Bayo Wahab

<h2>Due to the spread of diphtheria in 18 states including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, the Federal Government is said to be considering the reimposition of face masks to curtail the spread of the disease.&nbsp;</h2>

Confirmed <a data-link-role-code="open_new_tab" href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/nigeria-records-13204-diphtheria-cases-in-19-states-ncdc/pjcf8h2">cases of diphtheria</a> have risen to over 8,000 with Kano State being the epicentre of the contagious disease with 7,188 cases.

Cases have been recorded in Yobe ( 775), Katsina (232), Borno (118), Jigawa (23), Bauchi (20), Lagos (8), Kaduna (17), FCT (6), Gombe (5), Osun (3), Sokoto (3), Niger (2).

Cross River, Enugu, Imo, Nasarawa, Kebbi and Zamfara states have recorded one case each.

In a bid to curtail the spread, the Federal government on Tuesday, October 4, 2023, called on the governors of the affected states to reintroduce the use of face masks.&nbsp;

Speaking on the rising cases of the disease at a press conference on Monday, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa said that out of the 8,406 cases in Nigeria, 73.7 % of the victims were between one year and 14 years.

Adetifa said, “As of today (yesterday), there have been 13,204 reported suspected cases out of which 8,406 were confirmed cases from 114 local government areas in 19 states and the FCT.

“Of the 8,406 confirmed cases, 6,202 (73.7 %) were aged one to 14 years. Infants: less than 1%; one to four years: 14.40%; five to nine years: 32.2%; 10 to 14 years: 27.1%; adults above 20 years: 15%

“Our records have shown that most of the confirmed cases of diphtheria in the country were unvaccinated against diphtheria.

Kano State has recorded over 7,000 cases of diphtheria [Healthline]

Diphtheria deaths hit 34, Kano registers 100 infections.

According to him, the NCDC has activated diphtheria surveillance and public health measures in the affected states and FCT.

He explained further that the agency, through laboratory networking, continued to conduct preliminary and confirmatory testing at sub-national and national levels.

“Currently, NCDC has 14 laboratories in the Diphtheria Laboratory Network with capacity to support diphtheria testing.

“Optimisation of five additional laboratories at the subnational level is currently ongoing,” he said.

The FG has called on the governors of the affected states to reintroduce the use of face masks to curtail diphtheria spread.

Face masks may be reintroduced as diphtheria spreads to 18 states including Lagos, FCT

<h2>Last week, a group of five emerging economies known as BRICS admitted six new members at its 15th annual summit in South Africa, but Nigeria, despite being Africa’s powerhouse is not one of them.</h2>

BRIC is an acronym for four countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China — which formed an economic bloc in 2009 to challenge the economic hegemony of the United States and its Western allies.

The addition of South Africa to the bloc in 2010 transformed the acronym into BRICS.

Interestingly, the formation of the organisation has brought about a profound shift in the global economic landscape as the influence of the bloc grows among developing nations.

As one of the most powerful economic blocs in the world, many developing countries are already looking forward to joining the forum to protect their economic interests.

While countries seeking to become members of the bloc have not been officially invited to join, the organisation recently admitted Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Argentina and Ethiopia into its fold.

The newly admitted countries would become full members from January 1, 2024, while 40 more countries are said to have registered their interests in joining the bloc.

Brazil, Russia, India and China  and South Africa are the founding members of BRICS. [CGTN]

The expansion of BRICS membership will not only further its economic clout on the global stage, it could also diminish the influence of the US-dominated global financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in countries that want to cut ties with the West.

Currently, the five countries that formed BRICS account for more than 40% of the world population and 26% of the world economy. According to the data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the bloc accounts for 32.1% of global GDP.

However, given Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest economy, it is expected that the economic bloc would covet the membership of Nigeria in spreading its influence. Unfortunately, Nigeria is not among the newly admitted countries.

The non-inclusion of Nigeria among the six new nation members of the bloc has been a big question begging for answers.

<h2>Why is Nigeria not yet a BRICS member?</h2>

It is believed Nigeria’s foreign relations with the Western powers may be a major reason the country has not yet subscribed to BRICS membership.

Nigeria’s ties with the West led by the United States have spanned over 63 years, but this relationship in the opinions of many observers has not translated to any substantial benefits for the most populous country in Africa.

President Bola Tinubu receives US  Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mary Catherine "Molly" Phee.[Presidency]

Tinubu Receives US  Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mary Catherine "Molly" Phee.[Presidency]

It is against this background that many political scientists and economic analysts have called on Nigerian leaders to enlist the country in the forum’s membership to advance its economic interests.

