allow them to start going to school. From age one and half years, it is advisable not to keep them at home, so parents need to send their children to school because at that age children are getting closer to the age we call ‘troublesome tool or terrible tool’. Also at that age a child begins to develop individu-ality; the child is trying to learn new things and if parents are not careful, it may cause a lifetime trouble for the parents.Titilola OyewoleProprietorArrowheads Model School

29EDUCATION HUB

INSPIRATIONAL NEWS

10 Year old British - Nigerian admitted to study Mathematics Degree at the Open University, United Kingdom

A 10-year-old British-Nigerian girl, Esther Okade, has been admitted into the UK Open University to study for a Math-

ematic degree, even though she had never been to a school. Esther, from Walsall, West Midlands, was home-schooled by her 37-year-old mathematician mother, Omonefe Okade, same as her 6 year old kid brother Isaiah Okade, who is already studying for his A-levels.

Both have never attended a regular school and the only classroom they know is the living room of their semi-detached, three-bedroom house which their mother converted.

Mail Online reports that the young un-dergraduate passed the General Certifi-cate of Secondary Education (GCSE), UK equivalent of the Senior Secondary Cer-tificate Examination (SSCE) in Nigeria, at age 6, scoring a C in Mathematics.

She also passed her A-levels with B grade in Pure Mathematics and now plans to study up to PhD level before run-ning her own bank.

Mrs. Okade said her daughter had always wanted to study for a degree from age 7 but her age has always cre-

ated bottlenecks in her way to achieve it earlier in life. “Esther is doing so well. She took a test recently and scored 100 percent,” the proud mother said. “Apply-ing to the university was an interesting process because of her age. “We even had

to talk to the Vice Chancellor. After they interviewed her, they realized that this has been her idea from the beginning.”

She said she had to stall Esther for three years until August last year when she applied to the Open University. “But I was afraid it was too soon. She would say, “Mum, when am I starting?”, and go on and on and on. Finally, after three years she told me, “Mum, I think it is about time I started university now”.’ The mother said her daughter was elated when she was accepted by the university in December. So was her father, Paul Okade, a 42 year old Managing Director.” I cannot tell you how happy and proud I am as a father,” he said “The desire of every parent is to see their children exceed them, and take the family name to great heights, and my children have done just that.” Esther will be studying for her degree at home, just as she has studied all her life. “For now we want her to enjoy her childhood as well as her maths,” Mrs Okade said. Much of Esther and her brother’s success could be credited to their mother who has made geniuses out of them from her makeshift classroom.

30 EDUCATION HUB

EYE ON EDUCATION BUSINESS

Education which can be either formal or informal has been in existence long before the estab-lishment of organized schools.

Therefore, education itself is life and life is education. Education can be said to be a process of learning to live a meaning-ful, acceptable and successful life within the society. Due to this fact, education is being supported or set up by community leaders, individuals, groups or religious organizations.

The main purposes of establishing schools include the followings:

1.) To make meaningful contributions to the community to which one belongs has been the major factor for establish-ment of private schools especially by religious bodies and communities.

2.) To produce learners whose success (es) can be credited to the school and community at large.

3.) To teach students with the basic skills needed to excel in life.

4.) To pilot students for academic suc-cess and prepare them for white collar jobs or to become successful entrepre-neurs, innovators, researchers and solu-tion providers.

5.) To instill a culture of good charac-ter, sound judgment and discipline into students.

6.) To produce useful and responsible citizens capable of making valuable contributions to the larger community in future

7.) To make profit, provide means of livelihood and maximize shareholders’ wealth.

