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Access Bank Partners British Council For BROCLA 2024
Access Bank, Africa’s leading full-service commercial bank, has partnered with the British Council for the seventh edition of the British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards (BROCLA).
The partnership is in line with Access Bank’s commitment to supporting the educational sector and recognizing students who have excelled on national and global stages in the May/June 2023 and Oct/Nov 2023 Cambridge International Examinations.
The well-attended event which took place Thursday evening at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, testifies to Access Bank’s brand positioning and its strategic alliances with reputable partners.
Access Bank said the partnership offers it a unique blend of global prestige, strategic networking opportunities, enhanced brand visibility, alignment with corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, and positive public relations.
Speaking at the British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards, Chioma Kema Ogwo, Head, Emerging Businesses Team at Access Bank, said the importance of education cannot be overstated, noting that it is a sector the bank is heavily investing in.
She said it was because of Access Bank’s value for education that it partnered with the British Council in the 7th edition of the BROCLA, adding that in addition to the awards presented at the event, the bank will be giving the successful students some financial support as they begin this new phase in their lives.
“We at Access Bank are big on education and we have several offerings for the education value chain, from the parents – including access to finance for the school fees of their wards, access to exclusive offerings while transiting to visit their wards abroad, supplementary cards that can be used by their wards abroad and so much more.
“The schools are also not left out as we have access to affordable finance options for the schools for working capital, asset finance, and school expansion projects. We have a special school account for schools that recognizes their unique term cycles and offers a wide range of non-financial offerings,” Ogwo said.
In his address, Senior Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, Cambridge International Education, Der Riet commended the 48 recipients of the high achievement awards and eight students who have excelled across multiple subjects to earn the best awards, describing their dedication to studies and ability to excel across a diverse range of subjects as truly commendable.
Der Riet acknowledged Access Bank for partnering with the British Council for the Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards 2024 saying that it is a vindication of the Bank’s commitment to promoting education in Nigeria.
“I also want to acknowledge Access Bank. Access Bank is also playing a big role here and is going to additionally recognise the awardees who are present in the room with awards. We want to thank the bank for this support and partnership; it’s a testament to the bank’s commitment to promoting education,” he said.
Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Cambridge International Education, Juan Visser said of all the outstanding learner events across the world, Nigeria is by far the most glamorous, and acknowledged all the successful students for their brilliance, ambition, strength, and for simply being outstanding.
“We are here to celebrate 95 Cambridge learners coming from 37 Cambridge schools, or international schools accredited to offer Cambridge, with a total of 134 awards. Cambridge has an important role to play together with the British Council in Nigeria in providing quality education to our schools and learners worldwide,” he said.
Visser, who averred that quality education is the greatest driver to transforming societies and lives, said that the students gathered for the event are a testament: “I know this is a big day for you all and you have worked so hard for this moment. Even with the disruption of a global pandemic, you continue to study hard and achieve excellence. People often forget that the cohort of learners here today was highly impacted by the pandemic and had to work through that.”
The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards are a group of awards that recognise exceptional learner achievement in Cambridge examinations around the world. Awards results are generated electronically using Cambridge’s awards data generation system.
Cambridge awards are based on overall standard marks rather than percentage marks or grades. The learner with the highest overall standard mark in the world or the country/territory will receive the award for that particular subject.
The 2024 British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards event was witnessed by students from various schools, parents, teachers, British Council Nigeria officials, and other distinguished guests including Hon. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education.
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi