NEWS
100 Students Get Trained On Digital Skills In Oyo School
An ambassador of The Education Sustainability and Vocational Development Initiative, Mutiat Temitope Ibrahim has trained 100 students of Novelty International Academy, Kishi, Oyo State, Nigeria, on digital literacy.
The training is part of the Digital Champions Project Digital Literacy Training on Computer fundamentals, skills, working with design techniques & tools, communication, netiquette and understanding the Web (World Wide Web).
Speaking on the project on Friday, Mutiat said, “the project took place in the school from 7th – 26th, and we we impacted 100 students in digital literacy. We also provided the school with Wi-Fi, so they could have access to the internet to practice their lessons.
“As a quality education and girl-child advocate, this programme is conceived due to being a global ambassador for Educational Sustainability and Vocation Development, so basically this is to improve literacy and each child has access to digital skills and others.
“We aimed to impact thousands of children. An ambassador is meant to impact 100 students, that’s how I came about the programme.
“We have planned this for a while now and I’m happy it finally worked. We tried bring it on the fore in Cameroon.
“We provided them with Wi-Fi, so after the training they would fall back in digital studies and skills. We are looking at monthly subscriptions for the school.
“The challenge we have is in funding. We did fundraising yet could not raise enough money for the project,” she said.
Also, the project manager, Wakilat Kikelomo Zakariyah said, “being a World Literacy Foundation Ambassador in 2020 sets the precedence for all my advocacy works, as it relates to Quality Education and Literacy. As an SDG4 (Quality Education) Advocate, the underlying purpose and impact of my literacy work is to promote Quality Education and make it accessible at the grassroots to children, especially the Girl-Child from the deprived sector.
“I want children in the grassroots to have access and to obtain quality education which starts from basic literacy skills which is the ability to read and write.
“Hence my track records revolve around SDG4 and the Girl-Child. Acting as the Project Lead and Manager for Digital Champions Project executed at Novelty Academy, Kishi, Oyo State, is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve experienced this year. It goes without saying that it is one of my 2022 Bucket List.
“I conceived the idea when I was serving at the sister branch of the school– Novelty Polytechnic. Then I found how far away the students were from technology and innovation and I wanted to bridge the gap but I was constraint by human and material resources. After my National service, I harnessed the support that I needed through READ Initiative and kickstarted the project.
“We had no real challenges. I had a solid, indefatigable team and working with them was seamless. What would’ve been the challenge would be the distance but technology and the support I got from my team made it all work out well. I did not have to be present before they got the job done. In fact, I was only there on the grand finale throughout the three weeks training.”
Wakilat, who was also a World Literacy Foundation Ambassador 2020 said that the most fulfilling moment was seeing the joy on the children’s faces.
Acting Head of Department, Computer Science, Novelty Polytechnic, Kishi, Abdulmuqtadir Yunus said his involvement in the project was due to passion.
“My passion for training the coming generation led to my first campaign which is techknow-kids. I have organized series of training classes ever since then till date using different platform. Afterwards, I co-founded the biggest tech-community in Kishi.
“The most fulfilling moment is that against all odd, I saw to the success of the training. The joy at the end is immeasurable.
“My prospective plan is to ceate a great space profile on the internet.”
Furthermore, a volunteer, Adeola Musbaudeen Bakare said his involvement in the project born out from passion to impart in young talents.
Adeola, who is also an agriculturist and a learning facilitator at Novelty International Academy, stated that “in this 21st century, digital skill is actually dominion over all other skills. Without the knowledge of computer, then other skills cannot function to their full lengths. This means that, it’s an indispensable skill to getting other things done properly in this generation of ours.
“This is why I was enthusiastic to be involved immediately I was informed.
The little challenge encountered was when there was power outage that caused the programme not to hold for the day and challenge is the limited available PC for the students but every problem was overcome.
“Continuity of the programme would be fine if there can be a standby tutor in the school. Financial support and follow up would equally be helpful in the long run.”
The Education Sustainability and Vocational Development Initiative is a national development organization dedicated to empowering one child, one school, one teacher, and one community to ensure equal access to educational opportunities by working through volunteers and partners.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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