The following criteria are to be con-sidered by proprietors or promoters of schools prior to setting up of schools:1. Planning ahead: The long term ob-jectives, vision and mission of the school needs to be clearly spelt out by the Man-agement of the school. Conduct feasibility studies or write a business plan detail-ing the specifics that guarantees success and identify potential risks and how to convert the identified risks to opportu-nities. Proper planning has to be made by the school administrator ahead for a successful term or session while adequate provision also must be made for all the students before resumption for each term or session. The assets of the schools must

be put in place early enough for effective learning. 2. Discipline: A good administrator does not compromise discipline. Punctu-ality is the soul of business and this must be given utmost priority. Attendance at school must be properly monitored. Dis-cipline must be extended beyond students to academic and non - academic staff as well as parents. This is very important as a vehicle to sustain the vision and mis-sion for which the school was established in the first instance.3. Maintenance: The school environ-ment must be spacious and the classes well-ventilated and the classrooms are to be kept clean and tidy at all times. Cleanliness is next to Godliness .The school property must be taken care of and repairs should be made as the need arises. 4. Adequate supervision: It is not enough to have a school. The teach-ers need to be supervised at all times in order to ensure they also comply with the instructions, rules and regulations of the school. A good manager must be firm. Firmness is not callousness as it is being erroneously believed by those seeking to compromise standard at the altar of per-sonal comfort. He must have initiatives, orderliness of habits, self - control and high sense of responsibility. Above all, he must be capable of building a strong structure for the schools supervision internally while the external supervision is maintained by the relevant Ministry of Education and other agencies saddled with the regulation and monitoring of education. Supervision is key to success-

ful teaching and learning in schools. 5. Staff recruitment: Getting staffing right in any organization is the magic wand for success and excellence. There-fore, the management should endeavour to hire competent staff both teaching and non-teaching in order for them to perform their assignments with minimal the guidance and supervision. The prepa-ration of lesson notes can mar or make the teachers’ performance in teaching. Therefore, lesson notes must be marked by senior teachers, who will ensure that appropriate teaching aids and varieties of methods are used by the learners at all times.6. Funding: Establishing a school is not an easy task. It is capital intensive. Proprietors should device various means of funding their schools.7. Accreditation: It is imperative for a school owner to get the school accredited and/ or registered by all relevant govern-ment regulatory agencies. This gives the school the image it deserves for success and legal recognition.

The Proprietor is the Chief Controller within the system assisted by the Princi-pals and other staff including the teach-ing and non-teaching staff. The influence of government on schools through its ministries is overwhelming and produc-tive in the running of the school. Other stakeholders in education sectors are the students, their parents, religious bodies and the various communities where the schools are located. These aforemen-tioned exercise a lot of indirect control on the schools as they combine to make the system workable and productive.

How would you like to manage your School? Funmilola Padonu

(+2348034700927, funmi@ikogconsult-ing.com)

Law as a ProfessionOkolie Samuel Nnamdi Esq

31EDUCATION HUB

CAREER CENTRE

In the words of Late Justice Chuk-wudifu Oputa, JSC, ‘it is by the law, with the law and through the law that we live from the cradle to the

grave.’ The above quotation serves to buttress the importance of law in any given society. It is for this reason that the practice of law has to be galvanized under a professional body in Nigeria called the Nigerian Bar Association - a body with the responsibility to regulate how its members conduct themselves or practice the trade for advancement of the society. Due to the relevance of law in our society, any mistake or misdeed of lawyers will definitely have an adverse effect on the society.

What It Takes to Study Law in Ni-geria

A person aspiring to study law at undergraduate level in any Nigerian university is required to have completed secondary school education and passed the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination or Nation Examination Council Examination with at least 5 credits in arts and social science subjects including but not limited to English Language, Mathematics, Govern-ment, Economics, and Literature-in-Eng-lish or Biology and other related subjects. Candidates are admitted into the faculties of law in Nigerian universities either by direct entry or by undertaking the Uni-fied Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Direct entry candidates are admitted into the second year of the five-year LLB degree programme while those enrolling through UTME begin from the first year. It takes five years to complete a law degree in Nigeria. Upon completion, graduates are awarded an LL.B ‘Bachelor of Laws’ degree. After this, the gradu-ate will proceed for a compulsory one year vocational training at the Nigerian law school following which successful candidates from the Nigerian Law School will be called to the Nigerian bar and be enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as Barristers and Solicitors.

