"We are Fascinated by the Development in Lagos" - Leena

 

"We are Fascinated by the Development in Lagos"

Leena, Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria

Leena Pylvanainen is the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria. She is just a year in office as Finland Ambassador to Nigeria this month. Finland has been partnering with the Lagos State Ministry of Education because of the quality of education offered in the country among other factors. The Honourable Commissioner for Education in Lagos State, Mrs Folashde Adefisayo paid a visit to the country recently along with her team. Leena, the Finland Ambassador was at the just-concluded two-day Lagos Education Summit at Eko Hotel, Lagos. Olugbenga Adebiyi who cornered Leena at the event quizzed the ambassador on issues bordering on the Finland Ministry partnership with the state's government, the Finland intervention on education, learning, the world of skills, need to revamp the current curriculum to meet the 21st century needs, the Comprehensive School project in Lagos State and other education issues. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Finland has been doing a lot of education partnership in Nigeria, why is Finland interested in education partnership in Nigeria especially with the Lagos state government? 

We are fascinated by the development in Lagos state because Lagos is one of the biggest, brightest and the most beautiful state and a business hub in Nigeria. We are interested in Lagos in Lagos state because it has ambitious plans, programmes in place to develop the city of the state in a smart city and many of the aids coincides very much the same challenges we face.

We are small; you are big. We are north, you are south. For many of the challenges, it’s the same mobile challenges that everyone is facing on how to make the society and our education future proof. The comments this morning is very commending because we have one of the best education systems in the world. as part of education, pedagogy, technology solution and innovations to offer and we have found in Lagos state a partner that is looking very much for the type of thing that we have to offer and it’s very much like a win-win-situation.

We are helping Lagos state achieve their aims and at this we are creating possibilities for our educational institutions and private companies. But mainly what unites us is aiming for the best possible education outcome for every child and Lagos state is setting an example in Nigeria as a number one priority for the government and it is also investing chunks into education.

We are only at the beginning of our partnership.

Finland has the best education in the world. What makes your education stands out globally? I am aware that the teaching profession is the most competitive because as a teacher you have to do continuous certificate to be on the job as a teacher.

Well, I think you have already one of the impact analyses that are training of our teacher and the qualitative standard we have put in place. The teaching profession is a very respected one in Finland. It is one of the hardest faculties to get into at the university level. Every single teacher in Finland has to have a master’s level to teach in the secondary school. Even at pre- primary, all the teachers have a bachelor’s degree and upward that keeps them at par. They are highly trained professionals and independent structure their own work in the classroom as teachers. They are free to structure their education in the classroom.

Yes, we have a national curriculum, and it is very broad and within those curriculums, they can structure their own teaching method. They can choose the books, etc they use. Professionals can have their own independent way of working. I think that is really one of the key factors. So looking at today’s world, I think what makes us stand out is education technology and the future challenges of the labour market into the curricula. 

Understanding what we discussed here this morning that the skill needed in the future labour force are very different from the one that is needed now. Technology also is another role. We have a lot of companies very good in mobile software, gaming, digital and mobile technology,

learning by playing (which makes learning fun), which makes it more and more interesting for other countries. So, teacher training and training is another aspect.

What specific area is the Finish Embassy collaborating with the Lagos State Ministry of Education to improve the quality delivery of education in Nigeria? 

I think we are only at the beginning of this beautiful relationship. So far as far as I know, focus has been on training the trainers’ curriculum development. A few on the teachers come to Finland and attending courses here and go back to their schools and districts teach their colleagues and I think the effort is a cascading one we also have for instance a mobile software company that has provided a learning module for the Comprehensive school project which is based on employment skill and entrepreneurship. It is contents that students can use on their mobile phones and this is now part of the curriculum of the total Comprehensive school project. Because as you know part of it is also focused on employment skills entrepreneurship and the soft skills needed for the labour market. We have on the one hand, Lagos State Ministry of Education collaborating with the Finnish Educational institutions especially in the city of Tampere with this teacher’s trainings and curriculum workshop. And we separate individual companies that have sold their products to the ministry. But we are engaging more and more into discussions for other forms of collaborations we could have in the future to going beyond education. We are talking to departments in Lagos state and other sectors.

Specifically what brought about the Comprehensive School Program partnership? Who initiated this?

Our cooperation with the Lagos Ministry of Education is based on close contacts over the past few years, both in the form of visits from Lagos state to Finland and contacts between the Ministry and the Embassy here in Nigeria. The cooperation initiated in the development and implementation of the Comprehensive School Project builds on this solid foundation. Besides the Comprehensive School Project, Finnish institutions and companies look forward to contributing also more broadly to the development of the education sector in Lagos state, to the ongoing reforms and to the ambitious Smart Lagos agenda of the Government overall.  

