LASU's Certificate Fee, N5,000 Not 20,000 - School Management

The Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, on Friday reiterated that the fee for the collection of the university’s certificates remains N5,000 as against the purported N20,000 being spread by some faceless people.

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The University said this in its official bulletin obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

It said the university management had not increased the certificate collection fee and was not considering such increment.

The bulletin said such false information was a rumour and be should discountenanced.

“The university management wishes to state categorically that the payment for the collection of the LASU certificate remains N5, 000 only and had not been increased to N20, 000.

“There is no iota of truth in such malicious, false, unfounded and baseless rumour which has gained prominence on various social media platforms and aimed at bringing the name of the university into disrepute‎.

“It is just a figment of imagination of the faceless people behind the rumour,’’ it said.

The bulletin urged the university community and the general public to rely on information from the university management, disseminated through the University’s official bulletin and its website, www.lasu.edu.ng. (NAN)

JAMB Registers Over 1.5 Million Candidates, Says Its Cutoff Mark is 180

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde has stated that a total of 1,589,175 candidates applied to write JAMB this 2016.

In his statement, He also confirmed that the exams are slated to begin on 27th Feb, 2016 and would last for a total of 14 days.

He also said that the minimum cut-off to certify entry into any institution is 180 Marks, but any institution is allowed to raise their entry cut-off based on their internal requirements such as course or number of applicants. This was reached and agreed in a meeting in which the Minister of Education Chaired.

JAMB: We’ve Acquired Softwares To Reduce Guessing

JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Fabian Benjamin, has disclosed that the board ahead of the 2016 UTME had invested in the training and acquisitions of softwares that will reduce the possibility of candidates guessing answers correctly.

He said "Technically, what we were using before to test students was what we called Classical Test Theory, but now we have adopted what we call Item Response Theory.

The difference is that the Item Response Theory reduces the percentage of guessing. The tendency for students to guess and guess right is minimal with this software."

With this development, Candidates who are experts in guessing answers to questions during examinations, may find it hard to cope unless they studied hard.

Failure To Obtain Minimum Academic Requirements: UI Rusticates 97 Students

As stated in the bulletin of the University of Ibadan, about 97 students of the university of have been asked to withdraw by the senate of the institution. The affected students failed to obtain the minimum academic requirements at the end of the 2014/15 session. The affected students were of seven faculties in the institution while some of the students were in final year.

According to Vanguard, the school bulletin signed by the registrar, Olujimi Olukoya explained further that three of the students voluntarily withdrew from the institution. ”Senate at its meeting approved that the candidates whose names appear on this list should withdraw from the University for failure to obtain the minimum academic requirements at the end of 2014/2015 session,’‘ it reads.

Source: Vanguard

Rivers Govt. Orders Indigenes on Foreign Scholarship To Return Home

The Rivers State Government has ordered all indigenes studying on scholarship to return home. Those exempted were students in their final year.

Read the letter below for the full statement.

  

UNILAG Convocation: Produces First Graduate With 5.0 CGPA

The University of Lagos Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rahamon Bello, disclosed yesterday, during a pre-convocation media briefing held at the university’s Senate Chamber to newsmen that the university will on Monday graduate a student who has been graded ‘excellent’ in all the courses taken while on campus. The student, Ayodele Daniel Dada finished from the Department of Psychology with 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average,CGPA. 

According to the VC, the university was glad to break another academic ground, saying the candidate showed exceptional academic prowess. He said that this means Ayodele scored As in all courses he took in the programme. 

According to him, a total of 10,907 students will graduate with degrees and diplomas during the convocation slated for 1st to 3rd of March, 2016. 

In the breakdown, he noted that 5472 students will be awarded with first degree certificates, while 5435 will receive postgraduate degrees. 

He said: “Out of the first degree graduating students, a total of 178 passed in the first class division, while 1,617 passed in the second class upper division. 

“Also, 2,496 are in second class lower degree, 884 in third class, 274 in unclassified degrees in Medical Sciences and Pharmacy, just as 50 students had pass degree. Besides , the University will graduate a total of 71 students with the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in various disciplines.” 

According to the Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Engineering tops with the highest number of first class degrees, having 41 first class graduating students. The convocation programmes, which has formally kicked off with the media briefing will also feature a convocation lecture to be delivered by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu on Monday, February 28.

Source: Vanguard

11 Exco Members Suspended by LASU Over Death of Student

Lagos State University (LASU) authorities have suspended 11 former executive members of the Students Society of History and International Studies indefinitely.

The university said this in its official bulletin of the institution on Wednesday.

It was gathered that students organised the ill-fated association award night party of Feb. 11, which led to the death of a 200 level female student, Omolara Gbadeyan.

The bulletin indicated that the deceased was in the Department of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, Faculty of Management Sciences.

According to the bulletin, the affected students are henceforth not allowed to participate in any student-related activity.

It said they were also expected to face the students disciplinary committee immediately.

The University had earlier said that the organisers of the party, which claimed the life of the student, did not inform it of the event.

It noted that the organisers sought no approval for it, which ‎was contrary to the rules and regulations of the institution.

According to an earlier bulletin, the university authority management only received the shocking news after the sad event had occurred.

It said the management immediately swung into action by directing the health service department and the Security unit, Students Affairs Division ‎ to carry out detailed investigation on the reported incident.

According to the bulletin, the incident was reported to the police while the body of the deceased was deposited at the morgue of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

It had said that autopsy ‎was being carried out to determine the cause of the death,” it said.

Source: Leadership

Netherlands Fellowship Programme: 60 Scholarships Offered to Nigerians

News Agency of Nigeria Reports.

The Envoy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Amb. John Groffen, on Wednesday said that about 60 Nigerians last year benefited from the scholarships of the Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP).

