Former Senate Leader and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Start-Rite International School, Abuja, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, has emphasized that universities and employers are increasingly valuing skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, adaptability, and leadership. He made this statement while congratulating Abigail Oyindamola Akinlade, a student of Start-Rite International School, who represented Nigeria at the 2026 Hiroshima Global Youth Forum in Japan.
Abigail Akinlade was subsequently appointed an Ambassador of the international youth programme after her participation in the Hiroshima Global Youth Forum. She paid a courtesy visit to Ndoma-Egba to share her experience at the global summit and present her appointment as an Ambassador of the Hiroshima Global Youth Forum. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Media and Communication Unit of Start-Rite Schools.
The Hiroshima Global Youth Forum, organised by the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the Hiroshima Organisation for Global Peace (HOPe), brought together selected high school delegates from different countries for engagements on peace, sustainability, and global cooperation. The forum aimed to foster global understanding and cooperation among young people.
The honour bestowed on Abigail was conferred by Yokota Mika, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture and President of the Hiroshima Organisation for Global Peace, in recognition of her contribution to the international programme. This development underscores the importance of an education system that goes beyond academic achievement to equip young people with skills and experiences applicable to real-life situations.
Ndoma-Egba stressed that these qualities are cultivated through learning experiences that encourage students to think beyond the classroom and apply their learning to real-life situations. He emphasized the need for schools to measure their success by the impact they make on students rather than simply by the number of activities and programmes they organise.
A few weeks before Abigail’s visit, Ndoma-Egba had challenged the school community to move “from activity to impact” during a two-day strategic retreat with members of the school’s management team and a whole-school meeting with staff. The engagement was guided by the theme, “From Activity to Impact: Every Student Thriving, Every Family Engaged and Every Staff Growing.”
Ndoma-Egba urged every member of staff “to judge success not by the number of programmes delivered, but by the lives transformed.” He also called on the school to strengthen its systems, structures, and learning experiences to move Start-Rite closer to its aspiration of becoming “The School… a model of what true education should represent.”
Key points
- Universities and employers now prioritize skills like critical thinking, creativity, and leadership.
- Abigail Akinlade represented Nigeria at the 2026 Hiroshima Global Youth Forum in Japan and was appointed an Ambassador of the international youth programme.
- Ndoma-Egba emphasized the need for schools to focus on impact rather than just organising activities.