How long have you been an ambassador in Nigeria? I have been here almost a year. I arrived on the first of September. So September this year would make it one year. I have the pleasure of meeting the commissioner for education, who is the first official who I met in September and he went to Finland the next month. We are just trying to bring Finnish and the Lagos state together. I thank my predecessor what has been your experience so far in about a year now in the type of synergy you are building with the Lagos State Ministry of Education and what can you foresee in where our education is going?

Well, I think I am really not an educationist and I don’t attempt to do analysis. Looking at the aims set for education in Lagos State, I can only admire that from my perspective they are going in the right direction and doing what is right.

I am aware that getting a visa to go to Finland is very strict. How are you trying to improve the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Finland because Finland is becoming attractive in terms of education for many Nigerians going for study, visit, etc. because you have the best education and as a result of plans in place. Finland partnership especially with Lagos state? 

In terms of visa, we simply follow the same visa rules as other Schengen countries. We are most not stricter than any other less strict than any of our European counterparts. It is largely based on legislation and the rule for visa. We are very clear and everyone who fulfils the rule for visa. Besides, there are lots of checks that need to be made that require finance purpose of travel and so on. It is precisely the same procedures as other EU embassies. For students of course, it is not a question of visa, but a question of residence permit. If you have a study place in Finland, you show proof that you received been accepted into that institution. The only problem we have is time because we are working around the clock, like my team handling immigration and this season is a peak season because a lot of people are applying to study in Finland and a very high number of Nigerians have received places to study in Finnish institutions like University of Applied Sciences and we have received processing their residence permit and we have visa backlogs and the semester is starting now and students are waiting to receive their visas. But we are working as hard as we can in order to process their visa applications as fast as we can.

And we have quite a number of Nigerians who are studying in Finland and this is something that is encouraging. Our Embassy covers the whole of West Africa and we are very pleased last year to have official sent-forth of nine Nigerians to have an EU Erasmus Master’s course into Finland. They are 200 in total in about 27 countries in all. Nigeria being one of them. Nigeria is placed number two globally. Nigeria made a huge jump this year. The interest was stronger ever because of successful applicant. Pakistan ranked number 1. The EU is activating a number of education programmes in Nigeria and as member of the EU; we are contributing to developing this sector in Nigeria. What support is Finland giving for Scholarship to study in your country because the average tuition fee is about €11,000? I am not sure what the average tuition is, but I know Finland is considerate compared to other EU countries. That is one thing that makes our system to be attractive.

There are a number of scholarships. It is not from the government, but from each individual university I am aware that in the second year, there are huge number of scholarship that could cover tuition even in the third year. So, I would encourage Nigerian students to consider Finland as study destination.

Graduating Students of LAFROGRAMS advised to Shun Risky Behaviours

 Graduating Students of LAFROGRAMS advised to Shun Risky Behaviours

Young people have been advised to shun risky behaviours like: drug abuse, cultism, ritual killings, violence, kidnapping, sexual perversions, teenage pregnancies, insatiable quest for illicit wealth, pornography and other behaviours that would truncate their dreams in the future. This charge was given by Dr. Olusanya Dacosta who was a guest speaker at the prize-giving and valedictory service of the Lagos African Church Grammar School, Ifako, Agege, Lagos which was entitled his paper, “Signs of the Time”.

Dacosta said drug/substance abuse among young people today is becoming more alarming and the tide needed to be stemmed even as young people take all kinds of substance like “gutter water”, tramadol, codeine, cannabis, rohypnol, glue, petrol, sewage and urine as “inhalants”.

Speaking on the negative effect of drug/substance abuse, he said, “it affect you physically because it is very harmful to your body; it affects your studies due to loss of concentration; it degrades your mental health leading to depression and drains your parents finance apart from making you to lose self-esteem and control.

Apart from drug abuse, the speaker warned young people to stay off pre-marital sex, sodomy and sexual perversion which lead to HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, cervical career and so on. Buttressing this, he said “today HIV is behaving a teen disease. Every year, HIV finds its victims with younger people even most HIV may be caught during the years.

Having outlined the delinquent act associated with young people, Dacosta as a way of counsel told the listeners which comprise the graduating students and their parents on how to survive the time talking on the essence of proper guidance and the right type of association.

Making choice of the right type of friends is very important as most juvenile or delinquent behaviour are occasioned by the wrong type of friends. He narrated a sad incidence of a final year student who was found with drug in the first time in the university and was mistaken.

He also said that having the fear of God as their creator would make them to have the right direction and guidance as youths.

Furthermore, he advised them to stay focused and avoid distraction in whatever they do.

