How to Celebrate the World English Language Day

 Today, 23rd April 2024 is celebrated as the World English Language Day. It coincides with Williams Shakespeare’s birthday (the Bard and Avon of literature) and the World Book and Copyright Day.

I am sure many people are not aware of this important day. This day is very significant in the UN’s calendar because English Language is one of the two working languages (the other is French) of the UN secretariat and one of the organization’s six official languages. 

Why is this day important?

English Language is spoken in over eighty-eight (88) countries of the world. In Africa, twenty-four (24) countries use the English Language as their official Language. 

English is often referred to as a “World Language” or the lingua franca (bridge language or common language used by speakers of different languages) of the modern era because it is widely spoken. Since Nigeria is an English-speaking country, celebrating this auspicious even is very important. 

The UN first celebrated English Language Day On April 23, 2010. Since then, this event has been commemorated annually without a break. 

What is the aim of the World English Day?

As you know, there is nothing without purpose. The world English Language Day become an important event in the UN’s international calendar to:

To entertain (serve some recipes, a la carte about English –see some drama scenes, movies, entertainment in English. 

Inform people about history (how much do you know about the English culture, how our English came to us, people referred to as the native English speakers, etc.? This is one important feature of this day. 

Know about the culture and achievements associated with the English Language. 

How to create and promote the English Day

Celebrating this day is very important. But the question is: How do we celebrate this day?

- Watch English movies 

- Play word game like Scrabble, SmartAleck, Grammarfunbia, etc. 

- Listen to news on BBC, CNN, FOXTV, VON, Channel, Arise, TVC. 

- Do Wordquest

- Organize English Quiz and ask student to name the English-speaking countries 

- Organize debate, impromptu speech and award students 

- Include this day in your school calendar and no vernacular, Pidgin English or any other languages should be spoken on this day. Fine offenders or violators by asking them to pay a fine (the class captain, prefect, year tutor could be in charge of this and decide what to do with this money afterwards).

- Organize an essay writing competition and award, student(s) with the best written essay(s). You could have first prize, second prize, and third prize. 

- Appoint English Ambassador or Master English, Miss English, (or whatever name you choose to call them). These people should be proficient English speakers and those toping the grade in English Language/ English Studies. 

-  Get your students to research fun facts about English and present them to the class.

- Start a vocabulary book of useful words 

- Write a novel, playlet or memoir.

- Send SMS, WhatsApp chat in correct English and with the right spellings (not in abbreviated form). 

- Do more inquiry about English Language culture, etymology of words, vocabulary. Curiosity doesn’t really kill the call. The cat actually killed Curiosity!

- Speak right, pronounce correctly. In fact, be conscious of your pronunciation.

- Learn new words, write them in your vocabulary book, look up the meaning of these new words in your dictionary and try to use them to construct sentences. 

- Be a custodian of the English Language. Correct any incorrect English (spoken or written) and encourage others (students, teachers, prefects) to do the same. 

- Visit home of the native English people, the United Kingdom, Ireland, stay with families, learn the English culture, visit some historical places, take pictures, selfies and have fun.

- Parents could take their children for shopping, buy them novels, English books and give them a treat to celebrate this day. 

Why the theme on “Multilingualism” and Using Technology? 

The theme for this year’s World English Language Day, “Using Technology for Multilingual Learning: challenges and opportunities” is well – crafted, apt and timely. 

Since the world is a global village, it is sine qua non that we understand the complex diversities of our world. The internet and social media give us the limitless access to connect to many people called, ”Netzines”.  Your online friend might come from China, Trinidad & Tobago, Sierra Leone or Kenya. How do you flow with this person if you don’t have a lingua franca or common language? One Important feature of culture is “language”. That is why the English Language is the tool of commerce, trade and cultural identity. It is the number one official language of the UN. 

As I write this piece, the number of people who are literate in English is also a concern. That is why the UN is promoting the mass literacy programme. 

Technology is another important point in this year’s theme. We cannot overemphasize the importance of technology for classroom instruction and to prepare our learners for the world of work- in fact for the challenges of this digital age. Computer literacy is now becoming an “Old School”. We learnt than over twenty years ago, before the millennium bug. Now, the world is talking about AI (Artificial Intelligence). 

As a teacher, how competent are you with the use of technology? Are you familiar with Google Education? There are also a lot of things for teachers and educator to do with Microsoft. Are you familiar with these tools?

