Taraba State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, has directed the immediate suspension of seven principals for sabotaging the free education policy of the administration.
According to reports, the Commissioner was quoted as saying, “free education policy is not a child’s play”.
The affected principals as gathered by The Nation are with Government Day Secondary School Kofai and Salihu Dogo in Jalingo Local Government Area, Government Day Secondary School Kununi in Lau Local Government Area, Government Day Secondary School Jauro Yinu in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, Government Day Secondary School Kakulu in Zing Local Government Area, Government Secondary School Takum and Government Day Secondary School Yakassai in Wukari Local Government Area.
The Nation could not independently verify the report as commissioners under the Kefas administration are in the habit of ignoring calls by reporters in the state.
A call made by our reporter to the commissioner was unsuccessful, after which she demanded a text be sent to her. But up till the time of filing this report, she did not respond to the message.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Director of University Relations, Dr. Saeedat Aliyu, on Tuesday.
The university management said that the expulsion approval followed the recommendations of the Students’ Disciplinary Committee, which held its sittings between October 2021 and March 2024.
The management said the expelled students were penalised for offences ranging from examination malpractice, theft, using fake results to gain admission, assault, fraud, belonging to unregistered associations and possession of firearm.
”The management of KWASU wishes to reiterate its zero-tolerance for all acts of indiscipline as the institution stands firm on producing graduates, who are excellent both in character and in learning,” Aliyu said.
HillCity Foundation at the weekend in Lagos celebrated its 20th year anniversary tagged; ‘Beyond Impact.’
The foundation has given over 2,500 university scholarships in Nigeria and Uganda with its students in more than 170 universities in Nigeria. It plans to expand to 10 African countries by the time it clocks 25.
In his keynote address, the founder, Obi Imemba, an engineer, explained that it was 20 years of intentional decision that has made the foundation what it is today.
He said: “HillCity was born out of the need to solve the challenges in our society. There are young people out of school; nobody to show them direction. Few of us came together to form HillCity and the goal is to discover, develop and direct them to the right direction. And we do this through education and our support in sponsoring their university programme. We also sponsor them in economic empowerment programme, – startup businesses and also give them mentorship.
“There is a fourth programme we call Self Discovery Programme. With these four programme we call the ‘4 axis of impact’, we are able to develop the total being. We have been doing this for 20 years consistently and we have received a lot of support from members that partnered with us. We have not received anything from government and we do not intend to do that.
“We are here to provide social support to the society and not to draw from government. And the next level for us is that we want to change the narrative in Africa. We want to harness, package and convert into wealth creation on a sustainable basis, the abundant energy in young people in Africa.”
The event, which was anchored by Omoba and Carol Braide, witnessed the induction of three new graduates who were mentees to mentors. Andrew Rugasira from Uganda and Dr. Valentine Obi were given Special Recognition awards while William Sunday received the Personality award.
After a series of tests administered on over 50 Nigerian universities from 647 undergraduates that signified interest in the University Duel 2024-2025 Season competition, the best 48 students, representing 16 universities, have emerged.
The qualifying schools were picked after presenting their top students in science, technology and innovation, who competed for the four available spots per category, making a total of 16 universities needed.
University Duel is an annual contest among students of top tertiary institutions in Nigeria and it is aimed at promoting STEM applications in solving complex business and societal problems through technology with special focus on critical thinking, problem solving in sustainable environment and analytics.
According to the results released via the project verified website www.thestemafrica.com, University of Lagos, Akoka (represented by Ogunyemi Oluwatobi 200L Electrical/Electronic Engineering; Mulero Rapheal 100L Chemical Engineering; and Okeke JohnPaul 300L Petroleum & Gas Engineering) took the overall top spot with an average score of 93.3%. The institution was closely followed by Covenant University, Ota (represented by Chukwuma Gift 100L Computer Engineering; Kayode Toluwani 100L Electrical and Electronics Engineering; and Afinotan Alero 200L Chemical Engineering) with an average score of 91.3%.