However, contrary to the claim that Nigeria was rejected by the bloc, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the bloc’s 15th summit in Johannesburg said <a data-link-role-code="open_new_tab" href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/nigeria-didnt-apply-to-join-brics-shettima/yf1wvsz">Nigeria has not applied to join the economic bloc</a>.

Shettima said President Tinubu would have to engage the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council before Nigeria applies for BRICS membership.

“So far, we have not applied for the membership of BRICS. And it is majorly informed by the fact that my principal President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a true democrat that believes in consensus building,” the VP said.

“There are so many variables that need to be taken into cognisance. We have to evaluate so many tendencies and issues that require engagements with the economic advisory council, the Federal Executive Council, and even the National Assembly before an informed decision towards joining the BRICS would be taken.”

<h3>Has Nigeria not truly applied?</h3>

Available information about countries that have declared interest and applied to join BRICS indicated that Nigeria has applied to join the economic bloc.

In an interview with an Indian news channel, WION, in March 2023, South Africa’s Foreign Minister, Naledi Pandor revealed that Nigeria was among the 12 countries that had applied to join the economic alliance.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor. [TheCitizen]

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor

When asked to name the countries that have applied to join BRICS, Pandor said, “They’ve come out publicly. Saudi Arabia is one, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, and Argentina. So, it’s a growing list of Mexico and Nigeria. So, there’s huge interest worldwide. And once we’ve shaped the criteria, we will then make the decision.”

Meanwhile, in the speech delivered at the summit, the Vice President pledged that Nigeria was ready for collaboration and partnership that guarantees a world governed by acceptable rules and norms.

However, given Nigeria’s strong relationship with the West, it remains to be seen if Africa’s powerhouse would join BRICS and its new members to counterpoise the economic dominance of the US and its allies.

BRICS 15TH annual summit recently held in South Africa [Health Reporters]

The goal of BRICS is to promote economic cooperation and development among its members.

What is BRICS and why has Nigeria not joined yet? [Explainer]

To usher in a new administration, the outgoing president will present new flags neatly folded in a glass box to the new president.

Usually, the event takes place at Eagle Square, a venue that was built for that purpose and other state functions when the country returned to democratic rule in 1999. Since the beginning of the fourth republic, Nigeria’s presidential inauguration ceremonies have been held on May 29.&nbsp;

Graced by presidents, government officials of other countries as well as former Nigerian presidents, and other invited dignitaries, the inauguration ceremony is typically held amid tight security.

During the ceremony, the president-elect will make some statements administered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria to affirm his position and duties. This pronouncement — entrenched in the constitution — is known as<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/nigerias-presidential-oath-of-office/tw7h3jl"> the Oath of Office.</a>

After taking the oath of office, the president-elect will officially become the president of the country and thereafter, the outgoing president will hand over the national and the defence flags to the president.&nbsp;

The handing over of the flags involves the lowering and raising of the national and the defence flags while the Guard Brigade performs.

Once the flags are lowered, the flag bearers will neatly fold them and place them in a glass box in the hand of the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of the Guards Brigade.&nbsp;

Upon receiving the flags, the RSM will march forward and hand the box to the Commander Guard Brigade, who will then pass it to the Chief of Defence Staff.

The Chief of Defence Staff will after that march towards the outgoing president and the new president and hand over the box to the outgoing president.

To usher in a new administration, the outgoing president will present new flags folded in another glass box to the new president, who will then pass it to the Chief of Defence Staff. The box will then be passed to the Commander Guard Brigade, who will forward it to the Regimental Sergeant Major.&nbsp;

Once the box is received, the RSM will present the new flags to the flagbearers to hoist them to indicate the beginning of a new administration.&nbsp;

After the hoisting of the flags, the president is expected to deliver his speech after which he will proceed to inspect the officers and guards on parade.&nbsp;

This is the moment the new president is seen in an open roof vehicle moving round the parade ground while waving at the crowd and invited guests.&nbsp;

Finally, the new president will be taken to the Presidential Villa in the official vehicle that brought the ex-president to the inauguration venue.

President Muhammadu Buhari and President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. [Facebook:BuhariSallau]

Nigeria's inauguration ceremony is usually held on May 29.