Groffen told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the NFP scholarships had afforded the Nigerian beneficiaries the opportunities to study in different educational institutions in the Netherlands.

“We have a Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP), which enables Nigerians to study in the Netherlands.

“In 2015, more than 60 Nigerians benefited from our scholarship programme under the NFP, which enabled them to study in the Netherlands,’’ he said.

The Envoy expressed satisfaction at the growing level of educational and cultural exchanges between Nigeria and the Netherlands.

Groffen said that his government was looking forward to more future cooperation with Nigeria in the area of educational exchanges.

The Netherlands representative in Nigeria, also said that there were currently about 30 Dutch companies in different parts of Nigeria.

He also said that “many more” Dutch companies had indicated interest in coming to invest and do business in Nigeria.

According to him, some Dutch companies are still making inquiries about the legal framework, government and central bank policies, as well as Nigeria’s overall favourable investment environment.

Groffen, therefore, said that it was imperative for the Nigerian government to create the appropriate environment that would attract more foreign investments to Nigeria. (NAN)

Sack of 12 VCs By FG - ASUU Says Its Illegal

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday, February 23, in Abuja condemned the recent removal of 12 vice-chancellors of federal universities by the federal government describing it a violation of the law, NAN reports. 

Nasir Isa, the ASUU president, stated this while briefing newsmen on the “state of the nation”. The federal government had on Friday, February 12, announced the removal of the vice-chancellors and appointment of their replacements. 

Isa said ASUU National Executive Council received the news with a lot of concern due to its implication for due process, university autonomy and the growth and development of universities.

He said: “Going by the provisions of the Nigerian University Miscellaneous (Amendment) Act 2003, only the Governing Councils are bestowed with the powers of appointing and removing vice-chancellors. 

“The latest action in these universities has justified our consistent demand for proper governance structure and process in Nigerian university system.” 

The ASUU president on the appointment of a vice-chancellor, said the council would only select the vice-chancellor and inform the visitor. He said as stated in the University Amendment Act of 2003, 4 (b), the council shall select and appoint as vice-chancellor, one candidate from among three candidates recommended to it and thereby inform the visitor. 

Isa said the vice-chancellor could only be removed from office by the governing council on grounds of conduct or inability to discharge the function of the office. 

“We, therefore, call on the federal government to toe the path of legality and due process by gazetting the law appointing the councils,” he said. He said the government should mandate “the councils to immediately commence the process of appointing new vice-chancellors for the affected universities.” 

However, Isa noted the removal of the vice-chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria was in conformity with the Amendment Act of 2003. He said the act provides five years non-renewable tenure for a vice-chancellor in the Nigerian university system. 

In a related development, ASUU has called on the federal government to exempt federal universities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy. Dr. Nasir Isa, the president of ASUU, made the call at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja. Isa said the TSA has made it difficult for the universities to fulfill their functions properly, especially in research fields.

Source: NAN

FUTMINNA Graduates 3,505 Students, Produces 34 First Class

The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology (FUTMINNA), Prof. Musibau Akanji, in a pre-convocation press briefing disclosed that the University is set to graduate 3, 505 students in various classes for the 2014/2015 academic session at its 25th convocation ceremony on Saturday.

“We shall be graduating a total of 3,505 students. Out of this, 2, 787 will be graduating with first degrees, 220 with Post Graduate Diplomas, 464 Masters and 34 Doctorate degrees.

“In the first degree category, 34 are in First Class, 733 are in the Second Class Upper Division and 1,308 in Second Class Lower Division.

“A total of 638 are in Third Class while 74 others have Pass degrees,” he stated.

“The graduands will be able to collect their original certificates immediately after the convocation ceremony,” he added. 

JAMB Bows To Pressure As It Re-opens Portal for 48hrs for Registration Submissions Only

JAMB finally bows to pressure as it re-opens portal for 48hrs for registration submissions only. This may have been achieved by affected students, who protested at the JAMB offices across the country.

The Statement issued by the Board read thus:

"The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board hereby direct all candidates ‎who have initiated the process of registration for the 2016 UTME but ‎couldn’t upload and complete their registration process as at Friday 5th ‎February, 2016 to do so within 48 hours starting from 12 midnight on ‎Tuesday, 23rd February 2016 when the website will be opened to 12 midnight ‎on Thursday, 25th February, 2016 when the website will be closed. 

"The Board wishes to state that the directive doesn’t cover fresh ‎registration but only those who had either done offline registration or ‎visited our website but could submit. 

"The Board wishes to state that all arrangements for the 2016 UTME have been ‎completed and examination will commence as earlier stated. 

"Candidates are also urged to print their examination slips for the schedules ‎of their date, venue, time allotted to them and other necessary information.‎" 

Exempt Federal Universities From The TSA Account - ASUU President To FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the federal government to exempt federal universities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy. Dr. Nasir Isa, the president of ASUU, made the call at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja. 

Isa said the TSA has made it difficult for the universities to fulfill their functions properly, especially in research fields. 

“The practice will cause shortfalls in personnel costs and ASUU will be compelled to take appropriate steps against it if this is not checked on time,” he said. 

“The TSA is incompatible with the autonomy of universities and our union calls on the federal government to exempt it from implementation on account of the peculiarities of the institutions.”

According to him, federal universities experienced shortfalls in their wage funds in December 2015 and January 2016, which was the caused by the TSA. 

“The TSA adopted by the Federal Government, ostensibly to ensure transparency and avoid misapplication of public funds has constituted a clog in the wheel of progress of federal universities in Nigeria. 

“With the operation of the TSA, federal universities find it difficult to discharge their core responsibilities of teaching, research and community services,’’ Isa said. 

He also said it was hindering international academic networking due to inadequate access to budgeted funds. 

Isa went on to condemn the federal government for removing 12 vice-chancellors of various federal universities without warning and replacing them with government candidates. 