Very soon the old method of writing lesson notes (on notebooks) will soon be phased out. Very soon, you will soon be going to the classroom with your notepad, I-pad, tablet or your smartphones (i-phone) installed with all kinds of educational apps to make learning more interactive and fun-loving. How prepared are you for this imminent challenge? 

In a very short time, the white-board (using marker or chalkboard) would soon be phased out too. Some schools are procuring the multi-media projector to teach their pupils. This is because some diagram, pictorial charts and classroom instructions are better communicated using these instructional materials.

According to Karsh (1995),” The classroom teacher will never be replaced by programme of self-instruction. Rather, he will be freed to guide learning of his students in ways that only a human being can. In using computer for instruction, the teachers’ role is hypothesized as changed basically from that of informer to learning facilitator. His duty of delivering lectures changes to that of guide and problem solver.”

The term “Multilingualism” is defined as the ability of societies, Institutions, groups and individuals to engage on a regular basis with more than one language in their day-to-day lives.”

As we ruminate on the theme of the World English Day today, the question is are you multilingual is your teaching approach? 

These days, English Language teachers have opportunity to do online teaching and get paid in foreign currency. Do you have all it takes to teach online student and make extra-income apart from your salary? While some teachers are complaining of poor salary, others are taking advantage of online teaching and raking money. During the lockdown, many teachers who took advantage of online teaching make a lot of money, while those who aren’t aware of this couldn’t survive during this period. It’s a challenge for us as teachers. You need to embrace the challenge of technology and maximize the opportunity for your advantages.

Lastly, let’s be custodians of the English Language. I wish you a Happy English day!      

    

Olugbenga Adebiyi John is an English Language trainer, teacher-trainer, educational consultant, learning game developer, author, writer, blogger, journalists and entrepreneur. He has authored some books in English Language and taught in both secondary schools in Lagos because starting his company, Gemsland Nigeria Ltd, which has four auspices-Gemsland Learning &Development Centre, Gemsland Study Abroad& Tour, Mobile Teachers Network & School Connect Magazine. He lives in Lagos. 

You can Live in Luxembourg

 

Imagine finding yourself in the richest country in the world. A country where everything works from healthcare, affording housing, education and every other thing that you can ever imagine.

I am not talking about dreaming or day-dreaming. This is reality! You can actually line your dream in Luxembourg and become a permanent citizen here. Everything is indeed possible if you meet the requirements that I will be listing here.

Luxembourg is welcoming migrants to come and work in the country whether you are highly skilled immigrants with many years of experience and good academic background or you have little education [but at least a school certificate] but have a skill to sell then this article would really interest you as Luxembourg could be the dream country to migrate to.  

But just here are some information about Luxembourg:

                       Information About Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a small European country and part of the Schengen states and a member of the European union [EU]. It has consistently been ranked the richest country in the world.

Luxembourg is surrounded by Belgium, France and Germany.

Luxembourg has three official languages: French German and Luxemburgish. It was founded in 963 and became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands.

             Working in Luxembourg

Luxembourg has been welcoming immigrants to work in the country since 2012. There are more jobs in the service, IT and health sector. These are the highly demanding jobs.

To work in Luxembourg, you need to get a Type D or a long-term visa stamped on your passport. You will need to go to the nearest embassy or VFS in order to apply for a visa to come to Luxembourg.

You need to get all the documents required for a work visa to come to Luxembourg if you are going to get a work visa.

 For more information about applying for a work visa in Luxembourg, please contact at us gemslandstudyabroad@gmail.com

Tel:+2349091177137 or visits our websites www.gsats-tours.com

Visit Egypt

Egypt is one of the most attractive destinations in the world because of its pyramid and the mummies. No one visits Egypt without going to see the pyramid. 

Egypt is one of the hottest and sunniest countries in the world with the exception of a strip along the Mediterranean cost, Egypt has a desert climate.

Egypt links northeast Africa with the middle east dating back to the time of Pharaoh.

Millennia-old monuments sits along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza’s colossal pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor’s hieroglyph-lined Kmak Temple and Valley of the kings/ tombs.  The capital Cairo is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammed Ali Mosque and the Egyptians museum, a trove of antiquities.

           Here are 15 facts about Egypt that you might not have heard of

1.      Egypt is the third-largest populated country in Africa                 

2.      Egypt is a transcontinental country. The Sinai Peninsula is a land bridge between the Northeast of Africa and the southwest of Asia.