The Premier Universities category for the 2024-25 season have University of Lagos (93.3%); Obafemi Awolowo University (84%); University of Nigeria Nsukka (80.7%); and University of Benin (80%).
For the Federal universities, we have University of Ilorin (82.7%); closely followed by Federal University of Technology, Akure (82%); University of Port-Harcourt (67.3%) and Yaba College of Technology (49.3%).
Leading the state universities is Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho (78.7%); Olabisi Onabanjo University (69.3%), Lagos State University, Ojo (68.7%), and Kaduna State University (67.3%).
To represent the private universities are Covenant University, Ota (91.3%); Achievers University, Owo (80.7%); Bells University of Technology, Ota(72.7%); and Veritas University, Abuja(68.7%). “We are incredibly proud of the performances of the students on the University Duel 2024-2025, who have demonstrated outstanding intellectual prowess and hard work to reach the finals, which will be filled with a great learning experience for all as this will be beamed live on TV/Digital.
“University Duel is a platform that celebrates passion, ingenuity and dedication of Nigeria’s future STEM leaders. This competition will not only highlight the academic excellence within our universities but also fosters a spirit of camaraderie and prepare students towards a great career after graduation.
University Duel will also connect with the alumni and the general public, thereby producing the next generation of scientists, engineers and Innovators,” said the Chief Content Developer, JustMedia GMD, Mr. Oladapo Ojo.
A Member of the Governing Council of Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Chief Bassey Esin, has said the President Bola Tinubu administration will improve the standard of education in the country.
Esin noted that the introduction of the student loan scheme, a key policy of the admission of the President under the Renewed Hope Agenda, showed that the Tinubu has a special interest in education.
He, however, urged Nigerians to join hands with the Federal Government to deliver quality education to Nigerians.
He spoke in an interview after the inauguration of the Governing Councils by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, last week.
Esin noted that the administration introduced the student loans to ensure that as many young persons as possible have access to education.
According to him, all hands should be on deck to ensure high educational standards are upheld in the universities.
He lauded the President for appointing him into the governing board of the university, pledging to contribute his quota towards the growth of education in Nigeria.
He also pledged to deploy his experience to the growth and development of the Federal University, Kashere Gombe.
“The focus of this administration is to ensure that our students complete their programmes on time. Four years should be four years, if you are doing a four years programme,” he added.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been identified as pivotal in the country’s judicial system, considering its role in human rights adjudication.
Dean Faculty of Law Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Prof. Foluke Dada-Lawanson, dropped the hint during the presentation of the citadel’s Eighth Inaugural Lecture over the week in its Multipurpose Hall.
Describing AI as simulation of human intelligence that can rationalise and take actions that have the best chance of achieving a specific goal, said its origination dated back to 1950, when Alan Turing first proposed the idea that machines could think in his publication, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence”.
The law teacher, who hailed from Ere-Ijesa in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, said it can further be defined as an existing network of computer components and connections that mimic human ability to receive, process, reason and communicate information through various media.
She reiterated that it could search through data to combine information for the production of a specific result through multiple media on an initial request from human operator.
Prof. Dada-Lawanson classified AI into hardware and software in infrastructure in various combination of each other based on its intended use and scale of application.
She disclosed that in human rights adjudication in Nigeria and globally too, there are limitations on the relevance of AI to the judicial system.
The university don identified these limitations as data, Algorithm, human, feedback loop and deployment. She at the same time added that bias in AI is essential to uphold human rights principles, promoting fairness and equality and in enduring that technologies are deployed responsibly in a manner that respect the dignity and autonomy of individuals.
The professor, who said she was fulfilled attaining that feat, praised her late father, High Chief Popoola Lawanson, her mother and members of her family, who encouraged her in attaining the goal.
Others highlights of the events include comments from the dignitaries present at the lecture.
The Vice Chancellor of Caleb University, Nosa Owens–Iben, congratulated her for attaining the professorial seat. Prof. Gbenga Akingbehin, a Commercial Law lecturer from the University of Lagos, recalled how the new professor delved into academics through his advice.