The academics were dismissed from their post on February 12, a moved with ISA described as having major implications regarding due process, university autonomy, and the growth and development of universities. 

“The latest action in these universities has justified our consistent demand for proper governance structure and process in the Nigerian university system,” Isa said. “In the first place, the vice-chancellors were arbitrarily appointed into these institutions and the governing councils instituted without making their enabling law public.

“In a university where there is the law, only the governing council is empowered to remove a vice-chancellor from office for a good cause,” he said. “We, therefore, call on the federal government to tow the path of legality and due process by gazetting the law appointing the councils.”

Source: NAN, Premium Times, Naij, Edufrisk

WAEC To Minister Of Financial - We Will Offer You Free Form To Resit For Maths Exam

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun

According to the Whistler report, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has offered Kemi Adeosun, the minister of finance, to resit an exam in mathematics. While addressing a press briefing last week, Adeosun alleged that one of the exams body in Nigeria made N16 billion from sale of forms and other services, and got additional N6billion from the federal government bringing the total to ‘N24billion’. 

Reacting to Adeosun’s arithmetic mistake, Iyi Uwadiae, the registrar of WAEC, faulted the minister’s allegation and offered her a free form to resit maths exam. “It’s not enough to go to the Senate and reel out figures. 

The minister should know, that what Nigerian students pay to sit for WAEC examinations is simply an operational/management cost, that covers registration, data keeping and management, printing of examination papers, logistics, marking of scripts and production of certificates. And all these cost about N16 billion Naira. 

“WAEC examination is not designed as a revenue generating source for the Federal Government. In fact governments in the past subsidized the examination fees, just to encourage education. The N6 billion she talked about is for payment of salaries and overheads for staff of the council. 

“However, we do not know the mathematical formula the Honourable Minister used, when she said the summation of N16 billion Naira and N6 billion Naira was N24 billion Naira. “I think somebody needs to resit her WAEC mathematics examination. And we in WAEC have offered to give her a free WAEC form in this respect,” he added.

Source: Naij News; The Whistler

We At The Verge of Migrating Into CBT Examination Mode - WAEC

News Agency Report - The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Tuesday said it was perfecting plans to migrate into the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode for its examinations.

The Registrar of council, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to him, the council is considering all variables available to ensure that the entire process is not messed up.

He, however, noted that the council was not in a hurry to migrate because the council basically conducts achievement tests and not selection tests.

“We have looked at the issue of CBT and found that this is not a selection test, where one can deal with paper and pencil.

“With that, you can easily migrate to CBT, but for an achievement test where you train people to become engineers, medical doctors and others, there will be need for practical experience.

“So, they do not just train them practically in the class, they equally need to be tested on theory.

“Again this background, therefore, we are collaborating with other examination bodies and experts outside Nigeria to ensure that when we start, we will not mess up the entire process.

“And what is expected of the candidates can still be achieved,’’ he said.

Uwadiae noted that the council was being cautious in getting it done because there were many things involved.

“We are not in a hurry to move in there but with time, we are going to migrate into it and start with the objective tests.

“We have to still do the practical aspect because we want to be sure that all schools are on the same level.

“They must be on the same level in terms of learning and all other aspects so that we can be able to have confidence on the reliability of the continuous assessment and practicals, which their teachers will give us.

“For now, we cannot say what we get from these teachers are reliable as we insist on continuous assessment.

“We need to go to these schools and match them against any standard tests,’’ the registrar said.

On the persistent poor performance of candidates, Uwadiae said the issue was not peculiar to Nigeria alone.

He noted that effective teaching and learning were no longer taking place in schools, coupled with the issue of dearth of infrastructure.

According to him, students seldom stay in the classrooms; they spend more time on the internet and do not read and all that.

He explained that such students were not expected to perform miracles during examinations.

“We compare our standards with that of other examination bodies in Nigeria and internationally and so we cannot lower our standards.

“Our examinations are taken by candidates of five different countries and it is the same examination.

“We have our own internal mechanism, as well as a very functional research outfit.

“For every examination, we do a research to find out why candidates perform poorly and if after this, we still have some doubts, we do what is called post item analysis.

“Invariably we find out that our items are not bad.

“The teachers are the ones who set the questions, moderate and mark them; we only collate and release results as adjudged by the experts,’’ the council boss added. (NAN)

Inclusive Education: FG Unveils Its National Draft Policy

An Agency Report

The Federal Government on Monday unveiled a national draft policy on inclusive education in Nigeria.

Mrs Anne Okonkwo, Director Basic and Secondary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, unveiled the policy in Abuja.

Okonkwo said the draft was produced by the ministry in collaboration with Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) and other stakeholders.

She explained that it was developed as a way of attaining equity, justice and equality education in the country.

Okonkwo, who was represented by Mrs Gold Idehen, a Deputy Director, Secondary Education Board in the ministry, applauded all the stakeholders who had developed the policy.

She noted that the document would specifically address issues concerning inclusive education.

“Inclusive education is bringing together different children to learn in the same environment, irrespective of background, socio-cultural status, special learning needs or abilities, among others,’’ said Okonkwo.

The director said the federal government was set to put in place modalities that would ensure that more children enrol in schools thereby reducing the teeming population of the out-of-school children in the country.

She stated that inclusive education was concerned with all learners with focus on those that were traditionally excluded from educational opportunities.

The director described the beneficiaries as learners with special needs, orphans, vulnerable children, boys and girls left out of school due to poverty, tradition, culture and insurgency.

She said inclusive education was a process of addressing all barriers and providing access to quality education to meet diverse needs of learners in the same environment.

“Inclusive education does not pretend as if there are no differentiating factors in the children that seek education.

“Rather it is mindful of this diversity and seeks to make sure that it does not become a reason for exclusion.’’

Okonkwo added that inclusive education would help rehabilitate and upgrade schools in every state and promote suitable learning experience among the children.

She said the federal ministry of education, ESSPIN and all stakeholders were committed in ensuring that the policy becomes a reality. (NAN)

Manchineel: What Makes It The Most Poisonous Tree In The World

Manchineel (Hipponane mancinella) is a flowering plant native to tropical Southern North America and Nothern South America. They can be found on coastal beaches and in brackish swamps where it grows among mangroves. The name manchineel is from Spanish Manzanilla (little apple). But the present day Spanish name is in fact Manzanilla de la murte, “little apple of death”.

The following enumerated statements justifies why Manchineel is the most poisonous tree in the world:

1. All the parts of Manchineel contain strong toxins; some are yet to be identified.
2. The milky whit sap of this plant contains phorbol (a natural, plant derived organic compound) and other skin irritants, producing allergic dermatitis.
3. During rain, standing beneath the tree will cause blistering of the skin from mere contact with this liquid (even a drop of rain is not an exception as this will surely result to blistering of the skin).
4. The sap when in contact with cars damages the paints on cars.
5. Burning the tree is also dangerous because it may cause ocular injuries if the smoke gets in contact with the eyes. Bullous dermatitis, an acute kerato conjunctivitis and possibly large corneal epoithelial defects are produced when the sap reaches the eyes.
6. Though fatalities from fruit ingestion are yet to be reported. But ingestion may lead to severe gastroenteritis with bleeding, shock, bacterial super infection and the potential for airway compromise due to edema.
7. Interestingly, the fruit is reportedly pleasantly sweet at first, with a subsequent strange peppery feeling, gradually progressing to a burning, tearing sensation and tightness of the throat.
8. It has also been reported that Carib Indians used the sap of this tree to poison their arrows and would tie captives to the trunk of the tree, ensuring a slow and painful death.
9. The leaves are also used by the Carib to poison the enemy water

DELSU To Returning Students: Initiate The Fresh Students And Be Expelled

The Delta State University Senate at the 155th regular meeting held on Thursday, January 28, 2015, has placed a ban on the initiation of freshers by older students due to dehumanizing activities that has been reported during the initiation.

In a statement contained by the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Victor Peretemode, he disclosed that the senate frowned at the repulsive attitude of such older students and had decided that henceforth such uncalled for activities before, during and after matriculation were banned. He further disclosed that inhumane activities will be presented before the student’s disciplinary committee (SDC) and if any student is found culpable he/she would be immediately expelled and his/her name uploaded in the university portal/internet.

The inhuman activities perpetrated by the older students involves taking round the freshers to various hostels and streets in Abraka. Thereafter pouring a mixture of muddy water, water mixed with spices, water mixed with broken bottles and paint and alcoholic drinks in the freshers.

IGP Scholarship: 6 Pupils From Nasarawa Benefits

Six pupils of police staff school, Lafia, Nasarawa State, have benefitted from the scholarship scheme initiated by Solomon Arase, the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The pupils were presented with the Police Education Scholarship Certificate by the State Police Commissioner, C.P. Shehu Lawal, at a magnanimous ceremony at the State capital.

The Commissioner while commending the kind gesture of the IGP disclosed that the scheme was targeted at children of deceased police officers, so as to ease the burden faced by widows.

The names of the beneficiaries were Francis Joy, Hassan Gift, Yohana Esther, John Samuel, Bala Esther and Augustine Samuel.

The head teacher of the Police staff school, Mary Azere, in her remarks commended the IGP for the initiation. She further stressed for its sustenance so as to absorb more affected students to the scheme.

N1.8M As Processing Fee To Release List Of Best Students: WAEC To EDUBOX

In a bid to be an advocate of rewarding best students to inspire the younger generation, a Lagos based organization EDUBOX, had on December 8, 2015 in a letter signed by Sanusi Tosin, its Chief Executive Officer requested the list of best student in each states of the country from the West African examination council.

But shockingly, in a reply from WAEC to EDUBOX referenced L/EC/STAT/47/VOL VIII/188, dated January 20, 2016 and signed by an officer-in-charge (Test administration), demanded for an exorbitant sum of over 1.8M a cost of processing the date for the organization, EDUBOX.

This information was made available by a twitter correspondence @Adeola0503.

Students Sets SNIIT, Ifewara Ablaze Over Some Unaccredited Courses

Burnt Administration building

A report by Femi Makinde, Osogbo of The Punch Newspaper

Some students of the Southern Nigeria Institute of Innovate Technology, Ifewara in Osun State on Monday set the private institution ablaze because some courses offered by the school were allegedly not accredited.

Our correspondent gathered that some of the students had turn violent on Sunday evening, vandalising the school’s property, when they learnt that their courses were not accredited by the National Board for Technical Education.

Buildings in the school and vehicles were torched by the irate students.

Some of the students who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone said their colleagues whose courses were not accredited started the crisis.

Burnt Lecture halls

One of them said, “We had our matriculation on Friday and some students said they were told that their courses had not been accredited. This led to a serious protest and they destroyed so many things before they set the school on fire.

“They chased us, female students, away and stole our laptops, phones and other things before they set the female hostel on fire. They burnt everywhere.

“The protest started on Sunday evening and continued as early as 7am this morning. Peace was restored to the school only when policemen came today.”

However, the Chairman Governing Council of SNIIT, Dr. Kola Christwealth, when contacted on the telephone by our correspondent debunked the claim.

He blamed the students’ action on ignorance, saying they lacked understanding of the programmes the school had for them.

Christwealth said he had not visited the school to assess the level of damage done by the rampaging students.

The school defaced billboard

He said the school had encouraged the students to take professional examinations relevant to their programmes without charging them extra tuition but the students were completely ignorant of the benefits there.

