Free Online University breath in Nigeria

the Nigerian Entrepreneur who Introduces it Nigeria's first online university has been launched by Gossy Ukanwoke who has been nicknamed Nigeria's Mark Zuckerberg. Called Beni American University, Gossy who is also the founder of the Students Circle Network, an academic social network for students, teachers and institutions that brings over 10,000 free academic resources from over 200 universities globally, and shares it free for students and teachers, said he foresaw it "as a way of clearing the logjam in Africa's educational sector of its several challenges that avails just some number of Africans an opportunity to be literate hence the essence of his innovation". "We realised that there was just a couple of issues in the educational sector in Africa. We have universities but they are not enough in comparison to the youth population. We have universities but the infrastructure is a challenge and then the cost of setting up something new was also a challenge. We were also looking at something that we could easily accommodate as many people as possible without the constraint of location or space or resources, so online was the best alternative for us. With an online university, you can take in as many students as possible; you can get professors from across the world. We have professors who are in the US, we have professors in Malawi, and we have professors in England." Andrew Ebegore, already a registered student of the online university shared his experience as he tells how easy life is to study as he does his work during leisure, gets an opportunity to interact and above all schooling take place right in his living room. "I actually do my school work at my leisure time not at my work time, it allows me to meet different people from around the world, I get to interact with students and lecturers and some seasoned lecturers from around the world, professors and all that. It's good because I interact, I learn, I do everything and I don't leave my house which makes it superb." A professor of Science and Technology in the University of Lagos, Duro Ajeyalemi, described it as "a laudable idea" which will bridge the gap in terms of challenges plaguing African youths but "right now the resources for successful running of the online university as it is not made available". "We do not have the resources enough to cope and many of our… because we have problems with infrastructure, electricity for example is not available in most places so we will need to have constant supply of electricity, we will need to have the computers and the technology for you to be able to benefit maximally." Gossy Ukanwoke believes that the high unemployment rate which has cut across the world and Africa especially can actually be brought to the low by entrepreneurship and empowerment which he and his team ensured is in the curriculum for those studying management courses in the university. "There is a high level of unemployment across the world and one of the things that can actually deal with unemployment is entrepreneurship and empowerment, so what we are doing is even if you are studying Business Management in our university, you will still take our entrepreneurship program, even if you are studying medicine in our university, you will still take our entrepreneurship program so that you can learn how as a doctor or as an engineer or as a Home Economics graduate how you can actually start a business and become an employer of labour instead of being someone who is seeking for employment."

