NIMASA donates computers, instructional materials to Kogi school

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has donated computer hardware, textbooks and other instructional materials to Abdulazeez Atta Memorial College in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Presenting the materials to the School Principal in Lokoja on Wednesday, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya,  Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, on behalf of the governor, thanked NIMASA for the gesture.
The donation was done under the recently introduced School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) in every primary and Junior Secondary School in Nigeria by the Federal Government..
Osikoya that there were limited instructional learning and teaching aids in Kogi schools, but that the ministry had been able to identify the minimum requirements, which had been forwarded to the Governor Yahaya Bello.
The commissioner added that the process of supplying those materials to schools were ongoing.
”We have also advocated stakeholders’ involvement, ownership and participation in assisting schools in form of old students’ associations, parents, communities, individuals and corporate organisations.
”What we are doing today is a welcome development about stakeholder’s responsiveness, because we are having positive responses from various stakeholders.
”So, we will like to appreciate NIMASA for donating learning and teaching materials to one of our schools in Kogi, Abdulazeez Atta Memorial College,” she said.
She added: ”I will like to congratulate His Excellency, Gov. Yahaya Bello, because Kogi is one of the first States to holistically adopt the implementation of the SBMC.
She further appealed to stakeholders for more support for Kogi education sector in adopting one or more schools, technical and vocational and also to support out of school children.
”When we all do that, the vision of the governor for ensuring that quality education becomes a norms in Kogi State would be achieved.
”We are also hopeful that Kogi state will be considered for the World Bank support for out of school children,” Osikoya said.
She noted that the ministry had also started ‘Performance Appraisal’ for all schools in the State, based on some key performance indicators as a way of motivating teachers and students.
Items donated includes 12 hp desktops computers with UPS, eight HP laptops with bags, textbooks for various subjects for Senior and Junior Secondary, and Primary School, exercise books, white boards, packets of pen, pencils, among others.
The School Principal, Mr Ajayi Umoru, on behalf of the school management and the students, thanked the donor for the gesture, while commending the commissioner and the governor for changing the narratives in education sector in the State.
The Federal Government recently introduced School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) in every primary and Junior Secondary School in Nigeria.
SBMC is a unique template which brings communities; parents, non-parents, teachers, artisans, school children and governments under one umbrella for synergy towards addressing challenges in the basic education sector particularly funding, infrastructure and service delivery rather than waiting solely on the government.
By this, communities automatically become stakeholders and actively participate in management of public schools in their environments in partnership with government for judicious and timely cogent actions.
SBMC was inaugurated in Kogi last month by the wife of the Governor, Hajia Rashidat Bello, aimed to create governance structure in all schools”.