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Tag: Education sector

  • Review 2025: Major issues that shaped Education Sector

    Review 2025: Major issues that shaped Education Sector

    For the outgoing year, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves some plaudits  not only for  the reforms instituted across the education sector, but its unstinting commitment to quality education and a resolve to keep the sector on an upward trajectory. From an increase in budgetary allocation to the consolidation of Student Loan Scheme, to the effective  handling of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other varsity-based unions’ issues, the Federal Government has demonstrated the capacity to rewrite the sector’s narrative. Though observers argue that more action is required as per school safety and security in the face of brazen kidnapping and abduction of pupils, it is not out of place to say the new year offers a glimpse of promise taking into account the catalogue of reforms last year. The Federal Government too should have a breather after it had been accused many times for paying lip service to education and welfare of university teachers. In this report, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE chronicles the events that largely shaped the sector, with a glimpse of what to expect in the new year from major stakeholders like Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) , Congress of University Academics (CONUA), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), and Child Protection Network (CPN) among others.

    ASUU/Fed Govt face-off

    The outgone year was largely dominated by agitations by university unions, particularly the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), whose set in stone strategy, many observers reckon, is downing tools and embarking on industrial action to make the Federal Government accede to their demands.

    It is trite to say the agitations and strike threats of varsity-based unions dominate the education space year in year out, but the cheery news that filtered in late last year, that the government had settled the contentious 2009 Agreement, may perhaps be the final swansong to the era of strike threats and welfare-driven agitations across the nation.

    When the new ASUU helmsman, Prof. Chris Piwuna,  assumed leadership of the union, he berated the Federal Government for being lassez faire on the 2009 Agreement. He harped on the delay in the release of the N150 billion revitalisation fund, despite the release of the N50 billion Earned Allowances last April.

    Carrying on from where his predecessor, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke stopped, Piwuna stressed  that a large number of issues still remain unattended to.

    Piwuna highlighted issues still needing attention, including  release of withheld three-and-half months salaries on account of the 2022 strike action; release of unpaid salaries of staff on sabbatical, part-time and adjunct appointments due to the application of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS); and release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions, among others.

    But since the advent of the current administration, it has maintained a steely resolve to forestall disruptions to the academic calendar of universities. In a firm commitment to his pledge when he assumed office that there will be no more strikes and the insistence that “four years will be four years”, President Bola Tinubu ensured lecturers did not down tools despite nationwide protests and threats. He gave the Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa a tall order culminating in a series of dialogues and negotiations with the union.

    Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to fundamentally transform Nigeria’s education sector is a  reflection of the administration’s bold resolve to transition the nation from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy through huge and strategic investments in education, infrastructure and human capital development.

    In a watershed moment on December 23,2025, the government and ASUU finally concluded the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, signalling the end of a long-running industrial relations crisis  after over 16 years of stalled talks.

    The agreement is expected to take effect from today January 1, 2026, with a review  after three years.

    Key provisions of the new agreement include a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff and significantly improved pension benefits.

    Under the new pension structure, professors are to retire at the age of 70 on pensions equivalent to their full annual salaries, a long-standing demand of the union.The deal also introduces a revamped university funding model with dedicated allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff development.

    In addition, it proposes the establishment of a National Research Council to fund research with a minimum of one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    It also confirmed that there is stronger university autonomy and academic freedom from a core part of the agreement, alongside provisions for elected academic leadership at the level of deans and provosts, positions to be occupied strictly by professors.

    The agreement also guarantees that no member of the union will be victimised for their role in the prolonged struggle.

    The Student Loan Scheme milestone

    Without the Student Loan Scheme, dropout rates in tertiary institutions would have surged, further worsening the socio-economic challenges of the nation. However, many students would continue to express gratitude to the administration of President Tinubu for the zero interest loans, which has saved many from leaving school abruptly.

    Therefore, the scheme, under the aegis of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), remains a beam of hope; an initiative in tandem with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. For observers in the education space, it has revolutionised tertiary education in the country, while underlining the commitment of the President to open access to education.

    READ ALSO: Against the tyranny of small minds

    Last year, the agency noted that the student loan scheme  crossed one million applications on its official portal, making it one of the biggest uptake levels for a government-supported social scheme since the start of the present administration.

    It said the milestone was achieved less than a year after the scheme’s launch on May 24, 2024. According to NELFUND, more than N116 billion has been disbursed to students in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country, with over 600,000 students benefitting.

    The disbursements include both tuition and upkeep allowances to ease  learners’ burden.

    NELFUND Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, attributed the success of the initiative to the  President’s  Renewed Hope agenda, which prioritises inclusive access to education.

    “Crossing the one-million mark represents more than data; it symbolises renewed hope for a generation of Nigerians determined to rise above financial barriers to education.

    “It is a testament to visionary leadership, sound policy design, and the collective effort of all stakeholders driving this transformative agenda,” he said.

    NELFUND reaffirmed its commitment to improving access, transparency and efficiency in the loan process, pledging that every qualified Nigerian student — regardless of background or location — will be able to benefit from the scheme.

    National Language Policy reversal

    Dr. Alausa  posited that the 2022 National Language Policy was responsible  for abysmal performance in public examinations. He said it “destroyed” the education system, as pupils and students often advanced to higher classes without learning essential skills.

    The  minister pointed out that based on data and combined with real-life situations in the geopolitical zones, there is “overuse of mother tongue from Primary One to Primary Six, and even from JSS One to JSS Three”.

    This led to the cancellation of the policy because the nation’s diversity requires a unified approach to language instruction, leading to the announcement of the English Language as the medium of instruction from the basic to tertiary level.