FG launches community service scheme

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu has reiterated that President Goodluck Jonathan has made youth empowerment the focal point of human development activities of the present Administration with the establishment of Community Service Scheme (CSS) of the Sure-P. Wogu who made the remarks today in Abuja at the first quarterly meeting of the Community Service Scheme of the Sure-P with Chairmen of the state coordination and implementation committee, said the CSS aspect of the Sure-P is one of the many projects that the Federal Government has initiated to address youth empowerment in the Country. "His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, has therefore, made youth employment the focal point of human development activities of this administration, and the community service scheme (CSS) of the Sure-P is one of the many projects government initiated to address youth unemployment in Nigeria". The Minister recalled the menace posed by the high unemployment rate among youths, who constitute a larger percentage of the productive age, regretting that Idleness, hopelessness and poverty that shape the mindset of this segment of our youths force them into activities that threaten our collective peace and security in different shapes and forms in various parts of the country. The Minister stated that, "the Community Service Scheme is an initiative of the Federal Government with the aim to empower unskilled and unemployed Nigeria youths, women and people living with disabilities and at the same time improve the quality of socio-economic infrastructures, especially in rural communities, and renew the confidence and thrust of Nigerian masses in government policies and programmes. "The project is the first of its kind in Nigeria in which the Federal Government is distributing wealth and opportunities for improved well-being directly to individuals and communities and that explains why it has gained rapid popularity". Wogu disclosed that the Project Implementation Unit in his Ministry is set to commence a familiarization and verification visits to Abia, Bauchi, Delta, Kwara, Oyo and Sokoto states. The states were selected based on performance and logistics, to represent all the other states in each geopolitical zone. However, the State Coordination and Implementation Committee members in states that make up each zone would be expected to join the Town Hall meeting in each of the states to be visited in their respective zones. Speaking earlier, Martina Nwordu, Project Director of the (CSS) scheme in the Ministry, stressed that the meeting has objectives that include a review of the implementation status, a brainstorm session on practical modalities to tackle challenges, and to strategise on the way forward towards a more successful, impactful, result oriented, and sustainable implementation of the Community Service Scheme of Sure-P nation-wide. She commended the tremendous support from the management, with a complement of experienced and enthusiastic staff posted from within the Ministry to work in the Project Implementation Unit, the support has in no small measure helped us to cope with the teething problems of transition from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Labour without disrupting the implementation process.URE-P: FG launches community service scheme Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu has reiterated that President Goodluck Jonathan has made youth empowerment the focal point of human development activities of the present Administration with the establishment of Community Service Scheme (CSS) of the Sure-P. Chief Wogu who made the remarks today in Abuja at the first quarterly meeting of the Community Service Scheme of the Sure-P with Chairmen of the state coordination and implementation committee, said the CSS aspect of the Sure-P is one of the many projects that the Federal Government has initiated to address youth empowerment in the Country. "His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, has therefore, made youth employment the focal point of human development activities of this administration, and the community service scheme (CSS) of the Sure-P is one of the many projects government initiated to address youth unemployment in Nigeria". The Minister recalled the menace posed by the high unemployment rate among youths, who constitute a larger percentage of the productive age, regretting that Idleness, hopelessness and poverty that shape the mindset of this segment of our youths force them into activities that threaten our collective peace and security in different shapes and forms in various parts of the country. The Minister stated that, "the Community Service Scheme is an initiative of the Federal Government with the aim to empower unskilled and unemployed Nigeria youths, women and people living with disabilities and at the same time improve the quality of socio-economic infrastructures, especially in rural communities, and renew the confidence and thrust of Nigerian masses in government policies and programmes. "The project is the first of its kind in Nigeria in which the Federal Government is distributing wealth and opportunities for improved well-being directly to individuals and communities and that explains why it has gained rapid popularity". Wogu disclosed that the Project Implementation Unit in his Ministry is set to commence a familiarization and verification visits to Abia, Bauchi, Delta, Kwara, Oyo and Sokoto states. The states were selected based on performance and logistics, to represent all the other states in each geopolitical zone. However, the State Coordination and Implementation Committee members in states that make up each zone would be expected to join the Town Hall meeting in each of the states to be visited in their respective zones. Speaking earlier, Martina Nwordu, Project Director of the (CSS) scheme in the Ministry, stressed that the meeting has objectives that include a review of the implementation status, a brainstorm session on practical modalities to tackle challenges, and to strategise on the way forward towards a more successful, impactful, result oriented, and sustainable implementation of the Community Service Scheme of Sure-P nation-wide. She commended the tremendous support from the management, with a complement of experienced and enthusiastic staff posted from within the Ministry to work in the Project Implementation Unit, the support has in no small measure helped us to cope with the teething problems of transition from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Labour without disrupting the implementation process.

FG halts post-HND, PGD programmes run by Polytechnics

....says don't  certificate to chieftaincy title Federal Government, today, Monday, declare all post-Higher National Diploma programmes being run by some Polytechnics as illegal. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, Minister of Education gave the directive in Abuja during the inauguration of Governing Councils for National Teachers Institute (NTI), National Educational Research Development Council (NERDC), 15 Federal Polytechnics and 19 Federal Colleges of Education across the country. The minister who warned against breach of the establishing legislative Act which established the Polytechnic education, noted that Post Graduate Diploma program is not within the mandate of polytechnics. Rufai further warned that no polytechnic convocation must hold without certificates being issued to graduating students. She added that Provosts and Registrars of Colleges of Education must sign NCE certificates as obtained in Polytechnics and Universities. Rufai said "polytechnics should stop the running of Post HND programs (Post Graduate Diploma) which is outside their mandate. The Provost and Registrar of Colleges of Education should sign NCE certificates as obtained in Polytechnic and Universities. "Issuance of certificates to graduating students is a prerequisite for approval for holding convocations: thus no certificate , no convocation" While addressing the inaugurated councils' members, Rufai urged them to encourage responsive unionism in their respective institutions while also arresting the problem of cultism, drug abuse and other social vices by students. She noted that effective strategies should also be developed for the early detection and eradication of all forms of vices such as examination malpractice, sexual harassment, extortion, inducement, loss of examination scripts and results. The Minister warned the councils not to be lured into turning the prestigious fellowship awards to chieftaincy title affairs.

