4 BUSINESS DAY C002D5556 Friday <strong>24</strong> <strong>Aug</strong>ust <strong>2018</strong>
Friday <strong>24</strong> <strong>Aug</strong>ust <strong>2018</strong> Adopting practical approach to tackling Nigeria’s education challenge KELECHI EWUZIE A cursory look at Nigeria’s education system today, no doubt, reveals a worrisome situation in the process of knowledge impartation as most tertiary institutions award certificates to students who are ill equipped to perform optimally when faced with the harsh realities of life. As youth unemployment increases on daily basis, not a few graduates are beginning to realise that job-hunting is a lot more difficult than schooling. A few years ago, a good education was all it took to land a lucrative job. But that is no longer the case as today, a good number of graduates are forced to resort to crime and prostitution because they spend endless years waiting for jobs that are hard to come by. This dire situation is worsened by the fact that their senior colleagues are also in the job market, for which reason there are little or no vacant spots that they can fill. Recent surveys reveal that the curriculum used by most of the nation’s universities is not driven by entrepreneurship. Rather, they centre on producing graduates who employers describe as half-baked. Unlike most developed nations that make huge budget allocations to their education sectors, successive governments in Africa’s largest economy have consistently and consciously denied this sector the funds required to groom globally competitive human capital. Those who know in the education space opine that entrepreneurial training is essential now more than ever before, if the intellectual and creative capacities of students must be given a boost. Moreover, they add that professionals with industry experience should form the bulk of lecturers that take some practical-oriented courses in tertiary institutions. Aderinkomi Akinsola an education resource person notes that it is sad that the policies establishing most tertiary institutions do not provide for entrepreneurial education. This anomaly, he insists, can only be corrected if policymakers formulate procedures that incorporate entrepreneurial education into the school curriculum, beginning from primary school. Akinsola insist that government should pay more attention to education. It should be interested in what is taught in school by ensuring that the content of education is changed to meet present realities. Only then can our graduates and students across all levels of education derive the all-important benefits of education. For Harrison Nwanyanwu, an educationist, Universities’ curriculums today focus only on the theoretical aspect of education. They fail to address the current issues that will meet the global needs of students in the international market. While proffering suggestions on the way forward, Nwanyanwu states that an entrepreneurial angle should be employed in institutions of higher learning, where seasoned resource persons can share experiences and not necessarily teach: which will in turn strengthen the global outlook of the students. L-R: Oluwole Rawa, general manager, consumer marketing, MTN Nigeria; Adekunle Adebiyi, sales and distribution executive, MTN Nigeria; Omotayo George, senior manager, youth/teens segment, MTN Nigeria, and Henry Ojiokpota, zonal controller, Lagos division, NCC, at the MTN mPulse launch in Lagos. Pic by Pius Okeosisi Fight Against Human Trafficking: Edo deepens campaign, urges residents to report traffickers Edo State commissioner for justice/attorney general of the state and head of the State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration, Yinka Omorogbe, has urged Edo people and residents in Orhionmwon Local Government Area to report suspected human traffickers to the taskforce. Governor Godwin Obaseki established the taskforce in <strong>Aug</strong>ust 2017, to check the high incidence of human trafficking and illegal migration in the state. At an advocacy programme organised by the taskforce in Abudu, headquarters of Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Omorogbe said the state government was fully committed to tackling human trafficking by creating jobs for youths in the state, urging residents in the area to report suspected traffickers to the taskforce for investigation and subsequent prosecution. “Human trafficking is a bad business. Don’t get involved or allow yourself to be trafficked by those looking for young men and women to be exploited. We are informing you so that you won’t learn the hard way. Many others who have gone and returned are gnashing their teeth now. “Our children undergo slavery there. We have records of thousands of Nigerians who were killed or missing in the Sahara Desert, Libya or Mediterranean Sea. “But the traffickers don’t tell you the hard life your children undergo there; how they are kidnapped in connivance with them. Parents and other relations end up sending money from here to Libya. They only tell you their success stories that are not true. Beware of the antics of the traffickers,” she told guests at the event. According to Omorogbe, the state has received over 3,883 Libya returnees between November 2017 and July <strong>2018</strong>, adding that Governor Godwin Obaseki was worried