The Nation Newspaper

Category: Education

  • Former UI VC calls for review of legislation excluding private universities from TETFund, NELFUND

    Former UI VC calls for review of legislation excluding private universities from TETFund, NELFUND

    Prof. Abel Olayinka, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), has called on the federal government to reconsider laws that prevent private universities from benefiting from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and for students in these institutions to be eligible for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). 

    Olayinka emphasised that while private universities are founded by individuals, they function as public entities that serve the broader public good. 

    He made this statement during the 17th Convocation Lecture of Lead City University, Ibadan, titled *”Resolving the Trilemma of Access, Affordability, and Quality in the Nigerian University System: A Role for the Entrepreneur.”

    Olayinka argued that despite their private origins, these universities contribute significantly to the public education system and should be treated as such in terms of funding and support. 

    He said: “The students who attend such private institutions are assets to the country and they are expected to participate in the National Youth Service Corp scheme and contribute their quota to the nation’s socioeconomic development.”

    He noted that private sector operatives in the education sector in the country should be encouraged to complement government efforts at providing quality education for its citizens.

    “There is a mindset that private universities were established solely to make a profit and as such they should be left to their own devices to either survive or die. This may not tell a complete story.

    “Education should be seen both as a public good and as a private good. The government has to be interested in the provision of education for its citizenry. However, the resources available to the government may not be enough to cater for the demand for quality education from the ever-growing population. It is in this context that the provision of education by the private sector should be contextualized.

    Read Also: TETFund holds research, exhibition fair to boost industrialisation

    “The government has to encourage the private sector operatives in all possible ways to fill the wide gap between the demand for higher education and the supply side. It should be expected that private universities will recover their cost, provide employment, pay taxes to the government, and make a decent profit, to ensure sustainability

    The University don also noted that the request for the federal government to extend the Student’s Loan Scheme to students in private universities was borne out of the fact that not all students in private universities are from rich homes

    Earlier the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Kabir Adeyemi in his welcome address, described the topic of the lecture, as timely and relevant, as it aims to speak to the heart of the challenges that universities across the nation grapple with daily.

  • Jigawa gov’s wife moves to address out of school children, poverty among mothers

    Jigawa gov’s wife moves to address out of school children, poverty among mothers

    The wife of Jigawa State Governor, Hajiya Amina Umar Namadi, has vowed to collaborate with stakeholders to address the challenge of out-of-school children by boosting women’s income through expanded trade and entrepreneurship opportunities.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first Women’s Trade Fair organized by the Jigawa Women Entrepreneurs Network (JIWEN) at Aminu Kano Triangle in Dutse, Mrs. Namadi highlighted the link between poverty, illiteracy among mothers, and the growing number of out-of-school children.

    She emphasised that tackling issues such as illiteracy, poverty, and low income among women—especially mothers—would help curb the prevalence of out-of-school children and other social vices, including juvenile delinquency.

    Commending JIWEN for its foresight in organizing the trade fair, Mrs. Namadi pledged the government’s continued support for women entrepreneurs to foster economic growth and independence. 

    She noted that these efforts align with Governor Malam Umar Namadi’s 12-point agenda, which prioritizes small-scale business support, job creation, and empowering women and youth for self-reliance.

    Mrs. Namadi underscored the importance of supporting women’s businesses, stating that even small-scale assistance could empower women to care for their families and reduce the number of out-of-school children. 

    She assured her readiness to collaborate with any women-led initiatives working toward this goal in Jigawa State.

    Read Also: 18 million out of school children, child labour, threat to Nigeria peace, says child advocate

    Speaking earlier, Jigawa Women Entrepreneurs Network (JIWEN), coordinator, Nuriya Haruna Bako said the first women trade fair was organised as part of the activities to celebrate Global Entrepreneurs week.

    According to her, JIWEN in partnership with Jigawa Invest and in collaboration with Nigerian Women Chamber of Commerce, Jigawa State Chapter, Nigerian Women in Agricultural Business Cooperative Society Ltd. (NiWAB), Dutse Women Prenuers Wings (DWPW), Jigawa Entrepreneurs Initiative and Food Expo Dutse organised the event.

    The coordinator who said, over seventy register women business group participated in the trade fair adding that the is to promote women entrepreneurs in Jigawa state.

