The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has enjoined Schools in the country to turn up en masse to commemorate the 2022 Commonwealth Day come Monday, March 14.
Adamu made the call on Monday, March 7, 2022 in Abuja, while briefing the press on activities scheduled by the Ministry to mark the Day.
TheFact Nigeria gathered that the Commonwealth Day Celebration had been postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Minister who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba said the commemoration was based on the theme, “Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming”.
He added that the inspiring slogan will guide the events to mark the Day and all activities for implementation by Commonwealth organs and organisations all through the year.
He further explained that the Commonwealth theme emanated from the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which had been postponed a second time from 2020 to 2021 and now 2022 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The Education Czar said it was worthy of note that the observance of Commonwealth Day on the aforementioned date hyped the neutrality of the union of nations and their equal status as they commit to work towards a better future on germane issues thereby complementing the evolution of the name from Empire Day to British Commonwealth in 1958 and the removal of the term “British” in 1966.
Consequently, he disclosed that the Ministry had sent reminders to State Ministries of Education to save the date in their schools.
He also added that selected Senior Secondary Schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its’ environs have been notified to participate in the Commonwealth Day observance Quiz competition for Senior Secondary Schools and other activities therein.
The objective of which is to invigorate and evaluate their knowledge on the evolution of Commonwealth Day commemoration and other germane issues. Coveted prizes will be given to meritorious winners.
Disclosing more of the scheduled activities, he said:
“The students are also expected to display the national flags of all member nations in a Flag parade. Arts and Craft exhibition, Dance Drama, Cultural displays and the poetic rendition of the theme song are other designated activities for a colorful commemoration of the Day.
“The preparation is presumably ongoing in all schools nationwide. However, the Ministry will use the National Universities Commission (NUC), Idris Abdulkadir Hall for the pre-commemoration and D-Day activities. Whereas the Quiz Competition for Senior Secondary Schools and the Youth Lecture and Dress rehearsal are part of pre-events activities to celebrate this year’s Commonwealth Day.
“It is my utmost wish that all States Ministries of Education will enjoin their schools to commemorate the D-Day on Monday, 14th March, 2022 as the Ministry is doing at the national level”, Adamu said.
