Category: Education & Innovation

Hadiza Saddik Mahuta has been awarded the degree of ‘Masters of Law’ after graduating with distinction from the University of West England Bristol. Her name has been placed on the school’s ‘Star of Fame’ database.

Obi Brown and Chijioke Ezegbo have won the 2015 Etisalat Innovation Prize.

Obi Brown won five million Naira in the most innovative product or service category, and Chijioke Ezegbo winning the two million Naira cash prize attached to the most innovative idea category.

They were also rewarded with high-end mobile devices, Etisalat Mifi bundle with free data for one year as well as In-house Business Development Mentoring and product promotion using the Etisalat Online Platforms.

50 Nigerians have obtained first class honours at the Linton University College Malaysia.

The number (50 Nigerians) is part of the 253 students who graduated in various academic disciplines at the 2015 convocation ceremony of the university.

According to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, 35 PTDF scholars were among the Nigerians who graduated at the 2015 convocation ceremony, which was done in collaboration with University of East London and Coventry University, United Kingdom.

The Fund stated:

“Altogether 50 Nigerian graduates distinguished themselves with first class honours degrees, among whom were 13 PTDF scholars who earned first class degrees in Software Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Business Management and Civil Engineering.”

The Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria to Malaysia, Mrs. Janet Odeka, said the unprecedented achievement of the Nigerian scholars in the university in Malaysia had contributed in creating a positive image for Nigerians living in the country.

According to Mrs. Odeka:

“I am really excited and grateful because this is the first time we are having such number of graduates who produced good results such as first class and second class upper. We have had students from Nigeria who were involved in criminal activities and other immoral acts, but for the first time we are celebrating something we should be proud of as Nigerians and I wish to appeal to Nigerians here that they should emulate what these graduands have done to attract a good name for Nigeria.”

According to the Executive Secretary, PTDF, Mr. Femi Ajayi on the achievement:

“Rather than being skeptical about the future and apprehensive about job opportunities back home in Nigeria, you should be excited knowing that a new chapter has opened in Nigeria that provides the enabling environment for those who genuinely wish to make it in Nigeria.

This is something to be very proud of and excited about, particularly when you know the areas they specialise. We have high hopes for them. If you have people who have excelled, the thing to do is to deploy their knowledge in the right direction. Some will proceed for their masters and PhD and for those who want to work, we will link them up with available job opportunities in Nigeria.

With the kind of knowledge and experience they have here, I am hopeful that their skills and knowledge will be readily utilised in Nigeria and I will encourage them to go back home.”

Baileys Prize crowns Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as its ‘Best of the Best’ with her novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, which has been named the best winner of the women’s prize for fiction of the last decade – by both the public and a 10-strong judging panel

Fatima Bombom Sani, made history on Wednesday, 21 October 2015 when she broke existing record in the Nigeria Law School by bagging nine separate awards compared to existing record of seven awards ever received at the Call to Bar of Nigerian Law School.

Continue reading Fatima Bombom Sani

Dr. Linda Iheme, 25, is record holder of highest number of distinctions of the College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin (UNIBEN).

Dr. Linda Iheme, is a versatile and noble young lady who let her light shine from an early age and has since become a role model to many people around the world. She is a Multiple Award Winning Scholar, Laureate, Dentist, incredible Public Speaker, a passionate African Youth Activist, a very helpful Mentor and a visionary Social Entrepreneur. She is known by her top notch skills and she is totally committed to the development of African Youths. Her dexterity is second to none and she is highly motivated and demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities and humility as well as integrity, accountability, honesty and commitment to excellence.

She has a long track record of academic excellence and has won multiple awards and scholarships as a result. In 2006, she was awarded Best Graduating Student at Government Girls’ Science Senior Secondary School, FCT Abuja, Nigeria from where she proceeded to study Dental Surgery at the University of Benin, Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria. At the University, she won the prestigious Federal Government of Nigeria Scholarship Award which covered her 6 years of study amongst other scholarship awards. owing to her strong passion for community development. To crown it all, Linda Iheme recently made an outstanding academic achievement on graduation from the University of Benin. She is now the first ever to graduate with a record of 6 distinctions in the history of the College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin,Nigeria, a feat that has never been achieved before.