Here's how Nigeria's presidential inauguration will unfold

Samson Toromade

Chinedu Okafor

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.&nbsp;

The commission's chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced the former Lagos governor winner of the election after four days of collating the results of the February 25 election at the National Collation Centre in Abuja.

Tinubu won 12 states across the country, the same as his two closest rivals, but he secured more votes than Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP). The third republic senator secured 8,794,726 to defeat Atiku who finished second with 6,984,520 votes and Obi who finished third with 6,101,533 votes.

Peter Obi (left) and Atiku Abubakar (right) were on the same presidential ticket in 2019, but they were opponents on the ballot in 2023 and lost to Tinubu

Peter Obi (left) hugs Atiku Abubakar (right) before a meeting in Abuja on October 12, 2018

The LP and PDP have strongly condemned INEC's handling of the election and rejected the collation process for not being transparent enough. They accused the APC of rigging the polls, called for the cancellation of the election and demanded the resignation of Yakubu.

The election is the most closely contested since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. Tinubu lost his home state of Lagos but recovered with wins in key areas including Rivers, Zamfara, Borno, Jigawa, Kogi and Kwara. He also won in Benue, Ekiti, Niger, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo.

Vice-president-elect, Kashim Shettima (left), and president-elect, Bola Tinubu (right) [Twitter/@officialABAT]

Kashim Shettima (left) and Bola Tinubu (right) [Twitter/@officialABAT]

Atiku won in his native Adamawa, as well as in Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.

Obi swept through his southeast region — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. He also won in Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) polled nearly a million votes in Kano to win the state and finish with a total of 1,496,687 votes. He also joined calls for the election to be cancelled a day after the LP and PDP walked out of the National Collation Centre.

The LP and PDP are expected to escalate their grievances with the process and challenge the legitimacy of Tinubu's victory in court. But as it stands, the 70-year-old will take over from Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria's new president on May 29, 2023.

Buhari is poised to hand over Aso Rock Villa to his fellow party man, Bola Tinubu [Twitter/@officialABAT]

Muhammadu Buhari raises Bola Tinubu's hand [Twitter/@officialABAT]

INEC will issue the president-elect and the vice-president-elect, Kashim Shettima, their certificates of return at 3 pm on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

BREAKING: Tinubu wins Nigeria's most closely-fought presidential election

<h1>In a bit to contain the spread of coronavirus outbreak, Nigeria Governors’ Forum has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare an overnight curfew and also make wearing face masks in public compulsory.&nbsp;</h1>

The governors in a letter dated April 24 and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha also want the president to approve the ban on inter-state movement.

The Chairman of the forum,&nbsp;Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State said he and his colleagues believe those actions would help to curtail the spread of the pandemic in Nigeria.&nbsp;

In the evening of Sunday, March 27, 2020, when Buhari ordered a 14-day lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to curb the spread of the virus in the country, Nigeria had 111 cases of the pandemic.

When the lockdown elapsed on Monday, April 13, coronavirus cases in the country had increased to 323. The rise in the spread prompted the president's decision to extend the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja by another 14 days.

However, despite the lockdown in almost all states across the country, the cases of the virus continue to rise as Nigeria now has over a thousand cases.

As a result, the governors in their letter to the SGF, who’s the head of task force on coronavirus (COVID-19), said they would like to have their input in the next presidential intervention.

Nigerian governors recently agreed on two-week national lockdown. [Twitter/@IAOkowa]

States working with FG, others to control Lassa fever - Governors’ Forum. [Twitter/@IAOkowa]

The letter reads, “Recall at that meeting, it was agreed that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) articulates the issues that it would want to be included in the next Presidential Pronouncement on COVID-19 to have a Uniform and Coordinated Policy on COVID-19 at both the national and sub-national levels.

“Subject to Mr President’s approval, the NGF would want the following incorporated into Mr President’s Pronouncements:&nbsp;

<ul><li>Inter-state lockdown excluding movement of essential supplies — foods, beverages, medical and pharmaceuticals, petroleum supplies and agricultural products;&nbsp;</li><li>Internal free movement but with restrictions on large gatherings and assemblies;&nbsp;</li><li>Overnight curfews;&nbsp;</li><li>Lockdown of flights</li><li>Compulsory use of face masks/coverings in the public.”</li></ul>

However, when the ongoing lockdown elapses on Monday, April 27, 2020, President Buhari is expected to address Nigerians on the next line of action.

President Muhammadu Buhari. [Twitter/@BashirAhmaad]

When the ongoing lockdown elapses on Monday, April 27, 2020, President Buhari is expected to address Nigerians on the next line of action.