    “Jigawa women entrepreneurs Network (JIWEN) as part of its activities to mark the global entrepreneurs week organized the Trade Fair With the aim to see that Jigawa women entrepreneurs prevailed in their journey of becoming great business women at state, National and Global level at the same time build a women friendly entrepreneur ecosystem in the state”, Nuriya said.

    She then appreciated Jigawa Invest, Nigeria Associations of Small Scale Industrialist (NASSI), Dutse Local Government Chairman and Her Excellency for the support to make the Trade fair a successful one.

  • Presidency, lawmakers, VC, others to attend skills roadmap unveiling     

    Presidency, lawmakers, VC, others to attend skills roadmap unveiling     

    Leading stakeholders in the country’s skills development and engagement space are set to  attend the Unveiling Ceremony of the 21st Century Skills Roadmap (21st CSR), which holds at the University of Lagos on Thursday, December 5th and Friday, December 6th.

    It is aimed at seeking credible and practical solution pathways to resolving the endemic problem that has spanned decades and seemingly defied solutions.  Hosted by Career Digest (CD) Limited, a social business enterprise, in collaboration with leading stakeholders in the education sector, the event promises to unveil the fundamentals of the perennial wide-scale skills gaps between the institutions of learning and the workplace in Nigeria and across parts of Africa.   

    The event which is planned as a hybrid intervention, will host hundreds of onsite and offsite participants. It will feature activities including keynote addresses, goodwill messages, a Big Picture presentation, panel discussions, official endorsements, Business to Business (B2B) Sessions and, networking, among others.

     Expected participants, include academic institutions/educators, employers of labour, development institutions, policymakers, including ministries, government executives at federal, state, and local government levels etc. 

    Also expected are business strategists, chief executives/human resources managers of corporate organisations, the media, non-governmental organisations and philanthropists, community leaders, learners, PTAs/parents and guardians.

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    Keynote address will be delivered by Emeritus Professor, Olugbemiro Jegede, Foundation Vice Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria,  former Chief Executive & Secretary General of the Association of African Universities, and the immediate past Secretary to the Government of Kogi State.

    A statement by the CEO of Career Digest, Mrs. Joy Chinwokwu, noted: “The Career Digest initiative is designed to empower skillful and morally upright students, youth, and women to help themselves, their families, industries, and the economy.”

    Among the expected outcomes is an enabled mutual training environment for the classroom and workplace and a close-knit work interface among various sector stakeholders.

    The initiative has been applauded by leading members of both the public and private sectors as “a timely and long-awaited social business tonic for career and curriculum reforms.”

  • How Odoh lost out in UNIZIK’s VC battle

    How Odoh lost out in UNIZIK’s VC battle

    What seemed like an unending clash for the position of Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has come to an end with the sacking of the occupier of the position, “Professor” Bernard Odoh. Southeast Bureau Chief Nwanosike Onu, Awka report on the intricate battles.

    The ending debacle at UNIZIK

    THE people of Anambra State and indeed, the current acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu, are grateful to President Bola Tinubu for ending the debacle surrounding vice chancellorship seat at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK). But, some senior professors in the institution are not satisfied yet. They are still digging into what gave the removed VC, Bernard Odoh, the morale to claim being a professor.

    The intellectuals have maintained that Odoh is still a Reader in UNIZIK, an associate Professor and on grade Level-6 and unqualified to lead the school, which, according to them, has never happened.

    The senior professors, over 400 of them, including members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), want to drag the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the fray. Some of them told The Nation that Odoh must give account of every “kobo” of UNIZIK he spent with his cohorts, who are mainly his young associates in the institution during the period under review.

    Besides, they alleged that a certain governor from Southeast was the propeller of the shame in a citadel of higher learning, named after one of the greatest men in Africa and first President of Nigeria, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

    The beginning of scheming for the post

    The issue of the position of vice chancellor of UNIZIK, started on June 4, 2024, when the former VC, Prof. Charles Esimone, vacated the office after five years. He made sure Prof. Ikechebelu succeeded him as the only deputy then, in charge of (Administration). The university did not have Deputy VC, Academics.

    Some of the senior professors resisted the move, arguing that institutions of higher learning are not meant for compensatory positions. It must be merited. It was a tough battle between the so-called politicians with different interests and the academia.

    The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe, did not even help matters; he aggravated it. According to sources, he acted “with ignominy in his position with the help of some other top politicians”.

