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CIEPUK partners HIPDET to provide 1,000 scholarships to Nigerian students

Published

1 year ago

June 1, 2023

The Chartered Institute of Educational Practitioners United Kingdom (CIEPUK) is set to partner
the Higher Institute for Professional Development and Training (HIPDET) to provide no fewer than 1,000 scholarships to students in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that HIPDET is a private, independent, non-profit vocational and higher education provider incorporated in Bamenda, Cameroon.

HIPDET offers vocational and higher education programs leading to the award of Vocational qualifications Diploma, Higher National Diploma, Bachelor degree, Postgraduate Diploma, Master Degree, MBA, DBA and PhD.

Prof. Marcel Ezenwoye, the National President of CIEPUK in Nigeria, told NAN on Thursday in Abuja that plans have been concluded by the institute to partner and expand the activities of the HIPDET in the country.

Ezenwoye said that the benefits acrued to the partnership between CIEPUK and HIPDET was unquantifiable, adding that it will help provide no fewer than 1,000 scholarships to students in the country.

He explained that the partnership involved
the launching of an NGO, known as HIPDET University Education Foundation in the country.

He stressed that the NGO had been officially launched in the country and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under the chairmanship of CIEPUK President, Ezenwoye with its office headquarters at 39A, First Avenue, Gwarimpa.

“This is an international NGO registered with the American Secretary of State in New Jersey.

“They have established a similar university foundation in Cameroon, called HIPDET University and now the NGO has come to stay in Nigeria.

“HIPDET University Education Foundation has formally been registered and approved by CAC as an NGO in Nigeria.

“This is a goodnews as through their partners CIEPUK, scholarships programmes will be run for the first 1,000 students.

“By this also, we are now entitled to source for funds, borrow monies, appeal to philanthropists and receive freewill donations from both local and International donors,” he said.

The don noted that the objectives of the foundation was primarily to encourage and promote accessible, affordable and inclusive education, targeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

“We want to ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.

“It also aims to promote scholarship schemes across tertiary institutions in Africa.

“People who are out of school as ŵell as vulnerable children are all encouraged to come and register with CIEPUK so that they can be sent back to school.

“We provide scholarships, especially for tertiary institutions. The idea is to ensure that nobody is left out roaming around the street while other pupils are in the school studying.

“Parents who have got no money to finance their children’s education should approach and apply through CIEPUK.

He solicited for the support of religious organisations such as the Catholic Men and Women’s Organisations as well as religious leaders of both the Islamic and Christian faith to encourage their followers to apply for the scholarship.

He said also eligible for the scholarship were both serving and retired police, army, immigration, civil defence, road safety officers and other stakeholders.

He stressed that children whose parents do not have enough funds to further their education and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as the vulnerable youths and widows were not left out. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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NAPTIP Restates Commitment To Fighting Human Trafficking

Published

2 days ago

July 25, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

… decries corruption in law enforcement, weak legislation

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, has pledged the agency’s commitment to fight human trafficking.

Waziri-Azi gave the assurance during an anti-corruption radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, in Abuja.

The commitment by NAPTIP follows an investigative report by Human Angle Media exposing how many Nigerians trafficked to Egypt are inhumanely treated and exploited by their sponsors.

Represented by the agency’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Mrs. Kehinde Akomolafe, decried the rising number of Nigerians who are victims of trafficking, pledging that “NAPTIP is fighting on all sides to curb human trafficking.”

Akomolafe disclosed that the agency is aware of the report of Nigerians trafficked to Egypt and has already commenced interventions to rescue them while warning citizens to be wary of “offers that are too good to be true.”

She identified weak legislation, lengthy judicial processes, and corrupt law enforcement officials as factors aiding and abetting trafficking in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world.

“Corruption is endemic and cuts across other countries of the world, and that’s why trafficking is easily perpetrated in Nigeria and around the globe. You find law enforcement officials aiding and abetting traffickers. Some of them know these traffickers from their operations either at the entry or exit point. They give them something or become too familiar with them.

“Apart from the bribery aspect, we also have officials turning a blind eye to trafficking activities, and that’s why for us at the agency (NAPTIP), we are not resting.”

According to her, the agency, from inception, secured 672 convictions, 67 in 2023, and 35 persons so far this year (2024). She added that “NAPTIP is winning the war against trafficking but still wants stiffer punishment for traffickers and the support of the judiciary in hastening cases.

“weak legislation is aiding trafficking. That’s why the agency continues pushing for amendments. Currently, NAPTIP is pushing for stiffer punishment against traffickers that will lead to confiscation of their monies and property.

“NAPTIP Director-General (Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi) is fighting on all sides against human trafficking.

“Where law enforcement officials are found complicit, NAPTIP Director-General does not take it lightly; she doesn’t compromise her anti-corruption stance even when a staff is involved,” Akomolafe stated.

According to the Editor of Southern Operations, Human Angle Media, Kabir Adejumo, many Nigerians trafficked to Egypt engage in forced labour. They are also living in fear as authorities go after illegal immigrants.

Adejumo said victims interviewed during the investigation are willing and interested in returning home, but their sponsors refuse to release their travel passports and threaten to implicate them.

He also revealed that the NAPTIP and Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) are aware of the plight of Nigerians trafficked in Egypt and have currently rescued one person.

On her part, the Programme Manager of the Human Angle Foundation, Angela Umoro-David, expressed satisfaction at NAPTIP’s response to trafficking cases while urging the agency to stay on course with their mandate.

Umoro-David called on Nigerians to use a Freedom of Information platform (foi.humananglemedia.com) to help citizens navigate requests for public records from different government parastatals and agencies.

She stressed that the platform “is a website where people can submit their FOI requests to us (Human Angle), and we’ll submit it on their behalf to the particular agency. So we act as middlemen, connecting these government parastatals to the citizens”.

Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation

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