Also, the husband of the university don, High Chief Adeyinka David Dada, who recalled his wife’s commitment to attaining the professorial seat, congratulated her for the success.
Other dignitaries present at the event are her mother, High Chief Elizabeth Adedunmola Lawanson; HRM Oba Augustine Alowolodu, the Elere of Ere-Ijesa; HRM Oba Adamo Ademola, the Onitaji of Itaji –Ekiti; HRM Oba Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa and High Chief Tise Adenipekun, the Aaro of Ere-Ijesa, who was accompanied by his wife, Yeye Luwa of Ere -Ijesa.
Despite the problems facing basic education in the country, some state governments have failed in paying counterpart funding to access over N45,730,811,745 set aside by the Federal Government for basic education. Frank Ikpefan, Abuja, Kolade Adeyemi, Jos, Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan, Onimisi Alao, Yola, Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti, Victor Gai, Jalingo, and Ogo Anioke, Abakaliki, report on the issue.
NIGERIA faces a learning crisis which has been compounded by the growing problem of out-of-school children, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicated. It is, therefore, surprising that some state governments have failed to prioritise education.
According to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) 27 states failed to access over N45,730,811,745 set aside by the Federal Government for basic education. The figures obtained from UBEC dated July 1, 2024, covered grants from 2020 to 2023, which the 27 states failed to provide the counterpart funds to access their allocations.
Abia, Ogun and Imo states had a larger share of the amount with the commission as of July 1, 2024.
A breakdown of the figure showed that: Abia (N4,288,389,014.05); Adamawa (N2, 600, 237, 320.29); Akwa Ibom (N1, 395, 780, 708.52); Anambra (N2,600,237,314.29); Bauchi (N2,600,262,186.61); Bayelsa (N1,395,804,960.52); Benue (N20,007.39); Cross River (N2,047,028.41); Ebonyi (N2, 600, 237,314.29); Edo (N2, 600, 237,314.29); Ekiti (N1,396,784,956.76); Gombe (N1,395,784,959.14); Imo (N3,546,883,977.36); Kaduna (N1,395,784,960.49) and Kano (N581,577,067.70) failed to provide counterpart funds to access the grant.
Other states included: Katsina (N1,395,784,959.15); Kebbi (N1,395,784,960.53); Kogi (N1,395,784,960.53); Lagos ((N1,395,9926,149.23); Niger (N237,313.98); Ogun (N4,261,988,113.90); Oyo (N2,600,237,314.29); Plateau (N1,395,784,960.53); Rivers (N697,892,480.96); Yobe (N1,395,834,960.71); and FCT (N1,395,784,961.46).
Why states fail to access funds
An official of the commission told The Nation that some state governments prefer to leave the funds to “mature” before they provide their counterpart money for the grant.
But another said some state governments that “didn’t utilise previous grants provided by the commission properly are denied access to the funds because of fear of the money being diverted to other use”.
Also, the Director of Finance and Accounts at UBEC, Adamu Misau, attributed the accumulated funds with the commission to “lack of political will from governors”.
Misau, in a paper presented during a meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Effective Schools Programme in Abuja on Tuesday, lamented high discretionary powers of the executive and legislature, which results in lack of prioritisation of basic education, poor budget credibility and implementation.
He also blamed the lack of clear policy on funding basic education at the state and the local government levels on the increased funds with the commission.
Falana sues 36 states
Early this year, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), dragged the 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory before the Federal High Court in Lagos over their failure to access N68 billion Universal Basic Education Commission funds to provide free basic education for their citizens.
The SAN said the states failed to pay the counterpart funds necessary to access the UBEC funds to provide free basic education for citizens.
Also joined as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman (SAN) and UBEC.
Falana wants the court to determine “whether the refusal or failure of the respondents to access the sum of N68 billion for the Universal Basic Education of children of school age in Nigeria is illegal as it violates section 11(2) of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004”.
Reactions from states
Oyo: we have finalised payment of outstanding fund
The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, said the state government has finalised the payment of the outstanding counterpart fund, following an approval for the release of the fund by the state government.