Coronavirus: Governors want Buhari to impose curfew and make face masks compulsory

These days, your BSc or HND certificate is no longer enough to get you your dream job. Every graduate that gets the job they really want has more than university or polytechnic degree certificate to back up their CV.

This is why you should consider <a id="f7081244-41d4-4d76-b0ca-bee7f9714827" href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/careers/3-reasons-why-taking-online-courses-is-a-good-idea/n6ykxxj">taking online courses</a> and get their certificates to boost your chances of getting the job you desire. Here are five online courses we advise you apply for.

Decorate your CV with Google Analytics skills and watch recruiters prioritize you over other candidates. (lionessesofafrica)

A change in your workplace could be an opportunity for you to step up. (lionessesofafrica)

This course will help you learn to how to use Google’s measurement tool, known as Google Analytics effectively. If you’re interested in Digital Marketing this is one of the skills you need to have and having a certificate to back up this skill can establish you as an authority in the digital marketing field.

Every business is online and there's a need t have a social media manager for these buisnesses. (Mocha Moguls)

Flexibility is said to be the biggest benefit of working from home. (Mocha Moguls)

Online certifications in digital and social media marketing tools is something you should also take seriously if you want to be a star among job candidates. Social Media Marketing is an aspect of digital marketing that every organization want to take advantage of to push their businesses to their teeming audience on social media platforms. Every company wants to appeal to their audience online and you having a certification in this field can make you the candidate they’ll like to hire.

Coding skills sells now and can get you job fast.

Becoming certified in programming will never be a waste of time because website and software engineers are in high demands. This skill lets you build a website or manage existing websites for companies. You can learn this skill and get certified in it through platforms like Lynda and Coursera.

Your communication skills matter in your career progress. (madamenoire)

Landing a job is not easy, as a job seeking graduate, you would have realized what it means to look for job in Nigeria. However, there are steps you can take to make yourself the candidate employers want have in their organizations.

3 online certificates that’ll make you the candidate every employer wants to hire

Having a top-notch LinkedIn profile can endear you to employers or people that can recommend you to employers in their connections.

It’s believed that 94% of recruiters use this platform to search for someone to hire; and if you’re on LinkedIn as a job searching graduate, you should be able to position yourself as the right candidate for employers’ job when they come searching on LinkedIn.

To win their hearts when they check on you, here’s what you need to show them on your LinkedIn page.

Let your prospective employers see your face on LinkedIn (rd.com)

Get the interview outfit that'll improve your confidence level (rd.com)

Unlike other social media, LinkedIn is both a professional and social network; and while you make effort to endear yourself to other professionals and prospective employers on the platform, you need to put a face to the name.

Your profile picture makes it easy for prospective employers to relate with the name and that could also pave way for conversations between you and them. A LinkedIn page without a profile picture will most likely not attract any prospective employer to your page.

Always make sure hit your target, you'll be happy you do it. (That Sister)

Employers do not go on LinkedIn to search for anybody with a profile and pictures. They check on people with achievements that are clearly stated in their profile. So, to stand out in their searches, you need to add tangible numbers and statistics of your accomplishment in your profile.

Ask someone you know on LinkedIn to write a recommendation about you. (Thebalance)

Ask a friend about what to wear, she might have a better suggestion. Thebalance)

Instead of simply telling employers how great you’re, ask some people in your network to write you a recommendation on LinkedIn.

It's easy to build your reputation when you have connections on LinkedIn. (Moxye)

The more connection you have on LinkedIn, the easier it is for you to build a reputation as a knowledgeable person with a good network. Your net worth on LinkedIn is dependent on how many people you connect with. You may not have thousands of connections when you just join the platform, but you should aim to have a minimum of 50–100 connections.

Never be shy to share your thoughts on LinkedIn. (Muse)

Thinking about why you are not growing in your career. (Muse)

On LinkedIn, you’re not only expected to be social, but to also be yourself. So, you shouldn’t be afraid to share your opinion about your industry and jobs. Follow thought leaders in your industry, get involved in conversations and share updates about events in the industry. The more you get involved in industry conversations, the more relevance you gain as an expert in the industry.

You can’t underestimate <a id="c556f5c3-bdb6-401c-b031-06109ab0d080" href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/careers/why-linkedin-is-so-important-to-your-job-search/xdg531l">the importance of LinkedIn to your job search</a>. It’s the first social media platform that comes to mind when it comes to job hunting and recruitment.