    According to The Nation’s investigation, the inauguration of the institution’s acting VC witnessed the presence of about four truckloads of red-eyed and fully armed security operatives on the school campus on the day.

    It got to the point ASUU members’ lives were threatened. While some lily-livered ones went underground, others were at the warfront without fear.

    Odoh, who was seen as a gentleman with high-level of intelligence, was blamed for declaring interest in the position when he was aware that his qualification was in doubt.

    How he resigned as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Ebonyi in 2018 was what made many people, including his colleagues, believe in his capacity and ability in steering the ship in UNIZIK. But, he erred. Again, he went low when he brought the issue of state of origin into the entire saga, because as a federal institution, it doesn’t matter where the vice chancellor emanates from. It’s not a state university.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Tinubu dissolves UNIZIK council, sacks vice-chancellor, registrar

    Again, when they strongly opposed a directive from the Federal Ministry of Education on the crisis, it was obvious the game was up. “You dare not challenge the visitor to any institution,” a don, who commented on the matter, declared.

    His Media and Publicity Assistant, Charles Otu, dismissed the ministry’s actions and allegations against his boss, describing them as “mischievous”.

    As the battle rages, ASUU became divided with 500 young professors and Ph.D holders backing the then VC. They called themselves “Concerned members of the union”. At the end, the resilience of “genuine” ASUU members and the senior professors prevailed.

    According to a few senior professors, “there are appraisals which start from departments, to faculty. Then to A&P (Appraisal and Promotion Committee) to External Assessors every three years. It was found out that the previous ones he did were not completed.

    “The possibility of promotion to the professorial cadre is when you meet up with all the requirements. In addition, you should have successfully supervised Masters and PhD thesis and dissertations.

    “Also, you must show proof of attending conferences of local, regional, national and if possible, international. You must also have published in reputable academic journals.”

    “These will give such lecturers seeking the position opportunity to be accessed by three external assessors and if, at least, two of such, returned him positive, he will be proclaimed a professor by the Governing Council and the Senate of the institution. Odoh did not go through such processes” one of them further alleged.

    Is this the end of the matter?

    The dust in UNIZIK may have settled. Though there are still some court actions instituted by some groups, the intervention by President Tinubu really saved a lot of things in the school.

    The students had been at home since then. The crisis crippled every activity in the institution while the verbal war among both the young and old lecturers raged.

    Now that the “Odohgate” has subsided and a new sheriff, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu, has taken over, as acting VC, how long will it take the visitor to the institution to appoint another governing council for the eighth substantive vice chancellor to be elected?

    The students are waiting after the crisis. The non-academic staff, the ASUU members, the parents and other stakeholders are equally waiting.

  • Carleton University empowers West African women scholars

    Carleton University empowers West African women scholars

    Carleton University has empowered West African women scholars under its Carleton QES West Africa Scholarship Programme.

    The Scholarship Programme is made available to West African women in the final stage of their PhD programme, postdoctoral researchers, and early career academics affiliated to institutions.

    The program provides the expertise, research materials and sundry support as well as the enabling environment for emergent scholars and early career female professionals from West Africa to learn.

    Carleton University is a partner in the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship (QES) program, which aims to develop the next generation of global leaders and community builders.

    This initiative cuts across the West African region and

    includes countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Benin Republic, Togo etc. The QES scholars affirmed that the program afforded them the required and much-needed intellectual and logistic support. It was also the general opinion of the speakers at the event that the scholars would benefit more for themselves and the larger society with the benefit of more grant opportunities.

    During the recent University of Carleton QES West Africa Conference 2024, which took place in Lagos, Prof. Nduka Otiono, in his role as the Principal Investigator of the  programme, spoke at length about the challenges women face in trying to juggle their studies and role as mothers, particularly their stoic determination to make a mark in the society.

     ‘’Those of us who have daughters , wives and female friends have also come to understand the power of women and women have more mental resilience than men and that when it matters most , even if we are men, we are men because we have had mothers, wives and friends. Without them, we won’t be who we are. And so I want to celebrate you again and just to hear your voices,” he said.

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    Prof. Foluke Dada-Lawanson, a lawyer and academic at Caleb University, Imota, Ogun State, used her personal experience and life story to vividly paint the apt example of how the scholars can rise confidently through their challenges and become forces to reckon with in a male-dominated society.

    She stressed the need for mental resilience as well as the ability to maintain a work-life balance.