Legal profession has several areas of specialization, some of which are;

Administrative Law: This is a branch of public law dealing with the relationship between individuals and the government. It regulates the power of governmental administrative agencies and ensures fair implementation and administration of laws.

Civil Litigation: This has to do

with lawsuits resulting from a dispute between or among individuals. Civil litigation is concerned with matters such as breach of contract, debt collection, personal injury, amongst others.

Constitutional Law: This is a branch of public law dealing with pow-ers of the Federal Government and the division of powers between the Federal and the federating units. Constitutional lawyers handle issues such as equality rights, freedom of expression, security and democratic governance.

Corporate and Commercial Law: It deals with the formation and maintenance of businesses. Corporate and commercial lawyers handle contracts, liability, mergers, structured financing and other business related matters.

Criminal Law: This aspect of law governs crimes against the public and members of the public as opposed to civil litigation which deals with private dispute. Lawyers with specialty in this area of law may work for the government as a prosecutor or represent the accused persons as a defence counsel.

Environmental Law: This covers legislation and regulations relating to the interaction of humans with the environ-ment. Environmental lawyers deal with matters such as air pollution, wilderness preservation and waste disposal, among

other environmental issues. Family Law: This applies to legal

relationships between family members. Issues in family law include marriage contracts, divorce, child custody, adop-tion, wills and estate planning.

Immigration Law: Federal laws control the entry of non-citizens into the country and as such immigration lawyers assist clients in applying for entry, resi-dent permits, expatriate quotas and other immigration related matters.

Intellectual Property Law: This refers to the ownership rights upon cer-tain kinds of creative endeavours. Intel-lectual property law protects ownership through copyrights, patents, trademarks and industrial design registrations.

International Law: This is a branch of law that governs the interac-tions and relationships between nations. International law experts may be hired by national governments and international organizations, or work in the private sector focusing on the interpretation of treaties and related laws.

Labour and Employment Law: This deals with the rights and obligations of employers, workers and union mem-bers. Lawyers may advise management, labour unions or government on issues such as employment standards, work-place health and safety, and industrial relations and pension matters.

Property Law: This deals with the acquisition, sale, financing and develop-ment of buildings. Real estate lawyers may work for developers, tenants, inves-tors, banks or corporations on matters relating to residential or commercial real estate.

Trusts & Equity: This regu-lates the purchase and sale of securities (financial instruments such as stocks and bonds). Securities lawyers typically work in law firms providing services to corporations and financial institutions or for governmental commissions focusing on regulatory compliance.

Tax: This deals with the taxes levied by different levels of government. Tax lawyers may advise corporations on tax strategies and implications on business transactions, or counsel individuals on matters such as legal wills and estate planning.

Other Areas: In addition to the practice areas listed above, there are many other fields of specialization in the legal profession (antitrust, entertainment, health, municipal, sports, etc.).

The list of notable Nigerian lawyers is inexhaustible.

32 EDUCATION HUB

CAREER CENTRE

In Nigeria, many lawyers have distin-guished themselves in the legal profes-sion and has made several landmark achievements.

1.) Late Christopher Sapara Wil-liams: He was the first Nigerian to be enrolled into the Nigerian bar on 30th January 1888.

2.) Chief Rotimi Williams; He is seen as the father of the legal profes-sion in Nigeria. He alongide with Nebo Graham Douglas were the first to be conferred with the prestigious Senior Advocate of Nigeria in April 3rd 1975.