3.      Egypt is home to the longest river in Africa                           

4.      The statue of Liberty was originally intended for the Suez capital

When French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi first had the idea to build a statue of a peasant woman, dressed in robes and holding up a massive torch, he originally wanted it to stand at the entrance of Suez Canal with the name “Egypt bringing light to Asia”. Nothing came of the project, but Bartholdi persevered with his idea, and was eventually commissioned to build the statue in New York Harbors. “Liberty enlightening the world” was unveiled in 1876, seven years after the suez canal was finished.

5.      Caira is the third-largest city in Africa. Love the buzz of a big city? You’ll love Cairo, Egypt’s capital. It’s home to 10 million people, making it the highest populated city in Africa bar two. Kinshasa (DR Congo) and Lagos [Nigeria] both have populations of more than 15 million.

6.      The last ancient wonder of the world is in Cario: The great pyramid of Khufu is the biggest of the pyramid of Giza and is the last ancient wonder of the world left standing.

The remaining 6 wonders of the ancient world have all been destroyed over the last centuries.

They are [or were]: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon [Iraq], The Temple of Artemis [Turkey], The Statue of Zeus (Greece), The Mausoleum of Halicamassus (Turkey), Colossus of Rhodes (Greece) and the Lighthouse of Alexandria [Egypt].

7.      The largest food court in the world is in Cario: Oasis, Cairo’s behemoth of a food court restaurant taking up to 41,000 square meters and seating more than 4,000 diners at a time.

8.      Alexandria is named after Alexander the Great.

9.      The world’s largest embarkment dam is in Egypt.

10.   Egypt is home to seven UNESCO sites.

11.   The Pyramids of Giza were once bright white.

12.   The Pyramids weren’t built by slaves.

13.   Ancient Egyptians believed that makeups had healing powers.

14.   Ancient Egyptians invented the 12-month calendar.

15.   Egypt borders two seas.

   The country boasts of over 1,800 miles of coastlines divided between the red sea to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the north.

Now that you know the amazing facts about Egypt, here are places to visits in Egypt:

1.      Ras Mohammed National Park

2.      Temple of Kamak

3.      The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

4.      The Pyramid of Giza

5.      Valleys of the Kings

6.      Abu Simbel Temple Complex

7.      Luxor Temple

8.      Great Pyramid of Cheops [Khufu]

9.      Tiran Island

10.   Great Sphinx

11.   Temple of Philae

12.   SOHO Square

We can help you package your tour of Egypt. Contact us today: Gemsland Study Abroad & Tours

Tel: +2349091177137

Email: gemslandstudyabroad@gmail.com

Website: www.gsat-tours.com

Consider Working in Albania

Quick fact

Population:2,793,592

Capital: Tirana                                                                        

Language: Albania

Currency: Lek

GDP: $25,297 billion [nominal,2024[$59,099 billion]

Major source of income: Agriculture 

If you have been considering travelling about to start a new work life, I think Albania should come into your bucket list.

Albania is a country located in Southeastern Europe in the Balkan peninsula with an Adriatic and Ionian coastline. Neighboring countries include Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Albania has a strategic location along the strait of Otranto linking to Mediterranean Sea.

The car of choice in Albania is Mercedes. It is also the birthplace of Mother Teresa. Albania is also known for its medieval-era castles, exotic beaches and Ottoman architectures lined up on the streets.

There are many reasons to consider working in Albania. First, it is a European country (although not a Schengen state now but will join Schengen very soon).

Two, getting visa to go and work in Albania is very easy and stress free. You might not have to go through the stress of visa refusal like other countries.

 Another reason to consider Albania is that life there is cheaper and affordable there compared to other European countries and the people are very nice. Your employment just have to complete work request permit before you start a job. It typically takes no more than 30 days after submitting the documentation to get an approval or denial.       

It might also interest you to know that the literacy level in Albania is 99%. So that means if you are living in this country, you are definitely living in one of the countries with high literacy level. The mainstay in Albania is Agriculture. That means that you will have a lot to eat and if you like Agric (or you studied any course related to Agriculture like Agric Engineering, Agric Economics, etc.), you should be counting your fingers because you might be earning about five figures in a month. In short, you shouldn’t be looking for work for so long because your skills will always be needed in this country.

In terms of work permit, some work permits have restrictions, but the overall validity periods of the permit depend on the type.

There are four main Albanian work permit categories:

Type A: Permit for economic activities for both employers and employees.

Type B: Independent economics activity permits.

Type C: Permit for special occasions.

Type D: Permanent work permit for eligible foreigners.

All foreigners need a visa to enter Albania and a residence permit to live there.