    Cameroonian Beatrice Eyong, the UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, with over 35 years professional experience in promoting gender equality believes that female representation in political leadership and other spheres is abysmally low.

    Dr. Sophia Abiri-Franklin said the experience provided her with invaluable opportunities for personal and professional growth.

    “I  gained exposure to diverse perspectives, expanded my global network, and collaborated with scholars and academics from West Africa, Canada, and Europe. The connection I forged with my placement partner, Ms. Brenda Williams, continues to be a valuable asset. Through this program, I have established a global platform that will undoubtedly benefit my future career endeavors,” she said.

    One of Claude Winnie Pefolé’s research interests is assessing how gender-specific issues, particularly those concerning women, are considered in Cameroonian legislation.

     Her stint under the program enabled her to gain insights from an environment known for promoting women’s rights and equality, paving the way for her to learn best practices to propose solutions tailored to her local context.

    ‘’My expectations as a QES Scholar was the ability to access comprehensive documentation  and this opportunity has enhanced my personal and professional growth , both as a researcher and as a woman’’. Her takeaway from the program has undoubtedly enabled her to develop ‘forward-looking perspectives and proposing ways to enhance the inclusion of women in legislative instruments,” she said.

  • States grapple with failure to access UBEC’s N135b

    States grapple with failure to access UBEC’s N135b

    The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has revealed that a staggering N135,540,905,308.92 in matching grants have not been accessed by states between 2020 and 2023. Bola Olajuwon, Toba Adedeji, Osogbo, Kolade Adeyemi, Jos, Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta, Onimisi Alao, Yola, Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin, Chris Njoku, Owerri, Damian Duruiheoma, Enugu and Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse went after the state governments and their State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) to enquire why they are not matching up. Some of them gave their positions and others failed to give any reason.

    The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, during his presentation of the 2020 and 2023 budget implementation report to the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education in Abuja, disclosed that N135,540,905,308.92 in matching grants have not been accessed by states in the last few years.

    Bobboyi clarified that the current year’s budget (2024) would be disbursed in the following year, which means that the allocated funds did not usually lapse, unlike funds allocated to other organisations.

    He, however, expressed concern that many states had failed to meet the necessary conditions to access these funds, leaving much-needed resources untapped for educational development.

    He pointed out that despite some progress, nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had not accessed the 2023 UBE Matching Grant.

    “In terms of regional performance, the North-West Zone has performed the best, achieving 100 per cent access to the UBE matching grant, while the South-South Zone has accessed 97.92 per cent of its allocated funds,” he added.

    Bobboyi further disclosed that Katsina and Kaduna have set a positive example by accessing the 2024 UBE Matching Grant early, adding that other states such as Ogun, Abia, and Imo were missing out on the 2020 and 2021 matching grants.

    Giving the breakdown of the report, he revealed that seven states had yet to access the 2022 UBE matching grant, adding that the Southeast zone was lagging, having accessed only 85.37 per cent of its 2022 matching funds.

    He said: “Thirty-four states and FCT have accessed 2020 Matching Grant, two states namely Abia and Ogun have not,Twenty nine 33 states and FCT have accessed 2021 matching grant, three states namely Abia, Imo and Ogun have not.

    “Twenty nine states and FCT have accessed 2022 matching grant, seven states namely: Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Ogun and Oyo have not, 25 states have accessed 1-4th Quarter 2023 matching grant, one state, Rivers, accessed 1st-2nd Quarter 2023 Matching Grant.” “Nine states and FCT have not accessed 2023 matching grant. The states are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Plateau.

    Read Also: States’ failure on UBEC’s counterpart funding stalls basic education

    “Two states namely Katsina and Kaduna have accessed 1-2nd Quarter, 2024 matching grant, 34 states and FCT have not accessed 2024 matching grant,” he added.

    Dr. Bobboyi also provided a detailed performance breakdown by region in accessing the UBE matching grant.

    The Nation’s correspondents went after the state governments and their State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) to enquire why they are not matching up. Below are their reports:

    Why we are yet to match, Lagos SUBEB Chairman

    The Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Dr. Hakeem Babatunde Shittu, denied that state government did not want to access the matching grants.

    According to him, the state is currently accessing the 2022 grants.

    Shittu claimed that the state SUBEB was held back by the COVID-19 from reaching the standard milestone and procedures set by UBEC for accessing its matching grants.

