General News
Number of Nigerians Studying in the UK Trebles
The number of Nigerians studying for a degree in the UK trebled in just eight years, according to latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in the UK (HESA).
The statistics showed that 17,640 Nigerians enrolled to study at UK universities during 2011/12 compared to 5,385 for 2003/04.
Nottingham Trent University, based in Nottingham in the East Midlands in England, now has nearly double the number of Nigerian students compared to two years ago.
For the academic year 2013/14, 64 Nigerians enrolled at the university, compared to 38 in 2011/12.
Among those to enrol were siblings Olufunmilayo Odeyemi, 19, Fehintola Odeyemi, 21, and Olurotimi Odeyemi, 23, who were all born and raised in Kaduna.
Olufunmilayo is currently studying for a degree in product design, while Fehintola and Olurotimi have both graduated with degrees in architecture.
They all undertook a foundation course at Nottingham Trent International College, which is based at the university’s campus in Nottingham city centre, to give them a good grounding for their degrees.
Olufunmilayo, known as Funmi, said: “The best thing about studying in the UK is that you get to meet so many different people.
“It’s a real experience and I have learned much more than I ever imagined. Not only that, but I love football and have been to watch my favourite team, Manchester United, play in the Premier League.”
Older sister Fehintola said: “The lifestyle is very different in the UK compared to Nigeria. What you say, how you dress and the way you interact with people is very different from home. It has been a real experience.
“I plan to do a masters degree in architecture which will lead to me being qualified with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Once I have this, I would like to come home to Nigeria and move to Lagos to work in an architectural firm.”
Selma Toohey, international recruitment officer for Sub-Saharan Africa at Nottingham Trent University, said: “We’re seeing increases in the number of students from Nigeria coming here to study, which is really encouraging.
“In the past we have had many students applying from Lagos, but now we’re seeing more come to us from other parts of Nigeria, such as cities and towns in the north like Kaduna.
“More people are realising that studying in the UK is a realistic option and many find it to be a real benefit to experience living in another culture while studying for their degrees.”
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says it is intensifying efforts to standardise locally manufactured products, including Made-in-Aba brands, in order to enhance both local and international acceptance.
Aharanwa Chuks, Director of Region (South East), SON, communicated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Chuks said through the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP), SON ensured that all Nigerian-made products conformed to the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS).
According to him, MANCAP involves direct engagement with manufacturers to certify that their products meet established quality benchmarks.
“This process includes inspecting production facilities, sampling products and testing them against NIS requirements.
“Successful compliance results in the issuance of the MANCAP certification, signifying adherence to quality standards.
“In Aba, SON has been proactive in educating manufacturers about standardization.’’
The director said SON also conducted stakeholder interactions; gathering manufacturers from various sectors to provide guidance on producing goods that met both local and international standards.
“For instance, leather manufacturers in Aba have been sensitized on standardization practices to enhance the global competitiveness of their products.
“Manufacturers are encouraged to collaborate with SON to obtain MANCAP certification, ensuring their products are not only marketable within Nigeria but also competitive internationally.
“This initiative aims to boost consumer confidence and promote the acceptance of Made-in-Aba products globally,” Chuks said.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has busted a Ponzi Scheme Academy and arrested 133 suspects in Abuja.
They were arrested at the Compensation Layout in Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, following actionable intelligence on the existence of the Academy.
The Academy, named Q University (a.k.a Q-Net) is in the business of recruiting gullible young Nigerians who are trained to recruit more gullible citizens into the scheme with the promise of getting unrealistic profit returns.
The suspects are enrolled into a training codenamed: “Special Training for New Generation Billionaire” and brainwashed to believe that they would graduate into the league of billionaires.
They got into the training by obtaining a form the promoters called “Independent Representative Application Form” with promotional slogans such as: “I’m a Champion” “I’m Unstoppable”, “I’m Infinity”, among others.
The EFCC carried out the operation in collaboration with officers and men of 176 Guards Battalion, Nigerian Army.
Items recovered from the suspects include phones, computers and other electronic gadgets.
They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
Big companies are leaving Nigeria are leaving Nigeria because of what Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources described as “middlemanism”.
So called “middlemanism” is slack form of middleman, which is an intermediary who facilitates transactions between a buyer and a seller, often taking on roles like wholesaling, distribution, or brokering, and earning a commission or fee for their services.
The minister made this known during the opening of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria’s Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Conference.
Heineken Lokpobiri disclosed that a lot of intermediaries who entered the oil industry caused its damage.
According to the minister, due to middlemen and intermediaries, some big and multinational oil service giant such as Schlumberger, Halliburton, McDermott, and others left Nigeria.
“We have made mistakes. And I’m saying this specifically so that all African countries here today will not make the mistake that Nigeria made. When I became minister, one of the issues I was confronted with had to do with the multinational service companies all exiting Nigeria. They’ve all gone, except, maybe this Italian company, Saipem. That was the only one that was around. So we had a situation where there was a monopoly.
“The other big boys—the Schlumberger, Halliburton, the McDermotts—all of them have gone. All of you here in PETAN have your good days in these companies. That was where you started from. That was where you actually developed your capacity,” Lokpobiri said.
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