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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

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

16 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

16 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

16 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”