Dr. Linda Iheme is the Founder and CEO of the International Initiative for Youths Inspiration, Growth & Development, a Non-profit organization dedicated to helping youths get international experience and Public Speaking skills while counselling and mentoring them on social entrepreneurship and was awarded Top 35 Under 35 CEOs by The Under 35 CEO Foundation, Young African Role Model by Ignite The Youth Africa and also honoured as Opportunity Desk’s Young Person of the Month (July 2014) owing her work through this platform and being meticulous in academic performance, a vocal community activist, health advocate and being a Young African Change maker with a relentless attitude. She is also the Founder of Catalyst Academy Nigeria, where excellence in academics, leadership and social entrepreneurship are promoted through a one-on-one mentorship method. In addition, Linda Iheme hosts the Lunch with Linda Iheme show which was inspired by her passion to inspire and motivate young people to pursue their dreams tirelessly. Through the show, she promotes the African Cultural Heritage, Moral Values among fellow youths, Entrepreneurship and Oral Hygiene.

Prior to now, Dr. Linda Iheme has worked as an International Promoter for The Rome Model United Nations and an Online Volunteer for the United Nations as well as a Volunteer Dentist for Pro-Health International and the TY Danjuma Foundation.

She is also a certified Business Coach, Mentor for the Federal Government of Nigeria YouWIN! Initiative, a consult to the Charles Loto Healthcare Development and Research Organisation U.S.A. and an Associate Fellow of The Royal Commonwealth Society, London, United Kingdom.

Dr. Linda Iheme is well travelled, well cultured, and unrelenting in her quest to achieve the unachievable, empower African Youths and beam hope to the hopeless. Her light continues to shine and she continues to be an inspiration to many around the world.

Mrs. Nkemdilim Rose Obi, has emerged winner of the 2015 Maltina Teacher of the Year Award.

Mrs. Nkemdilim Rose Obi is a Chemistry and Mathematics teacher from Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Onitsha, Anambra.

The award is in recognition for her passionate desire to bring out the best in students and help create a workforce that would redeem the image of Nigeria.

The award instituted by the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund was aimed at restoring the pride of teachers and the dignity of the teaching profession.

The race for the 2015 Maltina Teacher of the Year Award, which generated unprecedented interest from teachers across the country, started on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

For emerging the overall winner, Mrs. Nkemdilim Rose Obi won ₦1 million cash prize and another ₦1 million to be paid into her account yearly for five years on every World Teachers day. Her school (FGGC, Onitsha) would be a beneficiary of infrastructural development and projects worth ₦25 million.

The second and third place winner, an English Language teacher from Federal Government College, Borno, Mohammed Binta Lawan, and a Chemistry teacher from Northern Annang Commercial School, Akwa Ibom State, Daniel Sunday Udiong, went home with ₦750,000 each, respectively.

This is aside from ₦500,000 cash prize for each of the 19 state champions, from which the last 10 and then the winners were drawn.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the chairman of the panel of judges and Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, stressed the need for teachers to be regularly exposed to training.

He said but for the groups that were competent and grounded on the job, some of the findings on teachers’ competency during the screening were disappointing.

Prof. Pat Utomi stated:

“We looked at the passion they have for teaching, their general competence on their subject and a particular philosophy of teaching that they deployed to be effective with the students, their commitment to long-term goal.

If, indeed, Nigeria desires to solve the challenges of national progress, she must educate her citizens, and teachers are central in this. We need to continually train our teachers to be able to keep them up with the speed of the world. And teachers must be encouraged to learn how to learn.”

On receiving her award, 37-year old Obi, and a graduate of Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, said her desire to expose students to rudiments of learning and guide them in career development is her staying power as several opportunities to leave the profession due to poor remuneration has presented itself.

Obi, a masters degree holder, whose mum was also a teacher said:

“I have succeeded in shifting from a traditional method of teaching to a discussion-based methodology. The strategy brings about a synergy between what happens in the classroom and what happens real life. It brings out analytical skills from students.

I am following my mum’s footsteps, my mum was a teacher, and I also have passion to bring out the best from students. Give them the best training and get them prepared to enter the workforce of the country. Secondary education is very important in career development, thus my resolve to give the best to students.”