Thursday 30 June 2016

Samsung unveils interactive whiteboard solution


Samsung Electronics has launched its new interactive whiteboard, an integrated all-in-one digital solution designed to help schools, governments and corporate organisations enhance learning and productivity. 
Samsung Electronics has launched its new interactive whiteboard, an integrated all-in-one digital solution designed to help schools, governments and corporate organisations enhance learning and productivity.
Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Changwook Lee, said the highly connected device with unique display solution, delivers convenience and compatibility through an upgraded design and enhanced functionality.
He added that the devise was effective in teaching and learning environments, decision-making, business processing, costs and risk reduction, and boosting business performance of workforce.
He said, “At Samsung, we understand the unique challenges that owners face when it comes to selecting and implementing technology. This product was built to address the market’s need for a cost-effective, easy-to-manage, professional-grade solution that is better suited for these environments. With the interactive whiteboards, we are giving schools, corporate organisations and governments the power to optimise communication infrastructure to interact better, making meeting rooms and classrooms highly intuitive for use by every individual.”
Available in 65, 75 and 82-inch display models, the interactive boards help to deliver flexible and complete offering that enhance the teaching environment and elevate learning, while enhancing employee and customer communication, collaboration and interaction in organisations.
Head, IT Business, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Anu-Rotimi Agboola, said the interactive white board features an integrated touch screen, which helps simplify content delivery. “The large 82” screen also helps users maximise readability in meeting rooms or classrooms. All these features, among others, make the solution a must-have for schools and corporate organisations.”

Tuesday 28 June 2016

NNPC promotes science education


The Coordinator, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation annual quiz,  Olutayo Sanni, says the programme promotes science education among pupils in the country.
He said this at the Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi Aba, venue of the 2016 edition of the competition, in the South-West.
He said it was only through the promotion of science that the nation would develop its technological capabilities and become a major player in the comity of nations.
He said the competition involved senior secondary pupils who offered science subjects.
He said, “The quiz has been getting positive responses from public and private schools across the country. We are targeting SS 2 pupils offering science subjects.
“This is to prepare them for the promotional examinations and other relevant examinations, such as the National Examination Council, West African Examinations Council and Joint Admissions Matriculation Board.
“The importance of science cannot be over-emphasised. Without technology, no country can develop. That is why we are focusing on the promotion of science in our quiz.”
In the South-West, Lagos State scored 65 marks to beat their Ogun State counterparts, who scored 60. Ganiyu Olayinka, Joseph Samuel and Ijezie Ifeanyi represented Lagos State.

IT, technical education, engine of economic growth – Ngige



Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige
Ozioma Ubabukoh
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said that Information Technology, technical education and training are the engine of economic growth and development.
He stated this on the 25th graduation ceremony of the Nigerian Bottling Company’s Technical Training Centre in Lagos, saying that national development could not be achieved without well-equipped IT, technical and vocational training institutions.
“Investment in technical and skill training is, no doubt, a key thing for any nation that wishes to compete effectively in the emerging global market place,” the minister said.

He added, “This is in consideration of the fact that the leading factors of production in the emerging global economy have been found to be technology, knowledge, creativity, and innovation.”
Represented by a zonal director in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Ifeoma Igweze-Anyawutaku, the minister said on the occasion that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration remained committed to providing the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“In line with the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Labour, we remain committed towards doing everything possible to maintain industrial peace and harmony,” he said.
The NBC Technical Training Centre, which was established in 1996, has graduated over 700 students and trained over 5000 technical trainees, according to the firm.
In urging the fresh graduates to succeed, Ngige said, “It is truly very heart-warming to know that a set of 14 graduate trainee engineers and 18 technicians are being graduated today.
“Let me remind you that success should not be a one-time thing, but should be seen as an all-time thing. As such, you should strive to always do the right thing all the time, and you will then find success following you all the time, too.”
He added, “The knowledge and skills you have acquired from the Nigerian Bottling Company Technical Training Centre should be utilised to the full advantage of not only yourselves, but to that of the organisation you work for too.”
Meanwhile, the Managing Director, NBC, Ben Langat, said that from 2012, the TTC began to support the Lagos State Government in delivering training programmes in technical colleges in the state.

