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Category: Education

  • Seriake Dickson’s brother emerges first PhD holder in family

    Seriake Dickson’s brother emerges first PhD holder in family

    Former Bayelsa State Governor Senator Seriake Dickson has emphasised the importance of education, saying it remains the best investment for human capital development and empowerment.

    Dickson, who spoke in his country home in Toru-Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State while receiving the doctoral degree certificate from his younger brother, Moses Dickson, also said education is the most potent force to fight poverty and improve the lives of citizens.

    The Bayelsa West lawmaker noted that as governor for eight years, he was very intentional with his policies on education, which revolutionised the sector.

    According to him, because of the saying that “charity begins at home”, he has always encouraged his siblings to acquire quality education and has supported them in various ways which is why he is proud that his family from a humble background now has its first PhD holder.

    He said: “Today, I am very excited that my younger brother, who is like my first son, Dr. Moses Oruaze Dickson has officially presented his PhD. degree to me. It is not only historic but very emotional for me.

    “Like others, I have always supported and encouraged him to reach for the skies in his educational pursuit. Education is key to human capacity development. It is the driving force of any society desirous of development, and I have never pretended about my love for education even after leaving the office as governor.

    “I congratulate you on behalf of our family. While this event may look ordinary to most people, it is significant for two reasons: firstly, he is the first PhD. holder in our family, and secondly, for me, it is fulfilling because he, like a son, has done what his father would have loved to do but could not. So, in a way, he has done it on my behalf,” he added.

    Senator Dickson, who is the founder of Hensard University, Toru-Orua, a private university, also urged his younger brother to continue to break more grounds, achieve more feats, assuring him of his support.

    “Let me remind you again what I have always told you for years, that you should go to the depth of the sea and fish; you should learn to fish in deep waters and not to be fishing with the crowd in shallow waters looking for small fishes and crayfish. With this PhD, you should go out to the world and conquer the field of academics and legal practice. I expect you to use this as a stepping stone to become a professor in no distant time or a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), both of which you are capable of.”

    Responding, the younger Dickson said he completed his PhD programme last year at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom but decided not to make it public until he got the opportunity to present the certificate to his brother.

    He explained that he felt it was the right thing to do because as a father figure to him, his brother stood by him right from his first degree in law at the Niger Delta University up to him obtaining three masters degrees and a PhD now.

  • Renowned novelist Mabel Segun dies at 95

    Renowned novelist Mabel Segun dies at 95

    The esteemed Nigerian poet, writer and advocate for children’s literature, Mabel Segun, has died at age 95.

    In a statement, her family expressed gratitude for a life dedicated to excellence, describing her as a versatile media personality who made significant contributions to literature, broadcasting, and sports. They also noted that funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.

    “It is with gratitude to God for a life well spent in the pursuit of excellence in Literature, Broadcasting and Sports that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Mabel Dorothy Okanima Segun (nee Aig-Imoukhuede) in the early hours of the 6th of March 2025,” the statement reads.

    Born in Ondo City on February 13, 1930, Segun completed her secondary education at CMS Girls’ School in Lagos before earning a degree in English, Latin, and History from the University of Ibadan in 1953. She later taught these subjects in Nigerian schools and served as the head of the English and Social Studies department, as well as vice-principal at the National Technical Teachers’ College in Yaba.

    Segun’s literary career spanned multiple genres including children’s literature, adult fiction and poetry. Her debut book, My Father’s Daughter, published in 1965, became a widely used literature text in schools worldwide. Her works have been translated into several languages, including German, Danish, Norwegian and Greek.

    A champion of children’s literature, she founded the Children’s Literature Association of Nigeria in 1978 and later established the Children’s Documentation and Research Centre in Ibadan in 1990. She was also a fellow of the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.

    Segun played a pivotal role in Nigerian literature, co-founding the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) alongside Chinua Achebe in 1981. As a broadcaster, she received the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation’s Artiste of the Year award in 1977. Her contributions to literature were recognised with numerous honours including the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM) in 2009 and the LNG Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2007.

    Beyond her literary and broadcasting achievements, Segun was an accomplished athlete. She was Nigeria’s first female table tennis champion, winning a gold medal in the doubles category in 1954. She remained active in competitive table tennis until the age of 58 and also won a bronze medal in badminton at the Nigerian Regional Championship.

    Segun is survived by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

  • Five letters pass between Abigail and John Adams

    Five letters pass between Abigail and John Adams

    On March 7, 1777, Continental Congressman John Adams writes three letters to and receives two letters from his wife, Abigail. He is with Congress in Philadelphia, while she maintains their farm in Braintree, Massachusetts.

