NiBS holds maiden graduation for Executive MBA Cohort One

By Samira Larbie, GNA

Accra, July 9, GNA - The Nobel International Business School (NiBS) has held its maiden graduation ceremony for the Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) Cohort One with a call on graduates to autograph their works as they go into the real world.

Mr Henry Oroh, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, who made the call, said they must do their work well with much creativity and commitment that they would be proud to behold.

This, he said, are the qualities that would make one stand out among the educated elite in the society.

The ceremony, held under the theme: "Transforming Africa through Education", was also used to award certificates to its continuing students Master of Applied Business Research and Postgraduate Certificate in Contemporary Management.

Mr Oroh said the challenges of Africa are numerous and it is under developed due to ignorance and poor education yet the continent possesses some of the finest brains and expatriates around the globe who have influenced Africa and the world at large.

He said even though government has done well with the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, there is still much to be done if Ghana wants to make progress with the initiative.

Mr Oroh said Ghana is recognized as a regional leader in the delivery of education for all but low quality of early learning and a high rate of absence of teachers in the classroom remain a challenge.

"In many cases the school environment is not conducive for learning due to overcrowded classrooms, water and sanitation challenges and lack of trained teachers," he said.

The Managing Director said there must be transformation, much change in the form, nature and appearance of the continent’s educational systems.

He said transformation could only be accomplished by the mind and hard work.

An investment in quality education is the antidote for ignorance and the lever that would propel the transformation that Ghana as well as Africa earnestly seeks, he said.

Mr Oroh said the kind of education that Africa needs for transformation goes beyond the school curriculum and requires that people inculcate the right character, hard work, altruism, commitment and selflessness; for these are the true qualities of the educated man and woman.

He said there must be a deliberate paradigm shift from white color to blue color jobs where the usefulness of the hands would be felt, minds are creative and hearts are collaborative.

"Our schools must adopt a particular educational approach and design a curriculum that would ensure that the products of the educational system would be all round and be prepared to be partakers in the productive economy," he said.

Mr Oroh urged the NiBS to adopt primary, secondary and tertiary institutions and provide the much needed training for teachers at subsidised rate or no cost at all towards the contribution of transforming the education system not only in Ghana but Africa.

Prof. Stephen Adei, the Chairman National Development Planning Commission, commended the graduates and urged them not to take the advice to autograph their work for granted as this would aid them in the future.

He said government is doing well with its educational reforms but unless public school teachers teach through better supervision and accountability the net outcome of the revision would be minimal.

Prof Adei said the combination of a good pre-university quality education comes from autonomy of institutions, teacher training and remuneration, curricula and pedagogy, and family, teacher and government collaboration.

He commended the President for the proposed Bill to consolidate all existing laws of public universities in Ghana adding that, this would streamline the activities of the National Accreditation Board among others.

He urged government not to increase the number of its appointees on council or shorten their tenure saying, this will be bad for the universities under bad administration.

Prof Kwaku Atuahene Gima, the President and Executive Dean of NiBS, congratulated the graduates and urged them to think differently when everybody sees the same thing as this is the basis for innovation.

GNA

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