Minister orders refund of post-UTME fees


Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu has directed all tertiary institutions that have conducted post-UTME examination to immediately refund money taken from candidates.
The minister has also declared that post-UTME examinations already taken are null and void; threatening that any institution caught still conducting the examination under any guise would be sanctioned.
The minister made this position known yesterday, in a press statement issued by Deputy Director Press and Public Relations, Ben Bem Goong. The strong-worded statement reiterated the Ministry’s position that post-UTME examinations have been cancelled with immediate effect and no institution should conduct such examinations. The minister warned that once the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has certified a candidate worthy of admission into any of the tertiary institutions, that candidate must be deemed fit by the institution.
According to the statement, students who have already been offered admission by JAMB may be screened by the institutions but this must not involve the conduct of any other entry examination. The candidates can be screened by verifying their certificates but not through the conduct of examinations.
The minister stated that it is unnecessary to subject students to further examinations when they have been offered examinations by JAMB since they will still have to go through between eight or 12-semester examinations throughout their four to six years study in the institutions.
The minister, therefore, directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) and appropriate departments in the Ministry to communicate the directive to relevant agencies and institutions to ensure strict compliance.
“Those who have already advertised for the conduct of the Post-UTME under any guise should stop the exercise immediately as any university caught conducting Post-UTMNE will face appropriate sanctions. If any tertiary Institution has already conducted Post-UTME, such an exercise stands annulled and money taken from such candidates must be refunded immediately”, the Minister said.
The directive to stop the post-UTME examinations was given by the minister nearly a month ago. The minister said through the statement that it was important to emphasise the directive in order to ensure that no stakeholder is left in doubt as to government’s position on the matter.
He affirmed that the responsibility for admission into public tertiary institutions lies solely with JAMB and under no circumstance whatsoever, should anybody or institution take over that responsibility by proxy.
“The ban is with immediate effect, and under no circumstance should any institution violate the directive”.
“Any educational institution after secondary education is regarded as a tertiary institution. Therefore all tertiary institutions, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Universities or by whatever name it is called after secondary education must be subjected to admission through the JAMB. At the end of probationary admission by JAMB, the candidates can be cleared (screened) for final admission. For any institution with a shortfall in admission, such institution can revert to JAMB for supplementary admission”.
“Clearing in this case (screening) entails only the verification of certificates of the candidates, JAMB scores, and any other physical examination to ensure that such candidates are not cultists. After this, the candidates are qualified for matriculation. Such screening should be at no cost to the parents or students and should be done upon resumption in order to avoid unnecessary travels in search of admission”, the minister said,
For secondary school leavers who are seeking admission into the tertiary institutions, Malam Adamu said that subjecting them to too many examinations all in one year, is traumatic, exploitative and absolutely unnecessary. This is besides the cost of travelling, hotel accommodation and examination fees that parents have to incur in their bid to secure admission for their wards.

Monday 27 June 2016

Impoverishing academicians could stunt national development, educationist war

Student of the Vale College, Ibadan, Oyo State
Director, The Vale College, Ibadan, Oyo State, Mrs. Funso Adegbola, is calling for increased commitment to education and the well-being of educators, especially in the areas of remuneration, redefining approach to learning, investing in learning facilities and human capital development programmes.
According to her, education as a liberating force requires serious commitment and any society that promotes mediocrity and impoverishes the intellectual class can hardly witness growth and national development.
The educationist, who is also a lawyer stressed that government and all concerned must ensure adequate compensation of the group that competes with brain power rather than those that battle with naira power, as that would help influence the kind of change expected in the country.
She said, “Over the years, issues pertaining to teachers/academics have been relegated to the background, particularly their welfare and skills development. When somebody who is a butcher gets to the House of Representative and begins to earn more than a vice chancellor, you have really pulverised the intellectual class. And any nation that does not accord the intellectual class the respect they deserve… when the intellectual class don’t have economic power, then that nation can hardly advance.
And so, we really need an emergency and strong intervention in our education sector, because education is a liberating force and requires serious commitment not just paying lip service.
Adegbola continued, “Is the society feeling the impact of our education system? Are we really solving our developmental challenges? These are some of the issues education should be able to address, and you cannot achieve this unless you empower and motivate the intellectual class. That is the essence of education, and that is what we are working to achieve at Vale College through series of our educational programmes, staff welfare is paramount to us.”
The educationist, who called for strict monitoring of funds in the sector, when it is eventually increased to ensure probity and accountability, said the college established 22 years ago was, “committed to providing holistic secondary education experience by equipping students with invaluable life skills.
“The establishment of The Vale College is a fulfillment of our vision to provide superior educational services with a strong focus on the intellectual, emotional and physical growth of all our students. Our desire is to become the first choice for parents and children who seek an excellent, modern education, boarding or day, in a co-educational environment, based on a rich curriculum, sound discipline, independence of mind and service to the community.”