He assured that the Oyo SUBEB account will be credited before the week runs out, which will be followed by a notification to UBEC for verification and release of the other part to the state government.
On why the payment was delayed, Adeniran said 2023 was an election year, which means that many decisions could not be taken immediately. He said the board was constituted late last year, adding that it has been working assiduously since then, with the payment of this counterpart fund as one of the results of its efforts.
We’re up-to-date with payment, says Adamawa
The Adamawa State Government said that it is up-to-date with payment of counterpart funds to the UBEC. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, who spoke on the matter with our correspondent, asserted that because the state has paid all necessary counterpart funds to the commission, it has in turn accessed the funds due to the state.
On being told of information that the state has outstanding grant of N2,600,237,320 to collect, Wonosikou said although he could not put the transactions between the commission and the state in figures, he was sure the state is up-to-date with its obligations and entitlements from the commission.
Attempts to get the Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Commission (ADSUBEB) to speak on the matter did not yield fruits.
Ebonyi: we are accessing UBEC funds
The Ebonyi State Government said it is accessing the UBEC funds available to it. It said it is ever ready to pay its counterpart fund to access all the funds.
Commissioner for Education Paul Nwobasi stated this in Abakaliki, the state capital.
He was reacting to reports that the state failed to access over N2 billion from UBEC counterpart funds between 2020 to 2023. According to him, the administration of Governor Nwifuru is ever ready to pay its own counterpart funds and access the funds to enable it develop the education sector.
He noted that majority of the unaccessed funds may have been from previous administration.
According to him, “the funds cannot be accessed at once. It is accessed in tranches and this takes time. So, it is not that we are not ready to access them but the process involved means we cannot access it as fast as we want,” he added.
Ekiti denies owing counterpart fund
The Ekiti State Government has faulted the report by the UBEC that the state has failed to pay counterparts fund to access the grant.
Commissioner for Education Dr. Adebimpe Aderiye, in a telephone chat with our reporter, said that the report by UBEC is largely outdated.
Dr. Aderiye said contrary to the claim that Ekiti State was owing counterparts funds, the state government has paid N1.395 billion in June, this year.
She said: “The Ekiti State Government in June 2024 paid N1,395,784, 059.14 as its counterpart fund.”‘Mutfwang determined to claim subsisting grants’
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has shown willingness and determination to access the 2020, 2023 UBEC grants, which past administration was unable to access.
The governor has, therefore, intensified efforts towards that to enable the state government claim the grants.
The State chairman of Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Simon Amuga, made these known while speaking with The Nation in Jos.
According to Amuga, “The previous administration did not take part of 2020 and 2023 UBEC grants. On assumption as the governor, Mutfwang discovered this and initiated moves to enable SUBEB to access that backlog of 2020 and 2023 grants.
“Due to the seriousness attached to it by the government, there is an assurance for that as we speak. Last week, the government awarded contract for that, because if you did not complete ongoing projects, you cannot access what is subsisting. So, the state government has already awarded contract for the completion of all ongoing UBEC projects.
“I can assure you that the governor is more than determined to all that is necessary to grab the subsisting grants for the benefits of education in the state.”
Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Hakeem Shittu spoke over the week at the board’s electronic bid opening ceremony for Year 2021/2022 intervention projects at its headquarters in Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos.
Shittu, who was addressing bidding contractors, vendors and Universal Basic Education Commission officials from Abuja, pledged that the board would uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in selection of successful bidders.
According to him, the e-bidding process was in compliance with the state’s procurement laws and the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s THEMES + agenda, which prioritises fairness, probity, accountability and value for money.
Shittu said: “The collaboration between federal and state governments in funding these projects necessitates strict adherence to procurement regulations.
“This electronic bidding system not only ensures transparency but also mitigates favoritism and ensures the responsible use of public funds. It represents a significant stride towards bolstering educational infrastructure and improving educational outcomes across Lagos State.”
He said the projects available for bidding include the construction of new school buildings, renovation of existing structures, provision of furniture, and installation of essential facilities such as toilets and water supply systems.
