About+SA-Nigeria+Partnership

== **It all began in 1999 as Bi-National Commission (BNC) between the Government of South Africa and Nigeria. This relationship gave birth to many fruitful political and economic reforms, thus helping to establish both nations as agents of Change and the new face of Africa.** ==

== **More so in 2009, as a fallout of this growing relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Department of Education (DOE) respectively through Microsoft and Schoolnet in South Africa and Nigeria established the SA-Nigeria Partnership at the Pan African Microsoft Innovative teachers Awards in the beautiful Island of Mauritius.** ==

As part of the activities celebrating 10 years of bi national Commission, BNC Microsoft South Africa and Nigeria organised a collaboration program to engage both learners and teachers to facilitate interaction and sharing of ideas and content in a video conference using a great Microsoft technology called Live Meeting. ||||||  || **Time:** |||||| South Africa – Nigeria in partnership for a better Africa, towards a free movement of people in Africa. || …………..ensuring that rights, dignity and welfare of people in Africa are respected and protected. ||
 * [[image:file:///C:/Users/WELLIN%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg]] |||||| **A REPORT ON THE SOUTH AFRICA** **** **NIGERIA PARTNERSHIP LIVE MEETING THAT HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY IN MICROSOFT OFFICE SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA ON THE 26TH OF OCTOBER, 2009.** ||  ||
 * **The program was by facilitated by Angela Schaerer and Victor from Microsoft SA and Hajia Jumai Ajijola**
 * From Microsoft Nigeria and in attendance were 5 students from GSS Gwarinpa, Abuja and FGC Ijaniki**
 * Lagos, 3 teachers from Abuja, Lagos and Ogun State were also in attendance. Officials of the ministry of education and Schoolnet Nigeria were also in attendance from the Nigerian end. The Honorable Minister**
 * of Education for State in the person of Hajia Aishatu Jibril Dukku graced the occasion, which started at**
 * about 10:00am Nigerian time.** ||
 * **Overview of Live Meeting****.**
 * South Africa 11:00am - 2:00 pm**
 * Nigeria 10:00am - 1:00pm** ||
 * **Collaboration Theme:**
 * **Welcome Address**
 * By**
 * Victor Ngobeni**
 * of**
 * Microsoft South Africa** |||||| **Victor manages the SA-Nigeria Partnership for Microsoft on behalf of the Government of both countries from the education perspective and he was able to share ideas and the rationale behind the project focusing on issues relating to: human rights, tolerance, citizenship, democracy, identity, and diversity. He stated that technology is one way to open our minds to one another and thereby advocate for unity in Africa by ensuring that rights, dignity and welfare of people in Africa are respected and protected.** ||  ||
 * **Ministers Welcome Address And Opening Remarks**
 * The deputy Minister of Education in South Africa Dr**. Enver surty spoke in his welcome address on the great role and importance of both countries specifically in Africa and generally the world at large.

Pointing to the leadership role of SA in the SADC and Nigeria in ECOWAS.. Both countries are key players in NEPAD, Nigeria being the hub in West Africa Economically.

The Bi-National Commission was launched in Nigeria on the 4th of October 1999 by the then Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar, Educational cooperation stemmed from the commission in the year 2002. This involved exchange of students, experts; exchange of information and as was experienced in the conference an exchange of ideas using the Windows life meeting; the Minister pointed out that all these drove towards the freedom of movement of people in Africa.

As a result of the strong relationship between Nigeria and south Africa, over 100 000 Nigerians live in SA. South African companies are an integral part of the Nigerian economy such as the Telecommunications, Banking, property development and entertainment industries like the DSTV.

The Minister however, mentioned the Challenges that rocks the relationship such as tribal diversity and the solutions being adopted to promote peace and cooperation. The video conference live meeting which was the first of its kind in Africa is aimed at fostering collaboration for free movement of people in Africa. ||  || ü Education, in achieving the objectives of the BNC, both countries must embrace quality education for her teeming population especially in Nigeria where the Population is over 140 Million and number of kids out of school is high, to this end she raises an advocacy ü Nigeria –SA friendly schools be supported by the development of a road map for increase in the number of school. ü Provision of access and improving the education sector by having it driven with technology and innovation. ü Technical and Vocational Education. She did mention is now been made a vital part of education in Nigeria as the new basic curriculum to be adopted soon in the country has technical and vocational subjects as compulsory subjects for development of the sector as students can acquire through it the skill in a particular trade and as a result be self sufficient. ü To provide access at the tertiary level, for exchange of expertise and currently at least 17 Nigerian professors are currently in SA lecturing in various universities. The minister buttressed that the relationship can be strengthened through effective communication. Provision of instructional materials, she said “I hear I learn, I see I remember”. She stressed also the importance of a good learning environment for the learners to learn. And on a final note, education and technology she said is the only way for an effective free movement of people in Africa and for Nigeria, to be the first 20 world strongest economy by the year 2020. ||  || · Innovative Teachers Forum · First meeting of teachers · Overview of Windows Live and Live meeting tools
 * **Minister of Education for State Hajia Aishatu Jibril Dukku** in her short but moving speech spoke on focusing on a key number of issues such as
 * With Angela moderating, the collaboration between both countries was introduced with an inclination on:
 * With Angela moderating, the collaboration between both countries was introduced with an inclination on:

A Reflection of how the Project started right from Mauritius at the Pan African Innovative teachers Forum in August 2009 was shared. The result of the teachers deliberations gave birth to the SA-Nigeria Partnership, which culminated in the live meeting to commemorate 10years of BNC between Nigeria and south Africa. |||| Fruitful deliberation in Mauritius

In part two of the conference, **Teacher collaboration activity****;** teachers talked about is what types of resources can be created, that can also be integrated into the curriculum. The pioneer schools will drive the project with a view to having it expand to other schools. · Project /learning resource exchange between Partner school · Use of windows life by both teachers and students · Creation of hard copy newsletter Some strategy discussed during the brainstorming session though not conclusive were: · Running the project with two teachers from each school · Working with a few students at the teachers · Growing the //getting to know you project// · Exchange of culture through drama play-lets that can be shared by partners schools and focusing on issues like Marriage, festivals, school life etc. · A reflection of human rights and child rights · Incorporation of digital resources into the project for easy and enhanced collaboration/ The resources could be slide boom, voice thread, picture or motion movie, power point etc all showcased on the windows live platform. |||| The Teacher and learner introductions took place firstly and learners gave a presentation of their getting to know you project with a curtain raiser from Fiona Beal, her presentation was followed by our Heritage from GSS Gwarinpa Students led by Esther Idogwu an SS 3 Student. All teachers involved in the presentation are: 1. Fiona 2. Wellington 3. Hlengiwe 4. Elizabeth 5. Rae 6. Lekan ||
 * With Victor and Angela facilitating Learner participation, the learners were able to evaluate the picture below and drawing up words that expresses or best interprets the picture; by simply looking at the picture they brainstormed on the kinds of emotion the picture evoked

Words like //fear, anxiety, tears, xenophobia, hate, anger, frustration// freely flowed from both Nigerian and South African Learners. |||| Learners from both countries were able to, think about possible solutions in order to prevent situations like these from occurring. Possible solutions include upholding and enforcing through constitutional means human rights, advocating for tolerance, citizenship, identity, and diversity and creating awareness for democracy. Programs Promoting unity in Africa by ensuring that rights, dignity and welfare of people in Africa are respected and protected. || || **__ OH MOTHER LAND __** ||  ||||
 * On the Way forward, learners, educators, and participants at the conference shared ideas and made remarks. The learners from GSS Gwarinpa were able to Present a poem titled **//Oh Mother Land//** written by Fisayo Abioye an SS3 Student. Also the learners from South Africa had a beautiful presentation.
 * Oh mother land **
 * Oh mother land **
 * You dare to sit watching **
 * As acts of cruelty surface **
 * As rights of dignity suffer **
 * As the young cry again **
 * As the old is devoid **
 * Of peace and wit **
 * I choose to explore freedom **
 * Innovating an advocacy **
 * For a land of tolerance **
 * In a city of unity **
 * But the world of diversity **
 * Brings me adversity **
 * Oh mother land **
 * Is there a chance anymore **
 * For true identity? **
 * Will the venom of xenophobia **
 * Poison thy roots **
 * Oh mother land **
 * Will Africa be one? **
 * I wait to see ** ||
 * ** The Closing remark was given by Mr. Richard Ndaba, appreciated everyone particularly the Minister of state for education Hajia Aishatu Dukku and the Deputy Minister of Education For South Africa Dr. Enver surty for throwing their weight of support behind the project. He expressed great optimism in Microsoft driving the partnership to great heights in achieving a free flow of Africans through Africa. ** ||