Oiwona Launches Two Books

EDUCATION

AWIG CELEBRATES THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION

BY ELIJAH OKONKWO

The Association of Women In Governance AWIG has pleasantly celebrated the United Nations International Day of Education at Muritala Mohammed Airport Schools, Ikeja, Lagos with a theme: Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls. Speaking to the audience the Convener and Chairperson of Association of Women In Governance Dr. (Mrs) Bridget Gold disclosed that the Association of Women In Governance is dedicated to the gathering women from all walks of life in Nigeria and the world at large to give them a chance to foster enduring values in leadership adding that the need for enhancement in the participation of women in governance remains a huge priority.

Speaking further to the audience the convener and chairperson of AWIG Dr. (Mrs.) Gold said that they provided a nonpartisan platform for handling and dealing with critical issues affecting women and their overall development as she added that through intense research, networking, extensive education and training programmes would largely ensure that women had full participation in politics, economies and public life. 

She said that joining them would heavily provide a platform for members to meet and interact with persons of like struggles who are united in the quest for women empowerment, career advancement and leadership development.

Speaking further to the eclatic audience Dr. (Mrs.) Gold carefully read out the aims, objectives, vision, mission, core values and activities of the Association of Women In Governance adding that they have categories of membership which included Fellow, Senior member, Associate, Professional, Graduate and Student. 

She also disclosed to the audience the benefits members would be pleased to get and these benefits thus flow as events, network opportunities, Extensive Education and Training Programmes, Platforms to render Corporate Social Responsibility, Insurance, Access Entrepreneurship, Empowerment programmes and Access to low interest loans. Speaking to the audience the principal of Muritala Mohammed Airport Schools Ikeja, Lagos Mrs. Stella Otoide said that Muritala Mohammed Airport Schools is a whole school i.e from creche to secondary adding that the creche to Primary started in 1983 while the secondary began in 2004. 

Speaking again to the gathering she said that at Muritala Mohammed Aiport school they used the Nigerian curriculum, as they wrote the state and National examinations, State Basic Examination for primary six, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at junior secondary both at state and national levels.

And again, she said that they wrote the WAEC and NECO at the senior secondary level as well as external examinations like SAT / TOFEL as she pleasantly added that they believed in the development of the total child. She informed the audience that their students had always came tops in competition for instance was the “Travel Essay Competition” where the first to third positions were won by their students, they also came second position of Toyota Dream Car competition for junior categories while a senior student Majekodunmi Harry presently on scholarship from Chevron Essay Competition as a result of his clinching the first position. 

She pleasantly informed the audience that their external examinations, they also had very good results as in Lagos state Basic Education Certificate Examination they had 100%, while in senior secondary sexaminations NECO they had 99.3 % and finally they had 92.6 % in WAEC. She rounded off by saying that they have dedicated and qualified staffers, their students are heavily calm, cool, collected, calculated and disciplined and they are pacesetters. She encouraged the students to be serious with their studies because education is the greatest and best weapons to dismantling poverty et’al.

Speaking to the audience Regional General Manager South West Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Muritala Mohammed Airport Ikeja, Lagos Mrs. Victoria Bamidele Shin – Aba and also a top member of Association of Women In Governance pleasantly told the audience that she was one time a girl, but, now that she is a complete woman working in a very sensitive sector of the economy due to the graces of God and her quality education she got as a girl child. 

She pragmatically said that when a female child is educated the whole nation is better for it adding that the United Nations had set aside January 24th every year is the celebration of International Day of Education and they as members of AWIG had realised that educating the girl child would apparently expose the beneficiaries to good things of life, hence they decided to host this maiden edition of AWIG in line with United Nations theme for this year International day celebration of education “ Learning for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace” But, she quickly added that they decided to craft out their own theme as Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls.  She concurs that if the girls are not properly educated that the future would be heavily bleak for all and sundry. 

The high point of the event flowed down when the convener and chairperson of AWIG Dr. (Mrs.) Gold moderated the panel of discussion from discussants from Muritala Mohammed Airport School, Ikeja, Lagos Bos worth College International, Krystalbal Comprehensive College Ikeja and SMAC College Coker, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos and of a truth the panel of discussion from the discussants made the event very eventful because the moderator, the panellists made the topic very, very, very lucid and the students, Audience applauded themselves with loud ovations. 

The panellists made the topic very interesting and it was heavily interactive from the panellists and students audience as the panellist submitted brilliant ideas, views points as the benefits of educating the girls.

The moderator of the panel of discussion Dr. (Mrs.) Gold told the audience that educating a female child exposes her to total packages of all about life as the females are bearers of children, that they need to know of health, nutrition, infant mortality, and again she said that women have voice but, they are not using it properly. 

Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonlineportal the convener and chairperson of AWIG Dr. (Mrs.) Gold said that this is their first outing since they began one year ago and primarily that they would from time to time organize seminars, conferences et’al to support the women generally so that women themselves could be useful to themselves and to the larger society. She said that there are few jobs in the system, that women should not limit themselves, that where there are no doors, that they should go through the windows and if there are no windows, then they should break down the brick walls to eke out an honest living. 

She said that women should be excellent, outstanding, hardworking, honest, faithful, available, humble, star and continue to push until something worthwhile happens. She generally appreciated Mr. Richard Aisebeogun, Barr. Folarin Adeyale & Co, Geometric Synergy Services Ltd. as the list of all those that supported them with love, kindness is endless. She prayed for them that God Almighty would continue to provide for them. 

The eclatic event was compered by one Mrs. Favour Samuel who actually did extremely well with her hosting. We are women, we can do it is the slogan of Association of Women IN governance and whenever the convener and chairperson Dr. (Mrs.) Gold mentioned these golden words the responses became loud and clear.