Political Economist

Top Menu

  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us

Main Menu

  • Local News
  • World News
  • Business & Economy
  • Sports
  • Commentaries
  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us

logo



Political Economist

  • Local News
  • World News
  • Business & Economy
  • Sports
  • Commentaries
  • AstraZeneca recognised as a Top Employer in South Africa, Kenya in 2021

  • New Report on African media shows western sources dominate how the continent’s story is told

  • COVID-19: Community health workers must be better supported in 2021, the Year of the Healthcare Worker – global health technology experts 

  • WIKE MAKES HISTORY, OTHERS MAKE EXCUSES; BY PAULINUS NSIRIM

  • Still too early to gauge how AfCFTA will affect sports, entertainment industry – Centurion Law Group

Press Releases
Home›Press Releases›N-Power Provides Technology-Driven Education beyond Traditional Classrooms to Boost Knowledge-Driven Economy – VP Osinbajo

N-Power Provides Technology-Driven Education beyond Traditional Classrooms to Boost Knowledge-Driven Economy – VP Osinbajo

By Admin
November 18, 2018
339
0

 

 

 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

 

 

Given the radical changes that technology has brought to bear in both the challenges and opportunities in education, the N-Power employment scheme of the Buhari administration provides a technology platform to train teachers quickly and efficiently, aside from the traditional training institutes, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, as Visitor to the University of Ibadan, stated this on Saturday on the occasion of the University’s 2018 Convocation and 70th Foundation Day Ceremony.

Noting that the N-Power programme of this administration is technology driven, the Vice President said, “N-Power, our employment and skills training programme, now employs 500,000 young men and women who were hired using a technology platform developed by young Nigerians.”

“We have had the collaboration of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Oracle Academy, Microsoft, Cisco Academy and IBM.  How do we train teachers quickly and efficiently, aside from traditional teacher training institutes which must be refitted to deal with new technology-driven pedagogy? We must use technology platforms to train. We have had a few eye openers in this regard when we launched our N-Power programme.”

Continuing, he said, “we trained them and provided materials for continuous training using our open platform and each of them was provided with an electronic tablet which contains a lot of training and teaching materials for the large number who teach in schools in every local government in Nigeria.”

Prof. Osinbajo noted that in the next few years, both teacher training and teaching will be largely driven by technology; with university education, especially scientific research, made easy by virtual reality and Artificial intelligence tools.

According to the VP, “there are four big issues that call for incisive thinking, the first is the population challenge and opportunities. By 2050, Nigeria will be the third most populous country and over 60% will be under 25.

“The second is climate change and the threat of desertification. The third is the education challenge. That is, how to chart a course for educating this generation of young people for the competitive globalized knowledge economy. Also, how do we equip teachers with the skills required and, in the numbers, required? How do we fund education to prevent the slide in standards in the past two decades and the frequent disruptions of the educational calendar due to strikes?”

The Vice President further said, “the current gaps in educational attainment in the country has made it clear that we had to change both the substance of education our children receive and the methods by which they are taught. The early stage investment in primary and secondary school education is key to becoming a knowledge-driven economy.”

“Our policy is to develop and introduce STEAM education – Science Education, Engineering, Arts and Math – curriculum in primary and secondary schools. This curriculum covers training in Skills in cross disciplinary, critical and creative thinking, problem solving and digital technologies, coding, digital arts, design thinking, and robotics.”

While reiterating that education cannot be left to Government alone, Prof.  Osinbajo stressed that none of the world’s leading Universities depend wholly or even substantially on government funding, adding that all have evolved innovative means of financing and investment, to meet their funding needs and become financially sustainable.

He also added that one of the solutions that must be explored is the alumni network, noting the University of Ibadan’s vast alumni network, by virtue of its age and the breadth of its academic offerings.

“Amongst other options we are working on the details of an education infrastructure bond for public universities, to involve raising money from the capital markets to give a push to infrastructure in our universities.

“Our ongoing talks with ASUU are a fallout of the chequered history of negotiations concluded in 2013 with government. There is no question that ASUU has a point. However, we must seek to resolve it amicably and with minimum disruption to the academic calendar,” the VP stated.

While congratulating notable personalities that were conferred with honorary degrees and fellowships of the university, Prof. Osinbajo also joined a host of other dignitaries to pay glowing tributes the University.

According to him, “there are many great successes and spectacular failures, but we have by and large run our show, warts and all. In those years, UI and our nation were defined by the many icons of scholarship and social activism; Wole Soyinka (who would win the Nobel prize for Literature in 1986), Chinua Achebe, John Pepper Clark, Chukwuemeka Ike; the pioneering work in research and teaching of history led by Prof Kenneth Onwuka Dike. The Ibadan school of history series was crucial in ensuring an accurate and nuanced interpretation of African history.