He said, “Our courses were accredited by NABTE. We are only encouraging our students to enroll for professional exams.

We did not charge them anything for preparing them for the exams but they will only pay to register for the examinations.

“The payment is to the professional bodies like ICAN, NIM and other. They are not going to pay us but some of them said we should be the ones to pay for them.

“They will get our diplomas alongside the professional certificates and this will make them employable and to be better than most of their mates elsewhere but they are ignorant.

“Their grouse simply is that the school should pay for their professional exams and we did not make it mandatory for them. It is optional; you can decide to get only our diploma without writing any professional exam.”

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Kola Sodipo, when contacted said he had not been briefed about the incident.

Lagos State 2016/2017 Postgraduate Scholarship Award Scheme

The Lagos State Scholarship Board is the agency in charge of scholarship, bursary and other related matters within the state.

It grants Scholarship awards to deserving indigenes in various tertiary institutions for full time studies in order to assist these students financially. 

Before Applying Please Read

• Applicant must be a Lagos State Indigene studying in any tertiary institutions across the country
• All applicants are required to make a Payment of N2,000.00 for Local Scholarship through the Office of Special Adviser on Education, Alausa Secretariat.
• Then take the treasury receipt to the Lagos State Scholarship Board to secure their secret voucher pins for online application. Application will not be processed without evidence of treasury receipt. 

Ensure you correctly fill in the application form and click on "Apply Now" button to complete your application.

Applications will be done through this portal only, hard copy applications will not be processed.

Short-listed candidates for the qualifying test on 12th and 13th April, 2016 will be invited by email and SMS text messages. All applicants are therefore advised to ensure that valid GSM telephone numbers and personal email addresses are properly entered into the e-forms on the portal.

Carefully read the Requirement/Eligibility, How To Apply and Frequently Asked Questions pages for more details

Application deadline is 1st April, 2016.

To apply: www.scholastics.ng

Lagos State 2016/2017 Undergraduate Award Scheme - Apply Now

The Lagos State Scholarship Board wishes to inform all indigenes of the state in Tertiary Institutions all over the country that application forms for the 2015/2016 Scholarship Award is now available.

The Lagos State Scholarship Board is the agency in charge of scholarship, bursary and other related matters within the state. It grants Scholarship awards to deserving indigenes in various tertiary institutions for full time studies in order to assist these students financially.

REQUIREMENTS:

• All applicants must have gained full time admission into an accredited Nigerian tertiary Institution.
• All Under-graduate applicants:

1. Where CGPA scale is 7.0 (e.g University of Ibadan) he/she must possess a minimum of 4.9/7.0
2. Where CGPA scale is 5.0 (e.g University of Lagos) he/she must possess a minimum of 3.5/5.0
3. Where CGPA scale is 4.0 (e.g polytechnics and colleges of education) he/she must possess a Minimum of 2.8/4.0
4. Where applicant is a medical student in 200L, option i, ii and iii applies
5. Where applicant is a medical student in 300L and above a minimum of Credit is required in their result.

• All applicants must be in their second year or above.
• All applicants must have completed LASRRA Registration.
• All applicants must have a signed letter of identification from their respective Oba.
• All applicants must have a signed letter of identification from their respective local government.
• All applicants must upload clear scanned copies of all documents to ascertain the genuineness of their claims.

Documents like:

1. Admission Letter
2. School Identity Card or Valid means of school identification
3. Letter of identification from Oba
4. Letter of identification from Local Government
5. SSCE result
6. Lagos State Resident Registration Agency(LASSRA) registration card
7. Passport Photograph (clear background not older than three months).
8. Transcript or Result statement duly signed and stamped from school stating previous session CGPA results clearly.

METHOD OF APPLICATION

• Before you start this application, ensure you have purchased a Scholarship application form (Payment of N2,000.00 for Local Scholarship) through the Office of Special Adviser on Education, Block 5, 3rd Floor, Alausa Secretariat then secure your Voucher pin from the Scholarship Board office. Thereafter, have clear scanned copies of the following documents:

1. Passport photograph with white background not more than 3 months old (450px by 450px not more than 200kb)
2. Treasury receipt of N2,000 for the scholarship form
3. Admission Letter
4. School Identity Card
5. SSCE Certificate
6. Letter of identification from Oba
7. Letter of identification from Local Government
8. LASSRA registration card 
9. Transcript or Statement of Results duly signed and stamped from school stating previous session CGPA results clearly.

• Ensure that information are filled accurately to avoid mix up after application.
• Ensure the documents are named according to what they represent to avoid mixing up documents during upload.
• Ensure you attach the appropriate documents when asked to upload.

To apply, follow the steps below:

1. Visit http://www.scholastica.ng/schemes/lssbundergraduate and click on "Apply Now" tab.
2. Click on "Register Now" to create an account.
3. Proceed to your email box to activate your account
4. Click on www.scholastica.ng/ to return to Scholarship site
5. Enter your registered email and password to upload your information.
6. Enter your personal information, additional information, educational information, other information and upload required scanned documents.
7. Ensure the name used in applications matches the names on all documentation in same order. Upload a sworn affidavit or certificate if otherwise.
8. Ensure you view all documents after uploading, to eliminate errors during uploading.
9. When asked to upload photo, upload a pass-port photograph with a white background.
10. Recheck application information to avoid errors
11. Click "Apply Now" to submit information and provide the secret voucher pin and LASSRA Number in the appropriate column
12. You will receive an email and a sms that confirms your application was successful.
13. Return to www.scholastica.ng, enter your Email and Password to download your profile and proceed to have your Head of Department sign the document.
14. Upload a scanned copy of the signed profile, this would be used for verification.
15. Keep the hard copy of the signed profile, this would also be used for verification.
16. Return to www.scholastica.ng and update application with National Identification Number (NIN) to ensure completion.