ANENIH ACCUSED OF HIJACKING PDP FOR PDM AGENDA

The recent reconciliation tour embarked upon by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Chief Tony Anenih, to seek peace  and reconcile  members of the party may have worsened the crisis of confidence rocking the biggest party in Africa. It  has stirred up a huge controversy within the party as some stakeholders  are accusing the foxy politician of seeking to hijack the party for the agenda of the Peoples Democratic Movement  (PDM) tendency within the party His tour of Rivers State and the public courting of the Governor,Rotimi Amaechi  last week is being seen by some top members of the party as part of the PDM script . Chief Anenih was and remains a top ranking member of the PDM founded by the late Major-General Shehu Yar'Adua A top placed source within the party  described the PDM agenda as seeking  to enthrone a presidential candidate  for the 2015 elections other than President Goodluck Jonathan. According to the source," the  reconciliation visits were used to discussed more than  peace and unity in the party." Opponents o the  BOT chairman's reconciliation tour  insist that it is not the duty of Chief Anenih to be begging party members like he did with his visit to Governor Rotimi Amaechi because PDP as a party is bigger than any one individual."After all, this is a party that once deregistered its members, don't get me wrong,I'm not advocating for that, but we will not allow any one individual to hold us to ransom no matter how  highly placed or important .The party must be supreme to all members, its policies must be accepted by all who claim to be members of the party  and not some members seeing themselves as more important" a top politician from the North Central fumed. Sources informed that it was as a result of this feeling of being important than the  party that forces loyal to the presidential ambition of President Jonathan decided to cut Governor Amaechi to size by seizing  the party structure  in Rivers State from him using his one time Chief of Staff and presently Minister of  State for Education, It was gathered that most of the party's apparatchiks who support the presidential ambition of the President, think that rather than  Chief Anineh going on a reconciliation tour of the states, the party Chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party ought to have  been empowered fully and exclusively to embark on such a tour. "The chairman of the Board of Trustees  is like a father to all and as such should not get involved in what ought to be the duty of the chairman of the party who is in charge of the day to day activities of the party. So by dabbling into reconciliation tours, Chief Anineh is indirectly undermining Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, creating the impression that he is not effective. This does not augur well for the party when we are not too far from the next election"" a chieftain of the party from the South-South region said. Investigations revealed that it is the alleged inappropriateness of the reconciliation tour that  that has led some members of the party to  suspect that the Chief  Anineh embarked on the tour for his own end. Hence the allegation that the tour was meant to revive the PDM tendency in the PDP  now that battle for who flies the party's ticket in the 2015 is in full swing, in order to foist its agenda on the party. "The agenda is simple, get another presidential candidate ,other than the President to run for office in 2015." a party stalwart revealed. It was gathered that what appears to fuelling speculation that ,Chief Anineh is working for the PDM agenda is a recent text message sent out by a known acolyte of Chief Anineh in Delta State asking for  a financier for the PDM tendency in Delta North (Aniocha area) in Delta State. "This text message started going out immediately Anineh embarked on the tour. How come the coincidence of such a message from  some one so close to him?" asked the source. What appears to be giving credence to the ongoing speculation of a hidden agenda by Chief Tony Anineh  on his tour is that sources in Abuja say the tour was bankrolled by two Ministers in President Jonathan's cabinet who are known to have fallen out with Alhaji Bamanga Tukur over their gubernatorial ambitions in their states. According to PDP sources the Ministers wanted the PDP National chairman to support them in their bid to hijack their state  executives of the  party in pursuance of their gubernatorial ambitions  without due process but Alhaji Bamanga refused. Investigations revealed that among stakeholders in the PDP,it was only one elder of the party from the South-South region  who confronted Chief Tony Anineh on why he was embarking on a reconciliation tour  when the chairman of the party had just concluded one ,pointing out to him that such a move is divisive at a time the opposition is trying to come together. " The elder told him pointedly that going on reconciliation tours of the states was not one of his duties as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party. He told him that he was undermining the Chairman and the NWC of the party by such an action and therefore he should not do that again and give the chairman maximum support to ensure that President Jonathan emerges as the presidential candidate of the party as well as become the president in 2015 elections" an influential member of the party informed.