A chief lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr Philip Fagbohun, says the only viable solution to cities’ challenges is through adequate provision of basic needs.

Fagbohun stated this while delivering the 12th inaugural lecture of the college titled ‘City of Uncertainty: A Traumatised Living Environment’.

He noted that housing was essential to the good life and a key requirement for an efficient and satisfying labour force.

Fagbohun stated, “Effective transport system is the basis for determining how cities work and also plays an important role in socio-economic development. Streetlight facilitates free movement of people at night, prevent crime, help in security surveillance and promote social integration, while access to safe water is a universal need.”

The lecturer also mentioned that cities came into being due to urbanisation and is very important in human development, adding that an apparent lack of basic facilities is the root of cities challenges.

“The level of availability of the facilities has not afforded the urban residents the opportunity to maximise public goods consumption.

Consequently, human activities have contributed inadequately to sustainable urban development. These have further increased poverty level and polarised urban geographical space,” said Fagbohun.

He affirmed that the giant cities and their agglomerations should be properly defined and carefully planned, where all modes of transport would be utilised.

He, however, stressed the need to adopt the concept of a compact city, which will bring many activities together in a small geographical area.

“Self-build housing method which has become the major approach in resolving homeownership should be well coordinated. Since the building of cities and infrastructure is more complex, technological education should be encouraged,” Fagbohun added. “More hands should be attracted from the formal sector into housing provision. Change in the use of land and building should be properly regulated and managed to avoid the elimination of residential land use from the city centres and reduce urban sprawl.”

He called for a review of the national housing policy to “make it mandatory for large-scale employers to provide some staff accommodations around their premises.”

He added, “There is a need to exploit the opportunity provided by the technology in the facilities provision, particularly power supply in the area of solar energy. More funds should be made available for the provision of public infrastructure because they are critical sector.”

The college’s rector, Obafemi Omokungbe, noted that Fagbohun had successfully presented a contemporary work to demonstrate his research activities in Urban and Regional Planning over the years.

Anambra government recently took time off to honour its indigenes; individuals who support the course of education in the state through the infrastructural development of schools, scholarships, and foundations to ensure that students achieve their dreams.

The milestone event, held at the Hollywood Event Centre, Awka, tagged ‘A Day with Anambra State Education Builders’. In commemoration of Anambra’s 30th anniversary, a total of 57 indigenes were honoured. The individuals received plaques and certificates for their support and contributions to the sector.

In her address titled ‘What is leadership if you cannot influence’, the Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, commended the awardees for their support and contributions to education over the years.

“Today provides the opportunity to sing their songs, to celebrate them, to say a big thank you for their numerous contributions to education in the state. A lot of you have supported the state government by providing extra teachers for our schools, building classrooms, toilet facilities, equipping libraries, training teachers, giving extra-mural lessons, equipping science laboratories, etc.,” said Omenugha.

Omenugha, the first professor of Gender and Communications in Nigeria, revealed that a handbook titled, ‘A Guide to Public-Private Collaboration Initiatives/ Interventions in Schools’ had been prepared to provide a pathway for individuals and organisations intervening “in our schools.”

Paul B Construction Company managing director, Paul Enidom appealed to stakeholders to support Anambra’s education system. He emphasised a partnership model where the government and private sector can continuously interact on education funding, particularly in hard-to-reach communities. A data bank that will link all schools in Anambra should also be put in place.

“The data bank is imperative so that anybody that wants to key in can have a clear idea of what to do. The organisation will also constitute a board, have an education trust fund, and they can harmonise the activities of old boys and girls of schools.”

Governor Willie Obiano explained that the occasion was an opportunity “to thank our great Anambra men and women who have keyed into the vision of providing quality and value-based education in the state.” He described education as very imperative to the development of the state, saying that as one of its enablers, his administration recognises that none of the pillars can stand without a solid education.

“This explains the huge investments we have made in education over the years. We approach education from three-pronged areas; infrastructure, teachers’ welfare and students’ welfare,” added Obiano.

He said infrastructure has made many Anambra schools wear new looks by remodelling science laboratories in over 60 secondary schools and revamping technical colleges. The governor further noted that the schools could be found in all the 179 communities of the state and easily recognisable with their red roofs, popularly called ‘the red roof revolution’.