            Type of Work Available In Albania

All types of jobs are available in Albania. The service sector and Agriculture have the highest job demands. But the people working in the financial sector get the highest pay.

At the moment, here are the skilled and unskilled workers demanded in Albania.

*Bricklayer

*Plumber

*Painter

*Carpenter

*Mechanic

*Mason

*Electricians

*Non-motor mechanic

*Drivers

*Butchers

*Miner

- Hotelier

 - Cleaners

          Document Required To Apply

To apply for any of the above listed Jobs, applicants should have the following documents:

-Valid International Passport (for at least 2 years]

-Passport Photograph

-Copy of Diploma (School certificate, Degree or Diploma)

-Updated CV

-Clear criminal record (Police character certificate)

-Clean bill of health (Medical report from approved government hospital)

-Processing fee

Processing Duration

To get a work permit to Albania, applicants should note that the processing takes three[3] to four[4] months. You cannot travel to Albania until you get your work visa.

                   Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ’S]

1. I have a school certificate; can I work in Albania? Yes, only school certificate is required. If you have other certificate like degree or diploma, this is an advantage.

2. Is English test or English language proficiency required to work in Albania? No, You do not need to provide or show a proof the IELTS to work in Albania.

3. How can I get a visa to work in Albania from Nigeria? You will get an E-visa. We can help you to apply for an E-visa.

4. How long does the visa last? You will get a 1-year visa after signing your employment contract.

5. How much will I earn while working in Albania? This depends on the type of job you are choosing. But averagely, you should be earning between $500 to $1,000 per month.

6. What currency is spent in Albania? Lek

7. What happens after my job contract or visa expires? Your employer will renew your job contract for you.

8. How many hours will I be required to work in Albania? Approximately 43.7 hours.

9. How much is one Albania lek compared to US Dollar? It is 0.01

10. How good or how hospitable are the people of Albania? Albania people are friendly and hospitable.

Still have more information or ready to work in Albania,

Contact: Gemsland Study Abroad & Tours: gemslandstudyabroad@gmail.com

Whatsapp: +2349091177137

Email: gemslandstudyabroad@gmail.com

WASAF 7.0

About WASAF

WASAF is an acronym for, Work & Study Abroad Fair. It is an annual event organized by Gemsland Study Abroad & Tours to give prospective students who would like to study abroad to meet representatives of universities/colleges in the over 20 universities in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, etc.

What WASAF Offer

WASAF also provides information for one-on-one free consultation on admission processing, scholarships, visa processing and other information about studying and working abroad.
Prospective students and their parents have the opportunity to get access to loan, funding, scholarship, grants and also meet our counsellors, representative of foreign universities, financial intuitions providing (proof of funds to assist with the funding support/assistant needed) to meet visa requirements.

The Event Perioscope

Every year, WASAF provides ample opportunity for prospective students who would like to study abroad in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Malta, Georgia, Barbados, India, Turkey, Cyprus, etc. 

WASAF has become a one-stop shop for studying and working abroad.

During the fair, prospective students and their parents get information on scholarship, how to apply for study, work, migration visa, how to get insurance and also foreign exams needed to get admission into universities of their choice.
During WASAF, credentials and documents of students are also assessed, and eligible students can get on-the-spot admission. That is why students coming to the fair are encouraged to come along with their copies of O'Level, Degree result, transcripts and international passport.  

The program also brings in one roof, Testing organizations like: The British Council, International Education testing Centre and some other bodies to give students all the information needed about the testing requirement for admission processing.

What should you come along with?

- O'Level (WASSCE/NNECO)/A Level result 

- Valid International Passport (Softcopy or Hardcopy)

- Birth Certificate

- Testimonial

- Academic Transcripts

- Test scores (SAT, TOEFL, IELTS)

- Other Diplomas or Credentials (Those planning to go for their postgraduates should come along with degree results, diplomas, updated CV, etc.)

Why you Should Attend WASAF
What makes WASAF different from other programs is that it is not all about studying abroad. It also provides opportunity for anyone who would like to work abroad in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, etc. So, this makes the programme a must-attend for anyone planning to either study abroad or migrate abroad to gain permanent residency in the UK, Canada, Australia or Europe.
The most interesting thing is that WASAF is FREE.

How to Participate

There are many ways to register for this event:

1. See the event on our Facebook Calendar page by clicking this link: https//www.facebook.com/events/6735631543218489?active_tab=about

2. Fill the registration form here by using this link: https://forms.zoho.com/gemslandstudyabroadtours/form/WASAFRegistrationForm

3. You can also register by sending us message on WhatsApp 
For further information about the program, interested participants can call/WhatsApp: 09091177137 or email: gemslandstudyabroad@gmail.com for more inquiries.

