Education

Good education is the key to success in any given society, the Governor Yahaya Bello’s Administration had given importance to good quality education for all her citizenry.

His government’s sole aim had been to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

The New Direction Administration initiative had been to produce articulated and skilled manpower necessary for a sustainable development and economic transformation of the State. Governor Bello’s unflinching commitment to the development of education in the State has remained true to course, by systematically improving the capacity of professional teachers and learning aids.

The first phase of the ongoing recruitment exercise of teachers in Kogi State came to an end with one thousand shortlisted candidates for the Technical Education and Teaching Service Commission to strengthen the capacity of Public School teachers in the State. Through the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, on Wednesday, the 15th of February 2023, the Kogi State Government conducted an orientation and induction program for the newly recruited teachers across the State.

The employment was based on merit after a rigorous aptitude test and oral interview of about eighteen thousand applicants across the State. The recruitment exercise was adjudged the most transparent, fair, and justifiable, which scored unprecedented marks in recruiting excellent minds devoid of political, religious, or primordial sentiment associated with the past.

Education is the bedrock of any development a society can yearn for. 

It is in realisation of this important role of education, that Governor Yahaya Bello set his priority right from the very beginning as to what he wanted to achieve for the people of Kogi State. Six years down the line this concerted efforts of his administration has started bearing fruits.

The climax of this well focused attention to make the state owned higher institutions a shinning example to other states culminated into the hundred percent accreditation of courses offered there.

At a press conference to herald the sixth convocation of Prince Abubakar Audu University formerly known as Kogi State University, Ayingba, in January, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mariyetu Tenuche, said all the 48 courses offered in the university have secured full accreditation from Nigeria Universities Commission, making it the first time ever since the establishment of the institution.

Aside this feat, the Vice Chancellor also said the institution emerged 25th out of the 170 public and private universities in Nigeria that have full accreditation for all courses offered.

The state owned polytechnic in Lokoja also shared from the joy of full accreditation of all courses offered at the institution.

Dr Salisu Ogbo, the Rector of the institution, broke the news of the achievement when he visited the Kogi State Commissioner forEducation, Mr Wemi Jones, to present the results of the accreditation of all courses at the institution by the NBTE.

Ogbo said: “I’m proud to announce that Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja achieved 100 percent success at the recent accreditation exercise conducted by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).”

He attributed the resounding success to Bello’s unflinching commitment to the development of education in the state.

Another regulatory body, the National Commission for Colleges of  Education (NCCE), also found the two state owned colleges of education namely College of Education Ankpa and College of Education Technical, Kabba worthy of full accreditation of the courses offered by them.

In the case of the College of Education, Ankpa, the Provost, Professor Muhammed Kabiru Ibrahim, said the accreditation of all courses is the first ever in the history of the college.

The Provost disclosed that out of 32 courses presented to NCCE, all the courses that got full accreditation will be valid from 2022 to 2027.

Prof. Mohammed noted that aside the accreditation of courses in the College, the National Commission for Colleges of Education looked at governance, Infrastructure in the College, expressed appreciation with what was on the ground, thus making the College to get full accreditation in terms of institutional accreditation.

He said unlike in 2012 when courses in the college were last presented for accreditation, said out of the 29 courses that were presented then, only 9 got full accreditation.

The Provost said the feat achieved by the College to enjoy full accreditation for all the 32 courses presented could not have been achieved without the support of Gov. Bello, stating that the Governor gave approval for the recruitment of academic staff to fill the exiting gaps.

He added further that the Governor also released money for the purchase of educational resources, in terms of books, chemicals, reagent and furniture, an action that led to the college inviting the National Commission of  Colleges of Education to come for the accreditation.

The story is not different at the College of Education Technical, Kabba, 17 courses offered at the College got full accreditation in 2017 a year into Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration.

What entices the Provost of the institution, Mrs Olusola Victoria Jagboro most is the partial movement of the institution to it’s permanent site.

According to her,  the state government under Governor Yahaya Bello has completed 10 buildings at the permanent site now and

one big bus also given.

Worried by the gap created by the number of Kogi indigenes seeking admission yearly and the number that got admitted, Governor Yahaya Bello established the Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH), Osara in year 2020 and appointed a renowned Engineer and academic per Excellence, Professor Sadiku Salawu as the Vice Chancellor

Barely, two years of existence, the university is a growing concern and has bridged the gap for Kogi indigenes seeking admission and even admission seekers from neighbouring states.

The university currently has three faculties with nineteen courses running and all duly approved by Nigeria Universities Commission.

In looking at the attention of Governor Yahaya Bello to health training institutions, the two in the state namely, School of Health Technology, idah and College of Nursing, Obangede were highly favored.

The School of Health Science and Technology, Idah came alive owing to the support given to the institution by Governor Bello’s administration.

Governor Yahaya Bello demonstrated his visionary prowess proactively by being emphatic on the subject and directed at the last Exco the immediate recruitment of qualified teachers and the recall of retired but agile, competent and willing teachers to boost and Improve the quality of education at the foundation level in Kogi State.