Publisher decries poor reading culture, seek establishment of more libraries

Chief Executive Officer of Quramo Publishing Limited, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore, with some participants at the Young Readers Literary Morning, which took place in Lagos State… recently
Worried by the poor reading culture among Nigerians students, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Quramo Publishing Limited, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore, has urged governments at all levels to take steps to reverse the trend in the country including the establishment of new libraries.
Speaking at the Young Readers Literary Morning in Lagos State recently, Shasore expressed serious concerns over the dwindling reading culture in the country adding that, “e- reading has come, but books should never be extinct. There is nothing like carrying a book. Even though you get the same information, you don’t stand the risk of the battery going off and you not being able to finish reading your book. Reading is to dwindling but we have to raise the campaign.”
She continued, “Government should also ensure that we have libraries in every institution and towns, and provide a comfortable atmosphere for learning to take place. It is important to have mobile libraries go into the rural areas. It is also not enough to just surf the web, we have to read.”
The publishing house executive, who informed of an ongoing campaign called, “Read More, Write More,” said with the campaign, “we always want to capture the writer in everybody.
We also encourage the younger generations to read more so that they can be valuable citizens to our nation.”
She explained that The Young Readers Literary Morning, was part of a “broader initiative to foster reading culture, and realise the extended benefits of improved literacy among children. This effort has the long-term objective of being part of the push to raise the 61 per cent literacy level of Nigerian adults by targeting children in primary and secondary schools.

Friday 24 June 2016

Features Firm launches educational TV programme for pupils



Image result for Firm launches educational TV programme for pupils

To tackle increasing parents’ concerns over children’s viewing habits and ensure access to decent television channels, RWells Media, has launched a new children channel, “JYB TV” on StarTimes.
The new channel designed to inspire learning, ignite passion and aid total development of young minds between age six and 24, is also geared towards assisting parents who crave moral and ethical entertainment programmes for their growing kids.
The channel, launched by the firm as part of programmes to commemorate the Children’s Day and the Day of the African Child, also aims to address the mounting demand for wholesome indigenous family entertainment.
Managing Director, RWells Media, Mrs. Jibe Ologeh, said, “JYB TV is a 24/7-television station offering indigenous content for children, teenagers and young adults. It is the go to station for quality children’s and youth-oriented programming and promises to deliver wholesome content that will enrich the lives of its viewers.”
StarTimes Marketing Director, Dare Kafar, said the educative, enriching and entertaining Jyb TV is the latest children channel to launch on StarTimes and “it will offer the best in fun and educational programming for the whole family.
From fact highlights, vox pop, health talks, school programmes, talk shows, dramas and debates, Jyb TV will inspire conversation and spark curiosity in young minds.
“It would also enable future leaders learn, find their passion and pursue their dreams on a very local, but enriching, exciting and wholesome platforms that support parents in raising decent champions.”
StarTimes’s programming is available in seven genres: children, documentary, news and current affairs, music, movies and general entertainment, sport and religion.

