A new initiative capable of revolutionising the education system has begun in Lagos State, with the Government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu committing to exposing pupils in primary schools to the gains of the Nigerian Maritime Careers and endowments.
The Maritime First learnt that a three-prong approach, involving the State Government, the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) and recognised NGOs promoting educational careers in the Maritime / Oceans like the Ocean Ambassador Foundation are already walking the talk, towards redirecting and renewing interest in Blue Economy, through a Catch-them-Young initiative.
Ocean Ambassador Foundation CEO, Olaitan Williams (left) with the representative of LASUBEB Boss, Sherifat Adedoyin
It was further learnt that the inspiration emanated from the current chairman of LASUBEB, Honourable Wahab Alawiye-King specifically targets the girl child, for enduring inclusiveness.
Providing insight into the vision, Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King, the Executive Chairman LASUBEB, stated that maritime tourism is one thing the state authorities were already eyeing.
Alawiye-King represented by Mrs. Sherifat Adedoyin, Permanent Board member in Charge of School Curricular Activities, stated that it was essential to catch pupils at younger ages, to attain the specified development and growth of the sector.
“Well, let me just correct that, this is not the first time we are engaging our pupils on what has to do with the maritime subsector. We are already in partnership with some others and they have been having some programs for our pupils and we even celebrated it two years and even a year ago.
“So, it is not really new to us but we have not gone deeper like we were actually aiming to do.
“We want a situation where we will be taking our students on excursions, so they can see the practical aspects of all these theories and that will help them understand what we are talking about better.
“Children love practicals and whatever they do with their hands, whatever you engage them with, will stay with them for a very long time, unlike just writing in the classroom, where it is only when they open their notes, they understand. They might not even fully understand; but when they engage in the practical aspects, what they do with their hands, it helps better.
“So, this is not the beginning and it is not going to stop here. We are going to continue for as many NGOs that are coming on and we are going to engage all the government agencies that are of similar natures to develop our children so that from it, they can even get their own careers or professions.
“Personally, I always believe in catching them young, whatever you want to do, start with the children. You will not be surprised that they will even be the ones correcting their parents at home.
“So, it is a good investment on the side of Mr. Governor and on the side of the NGO that is putting these together and we look forward to more!” LASUBEB Boss stated.
The Maritime First learned that the LASUBEB Boss who comes from Lagos Island is a highly informed Maritime personality, and as such is driven by vision.
In his mind, he has probably captured a vision of how Lagos State could play the lead role in the future, of championing vibrant life-long careers in the sea-denominated terrain.
The Maritime First further learned that, in the current initiative, experienced leadership and business consultants have also been engaged, as professional mentoring/ change agents, to ensure that year 5 and 6 pupils in public schools become duly exposed to the rich maritime careers and endowments.
Speaking during a pilot program at the weekend, a representative of Governor Sanwo-Olu Babajide, highlighted that though SUBEB exists in every State of the Federation, it is, however, only in Lagos State that the initiative of anchoring it to the grassroots has begun; noting that the mission tilts towards developing and promoting career interests, at the grassroots.
“It is Lagos State that is taking the innovating interest of bringing maritime awareness to the grassroots. Lagos State is in the front”, he stated.
She explained that LASUBEB as an agency has deemed it fit to bring maritime to the grassroots; and congratulated the Governor and the LASUBEB Boss.
“It is a kudos to our amiable Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the innovative, futuristic Chairman of SUBEB, who has been a two-time House of Assembly, and in fact, he was in charge of education when he was in the assembly; so it is not farfetched for him to pursue this enviable vision”, She says, adding that visioner also strongly believe that the public schools, or the grassroots, is the future of Lagos State; and therefore should be adequately informed about maritime.
She equally praised the teachers involved in the project, saying: “I don’t call them teachers, I call them dream-actualisers”.
Corroborating the above view, the Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Ambassador Foundation, Olaitan Williams lauded the Governor and the LASUBEB Boss, for their vision, stressing that the State would immensely benefit from their present commitment.
