Business
We teach public speaking skills, speed reading – School proprietress
Most schools are established to accomplish some tasks; what is the idea behind your school?
The idea is to train kids that are globally competent and can make a difference wherever they go, whether America, Russia or Asia. And the fact that the kids are in Africa should not limit how far they can go.
I was educated in Nigeria but when I got to the US, I realized that there were few gaps that I felt were not addressed and I also realised that most of what you get in Nigeria in terms of education depends on how wealthy your parents are or your background. So, it was in an attempt to mitigate those missing components that my family conceived the idea of establishing this school. We hope to get things right, we may make a few mistakes, but ultimately the idea is to help the child build a solid foundation.
What are the missing factors?
The average Nigerian education is very linear or straight. In fact Nigerian students in the US are topping the chart and getting admissions to all schools but when you think about creativity -the boldness a child needs to address democratic issues, most students are not prepared for them. I went back to school in the US and whenever I was in school, I felt that I was missing those pieces. We are good at mathematics and sciences, but the real skills, critical thinking and fundamentals in terms of building the business by yourself are not covered by the Nigerian curriculum.
So it’s basically to give the kids what is best in both the American and Nigerian curriculum. We mainly use the Nigerian curriculum but a lot of American components. One of the components missing here is in-depth research which the American system pays attention to. We expose our children to research. My youngest child who is studying in the US recently came and taught some of our pupils how to carry out research using the computer. The kids should be able to find data using the computer. Again, American students are more mature in the sense that when they leave school, their interest is being enabled and they are ready to hit the ground running or work because of the practices they conducted. Again, libraries in the US are well stocked and that is what I want to have in my school here. This enables the kids to read as much as they want.
Research is the component of every subject we offer apart from creative writing and public speaking. Public speaking enables the children to directly express themselves or speak to live audiences. Nigerian kids know what to say and have great ideas but need to learn communication skills with public speaking tips and not when they become politicians. I attended a political campaign in 2014 and listened to various speakers on their party manifestos. With due respect, I was disappointed when I left the venue. When I compare that with the American politics, I feel that I know the candidates and I know what they can offer. I can figure out where each candidate is going or whether they are telling the truth or not. So, I want the kids to understand the issues and speak about them. They learn that through debate and competitions.
Sport seems to be disappearing from schools unlike what was obtainable during our school days. We want our kids to engage in sports because it brings people together.
Our pupils are allowed to bring their own devices such as i-pad and phones to carry out research. We conduct video tele conferences and connect to schools abroad where our kids talk to their colleagues there. They are happy and curious to exchange ideas. It’s better to give the right information at this age.
Standards are guide posts for schools.
Do you encounter difficulty in adhering to required class sizes considering high enrolment demand by parents?
We try to maintain international standard in terms of teacher-pupil ratio and other aspects which is why we employ qualified teachers who are mostly degree holders and few with advanced degrees. They come to the school as early as 6:30a.m. to prepare for their respective lessons and they close after school hours. The school tries to encourage them to learn new skills not because we pay them high but just to ensure that their knowledge and skills remain relevant. One of the keys to success is having the right personnel; you can have every facility but if you don’t have the right teachers, there will be problems. The teachers should be able to grasp the vision of the school too. The dedication of staff is high. For example, I have someone who started as a driver and now he is the head of transport unit and does all the logistics work. The school doesn’t owe teachers’ salaries because we want to motivate them.
In terms of admission, we obviously have standards and conduct entrance tests based on age and ability. A candidate must meet the minimum entry requirement and where they could not meet the requirement, we have other options. The child will be made to attend extra lessons or remedial classes until he catches up.
You mentioned that public speaking is part of your school extra curricular activities. How do you ensure that students overcome public speaking anxiety?
We have a teacher who conducts practices on public speaking skills and we allow the students speak on the assembly ground. The reason is that children are curious and they need to be empowered to speak intelligently about anything they know about. At the moment, we are conducting in-house debates before the students could compete with their counterparts from other schools. The teacher usually gives them topics and allows them to carry out research before the debate is conducted. The kids are also allowed to talk during the end of year activities or prize giving day.
The school runs crèche, kindergarten to sixth grade but we intend to start secondary section in the new session; we have already acquired a property for that purpose. Initially, there was no plan for high school, the idea was envisaged later.
We have started some intervention programs in which we allow other students to register with us and take lessons in preparation for external exams. Here, we try to help the kids prepare for the next level in their lives. We have a mathematics club meant to inspire students because most students hate maths and avoid anything that involves calculations. The students learn some nuances or strategies to motivate them in mathematics.
The school conducts creative writing lessons designed to help kids develop writing skills and also speed reading classes to improve their ability to read quickly.
NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes
By Pius Olasanmi
In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”
When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.
A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.
These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.
The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.
We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.
Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.
Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.
Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.
Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.
His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.
As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.
Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.
GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND
Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”
Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.
> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.
The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality
Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.
> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”
To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.
Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability
Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,
“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”
The Grandis Experience
Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.
From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.
> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.
A Legacy That Lasts
With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.
In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.
“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added
Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola
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