Thursday 23 June 2016

NYSC DG charges corps’ members on entrepreneurship



Director General of the National Youth Services Corp, Brigadier General Suleiman Zakari Kazaure
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Zakari Kazaure, has charged youths to avail themselves of camp training opportunities in skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development.
Addressing over 2,000 corps members participating in the 2016 Batch ‘A’ Stream II orientation programme at Obubra camp, Cross River State, he stressed that in the absence of white collar jobs, corps members must strive for self-reliance through free skills acquisition programme provided by the Federal Government in the camp.
Kazaure, who said, “A good member of corps members have become employers of labour with various thriving businesses dotting the length and breadth of the nation,” admonished them on good conduct in the discharge of their responsibilities to their various host communities especially, during primary assignment.

The NYSC boss stressed the importance of respecting the tradition of their hosts, just as he urged them to give their best in enhancing community development efforts.
Earlier, the state coordinator of the scheme, Mrs. Ifeoma Anidobi, lauded the comportment and maturity of members of the scheme in the stream, and appealed to the state government for support towards improving the state of infrastructure on the camp.
According to her “this will increase the capacity of the camp for more corps members who will unvaryingly contribute more to grassroots development in the state.

World International Widows Day


Note:

“He that outlives a wife whom he has long loved, sees himself disjoined from the only mind that has the same hopes, and fears, and interest; from the only companion with whom he has shared much good and evil; and with whom he could set his mind at liberty, to retrace the past or anticipate the future. The continuity of being is lacerated; the settled course of sentiment and action is stopped; and life stands suspended and motionless.”
 » Samuel Johnson

Thursday 16 June 2016

Happy International day of the African Children's




Note:
“If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.” -African proverb.
“Educating girls and giving them the tools to shape their own future has an incredible multiplier effect on economic growth. It leads to increased prosperity not just for individuals but for their communities and their societies. It provides returns for decades.” – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Don’t lose focus on education, LASG advises pupils




The Lagos State Governement has called on pupils to fully dedicate their time to learning, saying education remains the only means for them to attain greatness in life.
The Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule, said the government would continue to improve on the quality of education and ensure that all children had free access to basic education irrespective of their socio-economic background.
Adebule, who doubles as the state’s Commsioner for Education, spoke on Tuesday, in Ikeja while commending the winners of the 2016 Spelling Bee Competition, in which pupils from primary and secondary schools across the state particpated.
She said, “I have a sense of fulfillment as the superintendent of the Ministry of Education that Lagos State is delivering on its electoral promises to the people through quality education. I congratulate the winners and participants at all levels.
“I implore our pupils to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the government to work hard and distinguish themselves in their academic pursuits. I want to remind our pupils that education remains the veritable means of attaining greatness. Education helps to prepare and equip individuals for life’s challenges.
“The government will continue to invest heavily in education and also introduce more educational and co-curricular programmes which can further expose pupils’ innate capabilities as we are convinced that education plays an important role in human capital development.”
The wife of the governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, who was represented at the event by Mrs. Kemi Durosinmi-Etti, said the competition was conceived under the New Era Foundation to generate healthy rivalry among pupils of public schools in Lagos State, noting that the vision of its initiator, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had been achieved.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Adesina Odeyemi, said the competition demonstrated government’s resolve to develop education, adding that it was designed to boost pupils’ confidence.
“The ministry and the New Era Foundation have continued to monitor the progress of past winners by guiding and counselling them on the need to stay focused. They have maintained a steady rise in their endeavours,” he added.
In the secondary school category, Olufemi Olaseinde of Shasha Community Senior High School, Alimosho, emerged the overall winner, beating Komolafe Kehinde of Immaculate Heart Senior Secondary School, Kosofe, and Okinbaloye Rashidat, of Ilupeju Senior Grammar School, Ilupeju, to the second and third positions respectively.
In the primary school category, 11-year-old Philip Daniel of Darocha Primary School, Agege, emerged the overall winner while Titus Friday of Anglican Primary School, Ajegunle, and Nafisat Raji of Ahmadiyah Primary School, Yaba, were first and second runners-up respectively. Daniel received N150,000 cash prize and a trophy, while Friday and Raji collected N100,000 and N75, 000 cash prizes with a trophy each.
Following his feat, Olaseinde will be made the state governor for 24 hours and be entitled to the Lagos State Government scholarship to pursue any course of his interest in any university in the country.