5 things recruiters want to see on your LinkedIn profile

Employees certainly get motivated when they have a job that guarantees their career development and often time, they look forward to their employers to put them through career development programs.

A lot of employees have a high level of expectation from the organizations they work for; they want to learn, get mentored, get trained and grow their internal network.

And to achieve all these, employees rely on their employers to put some development programs in place. Of course, some organizations make this happen. They have a dedicated team to come up with development programs for their staff to improve their skills and make them better employees.

However, majority of companies don’t have such programs for their staff. This doesn’t make them bad companies to work for though, they probably don’t just have the resources to support such programs.

But rather than expecting your employers to serve you career development on a platter, there is often far more that you can do to develop yourself. Here are three ways you can take charge of your career development.

Waiting for your organization to provide a program to improve your skills might limit your career development. What if the company doesn’t provide it?

When your job role changes for instance, it’s important you take steps on your own to adjust to the new role by making effort to skill up. This effort starts with you. Don’t wait till the employers retrain you before you step up to the new role.

Think about how you can add value to your new role. develop a growth mindset that’ll motivate to you identify and explore career possibilities that’ll help you grow.

Be a mentor to a couple of people in your community.(Sbeinc)

One of the most effective ways to improve your skills is to dedicate some of your free time to learn from people who have been in your situation before. Talk to people who are always willing to share their experience and expertise and fuel your career development.

Having a mentor is one of the best ways to establish yourself in your career and you don’t need your company program to get one.

Every product becomes a brand when they give themselves a unique identity. As an employee, you also need to have something people can identify you with. You need to understand who you are and what you do best.

You can’t expect people to know this when you’re not telling or showing them anything about yourself. What do you want to be known for? If you haven’t thought about this, consider it now.

Just take a deep look at yourself; Check and weigh your strength against your weakness, project your strength both online and offline and trust me, you’ll surely find yourself growing with a new found identity in your career.

Read this to understand what you need to do to develop yourself career-wise.

3 ways to take charge of your career development

Job hunting can be a daunting experience for fresh graduates who have repeatedly been rejected by hiring managers because of major or minor mistakes in their applications.

Some applicants don’t pay attention to their CV they are submitting for a job application, they just want to submit anything they believe qualifies as CV and except to be invited for a job interview.

If you have been submitting your CV for job applications and you’ve not been getting called for interviews, something must be seriously wrong with your CV.

Here are some reasons, why your CV has not been qualifying you for a job interview.

<h2>Your CV doesn’t look like it fits the job</h2>

There must always be an improvement in your role and salary.

As a job seeker, your CV is meant to sell you not to get you ignored by employers. Before you submit your credentials to any organization, first make sure your CV aligns with the job you’re applying for by connecting it to the job.

Here’s what I mean. Link your skills the and experience in your resume to the role in the job post. To demonstrate your qualification, use the keywords and phrases in the job add and tailor them into your CV, but caution; don’t overuse it.

Your CV shouldn't be too long. (fabwoman)

Some applicants believe the longer the CV, the better their chances of getting the job. If you share this sentiment, you’re wrong. An average hiring manager spends around three minutes to review a CV, they don’t have the whole day to review your three to five page CV.

So, if you have a CV of two pages in length, it should be enough to cover your skill, experience and academic history. You don’t have to submit your biography to bore your potential employers.

Trust me, if your CV looks untidy and unstructured, hiring manager won’t think twice before they dump it in the trash can. If you want your CV to be taken seriously, avoid using long unbroken paragraphs. Try to make it easy for the hiring manager to read by breaking the information in your CV into short, sharp points by using bullets.

Read this to understand what you need to adjust in your CV.

In case you don’t know, this is what is wrong with your CV

<h2>Dear undergraduates, if someone asks you why you are chasing a degree certificate in your higher institution, your response will most likely be tied to getting a good job.</h2>

The dream to get a good and satisfying job obviously tops the list for most undergraduates, but sadly, not all universities are helping their students to prepare for the highly competitive job market.

However, if getting a job after your graduation gives you a cause for concern, here are five reasons to show you that your academic institution is established to support and prepare you for the future.

<h3>1. Industrial Training Placement</h3>

Having your internship gives your work experience and prepares you for your career. (Andela)

All the new job roles are basically tech driven (Andela)

Industrial Training Placement commonly referred to IT or internship among students is a great way to gain work experience before you graduate and a lot of Nigerian Universities and Polytechnic have incorporated this into their curriculum.

As a mater of fact, some institutions make it compulsory for their students to undergo internship, make a report about it and then come back to school after three or six months to explain what they learnt in the course of the internship to their lecturers.

Private universities expensive and they have better facilities for their students. (Buzznigeria)

Exchange program is an academic arrangement in which students of a university are sent to another university to study. In most cases, the students are sent abroad to study at one of their university’s partner institutions.

This program is not so common among Nigerian school, but if you want to know about this arrangement, consult the Dean of Students Affairs, he/she will tell you if your school has such programs or not.

Industry experts share success tips with UNILAG undergraduates. (Pulse)

Industry experts share success tips with UNILAG undergraduates

Universities are not only established to just churn out graduates year in, year out. A tertiary institution that wants the best for its graduates will also foster strong links between industry experts, employers and their students by inviting them to their school events to deliver presentations and connect the students with them. If your school does this regularly, congratulations! you’re studying in an institution that cares about your future.

<h3>4. Campus Workshop and Recruitment Fair</h3>

Gr8jobsng & BusinessDay Career Fair (Gr8jobsng)

Does your school regularly organize workshop and career fair to prepare and help you understand what it takes to develop marketable skills and understand job interview techniques? Do Job Boards come to your school to conduct mock job interviews? These are indications that your school management is committed to helping you achieve your career goals.

Some of the alumni of UNILAG are leaders today.

First generation universities like the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy (OAU) have very strong alumni association members that have established themselves as experts, employers and decision makers in different industries. Alumni network like this will help you connect with professionals in your field and even secure yourself a job when you network with them.

African American students on campus  (blkgldradio)

If your university provides these five things, you’re in a good school. Read on.

5 signs your university really cares about your future career

<h2>Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is gaining more popularity among young and old professionals who want to acquire new knowledge, improve their skills and get better at what they do. </h2>

The prominence of online courses has also gotten to universities and many undergraduates are already taking advantage of free courses on platforms like Coursera, UdX, Lynda and Udacity <a id="46440027-3004-4f72-a8da-8133c8ac4e56" href="https://www.pulse.ng/communities/student/3-smart-ways-to-learn-new-skills-for-free/l27yntd">to step up their skills</a> and prepare themselves for their career.

If you’re still wondering why you should use your data to watch videos and read stuff on MOOC platforms, here are three good reasons you should enroll in a free online course.

<h3>1. Get a head start in your specialization</h3>

Student studying online at night (iStock)

By enrolling for a <a id="e7b61092-9543-4d7c-9fc9-058aaeafd192" href="https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/careers/5-platforms-to-get-free-digital-skills-certifications-and-boost-your-career/xmr4zfk">free online course</a> and seeking out other courses that are related to your field, you’ll surely get ahead of your classmates if you’re an undergraduate. And as a graduate, online courses will help your learning and give you the needed skills to advance in your career.

Online learning is easier and more convenient than physical learing (Unicaf)

It’s pretty easy to juggle your online study and your academic pursuit. Online courses give you the opportunity to plan your study; and unlike your university lectures, your course materials are online and you can always attend to it at your convenience.

<h3>3. More interaction and higher concentration</h3>

Taking online courses improve your skills (Rattler Nation)

While physical lecture room can get rowdy and full of distractions, open online courses engage you better and gives you a higher level of concentration. MOOC also makes it easier for students, especially the shy ones to participate in class discussions.

With you and your laptop, you can study anywhere you choose to learn from (BBC)

Bayo Wahab

Articles written by the author

Face masks may be reintroduced as diphtheria spreads to 18 states including Lagos, FCT

What is BRICS and why has Nigeria not joined yet? [Explainer]

Here's how Nigeria's presidential inauguration will unfold

BREAKING: Tinubu wins Nigeria's most closely-fought presidential election

Coronavirus: Governors want Buhari to impose curfew and make face masks compulsory

3 online certificates that’ll make you the candidate every employer wants to hire

5 things recruiters want to see on your LinkedIn profile

3 ways to take charge of your career development

In case you don’t know, this is what is wrong with your CV

5 signs your university really cares about your future career

3 reasons why taking online courses is a good idea

Throwback Thursday: Computer used to be someone’s job title before it became a device

Is it really necessary to give compliments to the HR during a job interview?

5 soft skills you should develop at university

Now that you’ve graduated, here are 5 ways to begin your life

5 other ways to search for jobs apart from using job boards

Top 3 reasons every undergraduate should be on LinkedIn

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