LASUBEB Director of Procurement, Olaniyi Ajayi, in an interview with The Nation, said a bidder could only bid for at least a maximum of two projects, depending on capability.
On qualities expected from each bidder, he said: “Well, that will be determined by the team of evaluators. According to the Procurement Act, we are not looking for the highest bidder or the least bidder. The least might not be able to do the job. The evaluators will evaluate the financial and technical aspects and other areas to know whether they are responsive.”
He noted that the opening of the e-bidding documents included the checking of the security, letter of bid and the amount quoted.
According to the director, “The team of evaluators will now go into detail examination of what they have submitted, their paper, their CAC, tax paid and every other detail. At the end of the day, they will come out with the results of those who were picked.
“This is the second phase of the e-bidding. This is why I need to commend the effort of the state governor. We did it for 2019 and 2020 projects.
In a bid to empower girls with special needs in the innovative field of robotics, a non-profit organisation, TechFam, in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, held an inclusive programme, “EnergiseHER FEMME Robotics competition” for females within the ages of 10 to 18.
The event, which was held at Teslim Balogun stadium in Surulere, Lagos, covered schools in the six education districts in the state.
Education District IV came first in the competition, with each team member awarded HP Laptop and N100,000 scholarships. Phone Tablets and smart phones were awarded to the second and third winners from Education District III and V.
According to TechFam Founder, Ms. Kelechi Udeh, including girls with special needs involves promoting diversity and reinforcing the belief that every girl-child has the potential to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She also called for inclusion of girls with disability in technology.
“We shouldn’t create a disparity between children with disability and the others. Every child should be given equal opportunity in technology and every aspect of education. This is why Techfam is doing what we are doing.
“Techfam is all about inclusivity in technology, creating opportunities for African women in technology. The last Robotic competition we had, the girls that came first were from special school. We later discovered that two of them are deaf and dumb. That inspired us to take step further. That prompted us to look out for special schools and create opportunity for them to be part of what we are doing and amazingly, they were excited about this. They are breaking barriers,” she stated.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Lagos State, Mr. Tolani Jamiu, noted that the current national curriculum has been reviewed to incorporate robotics, thereby creating rooms for creativity among youths.
“There’s is no way we can run away from the fact that globalisation has caught up with us when it comes to technology. We will give the necessary support to ensure the continuity and the sustainability of this programme. We should encourage our students to learn more and be innovative, to see tomorrow from now because whether we like it or not, ICT is our tomorrow,” he said.
The union, citing several contentious issues in the approved scheme, expressed fear that it would further marginalise Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in comparison to their counterparts with university degrees.
Speaking at an emergency congress at the Senator Ali Wakili Complex, ASUP Secretariat in FPTB yesterday , the union’s acting chairman, Esther Adebitan, said the discrimination against holders of HND certificates as against holders of Bachelor’s degrees from universities was further entrenched in the scheme.
Adebitan stated that the union fully supports the resolution issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which provides a 15-day ultimatum to suspend the scheme in accordance with existing labor laws, or face an industrial action.
Her words: “We affirm that polytechnics cannot discriminate against its products in the manner prescribed in this document.
“This is evident in the provision of discriminatory entry points into the lecturer cadre for degree holders and HND holders; lowering the career progression bar of holders of HND both in the teaching and non-teaching cadres; discrimination against holders of HND in the appointment of Registrars and Bursars, irrespective of their possession of higher level certificates; classification of technologists as non-teaching staff and so on.”
She mentioned that having deliberated extensively on the contents of the “controversial document” and after further scrutiny by the Union’s Think Tank Committee, as well as the Council of National, Officers (CNO) of the union, at the 110th meeting of its NEC, “it hereby communicates the following specific findings:
“The document approved as Scheme of Service for Polytechnics contains significant and fundamental deviations from the document prepared by stakeholders in the sector and coordinated through a series of consultative engagements by the NBTE for over 6 years.
“The document’s approval route which gave rise to the significant and contentious alterations is legally questionable as the role of the Office of The Head of Civil Service of the Federation as an approving authority is challengeable.”
