Headline

London Business School To Empower Nigerian Youths With Skills

Published

2 years ago

January 22, 2024

The London Academy Business School says it is bringing the University of Sunderland to Nigeria to empower Nigerian youths with relevant skills.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the school, Dr Larry Jones-Esan announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

Jones-Esan said this was in a bid to bridge the gap between job opportunities and the skills possessed by Nigerian graduates.

“This initiative aims to equip Nigerian youths with the relevant skills needed to thrive in the country’s job market.

“It is no secret that oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria have to continuously apply for expatriate quotas to bring in thousands of foreign workers.

“This situation arises due to the mismatch between the skills possessed by Nigerian graduates and the job requirements in the industry,” he said.

According to Jones-Esan, in spite of the presence of over 250,000 oil and gas jobs in Nigeria, many Nigerian graduates pursue degrees in fields such as Library Science, Linguistics, Sociology, Philosophy, and Political Science.

He explained that these courses have limited relevance to the country’s job market.

“This mismatch has led to a situation where foreigners are often hired to fill positions that could have been occupied by qualified Nigerian candidates.

“For instance, renowned companies like Chevron, Total, and Elf have resorted to bringing in non-graduates with technical skills from countries like France to perform jobs that Nigerian graduates could have easily handled with the right training.

“The consequences of this mismatch are far–reaching. For example, when Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, built a $19.5 billion refinery, he faced a significant challenge in finding 11,000 technicians to operate it.

“This scarcity of skilled technicians was primarily due to the fact that many Nigerian graduates held degrees in fields such as Botany and Philosophy, which were not directly applicable to the technical requirements of the refinery,” Jones-Esan

He said that Dangote had to import technicians from India to fill these positions.

Jones-Esan said that the London Academy Business School, recognising the urgent need to address this issue, partnered with the University of Sunderland to bring quality education and training programmes to Nigeria.

He said the initiative would empower Nigerian youths to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in industries such as oil and gas, technology, engineering, and other sectors critical to the country’s economic growth.

According to Jones-Esan, by offering courses that are directly applicable to the job market, the University of Sunderland’s presence in Nigeria will help address the mismatch between job opportunities and the skills possessed by Nigerian graduates.

The CEO urged Nigerian youths to seize the opportunity and take advantage of the programmes offered by the University of Sunderland in Nigeria.

Jones-Esan said that acquiring relevant skills would make Nigerian graduates better positioned to secure well-paying jobs and contribute to the country’s economic development.

He urged Nigerians to visit www.labs.org.uk for opportunities the school offered to the youths.

NAN

Headline

US: Four Killed, 10 Others Wounded In California Shooting

Published

8 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

Four people were confirmed dead and 10 others injured after a shooting at a family gathering in California, United States on Saturday night, according to US police, who described the attack as a “targeted incident.”

The incident occurred inside a banquet hall in Stockton, northeast of San Francisco, shortly before 6:00 pm, spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Heather Brent, told reporters during a news briefing.

Brent said the victims, ranging from “juveniles to adults,” were rushed to nearby hospitals, noting that details about the shooting remained limited.

“What we have confirmed at this time is that there was a banquet hall where a family was celebrating. We have 14 victims of this shooting. Four of those are deceased,” Brent said.

“Early indications suggest that this may be a targeted incident. Investigators are exploring all possibilities at this time.”

The sheriff’s office posted on social media that detectives were “working to determine the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.”

“We are urging anyone with information, video footage, or who may have witnessed any part of this incident to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office immediately,” the post added.

Authorities said no suspect had been identified at the time of the report.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the development, his office said in a social media statement.

Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows there have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, including the Stockton attack.

(AFP)

Headline

FULL LIST: US To Review Green Cards From 19 ‘Countries Of Concern’ After Washington Shooting

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

U.S. officials identified the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside American forces in Afghanistan.

The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.

The review follows a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”

The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:

Afghanistan

Myanmar

Chad

Congo-Brazzaville

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Haiti

Iran

Libya

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries, though some temporary work visas remain allowed: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Headline

Romanian Defence Minister Quits After Admitting Error In Academic Record

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Romania’s defence minister resigned on Friday after saying he made a “mistake” on his CV about his university education, as controversy swirled over alleged lies on his resume.

Ionut Mosteanu – who has admitted to writing on his CV that he graduated from a university he never attended – said he did not want the row “to distract” the NATO member at a time when it and Europe are “under attack from Russia”.

Romania has repeatedly seen drone fragments fall on its soil since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and reported a number of drone incursions.

On Tuesday, a drone crashed in eastern Romania, which borders Ukraine.

Romania has also accused Moscow of “hybrid attacks”, including meddling in presidential elections last year that were subsequently annulled.

“Today, I resigned from my position as minister of national defence,” Mosteanu said in a Facebook post, adding he wanted the country to be focused on its “difficult mission”.

“Romania and Europe are under attack from Russia. Our national security must be defended at all costs,” he added.

Mosteanu had come under pressure after a media investigation published on Thursday revealed that he wrote in a CV that he graduated from a university which he did not actually attend.

That same day he apologised for what he called “a mistake”.

“In a CV I quickly put together in 2016 using a template I found online, there is a mistake that I admit embarrasses me. I didn’t pay much attention to these details at the time,” he said on Facebook.

Mosteanu was appointed defence minister in June of this year, when a new pro-European government was formed after months of political turmoil.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said in a press release that he would propose economy and tourism minister Radu Miruta take over the defence portfolio in the interim.

AFP