To secure your voucher pin proceed to the Lagos Scholarship Board office, 254 Ipaja road, Agege, Lagos and show them your treasury receipt.

Note: Multiple applications attract a disqualification penalty from the Scholarship board

INTERVIEW DATE & DETAILS

Short-listed candidates for the qualifying test on 12th and 13th April, 2016 will be invited by email and SMS text messages.

All applicants are therefore advised to ensure that valid GSM telephone numbers and personal email addresses are properly entered into the e-forms on the portal.

CLOSING DATE

Application deadline is 1st April, 2016.

UI Don Calls For Bio-Medical Engineering Courses in More Institution

Prof. Juwon Arotiba, Dean, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, has called for the introduction of Bio-Medical Engineering courses in more tertiary institutions in the country.

Arotiba made the call in an interview with the news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ibadan. He said if more tertiary institutions would introduce such courses, the problems of inadequate and ineffective medical equipment in Nigerian hospitals would be resolved.

Arotiba defined bio-medical engineering as biological or medical application of engineering equipment.

“It is the application of biological techniques (as genetic recombination) to create modified versions of organisms (as crops), especially.

“The problem of procurement of medical equipment, lack of spare parts for the equipment and technicians to handle them will gradually be resolved.

“Although only few universities of technologies and schools of medical laboratories offer similar courses, more should introduce them in their curricula.

“The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria have started looking into this issue,” he said.

Dr Adefemi Afolabi, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, University College Hospital, Ibadan, had recently said that medical tourism thrived in Nigeria due to incessant breaking down of equipment in the nation’s hospitals.

He said that although medical equipment is available in most hospitals, the number of technicians and engineers to handle them were not commensurable.

“There is therefore the need for relevant authorities to design curricula to cater for the equipment.

“If this is done, the importation of heavy medical equipment, which has become big drains on the nation’s economy, will reduce,’’ said Afolabi. (NAN)

Novel Program Brings Hope to African Nation

(NewsUSA) - For decades, Angola's government has focused on its natural resources as its number one commodity. Now, however, there is a paradigm shift that may have an even greater potential - the country's young people.

In cooperation with Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), a leading Swiss business school that has recently earned the AACSB International business accreditation, Angola wants to train select students in international business and start a new phase of economic development.

But can the formation of a new financial elite be enough for lasting change in a country that is still inherently poor?

Of course not, says Jose Filament Dos Santos, a representative from the Angolan sovereign wealth fund Fundo Soberano de Angola (FSDEA), which is funding the project. "But we firmly believe that you have to start somewhere, and it's best to get going in an area where it will have a big impact."

Other countries have already seen the benefit of investing in education and a younger generation, but it is no small step for a country whose majority still live in abject poverty.

The focus-shift of the FSDEA, from the investment in real estate to the social sector, justifies Dos Santos with the growing investment interest for years from foreign companies:

"In order to understand and draw up major contracts in international business that will bring in long-term revenues not only for investors, but also for the country and its people, Angola needs experts."

Enter the 'Future Leaders of Angola,' a six-month executive program that offers Angolan students advanced training in management at an international level.

A statement released by the 'Future Leaders of Angola' reads, "We believe [the graduates] will produce a noticeable effect, not least because they will pass on what they have learnt in their future jobs in Angola."

For its part, the university said it sees the course as a chance for students to contribute to an improvement in its citizens' lives.

"In the curriculum, we put a lot of emphasis on topics such as corporate responsibility, compliance and corruption, and give the participants greater awareness of these issues," stresses Daniel Seelhofer, head of the Department of International Business at ZHAW.

While proponents understand the program and the selection of students according to "purely objective criteria" will have its challenges, ultimately it could move the country forward in ways it never thought possible -until now.

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How to Help Your Child Get Over Math Anxiety

(NewsUSA) - Were you a math whiz growing up, or did you struggle and feel anxious at the mere mention of math? As a parent, you surely don't want your child to experience the same thing.

"It's easy to help your child not only excel at math but also enjoy it," says Raj Valli, the founder of Tabtor Math, a tablet-based math learning program for K-8 children personalized by a dedicated tutor. "Create a math-friendly environment, make math a playful language and participate in an ongoing dialogue about math."

Valli offers the following advice for helping your child enjoy math.

Create a positive environment around math. Since children model the attitudes of those around them, speak positively about math (even hiding your true feelings). Say encouraging phrases like, "It's really cool that you can use math every day."

Think about math as a language. Because children begin using language when they are very young, they don't feel the same anxiety about reading and writing as they do about math. To transfer this positive attitude over to math, approach math as a language, rather than as a "problem." Count things together, measure things together and talk about the numbers involved in any activity you are doing together. Don't worry too much about getting answers "right" or "wrong." Instead, help them think through the process of using math aloud, in words.

Hold a math "dialogue" centered on everyday activities. Once your child is comfortable with thinking about math in language terms, ask at the supermarket how many cookies are in a package and how your child calculated this answer. She might refer to the size of the package or the size of the cookies inside. Whether right or wrong, it's important to emphasize the process used in her head to make the guess. This gets her thinking about math as a visual subject involving shape and volume, rather than just as numbers in a line.

You might ask an older child how many slices of bread are in a loaf, how thick each slice is and how long the loaf is. Open the package to see how close the estimate was. He will learn to feel comfortable with estimating and will enjoy a conversation with you using math as a focal point.

If you set the stage correctly, you'll find that your child enjoys math more than you did and then you can relax and enjoy your child's future success in the classroom.

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U.S. Presidential Award: A Nigerian Professor Set to be Honoured

An associate professor in electrical and computer engineering, Professor Deji Akinwande has been selected to receive a 2016 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists Engineers (PECASE), the United States Government highest honour for scientists and engineers in the early stages of research by President Obama.