Status: completed. GYB Model Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi Stat.

Education is the bedrock of development and the building block for nations.

It plays a pivotal role in increasing knowledge and skills, which in turn lead to increased productivity and the economic advancement of the society.

Over the years, the quality of education in our country, particularly in our public schools have been on the decline due to low levels of investments and quality assurance in the education sector.

The Nigerian educational sector is currently facing a lot of challenges that require serious and urgent attention. Some of the key challenges facing the educational sector in Nigeria range from poor funding, outdated teaching materials, and a dearth of qualified personnel. In addition, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. This situation needs to be addressed urgently to avert the future negative impact of a generation of uneducated citizens in a knowledge-based world.

Video update 1.

Video update 2.

KOGI SSG RETURNS TO CLASSROOM AS A PART-TIME LECTURER

Kogi State Governor, His Excellency Yahaya BELLO has oftentimes encouraged and charged all stakeholders in the state to contribute their quota to the development of education in the state.

On his directive, appointees of the Governor and other government officials have been contributing meaningfully to improving education in Kogi state. Their interventions include organizing Science Quiz Competition across secondary Schools, distributing learning materials, payment of WAEC, NECO, and JAMB fees including payment of school fees for indigent students.

This intervention is yielding accelerated results. Kogi has leapfrogged from 23 positions in 2010 to 15 in 2018 in WAEC rating and has moved ahead of 6 states by 2020.

In the 2022 JAMB examination result, not less than 17 students from Kogi State scored above 300/400 with the overall candidate from Ebira Community Secondary School Ogaminana scoring 330. 90% of these students took part in the Inter-School Quiz Competition organized by Pharm Abdulkareem Asuku Youths Empowerment Foundation (PAAYEF), the brainchild and initiative of the Chief of Staff to the Governor

Today, the Secretary to the Government of Kogi State, Folashade Ayoade Arike, Ph.D., a doctorate holder in Biochemistry has taken up a part-time lecturing programme at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara.

As you can see, She is currently taking students in Chemistry which is one of her core courses.

While the Government is providing infrastructure, creating enabling learning and teaching environment, increase and improving manpower in the education sector, his appointees are also providing auxiliary support.

You can see the joy on the faces of the students; they are highly motivated to learn seeing the SSG standing and lecturing them.

This is what we do in Kogi State.

GYB Model Secondary Schools carry quality that is unprecedented in Kogi State.

 

Typical Classroom Interior in one of Governor Yahaya Bello’s GYB Model Schools.

Kogi State Government on Thursday approved the recruitment of teachers into the primary and secondary schools in the state.

The government gave the approval at the State Executive Council meeting, and scheduled to commence in the next few weeks.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones said the decision was expedient to cover manpower gaps in the system.

He asserted that it was a general knowledge, the monumental infrastructural drive of the administration in the education sector, but nevertheless government realised that structures without adequate quality manpower would not yield the needed revolution in the sector.

The commissioner expressed that emphasis was on getting the right hands academically and professionally adding that the current resolution would be radically different from previous recruitment exercises undertaken in the state.

He stated that the government agreed to consider recruiting teachers who were retired but were still passionate about impacting knowledge on a special package of engagement.

Other considerations according to him were those who exited the system due to one reason or the other and those currently working as PTA teachers but with the required qualifications.

He pointed out that the welfare of teachers going forward would take a place of priority in the state adding that they have been directed to ensure the 100% payment of teacher’s salary henceforth.

Hon. Wemi stated that other benefits such as housing, bonuses, would not be missing, reiterating that in months to come the lots of teachers in the state would witness progression

Governor Yahaya Bello being an innovative Governor adopted the E-Compendium as a fingertip tool that grants access to information of his administration’s activities, plans and achievements. Hence, the target is to put the New Direction data in your hands.

 

The Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara has received approval and consideration from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run eight (8) additional courses namely:

(i) B.Eng. Chemical Engineering (ii) B.Eng. Civil Engineering (iii) B.Eng. Computer Engineering (iv) B.Eng. Electrical and Electronics Engineering (v) B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering (vi) B. Eng. Mining Engineering (vii) BSc. Geology (viii) BSc. Applied Geophysics.

CUSTECH came into existence in 2020 and started the 2020/2021 Academic Session after Governor Yahaya Bello saw the dire need to help students of Kogi State extraction who were always stranded with the issue of gaining admission and same time not having the privilege to pursue their desired choice of courses from other universities outside Kogi State.

CUSTECH, Osara started with eleven (11) programmes namely: Cyber Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Physics. The addition of the newly approved eight courses by the NUC gives a total of nineteen (19) programmes that CUSTECH will be running in the next academic calendar.

CUSTECH, Osara proposed Academic Calendar for 2021/2022 Session will is due to commence as from Monday 11th April, 2022. Fresh students having interest in any of the nineteen (19) programmes can now apply to be admitted at the institution.