Frequently Asked Questions about WASAF

1. Who is the organizer of WASAF? Gemsland Study Abroad & Tours

2. Which universities will be coming for WASAF? We are expecting over ten universities and colleges from the UK, USA, Canada and Europe.

3. How long has WASAF been? The first edition of WASAF was in 2014 at the LTV complex Alausa. Since then, we have been organizing WASAF almost every year.

4. What if I couldn't make it to this year event, can I come to your office? Of course, you can come to our office if time couldn't permit you to come to this year's WASAF.

5. I have been refused visa many times, is there any way your agency could be of assistance? Yes

6. I have an offer from a university in Canada and i don't know how to go about the visa processing. In fact, I am scared that I can be refused visa, can you assist me with visa processing? Of course.

7. Is there a way I can get proof of fund for my study abroad? The issue of funding or proof of fund is one major issue why many are refused visa. In this year's WASAF, we are bringing many of our partners and financial institutions to assist students and their parents with this.

8. I have low band score in IELTS, can I still get some universities/colleges in Canada that will offer me admission? Yes. We have many universities/colleges in Canada that will give you offer even if you have low band score in your IELTS.

9. I am thinking of registering for IELTS because I want to go and work in abroad. How can I get more information? The British Councill will be at WASAF to answer all your inquiries about writing IELTS.

10. Is it possible for someone to get 100% scholarship to study abroad? Yes,

Nursing Jobs in Malta

 Hey! Are you a registered Nurse and you are thinking of going abroad to work as a nurse? You have option of UK, but the cost of processing is expensive, or you really don't know how to go about it. if this is your case, I've got good news for you. You can work in Malta as a Nurse.

Now, here are few information for you before you start applying to go and work in Malta.

Where is Malta?

Malta is a small European country, and part of the Schengen state with a population of about 539,200 according to the latest estimate of 2023 (this year). Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea which consist of Maltese people. It is an English-speaking region. The official currency is Euro and about 97 percent of the population are Christians.

The current population is 538,200 people according to this year (2023) census update. So, you can see that it is a very small country, and less than the population of Lagos. 

Malta proactive the cabinet or parliamentary system of government and the head if state if President George Vella. In terms of economy, the country is doing well as the exchange rate between the USD equals 0.929 Euro.

How Can I work in Malta as a Nurse?

To work in Malta as a Nurse you need to have a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and it is important that you have at least one year experience as a Nurse. After this, you need to submit all the necessary credentials to the Midwifery Council of Malta to get you registered as a nurse,

Your English language proficiency is also very important. Thant means you need to write the International English language & Testing System (IELTS) and have a minimum band score of 6.0. Anything less than this will not be accepted.

As you know, you should also have a valid International passport to apply. Your passport should not be less than one year or two years. 

How Good is Malta in Terms of the Nursing Profession?

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) rating, Malta is 5th globally in the medical industry. This is after some statistics and data collected by some hospitals and health centre in Malta,

Besides, Nurses in Malta are highly paid. The average salary in Malta is 38,976 euros per year. Salary for entry-level nurses with 1-3 years experience is about 27,552 euros. For senior level nurse with more than eight years experience, salary is out at: 48,105 euros per year.

Some of the benefits of working in Malta are outlined below:

* low-income tax (which is only 15% of your income)

* Low cost of living compared to other European countries, UK, America and Canada. A single person estimated monthly costs are at 830.45 USD (7.66 Euros). This also depends on lifestyle as the cost could be lesser than that. Cost of living in Malta is on the average 16/7% lower than that of the United States. Rent in Malta on the average is 43.7% lower that of US. Rent, food, transport cost, clothes are pretty cheap in Malta.

* Low crime rate: The rate of crime is lower in Malta compared to the UK, USA and other parts of Europe. Also, the country is not prone to natural disaster or other hazards. One can hardly hear of any bad news about Malta.

* Average number of working per week in Malta is 42 hours compared to other countries which is 50 hours per week. It might interest you to know that there are 13 public holidays in Malta and most nurses are entitled to 25 paid leaves per year.