    He said: “It’s not that we are not ready to match up. We have a milestone to reach before we can assess the funds, according to UBEC conditions. “We are still in 2022. We shall soon match up. COVID-19 affected our reaching the milestone. Lagos is ready to match up if the counterpart funding is increased today. We are ready to match up after reaching the milestone.

    Jigawa approves N3.5b for counterpart funds

    Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi has approved the release of over N3.5 billion to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for the payment of counterpart funds to UBEC.

    This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Information, Youth and Sports, Mr.  Sagir Musa Ahmed, who said the amount, is for the first and fourth quarter joint projects.

    The commissioner explained that projects to be executed under first and fourth quarter include the construction of 304 classrooms, renovation of 515 classes and fencing of 27 schools.

    According to Musa, “others are the procurement of 29,984 sets of classrooms furniture, construction of four blocks of science and computer laboratories and 646 teachers furniture for distribution across the state.”

    The state is one of those with higher number of out-of-schools children in the country with about 800,000 such children roaming on the streets.

    Osun to access four years grant by December

    The Osun State Government has disclosed that efforts are in top gear to access the grant of four years before December 2024.

    Speaking with the Commissioner of Information, Kolapo Alimi, on Monday, he disclosed that the immediate past administration refused to access the grant but the government led by Ademola Adeleke is working around it.

    He said: “I can assure you that we have put all the necessary measures in place to access the UBEC grant. Before December 2024, the grant will drop.

    “Education is one of the top priorities of this government, hence we won’t allow anything to draw us back,” he said.

    Adamawa has not accessed UBEC fund since 2022

    The Adamawa State Government stopped accessing UBEC fund in 2021.

    An officer of the government agency for basic education, who spoke on the matter Monday, said the last time the state paid counterpart fund and accessed the UBEC grant was 2021.

    The Information Officer of the Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB), Jethro Zangtang, who clarified the issue with our correspondent, said the board had been waiting for directive on the grant from Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.

    He said the governor had long given his word to make the necessary moves on payment of the state counterpart funds and to access the grant accordingly but that the governor has not acted.

    Fintiri had earlier in his first term spoken with pride how he was paying the state’s counterpart fund and accessing the grant and servicing basic education accordingly.

    It is, therefore, a thing of surprise to many observers that the attitude could change so drastically.

    Kwara received over N14b

    Kwara Government has so far received over N14 billion grants from the UBEC, Education and Human Capital Development Commissioner Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, has said.

    Mrs. Modibbo Kawu added: “When we came on board, UBEC had blacklisted the state and we were not able to access counterpart funds. What Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq did was to pay the over N450 million the previous administration owed in 2019 and we also paid the arrears of the counterpart fund that had not been accessed.

    “So, we were able access about N7.1 billion by paying the counterpart fund of N7.1 billion and got over N14 billion from UBEC. As a result, there is so much huge investments in the education sector.”

    We’ll soon pay to access the fund, says Ogun SUBEB boss assures

    The Executive Chairman, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, has said that the state will soon pay the counterpart funding, a prerequisite condition to access UBEC funds.

    Majekodunmi told The Nation on Monday, that the present administration has perfected plans to pay for at least four years backlog to enable the state access the funds for educational development.

    Earlier in July this year, he told our reporter that the state government had been paying the counterpart funding since 2019 but lamented that the backlogs inherited from the previous administrations accounted for the over N4 billion posted by the UBEC against Ogun.

     He said the previous administrations did not do well concerning the payment of the counterpart funding, but added that the state was already making arrangements to pay.

    Imo silent on issue

    To better understand the situation in Imo State, efforts were made to obtain official response from relevant government agencies.

    The State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Johncliff Nwadike, was contacted via phone calls and text messages, but unfortunately, he was unavailable for comment.

    Additionally, an attempt was made to reach the Acting Chairman of IMSUBE, Mrs. Ifeoma Okeke, but it was learned that she was on an official trip to Abuja.

    ‘How Enugu is using accessed UBEC funds’

    An official of the Enugu State government has said that the bulk of the funds accessed from the UBEC is being channeled into infrastructural development within the sector.

    The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to our correspondent, disclosed that Governor Peter Mbah had paid the necessary counterpart fund to enable his administration access the funds with which massive infrastructure is being built across the state. “Yes, because of the high premium Governor Mbah has accorded the education sector, especially basic education, Enugu became one of 16 states that accessed the UBEC matching grant.