“The technical colleges have been revamped as over 26 trade subjects have been accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), with the workshops having state of the art equipment,” stated the governor. “One of our greatest legacies is the model hostels we are building in the 12 technical colleges with 750 students’ capacity, which ultimate aim is to provide the technical college students with befitting boarding facilities that will make them both attractive and competitive.”

He added, “The hostels will also provide the opportunities for people to travel and live in any of the technical colleges that have their choice trade subjects.”

According to the governor, students’ welfare, including conducive environments for learning, is paramount. He pointed out that Anambra has made education “inclusive.”

“Our policy has made us reach students who even live beyond the end of the road. We have given prime attention to the special and the physically challenged students in our special education centres, giving them free tuition,” Obiano explained. “The same free tuition has been extended to technical colleges from NTC one to three. We have remodelled our special education centres giving the special students a liveable environment and increasing their subventions.”

The Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Nura Sani Kangiwa, has expressed confidence in vocational skills acquisition of the Nigerian arts and crafts industry in the fight against unemployment and poverty in the country.

Kangiwa, who stated this recently, while declaring open a Skills Acquisition and Empowerment of Women in Arts and Crafts training session, organised by the North-East Campus of the institute in Bauchi, pointed out that the fight against poverty in Nigeria is everyone’s responsibility.

He said NIHOTOUR, as skills and vocational training centre, would continue to play its part in imparting knowledge-based skills that will offer them employment and financial earning opportunities in line with the federal government’s agenda to fight poverty.

The director-general, represented by the head of the North-East Zonal Campus of the institute, Samuel Ibrahim, called on participants to make good use of the programme.

Ali Babayo, Permanent Secretary of Bauchi State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, urged Nigerians to look inward to be economically self-sufficient.

Nelson Lucas, the coordinator of the Bauchi zonal office of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), noted that tourism was a multifaceted industry offering ample opportunities for employment in the arts and crafts.

He further noted that the skill acquisition training programme was timely and called on the trainees to make the best use of their knowledge at the end of the training session for a better livelihood.

In his goodwill message, Alamai Murtala, the department head of Travel and Tourism at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi said knowledge-based skill acquisition remained the surest way to excel in any trade or profession. At the same time, he noted that participants in the skills acquisition training programme should count themselves lucky.

Murtala urged them to make judicious use of the skills they will acquire for their socio-economic benefits.

A non-profit organisation, Call to Love Initiative, in collaboration with Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), has sensitised low cost schools on strategies and skills to improve the quality of education they provide.

According to the NGO, the move was as a result of the feedback it got from low cost school owners and teachers about requiring funding to provide facilities needed to enhance the learning process of their students.

The founder, Omowunmi Ajila, said the organisation is glad that the state government, through LSETF has a dedicated fund for low cost schools, where they can access loans as high as N5 million with interest rates as low as 9 per cent, to improve their school facilities.

“This forum is aimed at appreciating low cost school owners and teachers for their efforts in terms of imparting knowledge and skills in the children and also to sensitise them about the available funds provided by the Lagos State government through the LSETF.”

“We employ a targeted approach of interaction with our beneficiaries and delivery of projects that drive lasting solutions and contribute positively to transforming our target audience. Our mission is to enrich lives through social development and our target audience is pupils from low cost schools and orphanages.”

Ajila added: “We are trying to ensure that students in low cost schools can compete equally with more privileged students from high cost schools. Our vision is to also raise a pipeline of beneficiaries that can pave the way forward in the nearest future.”

The Head, Micro Enterprise and Micro Enterprise Startup, LSETF, Funsho Ogunlumade said the funds provided are for low cost schools operating in Lagos “as one of our missions is to create employment opportunities and wealth for residents of Lagos.

“You cannot underrate the role of the education sector in building a credible society which is why we have partnered with Call to Love Initiative to come to the grassroot to engage the low cost schools to enlighten them on how to access funds that are available.

Ogunlumade said they also partnered First Bank and Edfin Microfinance Bank to disburse the loans to the school owner.

“In regards to eligibility for the loans, the school must be registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission and must have been operating for at least a year. The school must have evidence of tax payment.

“We also require that the school or training centre should have at least a minimum of fifty students. Also, the provision of guarantors is required. As regards the tenure of the loans, we have the 12 months and 24 months duration.”