that more than half of the returnees from Libya were from the state, with Orhionmwon Local Government Area taking the lead in the state. C002D5556 Management of Halogen Securities Limited yesterday rewarded two security guards: Achi Daniel and Francis Emepueaku with N250,000 each. Achi Daniel and Francis Emepueaku had on <strong>Aug</strong>ust 18, <strong>2018</strong> found and returned a bag containing dollars and other valuables items to the owner, a lady who just arrived Nigeria from the United States. The security firm at an event organised on Thursday to celebrate the guards for their honesty and exemplary conduct, also offered them scholarships that would enable them further acquire a diploma in Security Management. Wale Olaoye, group managing director of Halogen Securities Limited, disclosed the rewards in an occasion to SEYI JOHN SALAU Driven by the need to provide excellent financial knowledge for nonfinancial managers, especially those in marketing, sales, brand building and advertising, Cullwort Academy is organising a day knowledge-packed course tagged ‘Understanding Finance for Marketing, Sales and Brand Managers.’ The one-day course is designed to help nonfinancial managers in the above listed areas gain basic understanding of finance process and instil disciplined management of marketing and sales budget. A statement signed by Victor Ikem, on behalf of Cullwort Nigeria Limited, said the training would help “marketing, brand and sales managers discover smart ways of reporting monthly and annual expenditure.” The release added that the course would equip partici- BUSINESS DAY 5 NEWS US contributes $1bn annually on developing human capital in Nigeria - Envoy The US contributes $1 billion annually to develop Nigeria’s human capital, David Young, deputy head of US Embassy in Nigeria, says. Young made this known during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) on Thursday in Jos. He said the US was investing in health, education and agriculture sectors among other as part of its efforts to improve Nigeria’s human capital to shore up development. “We give Nigerian these interventions to develop these various sectors to enable them participate in the creative industry, which is a potential economic drive to the future of the country. MMIA: Halogen rewards guards, applauds FAAN over lost, found bag IFEOMA OKEKE Non-financial managers urged to leverage Cullwort training opportunity “We are also contributing towards improving primary education, small and medium enterprises, and the agriculture sector to help establish agro allied industries to create job opportunities for youths,“ he said. The US Envoy said the country was also partnering with security agencies to train its personnel and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen it to conduct credible elections at all levels. He pledged US support in collaborative productions, equipping Nigerian film practitioners and students with the requisite skills to thrive in the industry. According to Young, honour the two security men at Halogen office in Ikeja GRA, Lagos. Olaoye said the action of the guards was a pointer that light could come out of Nigeria, appealing to other professional to emulate the high level of integrity demonstrated by Achi and Emepueaku. Commending the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), he said, “Today, what we may see as inconsequential has caught global attention. It is work in progress and we are in the pursuit of excellence. If FAAN didn’t give opportunities to Nigerians who have caught their teeth in their professional endeavours, we will not be celebrating what we are celebrating today.” He pointed out that, if the two guards could make this positive impact at this level, then Nigeria must have wasted that capability to make change. pants with the tools needed to “measure marketing, brand and sales investment in financial terms for use by senior management and at Board level.” Ikem said that as part of the expected outcome after the course, “Participants will be able to negotiate well for a bigger marketing, brand and sales budget, interpret marketing input and contribution to financial growth of company, make convincing arguments in favour of incurring specific expenses, justify marketing decisions based on relevant financial information, measure returns on marketing investments and use relevant data to justify spend.” According to Ikem, “It would also enable participants to gain understanding of the financial reporting process, interpret basic account statements and balance sheet”. The training holds September 21, between 9am to 4pm at the LCCI Centre in Alausa - Ikeja, Lagos. Nollywood is next to Bollywood in the quantity of films production. Nollywood is Nigerian movie industry; Bollywood is Indian movie industry, while Hollywood is American movie industry. In his remarks, Chidia Maduewke, managing director of NFC, lauded the US for her collaborations and efforts towards developing the film industry, saying the action had already yielded positive impact. “We had successful discussions with motion picture companies and business entities in the US. We are engaging Studio schools in California, Silicon Valley and other organisations to develop Nigeria’s film industry.
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