    “As you can see, the governor is building about 260 Smart Schools in the 260 wards in Enugu State. That is not all. Several other primary schools across the state are already undergoing complete renovations to give conducive environment suitable for teaching and learning in our schools,”

    “If you recall, in the 2024 fiscal year, Enugu budgeted 33% to education.”

    Ebonyi: we’re accessing fund

    The Ebonyi State government said it is accessing the UBEC funds available to it.

    It said it was ready to pay its counterpart fund to access all the funds.

    Commissioner for Education, Paul Nwobasi stated this in Abakaliki, capital of the state.

    He was reacting to reports that the state failed to access over N2 billion from the funds between 2020 to 2023.

    According to him, the administration of Governor Nwifuru is ready to pay its own counterpart funds and access the funds to enable it develop the education sector.

    Plateau accessed marching grants from 2021 to 2023, says Mutfwang

    Chairman, Plateau State Primary Universal  Education Board (PLASUBED) Samuel Amuna said  the board has been able to access fund from the 2021 to  2023, following the payment of its counterpart fund by the state government.

    These grants, Amuna explained, were utilised for the implementations of its various projects in some local government out of the 17 local councils area of the state.

    Those various projects include building of new blocks of classrooms, furniture for primary schools, secondary schools as well as blocks of toilets.

    “We have been able to also carry out numerous projects in the state for  the educational development in both primary and secondary schools in the 17 local government areas,” he said.

    Amuna, who spoke with The Nation in Jos, said the board has so far accessed the first to fourth quarter of 2021 while it has also accessed its first to fourth quarter of 2022.

    According to him, preparation is in top gear to meet up with the quota of 2023 before the year runs out.        

  • Challenges of revamping education in Kano

    Challenges of revamping education in Kano

    Despite the state of emergency declared in the state’s education sector, most schools in Kano State still lack basic infrastructure as pupils take lessons on the bare floor, FANEN IHYONGO reports

    AS part of the implementation of the state of emergency declared in education, the Kano State Government has commenced the construction of a new storey-building of four classrooms with two offices in each of the over 4,000 public primary schools across the 44 local government areas and municipalities of the state.

    While some schools are undergoing reconstruction, others have witnessed renovations of classrooms, with some having been completed and already in use.

    The government’s commitment is also to recruit quality teachers and supply furniture, particularly chairs and tables or desks, in the schools.  Governor Abba Yusuf declared a state of emergency in the education sector when he learnt that a staggering 4.7 million pupils were sitting on bare floors in primary schools across the state. Six months later, while some have been provided with seats, over 2 million others in some of the schools are still sitting on bare floors to take their lessons. The books and other learning materials promised by the government have not been supplied. There are many challenges yet to be tackled, despite the administration’s agenda to reform the education sector.

    To speed up the reforms, the governor allocated the lion share of N95.389 billion, representing 29.97 percent of the 2024 total budget of N350 billion to the sector, a move that won him the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Award for “exceptional performance” in education reform.

    However, a visit to Sabo Layi Primary School, Bichi council area of the state by this reporter and other journalists revealed that much of the decay has not been attended to, despite the huge resources committed to the cause.

    The school, with a total number of 1,764 pupils, has only 18 classrooms. This means 98 pupils are squeezed together per classroom, without desks or chairs and tables, while they sit on the bare floor. Some of them come with empty sacks from home to sit on.

    “We have to wash the children’s uniforms daily because they are sitting on the bare floor,” Abdul Idris, who has three kids in the school, lamented.

    Another parent, Ladifatu Jibrin, lauded the governor for his efforts but blamed the contractors for their delay in supplying seats and learning materials to the school.

    The teachers too have no single furniture in the staff room. At the female staff room, this writer saw the teachers sitting on improvised mats to prepare their lesson notes and mark tests.

    Some of the teachers complained that it is difficult to write on blackboards in the school because they are portions of the wall painted black.

    Read Also: AbdulRazaq, Makinde make case for investment in STEM education

    In another classroom, a pupil was lying very sick on an empty sack placed on the floor while the remaining pupils received lessons.

    The class teacher explained that the school has no dispensary or a health worker but a first aid box in which they contribute money to fill with drugs.

    There are four toilets. Two are for 1,764 pupils, which means 882 pupils share one toilet. The teachers, 39, share the remaining two toilets. It was observed that both the teachers and pupils cannot access clean running or tap water and basic sanitation services.