    The remarkable correspondence between Abigail and John Adams—numbering 1,160 letters in total—covered topics ranging from politics and military strategy to household economy and family health. Their mutual respect and adoration served as evidence that even in an age when women were unable to vote, there were nonetheless marriages in which wives and husbands were true intellectual and emotional equals.

    In the second letter John drafted to Abigail on March 7, he declared that Philadelphia had lost its vibrancy during Congress’ removal to Baltimore. “This City is a dull Place, in Comparason [sic] of what it was. More than one half the Inhabitants have removed to the Country, as it was their Wisdom to do—the Remainder are chiefly Quakers as dull as Beetles. From these neither good is to be expected nor Evil to be apprehended. They are a kind of neutral Tribe, or the Race of the insipids.”

    In the letters John received, which Abigail had written in February, she bemoaned not only the difficulty of correspondence during war, but also of the lack of military fervor demonstrated by the New Englanders around her. She wrote that she awaited greater patriotism, greater prosperity and future correspondence from her beloved husband to his devoted Portia. (Portia, Adams’ nickname for his wife was likely a reference to the intelligent and devoted heroine of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.)

  • Writers Guild of America strike begins

    Writers Guild of America strike begins

    After rejecting what the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said was a final offer, representatives of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike for all the union’s members to begin at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on March 7, 1988.

    The origins of the strike went back to late 1987, when producers began demanding that writers accept a sliding scale on residuals–payment received when work is re-broadcast after its original airing–from domestic syndicated reruns of one-hour shows, claiming that syndication prices had dropped. Writers balked at this restriction; they also wanted a bigger share of foreign rights and more creative control over the scripts they were writing. With negotiations stalled, the current contract between the AMPTP and the WGA expired at midnight on March 1, and the strike began a week later.

    Some companies got around the strike by signing interim deals with the WGA, including Carsey-Werner Co., producers of The Cosby Show, who were able to continue production on a new sitcom, Roseanne, which shot to No. 2 in the ratings that season. Near the end of July, after the writers rejected a settlement, the entertainment lawyer Ken Ziffren stepped in to run interference between the two sides of the conflict. Along with the producers’ chief negotiator, Nick Counter, Ziffren got both producers and writers to modify their positions in time for a meeting in early August at the headquarters of the AMPTP in Sherman Oaks, California. Sixteen hours later, the strike was over, after the two sides struck a deal by which producers upped the payment for foreign rights and writers agreed to the sliding scale on syndication residuals.

    Though it came at a relatively opportune time, as the networks were winding down TV production for the summer, the five-month walkout still had an effect. Overall network ratings dropped 4.6 percent that fall from a year earlier, and many viewers began watching cable channels, which were not affected by the strike because they showed little original programming. Overall, the walkout was estimated to have cost Hollywood some $500 million.

    One enduring effect of the strike was the increasing ubiquity of so-called “reality” programming. As networks scrambled to fill the holes in their schedules, they relied on such programs as Unsolved Mysteries, which began as an NBC special but was expanded to a regular series by the network during the strike. Fox’s unscripted police reality series COPS made its debut the following year, and such shows would become increasingly popular during the 1990s.

  • Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is published

    Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is published

    The New Republic publishes Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The poem, beginning with the famous line “Whose woods these are, I think I know. His house is in the village though,” has introduced millions of American students to poetry.

    Like most of Frost’s poetry, “Stopping by Woods” adopts the tone of a simple New England farmer contemplating an everyday site. But Robert Frost was very different from the narrators he created. Long associated with New England and farming, Frost was actually born in California in 1874, where he lived until his father, a journalist, died when he was 11. His mother brought him to Massachusetts, where he graduated as co-valedictorian of his high school class. He attended Dartmouth and Harvard but didn’t complete a degree at either school. Three years after high school, he married his fellow high school valedictorian, Elinor White.

    Frost tried unsuccessfully to run a New England farm, and the family, which soon included four children, struggled with poverty for two decades. Frost became more and more depressed, perhaps even suicidal, and in 1912 he moved his family to England to make a fresh start. There he concentrated on his poetry and published a collection called A Boy’s Will in 1913, which won praise from English critics and helped him win a U.S. publishing contract for his second book, North of Boston (1914). The American public took a liking to the 40-year-old Frost, who returned to the U.S. when World War I broke out and bought another farm in New Hampshire. He continued to publish books and taught and lectured at Amherst, University of Michigan, Harvard, and Dartmouth, and read his poetry at the inauguration of President Kennedy. He also endured personal tragedy when a son died by suicide and a daughter had a mental breakdown.