Lastly, the importance of skill acquisition was also emphasized. He said acquiring one vocational skill or other would make them to be both personal and socially responsible for themselves and the society.

Dacosta who was a former director with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) said the theme of his presentation was informed as a result of the happenings in the society lately which is a source of worry to him and hence young people needed to properly guided so they can fulfill their God-given purpose in life.

After the presentation, the principal of the school, Mrs. Mojisola Oyetayo thanked the speaker saying the lecturer was timely and impactful.

Group Harps on Multistakeholders Funding for Education

 Group Harps on Multistakeholders Funding for Education – Olugbenga Adebiyi

“The volume of funds available for education to a large extent will determine the quality and quantity of school objective that will be achieved”. This was the view of Mrs. Modupe Onabanjo, chairperson Education Group of Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) during a seminar on the “Effect of Low Government Funding on Education in Nigeria” at the LCCI, Alausa last week.

During her welcome address at the seminar, Modupe said, “low government funding in the education sector has severely affected many areas of our lives as education stakeholders. The most challenging recently is the security of school environment, students and teachers at large”.

To solve the problem of paucity of funds in education, she advised that the Federal Government should keep to his promise as vowed in the Education Summit of 2021 in the United Kingdom, through improved planning mechanism and resource allocations, through management of budget and allocation and stakeholders' involvement in education within the community.

Also speaking at the event, Professor Josiah Ajiboye Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) said, when it comes to issue of funding the questions to be asked are: “Is it that there are no funding, poor funding or misappropriation of funds? We need to get this clearly."

Going further, Prof. Ajiboye said overemphasis on Federal Government funding is making things worse in the sense that what the state and local authority are waiting endlessly for federal government intervention for their own state or local projects. He said that the state or local councils are not taking initiative on how to generate funds hence the overreliance on federal government funds or subventions. He said there are many ways the state could generate their own internal revenue without waiting for FG intervention.   

He lamented that Nigerian is not yet there in terms of funding as the UNESCO recommendation of 15-20% recommendation is not being followed. Pointing out that a review of the 2022 budget presented by the National Assembly to the President revealed that out of the ₦16.39 trillion of the total budgets, only ₦1.29 trillion amounting to 7.9 percent was allocated to education.

He also said that a lot of funds are lying fallow with TETFUND and UBEC that are not assessed because there is no political will on the part of the state to assess these funds, saying that the governors are more interested on how they can collect the money without their own counterpart funding not minding that the comatose and deplorable states of education in their states.

The erudite scholar said the major problem has been over-reliance on funding from the federal government allocation without looking at other sources like public-private partnership (PPP), donor agencies, adopt-a-school, individual contributions, stakeholders partnership/funding among other multi-sectoral approach to funding.

Ajiboye said the impact of poor funding has led to consistent ASUU strike, rise in insecurity, increase in tourism education, infrastructural decay, increased number of out-of-school children, poor quality teaching among others. He revealed that about 250 teachers have left the country this year January alone in search of greener pastures abroad. Hence, he advised that the issue should be tackled holistically.

Corroborating Prof. Ajiboye’s assertion, The Managing Director/CEO of EdFin Microfinance Mrs. Bunmi Lawson said that in the good old days community used to the part of schools development and funding of which she benefited a lot.

Lawson said “If the local governments are well-funded, they would be able to take care of the schools in the community”. She concluded that it is because there has been no participation in education that is why schools in the community are not doing well and have become shadow of themselves.

During the plenary session, Mr. Adegbola Adesina, Managing Director CSS Bookshop Lagos said, poor funding has affected the capacity building of teachers who he described as the “single most important factor in the school”.

Adegbola said during the Eko Project, an intervention fund with support from by the World Bank in Lagos State some years ago, teachers have the opportunity to travel abroad for training by the Eko Project but it is no more now.

Also the past president of ANCOPPS Lagos state, Mr. Isaac Olatunde said he applauded the government for providing funding through it has been minimal. He implored the government to do more because there are many areas in critical needs of funding in the education sector. He said without adequate funding, the education sector would not be able to develop a holistic person.

During a question and answer session, one of the participants, Engineer Twinkle Orimanye said Ghana education allocation is 26%, a little better than that of Nigeria. He further said that Nigeria should look more into technical education and ensure that she is not producing half-baked graduates who have nothing to offer saying that an air-conditioner technician in Ghana can also repair fix that of a car whereas the case is different in Nigeria as such person would be said to be a specialist in car alone.

Another participant, Oluwatoyin Camp bell asked how to correct the issue of lack of political will in the area of funding. So as to get funds that are lying fallow into the hands of the state.

At the end of the seminar, the group promised to issue a communiqué with a recommendation to the government on how to address this problem.