    This means the majority of the school’s pupils may be into open defecation, thereby polluting the air, environment and surface and groundwater resources with faeces.

    A team of reporters, who visited the school to assess the implementation of the state of emergency discovered that although one storey building with four classrooms and two offices has been constructed and painted, it has not been put to use. Seats, books and other learning and teaching materials are yet to be supplied.

    There is also a severe shortage of qualified teachers in the school as well as inadequate teacher training programmes.

    The Head Teacher, Auwal Abubakar Baduku, told reporters that, out of the 39 teachers, only 26 are permanent staff members. 10 are casual while three are temporary teachers.

    He lamented that the school was yet to receive books and other learning/teaching materials promised by the governor, apart from the items given during the declaration.

    This reporter also visited Zango 1 Primary School, Rimin Gado Local Government Area and Lambu Bank Primary School in Tofa Local Government Area where the sanitary situations were impressive. However, a storey building of four classrooms and two offices has been constructed in some of the schools, while work is still going on in other schools.

    The condition at Dawankin Tofa Model Primary School looked better. The model school was recently supplied with 200 3-seater desks.

    A storey building of four classrooms, two offices is under construction too.

    The Tofa model school has 10 toilets for staff members and the pupils. But it took the school years, with the assistance of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to tackle the challenge.

    Here, the male pupils have a block of five toilets while the females have a block of four conveniences. Another single-room toilet has been improvised at the staff room for the female teachers.

    According to the Head Teacher of the school, Sabiu Sanusi, the school has 1,012 pupils who share the nine toilets.

    Sanusi said the single teachers’ restroom is used only by the female teachers of the 32 staff members.

    He added that the male teachers have no choice than to convert one of the toilets meant for the pupils to themselves, literally meaning a ratio of 126.5 pupils to eight toilets.

    However, security remains a big challenge.

     “Only one security person and without a perimeter fence, thieves always invade the school to steal our properties,” Sanusi said.

    According to him, the school has a computer room but they cannot provide laptops and desktop computers because they would be stolen by local thieves, just as he cannot keep a fan in his office.

    How to overhaul the education system

    Headmaster of Garindau Primary School, Warawa Local Government Area of Kano, Murtala Aliyu, said his school is prone to annual flooding during rainy seasons. The school also lacks security guards.

    “Even today when we arrived in the morning, we noticed that some zinc roofing sheets were stolen, although we have a fence around the school we need it to be raised.  We need four security personnel, two during the day and two at night.

    “We have 2,012 pupils in all, so we need more toilets, we need a solar powered borehole to provide water for the school.

    “The government should renovate the old classrooms to standard, replace the lost roofs, doors and windows, as it adds one storey building of four classes and two offices.

     “Just recently we received 80 pieces of the three-seater chairs and desks but we need five times more, considering the number of students we have.

    “One very important thing is that we need more qualified teachers because there are only 18 teachers to these over 2,000 pupils. We also need a dispensary and a health worker,” Aliyu explained.

    Headmaster of Chula Central Primary School, Ajingi, Haruna Ibrahim, disclosed they don’t have enough classrooms for their 1,270 pupils. Also, the school has no sufficient teachers.

    Ibrahim said: “It is even now that our teachers have increased to 12. We need additional teachers to meet up with the nine year programme of six years in primary and three years in Junior Secondary School.

    “We need more classrooms here because candidates from neighbouring schools come here to write their common entrance examination.

    “They come from Tudun Karago, Guzawa and Yan Kinta villages, and all of them are sent here to sit for the JSS III examinations.

    “We need to fence the school; we need a staffroom; a dispensary; more toilets, furniture and a library,” he said.

    The headmasters called on the state government to expedite action on the complete overhaul of the education sector. They expressed hope that if the schools’ needs are met, as enumerated by them, then the state of emergency will be a success.

  • Salem University, Lokoja records 41 First Class graduates

    Salem University, Lokoja records 41 First Class graduates

    • From Olaide Oyelude, Katsina

    Salem University, Lokoja tomorrow graduate 499 during its 6th convocation.

    Four-one of the graduands record first class.

    The graduands are from the institution’s  seven colleges, namely College of Management and Social Sciences; College of Natural and Applied Sciences; College of Humanities; College of Education; College of Communication  and Information Technology; College of  law and Post Graduate School.

    The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Alewo Akudo, made the revelation in Lokoja at a pre- convocation  press briefing.