* The Social Security Act (SSA) comes with a lot of benefits like: retirement plan, pension, unemployment benefits, health care, child's benefits, etc. Residents only need to pay 10% of their gross salary to enjoy this as part of their Social Security Contributions,

There are quite a number of benefits of working in Malta as a Nurse or other professionals like: accountants, engineers, HR, admin, teachers, etc. Now that you know about what it takes to work in Malta, what are you waiting for? Talk to us today!

Group Harps on Multistakeholders Funding for Education

 Group Harps on Multistakeholders Funding for Education – Olugbenga Adebiyi

“The volume of funds available for education to a large extent will determine the quality and quantity of school objective that will be achieved”. This was the view of Mrs. Modupe Onabanjo, chairperson Education Group of Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) during a seminar on the “Effect of Low Government Funding on Education in Nigeria” at the LCCI, Alausa last week.

During her welcome address at the seminar, Modupe said, “low government funding in the education sector has severely affected many areas of our lives as education stakeholders. The most challenging recently is the security of school environment, students and teachers at large”.

To solve the problem of paucity of funds in education, she advised that the Federal Government should keep to his promise as vowed in the Education Summit of 2021 in the United Kingdom, through improved planning mechanism and resource allocations; through management of budget and allocation and stakeholders involvement in education within the community.

Also speaking at the event, Professor Josiah Ajiboye Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) said, when it comes to issue of funding the questions to be asked are: “Is it that there are no funding, poor funding or misappropriation of funds? We need to get this clearly."

Going further, Prof. Ajiboye said overemphasis on Federal Government funding is making things worse in the sense that what the state and local authority are waiting endlessly for federal governemnt intervention for their own state or local projects. He said that the state or local councils are not taking initiative on how to generate funds hence the overeliance on federal governent funds or subventionsins. He said there are many ways the state could generate their own itnernal revenue without waiting for FG intervention.   

He lamented that Nigerian is not yet there in terms of funding as the UNESCO recommendation of 15-20% recommendation is not being followed. Pointing out that a review of the 2022 budget presented by the National Assembly to the President revealed that out of the ₦16.39 trillion of the total budgets, only ₦1.29 trillion amounting to 7.9 percent was allocated to education.

He also said that a lot of funds are lying fallow with TETFUND and UBEC that are not assessed because there is no political will on the part of the state to assess these funds, saying that the governors are more interested on how they can collect the money without their own counterpart funding not minding that the comatose and deplorable states of education in their states.

The erudite scholar said the major problem has been over-reliance on funding from the federal government allocation without looking at other sources like public-private partnership (PPP), donor agencies, adopt-a-school, individual contributions, stakeholders partnership/funding among other multi-sectoral approach to funding.

Ajiboye said the impact of poor funding has led to consistent ASUU strike, rise in insecurity, increase in tourism education, infrastructural decay, increased number of out-of-school children, poor quality teaching among others. He revealed that about 250 teachers have left the country this year January alone in search of greener pastures abroad. Hence, he advised that the issue should be tackled holistically.

Corroborating Prof. Ajiboye’s assertion, The Managing Director/CEO of EdFin Microfinance Mrs. Bunmi Lawson said that in the good old days community used to the part of schools development and funding of which she benefited a lot.

Lawson said “If the local governments are well-funded, they would be able to take care of the schools in the community”. She concluded that it is because there has been no participation in education that is why schools in the community are not doing well and have become shadow of themselves.

During the plenary session, Mr. Adegbola Adesina, Managing Director CSS Bookshop Lagos said, poor funding has affected the capacity building of teachers who he described as the “single most important factor in the school”.

Adegbola said during the Eko Project, an intervention fund with support from by the World Bank in Lagos State some years ago, teachers have the opportunity to travel abroad for training by the Eko Project but it is no more now.

Also the past president of ANCOPPS Lagos state, Mr. Isaac Olatunde said he applauded the government for providing funding through it has been minimal. He implored the government to do more because there are many areas in critical needs of funding in the education sector. He said without adequate funding, the education sector would not be able to develop a holistic person.

During a question and answer session, one of the participants, Engineer Twinkle Orimanye said Ghana education allocation is 26%, a little better than that of Nigeria. He further said that Nigeria should look more into technical education and ensure that she is not producing half-baked graduates who have nothing to offer saying that an air-conditioner technician in Ghana can also repair fix that of a car whereas the case is different in Nigeria as such person would be said to be a specialist in car alone.

Another participant, Oluwatoyin Camp bell asked how to correct the issue of lack of political will in the area of funding. So as to get funds that are lying fallow into the hands of the state.

At the end of the seminar, the group promised to issue a communiqué with a recommendation to the government on how to address this problem.