“UI was also to later develop its own world-acclaimed academics in various disciplines — J. F. Ade Ajayi (history), Akin Mabogunje (geography), Ayo Bamgbose (linguistics), the late Prof Benjamin Osuntokun (Medicine), Emeritus Prof Ayo Banjo (English), C. Agodi Onwumechili (physics), among many others.

“Even in its earlier days, UCH, UI’s medical school, attracted students from across the world, including residency candidates from the US, and up till now is a Centre of Excellence for Neurosciences, which carried out, a few years ago, the first awake Brain Surgery on a female patient with brain tumour.”

Other eminent Nigerians who spoke at the occasion were Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi; Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd); the Chancellor of the University and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III; and Pro-Chancellor, Nde Joshua Waklek. Many other dignitaries were also present including first class traditional rulers and goodwill messages were given by visiting chancellors of other universities.

TagsAbiola AjimobiAgodi OnwumechiliAkin MabogunjeAlhaji Sa’ad AbubakarGen. Yakubu GowonMuhammadu BuhariOsinbajoOyo StateP-Power
Previous Article

Nigeria’s Farmcrowdy, Kobo360, 12 Others, Win Big ...

Next Article

Oil Producers Retaliate Against Trump’s Iran Sanctions ...

Related articles More from author

  • Local News

    Police Seal Off Onnoghen’s Office

    January 28, 2019
    By Admin
  • Local News

    More Nigerians hail Buhari over Abiola, June 12, knock Obasanjo

    June 7, 2018
    By Admin
  • Local News

    More PDP bigwigs endorse Turaki for Presidential ticket, cite ‘zero corruption’

    August 28, 2018
    By Admin
  • Local News

    I’m seeking re-election because Nigerians appreciate my achievements – Buhari

    April 11, 2018
    By Admin
  • Local News

    Reduce checkpoints on Federal highways – Senate tells IGP

    December 5, 2019
    By Admin
  • Local News

    APC Appoints Presidential Campaign Team for Women, Youths to Support Buhari, Osinbajo Re-election

    January 1, 2019
    By Admin

You may be interested

  • Muhammadu Buhari
    Local News

    MTEF: FG Projects 2.3m bpd Oil Production At $60pb Oil Benchmark

  • , Dr Haroun Hamzat
    Local News

    10 persons test positive for Covid-19 in Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s official residence

  • Local News

    Election Security: Land Borders Shut, Vehicular Movement to Be Restricted, Saturday

logo

Political Economist is a liberal news magazine with global affiliations.

We promote free enterprise and act as a catalyst for the growth of knowledge economy. We are proudly pan-Nigeria yet richly spiced with African and global news. We offer a fair and balanced news reportage presented by our team of well-heeled professional journalists...

About us

  • 5 Olutosin Ajayi Street, By CPM Church, Ajao Estate, Lagos State, Nigeria
  • +234 805 680 1124
  • info@politicaleconomistng.com
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Nigeria

    FG engages 77,400 youth volunteers on Clean Nigeria Campaign

    By Admin
    January 27, 2021
  • vaccines

    COVID-19: Suspend spending N10bn on vaccines production, provide specific detailed plan – NASS ells Ministry ...

    By Admin
    January 27, 2021
  • Naira Marley

    Alleged Cyber Fraud: Court admits CD as evidence in resumed trial of “Naira Marley”

    By Admin
    January 27, 2021
  • SUBEB

    Delta SUBEB begins training of 9,260 teachers in different skills

    By Admin
    January 27, 2021
  • Jonathan Sacks IGP Abba, Appoints Arase

    By Admin
    April 21, 2015
  • Zinox iPower Inverter Claws to Market Dominance

    By Admin
    November 24, 2014
  • Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

    By Admin
    April 24, 2017
  • Your Kidney is Your Life, Watch Your Lifestyle, Counsels Dr. Amira

    By Admin
    February 27, 2015
  • Justopec
    on
    April 24, 2017

    Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

    Good one for the ...
  • Justice Shedrack
    on
    April 24, 2017

    Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

    Nice
  • Anonymouse
    on
    February 8, 2017

    Qatar Airways makes history, completes first longest non-stop flight of 16 hours from Doha to New ...

    This is nice...
  • Justice Shedrack
    on
    January 19, 2017

    Confusion in Gambia, Jammeh stays put, Barrow to be sworn in at Gambia embassy in Senegal

    Na wa ooooo

Find us on Facebook

Follow us

  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
© Copyright Political Economist. All rights reserved.