Monday 13 June 2016

Arm Trustees develops products for education



In keeping with ARM Trustees Limited’s commitment of helping clients build legacies via transfer of wealth from one generation to the next, the company in a statement on Thursday said it had unveiled products tagged ‘Education Trust and Education Trust Plus’.
The two products, launched recently in Lagos, were aimed at assisting parents and guardians to secure uninterrupted education for their children or wards.
The statement read, “While the Education Trust is used to set aside money specifically for a loved one’s education, the Education Trust Plus combines the Education Trust with a life insurance policy. It allows one to take out a life insurance policy naming the trustee as the beneficiary of the policy.” It added, “Thus, upon demise or incapacity, the trustee can access the benefits of the life insurance and apply same for the education of loved ones. Payment of an annual premium for the life insurance policy will be made from the trust.”
According to the company, either of the two types of trust can comprise a lifestyle component to provide for other needs of beneficiaries such as vacations, excursions and boarding, among others.
The Managing Director, ARM Trustees, Mrs. Folashade Adeloye, was quoted as saying, “The Education Trust and Education Trust Plus are ways to guarantee that education of the intended beneficiaries is uninterrupted.
“We understand how hard you work to provide for the people who are important to you and how much you want to leave a legacy that ensures they are always taken care of. We help you protect and secure the future of your children or wards.”

Government, World Bank earmark $100m to boost basic education in five states

Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education
Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education
The Federal Government and the World Bank have earmarked over $100m for improving access and quality of basic education with active girl-child participation in five northern states.
Speaking at the national launch of Nigerian Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP) Tuesday in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the official flag-off of the project in the country marks a milestone in government’s efforts aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children.
Adamu listed the benefiting states as Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Kaduna.He noted that the four-year project was aimed at improving access and quality of basic education, especially for the girl-children in the country.
Represented by the Minister of State, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, Adamu who noted that the North East has the highest number of out-of-school children in the country, urged the benefiting states to ensure that the funds marked out for the projects were well utilised.
Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in his remarks said his administration had declared a state of emergency in the education sector due to its poor state.
He said that the issues of teacher training and retraining, teacher-welfare and the schools’ feeding programme were among the top provisions under the state of emergency.
Tambuwal assured that funds earmarked for the project would be judiciously utilised. Also speaking, a World Bank representative in the country, Tunde Adekola, said the initiative would be implemented under the Nigeria Partnership For Education Project.

Post-UTME: Requiem for controversial examination, money spinner

Candidates at a typical computer-based test centre
Candidates at a typical computer-based test centre
One year after Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, predicted that the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) would be done away with, the prediction came to pass last week. Expectedly, the development has come with an avalanche of reactions from stakeholders, whose positions have been as divergent as their personalities. While this rages, universities that are also mourning the loss of millions of naira they make from the exercise, just as they claim that academically deficient candidates would once again find their way into universities. On the hand, some stakeholders are applauding government’s decision to put an end to what they consider an aberration, writes ENO-ABASI SUNDAY.
What would make a candidate that is in possession of a breathtaking Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, issued by organisers of the test, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), goofed so badly in a routine session with admission officials in the course of seeking admission into a university remains a puzzle.
In one such situation, in a university in the South West, a pretty lady brandishing a “good-looking” Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) certificate, from an otherwise reputable institution, and an equally good UTME result from JAMB, left admission officers mouth agape, when she displayed immense ignorance as she was asked basic questions about her intended course of study in the university.
Dazed, the admission team changed gear and buffeted her with possible JAMB questions. Of course she still looked completely lost. Convinced that the equally good UTME result she wielded could never have been as a result of her genuine efforts, the school effectively turned down her admission request.