    Although Frost never graduated from a university, he had collected 44 honorary degrees before he died in 1963.

  • How education can curb crime, drive growth — Oborevwori

    How education can curb crime, drive growth — Oborevwori

    Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has stressed that investing in education plays a vital role in preventing crime.

    Oborevwori added that increased funding in the sector could improve security by reducing criminal activities.

    Speaking during the inspection of the ongoing construction of the Model Technical College, Omadino in Warri South Local Government Area on Thursday, Oborevwori explained that access to quality education would create better opportunities for young people, keeping them away from crime and promote a safer society.

    The governor reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to improving educational infrastructure, supporting teachers, and implementing inclusive learning policies.

    He said, “I have said that education is my priority, and we are using it to checkmate crime. We are doing things that will make people not be involved in criminal activities. Education is very important to us, and I will continue to encourage effective education.”

    Oborevwori assured residents that his administration would continue laying the foundation for the state’s future development, saying, “I want to assure Deltans that we will continue to build on our foundation for future growth and prosperity for Delta State.”

    He highlighted ongoing technical school projects across the state, adding, “There are other technical schools that are ongoing, like the one in Kiagbodo which is ongoing. The one in Bomadi, we have asked the contractor to go back to the site.”

    While expressing dissatisfaction with some aspects of the project, Oborevwori expressed optimism that the contractors would make the “necessary corrections” to ensure quality delivery.

  • Anambra 2025: Students give Soludo 30-day ultimatum to declare interest

    Anambra 2025: Students give Soludo 30-day ultimatum to declare interest

    Awka – Students from various tertiary institutions in Anambra State have issued a 30-day ultimatum to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, demanding that he publicly declare his interest in seeking re-election in the November 8 governorship election.

    Addressing a press conference in Awka, Okoye Matthew Okpala, Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Council in Anambra and convener of Solution Students of Nigeria, emphasized that while the governor’s actions suggest he is interested in a second term, the students want an official announcement without delay.

    According to Okpala, Students’ Union Government (SUG) presidents from all tertiary institutions in Anambra unanimously agreed on the ultimatum, stating they will mobilize a mass protest in the state capital if Soludo does not respond within 30 days.

    “We, the students, previously demanded at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University that Governor Soludo declare his intention to contest for re-election. We sent the message, but we have not heard from him,” Okpala said.

    Instead of making a formal declaration, Okpala noted, Soludo has remained focused on governance, building roads, offering free education and antenatal services, empowering youths through skill acquisition programs, and upgrading infrastructure across the state.

    “He is not even talking about a second term, and that is why we are giving him 30 days to declare his interest. If he fails to do so, all Anambra students will protest in Awka and shut down the state capital.”

    In an unprecedented move, Okpala revealed that students plan to contribute money to purchase Soludo’s nomination form as a demonstration of their support.

    “We have agreed to contribute between N500 and N1,000 each. With over 146,000 students participating, we will raise over N100 million, which is enough to cover the cost of his nomination form.”

    Describing Soludo as the best governor Anambra has ever had, Okpala highlighted key achievements of his administration, including:

    Over 500 kilometers of roads constructed in three years

    Employment of 5,000 quality teachers and 2,500 medical staff

    Construction of five brand-new General Hospitals

    Provision of free Wi-Fi for students in tertiary institutions

    Approval of student loans

    Launch of Agunechemba Security Outfit, which has significantly reduced crime in the state

    “Governor Soludo has transformed Anambra in ways we never imagined. We cannot afford to lose him because we may never see a leader like him again,” Okpala stated.

    With the 30-day countdown now ticking, all eyes are on Governor Soludo to see whether he will heed the students’ call and declare his bid for re-election in 2025.

  • Flogging prohibited in Lagos schools, commissioner insists

    Flogging prohibited in Lagos schools, commissioner insists

    Lagos State Government has reiterated its prohibition of corporal punishment in public schools, emphasising counselling as a more effective disciplinary measure.

    The state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, reaffirmed the stance during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. He stressed that flogging students for indiscipline and other misbehaviours remains strictly prohibited to prevent injuries, fainting or even fatal incidents.

    “There is a policy here in Lagos and other parts of the country prohibiting teachers from giving corporal punishment to students/pupils,” Alli-Balogun stated. “Against flogging, we have adopted counselling as a measure of correction.”

    While endorsing a non-violent approach, the commissioner noted that minor corrective measures such as kneeling, picking up litter or cutting grass within school premises could be employed as alternatives. He described these as part of “positive reinforcement,” a strategy aimed at shaping student behaviour and encouraging desirable outcomes.

