By Glory Akpan

The Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) has raised concerns over the planned concession of lands belonging to some unity schools by the Federal Government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the members of the association, drawn from over 60 unity schools across the country, expressed their concerns during an awareness walk and rally on Saturday in Lagos.

The members, some carrying placards with captions including, “PPP: Save the Future” and “Schools are not for Real Estate”, urged the Federal Government to engage alumni associations in funding and developing the institutions.

Speaking at the rally, Humphrey Nwafor, Lagos Chapter President of the Federal Government College, Kano Old Students Association, said the alumni support Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) but oppose the sale of educational assets.

Nwafor said 33 hectares of land belonging to FGC Kano was concessioned without adequate consultation with stakeholders.

“We are saying there is a better option. Instead of selling our lands and assets, we would rather fund the schools ourselves.

“If the government says it does not have enough money to run the schools, the old students can provide support without taking one inch of land,” he said.

According to him, the concession arrangement involving the school’s land will undermine the future of unity schools established to promote national integration.

“These schools are building the unity of this country.

“They were established to unite Nigerians from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

“We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure that public educational assets are protected,” Nwafor said.

Also speaking, the President-General of USOSA, Jos, Michael Magaji, said unity schools are nation-building institutions that have produced leaders across various sectors.

According to Magaji, alumni associations have long contributed to school infrastructure and educational support.

He called on the Federal Government to leverage alumni networks in addressing funding challenges confronting unity schools.

“We are in solution mode and impact mode.

“We believe alumni associations should be integrated into the process of repositioning these schools.

“We recently met with officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and discussions are ongoing toward finding mutually beneficial solutions,” he said.

Magaji said the association was advocating a sustainable funding model that would preserve educational assets while improving infrastructure, manpower and learning conditions.

Similarly, Mr Alex Akindumila, President of FGC Idoani Alumni Association, said the concession controversy was a national test of how public assets and educational institutions were being managed.

Akindumila warned that reducing lands allocated to unity schools could limit future expansion, agricultural projects, sports facilities, technical workshops and staff accommodation.

“The lands allocated to unity schools were deliberate and visionary.

“They were designed to ensure that the schools remain self-sustaining and adaptable to future needs,” he said.

He added that the schools remained central to Nigeria’s unity and development agenda.

Also, Mrs Ifeoma Okeke, an alumna of FGC Ileja, called for transparency, due process and stakeholder engagement in any PPP arrangement involving educational institutions.

She said PPP agreements should align with the public purpose of the schools and not diminish their long-term capacity.

“There must be transparency, competitiveness and proper stakeholder engagement in any concession process involving public educational assets,” she said.

Mr John Duru, another alumnus of FGC Kano, said alumni associations represented a major but underutilised resource in supporting education in Nigeria.

Duru said alumni bodies across unity schools possessed the financial and professional capacity to support infrastructure, curriculum development and innovation without disposing of school lands.

“This is about more than land. It’s about legacy.

“It’s about whether institutions built with foresight and sacrifice will be preserved with the same care that were built and preserved.

“We are not against development or partnership but we are against exclusion and erosion of public educational assets,” he said.

Samuel Valentine, an alumnus of FGC Port Harcourt, said the rally was held to support FGC Kano and protest the government’s planned concession of the school’s land.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

In an increasingly AI-driven and digital world, analog instant film and retro-style cameras remain popular, fueled by a combination of both nostalgia and charm. Instant cameras, in particular, stand out for their simplicity and an experience that has remained largely unchanged over time.

Fujifilm’s $175 Instax Wide 400 builds on the familiar instant photography experience and expands it with a wider format. As someone who appreciates simple, easy-to-use instant cameras and often shoots with an Instax Square, I was interested in trying a model that offers larger prints and support for landscape photography. 

The Instax Wide 400 is built for capturing group shots, scenic landscapes, and moments where fitting more of the scene into the frame really matters. It produces 62 × 99 mm prints, about twice the size of Instax Mini photos, giving you a lot more space to work with in every shot.

Since it’s a simple point-and-shoot camera, it requires no prior photography experience and is designed to be easy and intuitive to use. Its appeal lies in fun and simplicity rather than advanced controls.

With its one-button design, the camera offers no manual exposure controls. It automatically manages flash, focus, and other settings, leaving you to simply frame the image and take the shot.

When lighting is ideal, the images print with nice color and a good amount of detail with some extra saturation. I was quite impressed by the quality because it managed to pick up accurate colors and distant details. 

However, the simplicity of the camera does have some trade-offs because there isn’t much you can do to make photos brighter if you’re not in an ideal lighting situation. I did end up with some less-than-ideal shots because, in scenes with strong contrast, like dark trees against a bright sky, the details tended to blur together.

The rest of the camera is equally straightforward. To power on the camera, you rotate the lens counterclockwise. The first click activates close-up mode for subjects about 0.9 to three meters away. Turning it once more switches to landscape mode for distant subjects beyond three meters. Rotating the lens clockwise powers the camera off. 

The camera comes with a close-up lens attachment that snaps onto the front for close-up shots. I found the attachment was good at helping for avoiding focus and blur issues when taking close-ups. 

Loading the cartridge is simple, with guide lines to help you align it correctly in the camera. The door closes securely using a twist lock that latches shut. There is also a small indicator on the back that shows how much film is left.

Coming in at 162 mm x 98 mm x 123 mm and 1.4 pounds, the camera is quite bulky. It’s noticeably bigger than the Instax Mini cameras and the Instax Square models. However, I wasn’t too surprised by the size, since it makes sense that larger photos would require a bigger camera. 

That said, it’s not something you’d want to carry around without a bag, and while the shoulder strap helps, I was still very conscious of it and careful not to bump it into people or objects in busy spaces. Although Instax does offer a camera case sold separately, I didn’t receive one alongside my review unit, so I can’t speak to it. 

Since it’s a bit bulky, it’s pretty noticeable, and it ended up attracting the attention of a few people when I was testing it. A worker at a downtown gelato shop even stopped to compliment it, calling it a “cool looking camera.”

That kind of attention is part of the appeal. 

The camera’s self-timer is a nice feature, as it makes it possible to include everyone in a shot without needing someone to press the shutter button. It works by pushing a lever on the side and choosing one of four durations, ranging from two to 10 seconds. The camera emits a ticking sound to indicate that the timer is active, and red lights provide a visual countdown.

If you don’t have a tripod, the camera’s strap includes two angle adjustment accessories that can help prop and position the camera on a flat surface. To use one, slide it into the indented space on the camera’s underside, set the self-timer, and step back into the frame.

Film for the camera is available in standard white frame, black frame, metallic borders, and monochrome. Fujifilm sent me the standard white film alongside my review unit, which is the film I used for this review. Each box of film comes with 20 sheets and costs between $25-$28.

As for colors, the Instax Wide 400 comes in two options: green and jet black. As someone who loves a good shade of green, I liked that the color of the camera gave it a more playful, fun vibe.

Overall, I think this camera is a great option for people of all ages, as it offers high-quality images while remaining simple enough for kids and teens who are just starting out in photography.