Education

FCT Teachers’ Strike: Minister Meets With Union

Published

3 years ago

November 19, 2021

…We Will Go Back To The Classroom Without Waste Of Time –Nut Chairman

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has chaired a meeting between the FCT Administration and the leadership of the FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers that have embarked on a 5 day warning strike to press home demands for enhanced security in schools and payment of arrears of promotion benefits for teachers.

The meeting which was held in the office of the Minister was attended by the senior management officers of the FCTA and heads of some security agencies in the FCT.

The NUT leadership was briefed by heads of security agencies in the FCT made up of the FCT Commissioner of Police Mr Babaji Sunday, State Director of the DSS, Mr Ado Muazu and the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Peter Maigari. They said measures were being taken to improve the security situation in schools.

On the strike action embarked upon by the NUT for the payment of arrears of promotion benefits for teachers for the years of 2016-2018, the Minister informed the union members that the efforts will be made to pay all the promotion benefit arrears of the teachers before the end of the year, following the Permanent Secretary’s submission that all arrears for 2016 had already been paid and those for 2017 were scheduled for payment between November and December of 2021.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, the NUT Chairman, Comrade Stephen Knabayi said that the Union appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and assurances from the FCT Minister that all efforts will be made to protect the lives and properties of teachers and students within the FCT.

He also expressed the appreciation of the union to the Minister for the pronouncement on the payment of promotion arrears of 2017 and 2018 before the end of the year.

Speaking on the return of teachers to the classroom, the NUT chairman said “from this meeting and from all the resolutions we will go back without waste of time”

He also appealed to the FCT Minister to intervene in the payment of arrears of LEA teachers under the administration of the Area Councils.

In a similar vein, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola said “it was agreed that for us in the FCT, the allowances of our teachers will be paid for 2017, since 2016 had already been paid and that consideration should also be given to prioritizing payment for those in the teaching profession of 2018 before the end of the year.

Also in attendance at the meeting were Margaret Jethro, Secretary, FCT NUT, Dr Mohammed Bashir, Director of Human Resources Management, FCTA, Mr Abdulrazak Leramo Ag Secretary for Education and Dr Abdulateef Bello, Ag Director of Security, FCTA and other senior officials of the FCTA.

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Education

NGO Seeks For Partnership In Building Young Talents in Robotics Skill

Published

6 days ago

January 29, 2025

The Gleamer

Mariam Sanni

The Founder of Coderina EDTECH, Olajide Ajayi has emphasized the need for broader stakeholder involvement in building young talent in robotics, coding and digital skills, particularly from the corporate and non -profit sectors, to enhance the program’s impact.

Ajayi said this in an interview with pressmen at the opening ceremony of 2024/2025 First LEGO League Nigeria championship in Robotics held in Abuja .

He explained that the program is aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent in robotics, coding, and digital skills.

According to him, the program was initiated in 2012 and expanded in 2016 through a partnership with the Ministry of Education, has inspired over 10,000 students and influenced educational policies.

He added that the initiative has also motivated students to create their own organizations and tech solutions, highlighting the importance of problem-solving and critical thinking in innovation

“Students are not only learning but also creating solutions to community problems, such as the Emmanuel robot created by Federal Government Girls College. The program has led to the creation of new organizations and companies by participants, and many seek mentoring to scale their solutions globally.

“Critical thinking and the ability to see problems as opportunities for innovation are key to solving challenges.The program encourages participants to think critically and create solutions to real-world problems. Innovation happens when individuals can identify and resolve challenges in their communities.

He identified the Federal Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, as well as the Ministry of Science and Technology, as key stakeholders, calling for more partnership with the agencies.

He said that increased involvement from these stakeholders would benefit the program and its participants.

Ajayi reiterated that the program aims to continue growing and inspiring more young people to create and innovate with technology.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa who was represented by the Director of Technology and Science Education, Dr MA Olodo during his welcome address at the event, said the the programme is showcasing the outstanding achievement of young minds who have worked tirelessly to design, build and programme robots.

He added that it is also a powerful platform that encourages participants to tackle real-world problems through innovative, teamwork, impact and discovery .

“The competition’s four core elements – Research , Robot Design, Core , Values and the Robot Game – highlight the diverse skills required to excel in the AI – driven World. It is my hope that every team here has not only advanced their technical skills but also cultivated critical life skills such as teamwork , problem- solving and resilience,” he stated.

He urged all stakeholders to support the winners in their journey to represent Nigeria at the International Championship , noting that this will create life changing opportunities for the young innovators.

The competition is among 1000 participants who are young talents and over 40 secondary schools across the country .

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