3.) Chief (Aare) Afe Babalola: He took the legal profession to an immacu-late new height. He is the first known Nigerian lawyer to establish a private university in the country. He is a well - respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

4.) Late Chief Gani Fahwehinmi: He democratized the practice of law in Nigeria by the publication of the Nigerian Law Report, which led the pack in legal

publication in Nigeria. He was also a fierce and uncompromising human right lawyer who confronted military dictator-ship at the risk of his life. He was the most victimized lawyer by the military dictoators. He was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

5.) Folake Solanke: She is the first female lawyer to be conferred with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria. She is a Se-nior Advocate of Nigeria

6.) Chief Wole Olanipekun: He is a quintessential Nigerian lawyer and also a member of the inner bar. Since the return of democracy in Nigeria, Chief Olanipe-kun has represented most of the victori-ous presidential candidates in election petition cases. He was once the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.

7.) Dr. Olisa Agbakoba: A former President of Nigerian Bar Association, Agbakoba is a frontline Maritime lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He was deeply involved in the struggle that

returned Nigeria to the path of civil rule.8.) Mr. Femi Falana: An ami-

able and forthright lawyer who is often referred to as ‘lawyer of lawyers. He is a human and civil rights activist per excel-lence. He joined the late Chief Gani Fawe-hinmi in fighting military dictatorship to a standstill. He is always determined, resolute and fearless to speak truth to the power even at the risk of his life. He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

9.) Prof. Itse Sagay: A mobile and foremost constitutional law expert who had prosecuted and defended landmark cases bothering the interpretation of the Nigerian constitution. He exudes confidence and sometimes may be blunt to a fault.

10.) Justice Aloma Muhktar: She has lots of firsts to her name as she is the first female Lawyer from Northern Nigeria and the first female Chief judge in Nigeria.

Few Notable Law Personalties in Nigeria – Dead and Alive

33EDUCATION HUB

CAREER CENTRE

There are many career opportunities opened to law graduates in Nigeria. These include but not limited to the follow career choices:● Activist, Human Rights Advocate:

This involves working with local or international human rights groups, government agencies etc.

● Barrister & Advocates: They repre-sent individuals and organizations in law courts, setting up a law firm or working for established law firms.

● Court Reporter: This entails working with media houses as Legal writers or presenters.

● Judge/Magistrate: These are those who work in the bench or adjudicate for litigants.

● Legal Assistant/Paralegal: These are law graduates who work in law firms, NGOs as paralegal staff.

● Legal Secretary: They work for as-sociations, corporate organizations and sometimes NGOs etc.

● Company Secretary: They are com-pliance officers who provide com-pany secretarial services in firms, medium and big corporate organiza-tions etc.

● Law Enforcement Officer: These are law graduates who join the Police as an Officer as well as Military and Security Agencies such as State Security Services etc.

● Private Detective/Investigator: They are law graduates with investigative skills good enough start a private investigations firm or work for one

● Prisons/Customs/Immigration Of-ficer: These are those in the services of Prisons, Customs or Immigrations Service Officers.

● Federal/State Law Enforcement Agent: These people are found in the Legal or Regulatory Compliance Department of Federal/State law enforcement agencies such as NAF-DAC, NDLEA,LIRS etc.

● Diplomat: These are those who chose to pursue a career in the diplo-matic missions as a career diplomat

● Corporate Lawyer: Represent com-panies in law suits on environmen-tal, commercial law cases)

TYPES OF LEGAL PRACTICEThere are the four major segments of le-gal practice out of which one can choose.

These are:1.) Private Practice: This involves work-

ing alone or with partners in a firm to provide legal services to clients (individuals or corporations). Some lawyers specialize in one or more practice areas while others engage in general practice.

2.) Public Interest Law: These are civil rights lawyers who specialize in serv-ing low-income individuals, under-privileged or marginalized groups and social causes. These practitio-ners may work for advocacy groups, legal aid clinics and other organiza-tions with the goal of advancing the interest of the public.

3.) Government Counsel: These are lawyers hired by the governments to render legal advice and representa-tion to the governments, their minis-tries, departments and agencies.

4.) Corporate Counsel: These are law-yers employed by corporations as in-house counsel to work for a single company and advise on legal matters related to its business activities.

Career Opportunities in Law