    “The idea is to bring to the student’s knowledge, reasons he/she must not misbehave,” he explained. “The counselling is basically to correct.”

    Alli-Balogun attributed most cases of student misbehaviour to poor parental upbringing and urged parents to be more involved in their children’s lives.

    He further noted that since the ban on flogging, discipline among students has improved significantly, with students becoming more conscious of their actions and the potential consequences.

    Lagos State Government officially banned corporal punishment in both public and private schools in 2022. In the same year, it launched the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme in Schools to reinforce child safety and promote alternative disciplinary measures.

  • 60% of adults will be overweight or obese by 2050 – Study

    60% of adults will be overweight or obese by 2050 – Study

    Nearly 60 percent of all adults and a third of all children in the world will be overweight or obese by 2050 unless governments take action, a large new study said Tuesday.

    The research published in the Lancet medical journal used data from 204 countries to paint a grim picture of what it described as one of the great health challenges of the century.

    “The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure,” lead author Emmanuela Gakidou, from the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), said in a statement.

    The number of overweight or obese people worldwide rose from 929 million in 1990 to 2.6 billion in 2021, the study found.

    Without a serious change, the researchers estimate that 3.8 billion adults will be overweight or obese in 15 years — — or around 60 percent of the global adult population in 2050.

    The world’s health systems will come under crippling pressure, the researchers warned, with around a quarter of the world’s obese expected to be aged over 65 by that time.

    They also predicted a 121-percent increase in obesity among children and adolescents around the world.

    A third of all obese young people will be living in two regions — North Africa and the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean — by 2050, the researchers warned.

    But it is not too late to act, said study co-author Jessica Kerr from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia.

    “Much stronger political commitment is needed to transform diets within sustainable global food systems,” she said.

    That commitment was also needed for strategies “that improve people’s nutrition, physical activity and living environments, whether it’s too much-processed food or not enough parks,” Kerr said.

    More than half the world’s overweight or obese adults already live in just eight countries — China, India, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt, the study said.

    While poor diet and sedentary lifestyles are clearly drivers of the obesity epidemic, “there remains doubt” about the underlying causes for this, said Thorkild Sorensen, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen not involved in the study.

    For example, socially deprived groups have a “consistent and unexplained tendency” towards obesity, he said in a linked comment in The Lancet.

    The research is based on figures from the Global Burden of Disease study from the IHME, which brings together thousands of researchers across the world and is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

  • Tompolo’s Tantita unveils 250-seater JAMB CBT centre

    Tompolo’s Tantita unveils 250-seater JAMB CBT centre

    It was a moment of jubilation in the riverine communities of Ogulagha Kingdom in the Niger Delta as Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited formally inaugurated the refurbished and upgraded Sologha Ekpemukpolo JAMB Computer-Based Test  Centre on Monday.

    Stakeholders hailed the initiative as a major enhancement to educational infrastructure in Delta State’s riverine communities.

    The project, part of TSSNL’s corporate social responsibility, includes the provision of 250 brand-new HP laptops, Starlink internet services, and a solar inverter system to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.

    Originally donated by Shell Petroleum Development Company in 2012 as an ICT hub, the center has now been fully transformed into a JAMB-accredited CBT facility.

    Speaking at the event, Victor Isereke, who has been associated with the facility since its inception, detailed the upgrades.

    “Tanita has renovated the entire facility, painted it, and replaced all the computer systems with 250 brand-new computers. They also built toilet facilities, provided Starlink internet services, and installed a solar inverter system to reduce dependence on diesel,” he said.

    The process of converting the center into a JAMB-accredited CBT facility began in 2021, spearheaded by the lawmaker representing Burutu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Julius Pondi.

    Recognizing the challenges faced by students from riverine areas—who previously had to travel long distances to hinterlands for examinations—Pondi pushed for a local JAMB center.

    Despite initial resistance due to its location, his efforts eventually led to its approval and subsequent upgrades to meet JAMB’s standards.

    Expressing gratitude to TSSNL,  Pondi, represented by his Senior Legislative Aide, Tonkiri Apu, lauded the initiative.

    “Upgrading the Ogulagha JAMB Centre to an international standard makes education more accessible to our people in rural areas. Our students no longer need to cross the high sea to write JAMB; now, they can do it at their doorstep,” he said.

    Ogulagha Community Chairman, Mr. Daniel Okebor, also expressed his appreciation and pledged to safeguard the facility.

    “We will do everything within our power to preserve it. Security measures have been put in place to ensure that nobody vandalizes this place,” Okebor assured.

    Local students shared their excitement over the development.