Education
Shell, partners donate multi-million naira legacy project to UNIBEN
Shell, partners donate multi-million naira legacy project to UNIBEN
The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and its Joint Venture (JV) partners on Thursday donated a multi-million Naira legacy building to the University of Benin’s Centre of Excellence in Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering.
The reports gathered that the JV partners include the NNPCL, TotalEnergies and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
Inaugurating the well-furnished edifice, the Managing Director of the SPDC, Mr Osagie Okunbor, said the project would fill identified gaps between classroom training of young graduates at the postgraduate level and the actual industrial practice.
This initiative, Okunbor said, would help to make the graduates industry-ready for the upstream oil and gas business.
The managing director, who is an alumnus of the institution, said education was key to development due to its roles in the long-term productivity and growth of any nation.
According to him, Shell companies in Nigeria have a long history of supporting the education of the country’s young population through various initiatives.
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These initiatives, he said, sought to invest in initiatives that benefitted the energy sector and improve the socio-economic well-being of the country.
“It is gratifying to note that the centre, since its endowment by SPDC in 2012, has graduated 123 students, out of which 84 per cent are currently gainfully employed, with 44 per cent in major International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria, and 20 per cent in academia.
“Six of the graduates have completed their doctoral programmes in reputable universities in Nigeria, Europe, Asia and Canada, while a good number of them are in various stages of their Ph.D programmes in Nigeria and overseas.
“It is a thing of joy to the NNPCL/SPDC/TotalEnergies/NAOC joint venture, and, I believe, to UNIBEN, that graduates of the centre are snapped up by various companies who have come to appreciate the quality of training offered by the centre,” he said.
Okunbor explained that the centre had received both local and international recognitions in its 10 years of operation.
He added that the top-quality training offered at the centre was manifested in the performance of students in various competitions.
The joint venture, according to him, has continued to sustain its commitment to funding and providing logistics to the centre to sustain its growth.
For instance, he said more than N620 million had been released to the centre since its inception.
He said besides other objectives, the centre was also envisioned to provide research and development solutions to the industry, leveraging the available pool resource, recently granted approval by university’s Senate to offer Ph.D programmes in relevant areas of oil and gas upstream business.
Prof. Lilian Salami, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, who is also the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the centre, said the centre had maintained its mandate of churning out specially-trained, and industry-ready graduates for the energy and allied sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“The centre has consistently brought laurels and honour to the university.
“Its unique capacity to contribute immensely to local content development for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, through well-structured, industry-focused training in the Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering, is a great source of pride to the university,” the vice-chancellor said.
Salami said that the inaugurated permanent structure and facilities would further facilitate cutting-edge research development and strategic training in the institution .
She, however, urged the JV partners to assist the centre with a 25-room self-contained hostel facility to accommodate the students and external facilitators.
Shell, partners donate multi-million naira legacy project to UNIBEN
UNIBEN Partners with OpenBinacle to Preserve African Languages
……Collaboration Aims to Promote AI-Driven Language Preservation
The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has joined forces with OpenBinacle, a Nigerian-owned tech company, to advance the preservation and promotion of African languages through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT).
The partnership, formalized through a joint statement issued in Benin, focuses on standardizing and preserving indigenous languages across Nigeria and Africa. Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Lilian Salami, praised the collaboration, highlighting its alignment with the university’s mission of being a globally recognized institution in research and education.
OpenBinacle’s CEO, Emmanuel Gabriel, emphasized that the initiative would foster the development of AI researchers and software developers, enhancing language translation technologies across the continent. The project aims to preserve over 2,000 African languages, providing job opportunities and technical training for students and youths.
Sprezzatura Publishing Introduces Innovative Resource for Young Learners
By Halima Abdulkadiri
Sprezzatura Publishing Limited has launched a pioneering new book titled “Taxation: Essential Knowledge for Nigerian Children,” authored by Arabinrin Aderonke and Ejura Blessing Haruna. The 147-page guide is designed to make the complex topic of taxation accessible and engaging for young readers in Nigeria.
The book opens with a foreword by Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), underscoring the importance of early tax education. Dr. Adedeji highlights the role of tax knowledge in shaping financially responsible citizens, emphasizing its relevance to the nation’s democratic future.
Structured into 13 chapters, the book covers various aspects of taxation, from its historical roots to the different types of taxes and the government’s role in tax collection. The authors utilize simple language and relatable examples, making the subject approachable for children and young adults.
To further enhance learning, the book includes interactive elements such as questions and activities at the end of each chapter. This method not only reinforces key concepts but also encourages readers to actively engage with the material, fostering a deeper understanding.
“Taxation: Essential Knowledge for Nigerian Children” is being recommended for educational institutions across Nigeria, offering a valuable resource to equip young minds with the knowledge needed for their financial futures.
WAEC announce 215,267 Results Over Exam Malpractices, Records 73.79% Pass Rate
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) announced the release of the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results on Monday, revealing that 73.79% of the candidates achieved credit passes in at least five subjects. However, the results of 215,267 candidates, representing 11.92% of the 1,805,216 candidates who took the exam, have been withheld due to various cases of examination malpractice.
Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC Nigeria, stated that the 2024 exam was conducted over seven weeks, from April 30 to June 24, across Nigeria. He noted that 1,301,941 candidates, or 72.12%, obtained credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. Additionally, 93.39% of the candidates had their results fully processed and released, while 6.61% are still under processing.
Dangut attributed the withholding of results to incidents of malpractice, including the use of cell phones in examination halls and organized cheating in certain schools. The number of withheld results this year is 4.37% lower than in 2023, where 16.29% of results were withheld.
Investigations into the malpractice cases are ongoing, and decisions will be made by the appropriate WAEC committee. Candidates whose results have been withheld will be informed through their schools, and they have the option to appeal via the WAEC website.
Furthermore, Dangut highlighted that the results of candidates from states owing the council will not be released until the debts are settled. The WASSCE was conducted in four WAEC member countries: Nigeria, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
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