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Education Minister canvases collaboration with corporate bodies
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has urged Nigerians to consistently coach children to think creatively in order to become champions while he called more corporate bodies to show commitment for education in Nigeria.
Adamu made this charge at the 2018 art exhibition/prize-giving ceremony for the 13th edition of the NNPC/Chevron National Art Competition for Nigerian Secondary Schools, an annual project they conceived with the Federal Ministry of Education, at Muson Center Onikan, Lagos. He said that art education is a necessary piece of human and societal development at large.
Adamu who was represented by Principal of Kings College, Mr. Kolawole Issac, said: “To consistently make progress in art as a nation. We must coach our children to think creatively and become champions, not simply preparing them to end up good employees.
“Consequently, we require a rich and enormous curriculum for art that exposes our children to all essential-fundamental knowledge they need that will enable them to make noteworthy impression in the field of art. This completion is one of those things that would empower the enthusiasm of art in the minds of our champions and broadens their minds, empowering them to be more creative.
“We are delighted knowing that the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture has been dedicated to promoting and fostering quality education.If there are more committed corporate bodies who are as supportive and committed as the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture, our education system will be better.
“We note that the education sector is so important that it should not be for the government alone and so need the collaboration from all stakeholders,” Adamu said.
In the same vein, the chairman and Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Mid-Africa Business Unit, Mr. Jeff Ewing, also want Nigerians to always encourage young Nigerians to become problem solvers through engaging them in creative thinking.
Ewing said that when young children are motivated to re-create their beautiful and thought-provoking imaginations in a visible form, they will grow to become problem solvers because he feels that problem-solving requires creative thinking.
He noted that art is a delightful means of self-expression and a window into human mind. He said art also grants us access to abstract expressions of human thoughts impressed upon canvas and various forms of art. It helps in mental, physical and creative language development of children.
He said further: “This points to the fact that the more we motivate these young ones to recreate their beautiful and thought-provoking imaginations in a visible form, the more they grow to become solver for our society because problem-solving requires creative thinking,”
Speaking on the National Art Competition, Ewing who was represented by the General Manager, Policy Govt. & Public Affairs, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn, said Chevron has consistently demonstrated its commitment through various social investments, ranging from education, health, to economic empowerment.
Ewing reiterated: “For us, the art competition is an enduring investment in education that enables the students to think outside the box, move beyond boundaries and seek different ways to proffer solution.
”The 2018 competition theme: ‘The Nigeria of my dream,’ saw a Junior Secondary School 1, JSS I student of Uniben Demonstration Secondary School, Ugbowo Campus Benin, Edo State, Iluebbey Godson and Senior Secondary School of Government Technical College Abakalike Road, GRA, Enugu, Enugu State, Nnadi Franklin as winners in the junior and senior categories respectively.
While presenting the winners, Ewing said they have shown that they are true representatives Nigeria.