Thursday 9 June 2016

SCHOOL HUNTERS TEACHERS TRAINING WORKSHOP ON TEACHING ETHICS


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Wednesday 8 June 2016

Dogara decries Nigerians’ N1.5tn spending on overseas education

Yakubu Dogara
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said on Monday that an urgent solution must be found to the “over N1.5tn” spent by Nigerians in search of education overseas yearly.
 The speaker admitted that this was an indication that the country’s education sector required immediate overhaul by the Federal Government, the National Assembly and other stakeholders. Dogara spoke in Abuja at the opening of a public hearing on three bills and three motions by the House Committee on Tertiary Education.
One of the bills, which generated interest at the session, was a ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the TETFund ACT 2011’.
The Speaker was represented by the Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, while the committee was chaired by Mr. Aminu Suleiman.
 Dogara said, “The alarming report that Nigerians spend over N500m annually on their children studying in the United States of America and the United Kingdom calls for concern from every Nigerian.
“The House of Represen-tatives is equally worried that over N1.5tn, which is nearly half of the total Federal Government Appropriations in 2015, is spent on Nigerians studying abroad.
 “There is no better time for all hands to work together to overhaul our education sector than now so that this sector can be turned into a source of foreign exchange as is the case with other countries.
 “The House is determined to pursue this goal to fruition in fulfilment of its prescriptions in the Legislative Agenda to make concerted efforts in bringing about the desired change in the sector.”
At the hearing, the management of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund kicked against any plans to include federal colleges of education as beneficiaries of the fund.
The Acting Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr. Aliyu Na’Iya, told lawmakers that including agricultural colleges as beneficiaries would defeat the aim of the fund.
He explained that TETFund was for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, excluding agricultural colleges.
 Na’Iya stated, “The existing Act should be allowed to exist as it is.
 “If amended, it will result in eroding the intervention function and impact of the fund.”
 But, many stakeholders, who thronged the venue of the hearing at the National Assembly, Abuja, disagreed with the TETFund boss.
The majority of them, who were provosts of colleges of agriculture from across the country, argued that non-funding of the colleges by TETFund had denied them of development.
According to the stakeholders, the name “monotechnic”, was coined for the colleges just to allow them to suffer neglect over the years.
 They told the committee that the name was strange as it could not be found in any English Dictionary.
 Meanwhile, academic researchers in Nigeria, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes, on Monday, stormed the National Assembly protesting against their exclusion from the TETFund.
While demanding a review of the TETFund Act, they said the scope of distribution of funds should be extended to all research institutes in the country.
At about 9am, the protesters, numbering over 200 and led by the Secretary-General of ASURI, Dr. Theophilus Ndubuaku, besieged the National Assembly, chanting solidarity songs.
Some of the protesters displayed placards with various inscriptions.
According to the group, despite campaigns for diversification of the economy, government has not deemed it necessary to adequately fund the research institutes sector.

UN ambassador wants early exposure of girl-child to reading, writing

A search for schoolgirls with great efforts

To ensure that girls are properly equipped to contribute meaningfully to societal development, parents and teachers should encourage the girl child to imbibe reading and writing habits at an early age.
United Nations Peace Ambassador, Unyime-Ivy King, while speaking at the Girls Revolution Annual Conference, which took place at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), with the theme, “Girls Education: A Viable Tool for Nation Building,” stressed the all-important role girls play in societal advancement if they are exposed to education early in life.
King, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Heritage Treasure Trove Communication, who spoke on the topic: “Reading Girls are Leading Girls,” said reading is an important building block for learning and a situation where one cannot read because they lack the skills to do so or interest, leads to serious problems in the future. This is because reading plays a very vital role in one’s development as well as the development of the society.
“If you want to participate in modern society in ways that are meaningful, you must be able to read as well as write well. When you develop good reading skills, it enhances the chances of you becoming successful at school and beyond school. Reading is not just for school, but it is also a lifelong process,” King stated

She told the girls that, “Reading empowers you with knowledge that can equip you to rise above poverty. It expands your mind beyond what you know and it enlarges your horizon to see possibilities. Through books, we get to know stories of unknown places, descriptions of places we have not been to, and vivid imagination about other countries that we have not visited
“In order for you to be become a leading girl, you must seek knowledge that will help you to develop yourself. Harry Truman (33rd United States President) said that, ‘not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader.’ If you want to lead, you simply must read. It will help you stand out and also equip you with the qualities you need for leadership,” the peace ambassador stated.
King urged the students to develop the habit of reading good books, including biographies of great people that they admire in life to see what they did to attain the heights they have in life.
On her part, the Youth Ambassador and Project Assistant at Red Cross, Aziza Dangote, who spoke on self-development, encouraged the students to always work their passion and not read books alone.