The Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Professor Charles Esimone, has described examination malpractice as one of the major challenges facing the Nation’s education system.
Speaking while playing host to the Anambra State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Mr Charles Nwoji who called on him in his office, on Friday, Professor Esimone said that examination malpractice is something the university has not relented in fighting.
Professor Esimone, who equally said that the Drug abuse is causing depression among members of the society, assured that the university will partner the National Orientation Agency in the fight against drug abuse, examination malpractice and cultism.
Briefing, the Vice-Chancellor on the motive behind the visit, the Director of National Orientation Agency, Mr Nwoji, said that the agency, in March last year, obtained permission from the Anambra State Commissioner for Basic Education to interact with Secondary School students in the state on the inherent dangers of cultism, examination malpractice and drug abuse.
The Director who said that he has been following the activities of the University with keen interest maintained that what he came for has to do with the newly admitted students of the University on the need to desist from drug abuse, exam-malpractice and cultism.
He said that the agency commenced the programme since 2014 with the University of Calabar, adding that he equally wants the programme to start with the Premier Universities in the state and urged the Vice-Chancellor to give the agency a chance to interact with the new students during their orientation programmes with a view to sensitising them on the dangers of drug abuse, examination-malpractice and cultism.
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In a related development, the Anambra state government in partnership with Nnamdi Azikiwe University Business School, Awka has commenced the training of three hundred youths in various vocational skills.
The youths, across the 21 local government of the state would be trained in a various vocation such as ICT, Agric Product and processing, Digital skills, Solar installation, phone repair, Shoemaking, Tilling and POP, production and laying of interlock, among several other skills.
Speaking during a press briefing over the weekend, to commence the training programme at the conference hall of the state Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy, tagged; “Youth Entrepreneurship Start-Up (Yes) Program”, the Commissioner for Youth Empowerment, Hon. Afam Mbanefo said the programme was specifically designed to create, on an annual basis, three hundred youth entrepreneurs who would also be employers of labour.
He added that the Ministry under his watch has the mandate to ensure that every Anambra Youth has at least one skills.
The Director, Unizik Business School, Prof. A.U Nnonyelu, in his partnership speech, said the programme represented one way by which the University hoped to contribute to the socio-economic development process of the country through building an entrepreneurially literate society and strengthening the industrial base of Nigeria in general and Anambra state in particular.
Prof. Nnonyelu stated that the programme is essentially designed to develop the capacity of participants in industry-relevant technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills, necessary to start and effectively manage based micro-and small-size enterprises.
He said this would help reduce the scourge of youth unemployment in the state and its associated socio-economic consequences.
He reiterated the commitment of the University to provide sustainable alternatives to the crisis of unemployment in the country through training in various marketable skills for the nation’s youths.
While saying that empowering the youth would reduce unemployment and poverty, he added that the university was adequately equipped to offer evidence-based solutions to the problem of joblessness across ethnicity.
The Director, however, said the partnership is an invaluable one borne out of shared values for the sustainable empowerment of the people.
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