…hold one-day talk for Lagos State Pupils
The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) has committed to a continuous exposé of the maritime sector to pupils within the State in a bid to showcase the industry’s potentials and careers through its collaboration with the Ocean Ambassadors Foundation (OAF).
This was attained at a one-day event held in commemoration of the 2022 World Maritime Day, organized for Primary 5 and 6 in Lagos State on Friday by LASUBEB in partnership with the OAF.
Speaking during the catch- them -young campaign, Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King, the Executive Chairman, LASUBEB said that Lagos being a coastal state, the children are better positioned in life when the potentials of the industry as well as the coastal communities they live in are opened up to them.
The LASUBEB boss who was represented by Mrs. Sherifat Adedoyin, the Permanent Board member in Charge of School Curricular Activities, said that the initiative which has the backing of the State Government is deliberately targeted at both teaching and showing pupils the opportunities the maritime industry offers.
“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.
“I always believe in catching them young, whatever you want to do, start with the children. 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”, she stated.
Dr. Toyin Sam-Emehelu, an education consultant who was also present at the meeting commended the organisers for helping children not just in mainstream teaching alone, but also in learning about a global industry as the maritime.
Her Words; “I want to congratulate the Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, as well as the Ocean Ambassadors Foundation’s 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.”
Earlier, the Convener of the Ocean Ambassadors Foundation, Hon. Olaitan Williams in her welcome address applauded the Governor and the LASUBEB Boss, for their vision, and commitment to exposing the children, especially girl-children to the maritime sector.
She said the initiative was at the instance of the current LASUBEB Chairman, who is from a maritime community within Lagos, was a two-time House of Assembly member in charge of education and wants the younger generation to embrace the maritime sector.
“He (Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King) comes from a coastal community, so he knows the importance of maritime; 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.
The foundation in wanting to reach the participants at the lecture took a simplistic approach of moving from the known to the unknown, beginning with the colour of water especially since most of the pupils were familiar with brackish and not blue waters.
“I’m sure they have never seen blue water, so we have to start from there. 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 stated.
