The UK government has announced the launch of Skills for Prosperity Nigeria (S4P-N), a two-year UKAid funded programme that aims to equip youth and vulnerable groups with skills that offer them a more attractive pathway into employment and meet employers needs for a more skilled workforce.

The Skills for Prosperity Programme is a global skills programme funded by the UK government and implemented across nine fast growing economies: Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa and Nigeria.

In Nigeria, S4P-N will support an improved, National Apprenticeship and Training System (NATS) that will help the private sector to meet workforce demands, help youth into decent jobs and ensure these benefits are shared equitably. It enables new and inclusive pathway to career oriented learning through an industry-led national apprenticeship and training system.

The official launch of the S4P-N programme will be held in Abuja, Kaduna and Lagos this September, and will bring key Government stakeholders at national and state levels, UK High Commission officials and skills development actors together, to formalise partnerships.

The UK’s Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones said: “The UK has a global reputation for education and skills characterised by excellence and quality. We will support Nigeria to strengthen her skills development systems to produce a more competent technical workforce that increases productivity and economic development”

In Nigeria, the programme will be delivered through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), a government agency under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, with a primary goal to institutionalise formal apprenticeships linked to industry, facilitate traineeship opportunities for youth leading to paid employment and improve vocational enterprises for vulnerable women and Persons Living with Disabilities.

S4P-N will also work collaboratively with other relevant federal government agencies, the private sector, state focal agencies and public/private training providers to provide nationally recognised qualifications at level 2 to 5 of the Nigeria Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).

The Federal Government has condemned the claim by former Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr. Wale Babalakin, that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, was indicted by the Presidential Visitation panel to the institution.

In a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education, the government described Babalakin’s claim as false and has no bearing with the report submitted by the General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) panel.

The statement, signed by Director, Press and Public Relations, Ben Bem Goong, said government was in the process of setting up white paper committees to address all the findings and recommendations of the panels set up to investigate federal universities, including UNILAG, in a holistic manner.

Goong disclosed that government had earlier issued a white paper on the report of the 2020 special presidential visitation panel to the institution, which culminated in the dissolution of the Babalakin-led council and Ogundipe’s reinstatement.

While urging stakeholders to ignore the claim, Goong said the government would soon release its white paper on the panel’s reports.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, yesterday in Abuja, during the inspection of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) in some schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), recalled that the seven-man visitation panel to UNILAG submitted its report along with others to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on August 31, 2021, and not September 7, 2021, as claimed in the publications.

He said: “Government is in the process of setting up white paper committees to address the findings and recommendations of the panels, including that of UNILAG, in a holistic manner.

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors CPC of Nigerian Federal Universities has appointed Emeritus Professor Nimi Dimkpa Briggs the Pro- Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, as the Chairman Committee of Pro-chancellors of Federal Universities.

The Secretary General of the CPC, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, said in a statement that the appointment was made in a meeting held at the CPC secretariat on September 20, 2021.

Ochefu also said that Prof Nimi Briggs takes over from Professor Munzali Jubril, the serving Pro-Chancellor of Federal University, Lafia who had been the Chairman of the CPC since 2017.

Prof. Briggs’ appointment is for a term of four years.

Bashir Dalhatu was also appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Committee. Dalhatu is the current Chairman of Council and Pro-Chancellor of Moddibo Adama University Yola.

The National Youth Service Corps NYSC in Ebonyi State South-East Nigeria has urged all corps members who are ending their orientation course today to cultivate the habit of hard work and shun drug abuse, cybercrime, illicit trafficking and advance-fee- fraud throughout their service year.

The NYSC Director- General, Professor Shuaibu Ibrahim, represented by the State Coordinator, Mercy Bamai Dawuda stated this in her address during the terminal parade/closing ceremony of the 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, old MacGregor college Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Dawuda said the whole of the orientation exercise went smoothly and orderly.

She warned the corps members to avoid risky behaviour both in their primary place of assignment and after their service year.

“I advise you to avoid risky engagement such as staying out late at night; attending late night parties; visitation of dangerous places and accepting car ride from strangers.

“I also implore you to shun drug abuse, trafficking, cybercrime, advance -fee- fraud among other vices”, Bamai advised.

She encouraged them not to engage in local politics in their areas of assignment as it is against NYSC scheme.

The Coordinator urged employers and captains of industries not only to accept corps members but to also provide enabling environment to develop their potentials.

Dawuda appreciated Nigeria Government, Ebonyi State Government, Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State, Traditional Rulers and security agencies for the unwavering support given to NYSC during the orientation course.

Consequently, she thanked the corps members for their orderly manners during the course.