    He added that the institution’s eight college, namely college of basic health and medical sciences had already been accredited and would “hit the ground soon”.

    The vice chancellor maintained that the university had been turning out graduates that contribute to the development of Kogi State, Nigeria and globally.

    His words: “Our sixth convocation comes up on Friday,29, November,2024. We shall be graduating a total of 499. Four-one of them have first class. The convocation is  combined: 2022 and 2023/ 2024 sets.

    Read Also: Salem University gets NUC’s nod for law programme

    “Our graduates are change agents. We are consciously imbibing something  in our graduates; the reason why they contribute to the development of Kogi State, Nigeria and the whole world.”

    Prof. Akudo sought for the assistance of those he referred to as critical shareholders, including the Kogi State government, Federal Government and public spirited individuals in lifting the university so that it can continue to contribute more to the country’s growth.

    The vice chancellor specifically implored the Federal Government to continue to encourage private Universities in Nigeria, declaring: “Private universities are turning out graduates to serve the world at large. What public universities are doing, private universities are doing much more.”

  • FUOYE denies claims of misconduct by ex-VC

    FUOYE denies claims of misconduct by ex-VC

    • Institution: detractors trying to smear varsity image

    The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State, has denied claims that several acts of misconduct were allegedly perpetrated during tenure of erstwhile Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun.

    A statement by  Dr. Wole Balogun, the Special Adviser on Media to the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, noted that some unscrupulous elements had taken to the social media to attack the university following a government panel report.

    He said it was imperative to set the records straight.

    He noted that the report entitled: “Panel Report on Nigerian Federal University Oye-Ekiti Uncovers Alleged Mismanagement”,  is full of  inaccurate and deliberate misrepresentations of what is contained in the government report on FUOYE between 2016 and 2021.

    He said: “What is curious on this strange development about the government panel report is the fact that while there are several  public varsities in Nigeria,  it gave findings about, FUOYE has arguably been the only university the enemies of progress picked for media attack and brazen yellow journalism.

    “The higher the university climbs the ladder of greatness, the more her enemies are hurt and spread bile against her.”

    He described the said media reports on allegations of victimisation of staff members, naming Dr. Akinyemi Omonijo, Dr. Niyi Akingbe, and Dr Olugbenga E. Adeyemi as victims, as false and  unsubstantiated, adding that claims of suspension and dismissal of staff without recourse to the laid down disciplinary procedures in the conditions of service were grossly baseless and unfounded.

    Read Also: We’ve what it takes to be FUOYE’s Teaching Hospital – FETHI CMD

    Wole said contrary to falsehood sold to the public about the procedure followed by the Prof. Soremekun-led management in appointing Prof. Tajudeen Opoola and Mr. Godwin  Elabor, the updated records of the university validate their appointments then and now.

    According to him, there were giant strides of excellence achieved  by the Prof. Soremekun-led administration, which were possible with the support given by the incumbent VC who was Soremekun’s deputy.

    The statement said: “For the records, FUOYE had five faculties offering 30 academic programmes in 2016 when Soremekun came on board.

  • Reps advocate use of local languages for teaching in schools

    Reps advocate use of local languages for teaching in schools

    The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Education to commence a pilot programme in selected schools across the country to assess the feasibility and benefits of utilising local languages as a medium of instruction and teaching.

    This followed the adoption of a motion on notice sponsored by Kalejaiye Adeboye Paul (APC, Lagos) on the need to promote local languages as a medium of instructions in primary and junior secondary schools.

    The Lagos State lawmaker said Nigeria boasts of an extraordinary linguistic diversity, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the nation, while the current educational system primarily employs English as the medium of instruction, which has rendered the local languages like Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, ineffective and almost extinct.

    He said teaching in the mother tongue often leads to stronger teacher-student connections, creating a conducive learning environment and positive classroom dynamics.

    Read Also: Fire razes property worth millions of naira at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital

    According to him, engaging local communities in the education process is more effective when language aligns with the culture and fosters active participation and support for children’s education.

    He said that encouraging indigenous languages in Nigerian primary and junior secondary schools is a crucial step in promoting inclusive and culturally sensitive education, improving the educational experience for children across the country.

    He said that prioritising local languages bridges education-culture gap, ensuring no child is left behind due to linguistic barriers, fostering academic success, empowering communities and strengthening nation fabric.