Akinwande who is also an associate professor in the Jack Kiby/Texas Instruments Endowed Faculty Fellow in Computer Engineering in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin is among the 106 recipients announced by the White House on Thursday.

The winners, who will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., this spring, were selected for having research that is both innovative and beneficial to society. Prof. Akinwande is one of two PECASE recipients from The University of Texas at Austin. The other recipient is Prof. Keji Lai from the Department of Physics.

“These early-career scientists are leading the way in our efforts to confront and understand challenges from climate change to our health and wellness,” President Barack Obama said. “We congratulate these accomplished individuals and encourage them to continue to serve as an example of the incredible promise and ingenuity of the American people.”

Now in its 20th year, the Presidential Early Career Awards are coordinated through the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, which selects winners “for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.” 

Prof. Akinwande is known for his groundbreaking research on nanomaterials, sensors, devices and flexible technology. He is considered one of the top researchers in the world in the areas of graphene, silicon electronics and 2-D nanomaterials for use in flexible electronics. In 2015, Akinwande created the first transistor out of silicene, the world’s thinnest silicon material, and he is continuing to advance the capabilities of computer chips and other electronics.

Prof. Akinwande has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Inaugural IEEE NANO "Geim and Novoselov Graphene Prize," an IEEE Early Career Award in Nanotechnology, a National Science Foundation Career Award, an Army Research Office Young Investigator award, and a Young Investigator award from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Source:ece.utexas.edu

UNIMAID AT 40: SCHOOL PLANS BIG

University of Maiduguri, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi disclosed in Abuja yesterday, that plans have reached advanced stage for the 40th anniversary of the Institution. 

Professor Njodi who led principal officers of the university to Media Trust’s corporate head office said the anniversary would be marked with a combined 22nd convocation ceremony to celebrate the feats so far recorded by the institution.

He said the grand celebration is slated for April 11 to 16.

“Having attained 40 years of existence as an institution, we felt we had done enough to tell the world”, he said, adding that in spite of the insurgency that had plagued the North-east, especially Borno State, the university had never closed for even a day.

“The alumni of Unimaid are waxing stronger in various capacities. Currently, the university has two serving ministers- the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Ameachi, Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Abubakar”, he said.

He said three the governors of Borno, Niger, Abia States are also products of the university, as well as seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, seven first class traditional rulers and many members of the National Assembly.

“I can tell you with all emphasis that University of Maiduguri can boast of 250 professors, within the period of 40 years we have been able to produce these individuals to the Nigerian society”, he added.

Also an alumnus of the institution, Prof. Njodi said his vision for the university was to push it into world class status to compete at the global level.

“The University of Maiduguri in 2013 ranked 38th among the best 100 universities in Nigeria and as of 2015, it ranked 9th”, he said.

Nassarawa Polytechnic Gets New ASUP Chairman

Dr Hussein Yusuf has been elected as the new chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa chapter, even as he rolled out his agenda. In a keenly contested election penultimate week, Dr Yusuf who promised major reforms described his victory as an act of God, while calling on others to join hand to lift ASUP. Dr Yusuf, who bags a Ph.D in Micro Biology from the Prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria said in a speech to other members that his track records of prudence, incorruptibility, honesty, creativity and oratory will help in transforming ASUP from its current state. 

Other items in his agenda, he said, are: To establish an annual “ASUP WEEK” involving workshops, sporting activities, to opposethe Management whenthey are wrong and demand for freedom inchoosing HODs and deans by elections. Others are: to demand for ASUP to have a role in nomination of Deputy Rectors, demand for office accommodations equipped with internet connectivity, facilities and demand for improved TETFUND, encourage the federal government to stop the HND/BSc. dichotomy and encourage the federal government to restrict diploma programmes to polytechnics

Borno IDP Camps: VSF To Give Scholarship To 30,000 Orphans

The Victim Support Fund (VSF) says it will give no fewer than 30,000 orphans in Borno Internally Displaced Persons’ camps free scholarship this year.

Mr Emanuel Ojo, Programme Manager of VSF in the state, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Sunday.

Ojo said that the pupils would be selected from 28 IDP camps in the state capital.

According to him, the VSF will sponsor each of the children to undergo their nursery and primary schools in selected schools in the state capital.

He said that the agency would provide uniforms and learning materials for the pupils.

He explained that the agency had given support of N20,000 each to about 1,000 nursing and lactating mothers in IDP camps in 2015.

The women were drawn from Bama, Gwoza, Kukawa, Dikwa, Ngala, Marte, Munguno, and Nganzai local government areas, adding that the areas were worst hit by the insurgency.

He noted that VSF had so far empowered over 3,000 women with N20,000 grant at the IDPs camps in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

“The goal was to assist 5,000 IDPs who are worst hit by the insurgency to enable them set up their businesses, generate incomes and become self reliant.

“The women were encouraged to form cooperative societies of 50 groups where we encourage them to open account on their own.

“We want to see how we can assist these women who have suffered a great deal in the hands of the insurgents,’’ he said.

He said the agency is planning to scale up the numbers of beneficiaries from 3,000 to 4,000 by September this year in the three affected states.

“About 1,500 would be selected from Borno, 1,500 from Adamawa while Yobe was earmarked 1,000.

“This month we will be flagging off our Victim Support, we are looking for areas where we can make positive impact in these states,’’ he said.

Ojo said that there is also a plan to support the rehabilitation, reconstruction and relocation bill.

“So we are presently into construction of 500 houses in Borno, rehabilitation of police out posts, health facilities and community centres,’’ he said. (NAN)

2016 UTME UPDATE: JAMB Says “No Special Centre”

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Sunday said it would not create any special centre for the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UTME, which will be Computer Base Test (CBT) mode all through, is expected to begin on Monday, February 29.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Head, Media and Information of the board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, and made available to NAN in Lagos.