“It is in the wisdom of the current LASUBEB Chairman, who was a two-time House of Assembly member in charge of education. He called me and said: ‘I am from a maritime domain; you handle maritime. I want the children to know about maritime studies’; and I said well, ‘I will give it to you, but I prefer we start from one local government which is our local government. But he said the milage will not go far, that he wants it throughout the State!
“Number one, he comes from a coastal community, so he knows the importance of maritime; two, he is in education and would want the upcoming generation to know about maritime, especially now that the global concept is gearing towards 2030 Blue Economy.
“So, if we are in the coastal community and the upcoming generation, who are supposed to be the direct beneficiaries don’t know about it, then we haven’t sprouted the maritime business vision.
“So, I said fine, it’s a challenge, I have never done primary school before, but we will help these children; to know it and grow with it”.
Speaking further, Olaitan Williams said the foundation adopted a model that makes learning as simplistic and excitingly attractive as possible, by starting with the colour of water, since most of the pupils never knew much about blue water…
“I’m sure they have never seen blue water, so we have to start from there. We are starting from the grassroots because they are the grassroots.
“So, you must speak the parlance of the grassroots to them, mind you, they are not on the advantaged side of going abroad, so we must make it as simplistic as possible and that is what we intend to give to them as takeaways”, she explained further
A mentor, leadership and business consultant, Dr. Toyin Sanya Olu said the vision being anchored on education makes it praiseworthy.
She observed that Education is an all-encompassing process that by and large, permeates the total person.
She was particularly assured that the involvement of a tripod stand of the Maritime Sector, the Education Section, as well as the State Government is genuinely reassuring. She was convinced that the pupils would be immensely benefited, especially, after being so exposed to knowledge about maritime education on time.
“Now, the truth is what exactly is education? Education is about the transformation of lives and it’s about helping our children to get exposed to, not just the mainstream teaching and learning of the normal subject, but as well as innovating, tech, maritime, social aspects of life and all-around learning. So, that’s what we’ve come to do here today.
“I want to congratulate the Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, as well as the Ocean Ambassador Foundation Head, Mrs. Olaitan Williams,
“I really want to congratulate them because they are doing something unique, something exceptional; to expose our children, especially the ones in year five, and year six to what maritime education is, especially the girl-child.
“You know, maritime is a sector that is filled with most of the male gender, not to say that we are being discriminative here, but then, it is important for the girl-child to be given a lot more options to express themselves in the way they can.
“So, today is a landmark event in the history of education especially in Lagos State, because we are beginning to expose them to the sea world, the Atlantic world, and these children can begin to channel their careers and their pathways into maybe, committing fully to develop our sea spaces in Lagos.
A participant from Eti-Osa, proudly noted the waters of their environment is actually blue in colour.
“So today, we have to say a very big thank you to the SUBEB Chairman, who is from Lagos Island.
“When we were growing up, we did not know the benefits. We know Ships used to pass there, but then we did not know that they were going to Apapa Port then.
“It was only those who visited Apapa that would see all the ships. When we were young, we also didn’t have the opportunity of someone telling us…”
She said it was not until she became older, that she discovered that the environment was indeed sitting on big money, which explains why she decided to ensure that pupils in Lagos actually enjoy the benefits she lacked at her formative age.
She called attention to the benefits of import and export business, stressing that “As we all are today, most of what we are putting on, were all imported!”
“God loves human beings; that’s why he gave us the story of Noah’s Ark.
“The first time somebody had a ship; it was Noah, the ark was the ship. God gave us water for the benefit of the totality of humans and now that water has gone to the next level, they now called it International Trade”.
She called attention to the various careers on land and added that every Career has something like it in the sea.
“There is no career that you have on land that you don’t have in the sea; if you want to be a lawyer, we have maritime lawyers; be it an engineer, we have different fields of experienced marine Engineers.
“If you decide to be a doctor, the ship is like a house, you have nurses there, you have pharmacists, doctors, etc., so there is no career you have on land that you don’t have in the Waters subsector”, she further indicated.