According to the statement, the attention of the board was drawn to protests by some alleged prospective candidates in Edo and Lagos states over the closure of the board’s registration portal in preparation to the UTME.

“The board sincerely sympathises with the plight of these prospective candidates

“It is indeed the wish of the board that the Nigerian youth desirous of tertiary education are given ample opportunity to register for its examination.

“This is why it began the sale of its application document in August 2015, which is about seven months ago.

“In the advertisement for the sale of the registration documents, the board clearly stated that the sales would close by January.

“But due to public appeal it extended the registration process to February,” the statement read in part.

The board further stated that it could not allow candidates to register perpetually, adding that it had a time table and it adheres strictly to it.

It noted that this was to allow tertiary institutions to begin admission processes early.

“We all must work to enshrine the culture of discipline in the system and ensure that tertiary institutions calendars are not truncated.

“It is most unfortunate that some candidates waited until our website was withdrawn before making attempts to register,” the board stated.

It noted that every aspiring candidate was expected to know the procedure as proper publicity involving the media was done.

NAN reports that more than one million candidates have so far registered for the examination on the all CBT platform within and outside the country.

More than 500 centres were also accredited for the conduct of the examination within and outside Nigeria. (NAN)

Fraudsters Disguise as Admission Officers, Beware - OAU To Admission Seekers

Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju have been warned the Parents and guardians of candidates seeking admission into the to be weary of fraudsters who parade themselves as admission officers.

Giving the warning in a release by the, it stated that one of such alleged fraudsters who claimed to be the admission officer of the university, gave his name as Omodele Taiwo Ezekiel.

Omodele who was said to be an indigene of Erinjiyan Ekiti according to Olanrewaju, has been nabbed by the security operatives of the university after he had collected over N600,000 from two parents seeking admission into OAU for their children.

According to Olarewaju: “Taiwo Omodele’s attempt to collect additional N100,000 from his two victims eventually led to his arrest.

“Upon interrogation, he admitted committing the crime and collecting the money, but blamed the devil for pushing him into the act.

Kaduna Govt. Shuts down GGC Zonkwa Over Fire Outbreak

It is will be recalled that fire had razed two hostels in GGC and a hostel in GGSS Zonkwa in the early hours of Tuesday while students were in class. And prior to this the Kaduna State Government has announced the closure of Government Girls College (GGC) and Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) in Zonkwa, Zangon Kataf local government area of the state following fire outbreak that gutted it’s hostels.

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Shehu Adamu, confirmed the decision in Zonkwa while briefing newsmen shortly after he visited the schools to ascertain the level of damage caused by the inferno.

The Commissioner explained that the decision to close down the schools until further notice was to forestall further outbreak that might lead to loss of lives, particularly if it occur at night.

According to him, “I ordered that the schools be closed down as soon as I received the sad news of the fire incident to prevent further disaster.

“The worst-case scenario is for another fire incident to occur when the students are sleeping; lives would be lost. We are even lucky this one occurred in the morning when the students were in their classes, “he said.

Adamu described the fire outbreak as unfortunate, adding that the cause of the fire in GGC is being investigated, while a suspect has been arrested in connection with that of GGSS.

“Based on the report on my table, while people are trying to put out the fire at GGC, there was an alarm of another fire at a hostel in the neighbouring GGSS.

“A JSS I girl, (name withheld) however, was arrested at the scene and has confessed to have started the fire.

“When asked why she did it, she said she burnt down the hostel because she doesn’t like boarding school, but her parent insisted she must come”.

The commissioner said that the girl had been handed over to the police for further questioning to ascertain the validity of her confession, her mental health and other possible reasons or accomplice.

He commended the schools management and the members of the community for helping to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other structures.

Dr. Adamu said that the schools would re-open as soon as the hostels were repaired and investigations concluded on the cause of the fire.

One Subject One Teacher in Primary Schools - Akwa Ibom Govt.

Akwa Ibom State Government says the state will soon implement the one teacher one subject policy in public primary schools in Akwa Ibom.

Governor Udom Emmanuel stated this in Eket at the inauguration of five renovated classrooms block at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Ikot Ibiok, Eket, on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Andrew Okon renovated and donated five classroom blocks with 60 dual desks as well as five tables and five chairs to St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Eket.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Mr Aniekan Akpan, said that the policy was to ensure quality education.

“Government is coming up with a policy of ensuring that we utilise effectively our own teachers who have specialised in different areas starting from next year.

“We want to gradually move from the old Teachers Training College arrangement from next session.

“ We will have teachers of mathematics teaching mathematics in all the classes,’’ Emmanuel said.

According to him, a teachers that teaches different subjects is not making use of his knowledge well and not helping the system.

“Rather than keeping one teacher to be a master of all or to be teaching all subjects, we better create professionalism and division of labour in teaching.

“From studies, we have discovered that is not really helping and preparing the children for further education.

“But they can still go round other classes to teach, we want to fully utilised the capacity of the teachers that we have in the primary school, for now they are not fully utilised,’’ he said.

He said the state government had commenced distribution of computers to public primary and secondary schools in the state, adding that computers would be sent to St Paul’s Luthuran School next week.

The governor said that his administration was passionate about education and promised to support schools across the state.

The governor appealed to the people to assist school management to protect infrastructure provided by the state government.

In his remarks, the Transitional Chairman of Eket, Mr Frank Archibong, commended the philanthropist who paid the bills for the renovation.

He urged other well to do stakeholders, public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to emulate him.

Also speaking, Mrs Grace Etok, the Head Teacher of the school, expressed appreciation to God and the philanthropist for the initiative.

Etok called on government to build a perimeter fence round the school to check trespassing and stealing.

NAN recalled that the pupils of the school had over the past years been sitting on bare floor to read and write. (NAN)