    Expectedly, this generated a heated debate  in the education space.

    Experts, stakeholders and various schools of thought expressed fears that in the long run, it would create a cultural and identity crisis, affect cognitive development, lead to a disadvantage for non-English speaking pupils from rural areas, nullify “indigenising development”, among others.

     Enter new curriculum

    Buoyed by the need to adapt learning needs of pupils to meet current realities, the Federal Government announced the introduction of a new curriculum for basic, secondary, and technical education, which will be implemented at the commencement of the 2025/2026 academic session.

    The curriculum, according to the Education Minister, is intended to emphasise skill-based learning such that Junior Secondary School (JSS 1) pupils pick at least one trade subject to enhance their  practical skills.

    A document developed by the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) revealed that the six practical skills available are Solar, Photovoltaic installation and maintenance, Fashion design and garment making, Livestock farming, Beauty and cosmetology, Computer hardware and GSM repairs, Horticulture and crop production.

    A  statement by the education ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, indicated that the review was conducted in collaboration with the NERDC, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Secondary School Education Commission (NSSEC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and other important  stakeholders.

    The statement noted  that the new framework balances subject offerings with more practical learning.

    The ministry said at the primary level, pupils in Primary 1–3 will offer 9–10 subjects, while those in Primary 4–6 will take 10–12 subjects.

    For Junior Secondary School, they will take 12–14 subjects; Senior Secondary students will offer  8–9; and technical schools  9–11 subjects.

     All tertiary institutions to be energy-sufficient

    Last August, Dr. Alausa announced that from this year, all tertiary institutions in the country will run on mini-grids that will make them fully energy-sufficient.

    He spoke  at the inauguration of the newly built Olatunji Bello Auditorium, a 550-capacity multi-purpose hall donated to the Lagos State University (LASU), Epe campus, by the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Olatunji Bello.

    “The President has committed that by this time next year, literally all tertiary institutions in the country will have mini-grids that will make them energy sufficient. We need this to unleash the capabilities of our youth in the area of research, technology, and everything they do,” he said.

    Our expectations for the new year, by stakeholders

    Nevertheless, critical stakeholders bare their minds on what they expect this year.

    CONUA cautions against policy somersaults

    The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) expects the Federal Government in 2026 to deepen and consolidate the reform trajectory already introduced, particularly policies that promote technological advancement, innovation, and digital capacity.

    CONUA President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, in a chat with The Nation, cautioned against policy somersaults, adding that policies should not be abruptly discarded without proper evaluation. He noted that sustainable development thrives on continuity, periodic assessment, and incremental improvement, not constant reversals.

    He said: “Many well-intentioned reforms fail in Nigeria not because they are inherently flawed, but because they are not allowed sufficient time for implementation, evaluation, and refinement.

    “With specific regard to tertiary education and the university system, CONUA expects the Federal Government to conclude the ongoing renegotiation process promptly and move swiftly into faithful implementation of agreed outcomes. Academic staff require adequate motivation, stability and dignity to function optimally. Universities remain the backbone of national development, innovation, and human capital formation. Any nation that neglects the welfare of its academics undermines its own future. CONUA, therefore, looks forward to a 2026 where engagement replaces uncertainty, implementation replaces promises, and Nigeria’s university system is positioned to contribute meaningfully to national growth and global competitiveness.”

    NAPTAN seeks better learning environment, others for children

    President National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria(NAPTAN), Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, in a telephone chat with The Nation, said: “Our expectation is to have a better learning environment for our children and to have a good understanding between the teachers and the government at all levels.

    “Our hope is also to have enough teaching and learning materials and have complete security in our schools . Insecurity is one of the issues causing setbacks in our education. And we are also having a meeting with the Minister of Defence on   January 14  to discuss thoroughly how to secure the lives of our children, our teachers and environment.

    “And we also hope Mr. President will focus on his Renewed Hope Agenda and ensure education is given the attention needed in line with the agenda. We also hope that the budget for education will be completely released, these are our hopes and wishes.

    “The focus of our meeting with the Defence Minister is to ensure our schools are well-secured . We know he has the interest of education at heart that is why we are meeting him. We want to know his plans towards securing the schools. The total security of schools: primary, post-primary and higher institutions are very important. We parents always have sleepless nights when bandits attack our schools. There is no way we can keep our children at home, we want them to be in school. We believe our meeting with him will give us 100 percent peace of mind that our children are in safe hands.”

    NANS canvasses proper funding

    In a statement, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Adeyemi Samson Ajasa, said : “Well, on the general overview of our expectation towards year 2026, one of the major key points is the issue of the budget.

    “The percentage allocated to education is very, very low.  It is  a single digit percentage that is not even near half of the  recommendation of UNESCO. So, we have watched the government and we have also tried as much as possible to reach out especially to the Minister of Education, on proper funding of education. Also there is a recent increment in the  salary of lecturers which is by 40 percent and some others.

    “We believe for all these  things to be met, there is need  for proper funding and the percentage on that budget cannot adequately accommodate.

    “We hope that necessary actions will be taken and necessary corrections and amendments will be made  on time to adjust the budget.

    “Not  just about the percentage, but proper implementation and release of this fund to critical agencies and bodies that need to run it and implement it.

    “And regarding  NELFUND, we hope there is more access, there is more inclusivity and a more smooth journey in terms of disbursement, accountability, follow-up and transparency of the whole process.

    “So, we believe that as  inflation reduces, the cost of food items will also reduce so that life can be  easier for students in Nigeria, making them   excel.”

    CPN: governors must prioritise quality, make learning stress free

    Lagos State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network (CPN) Mrs. Ronke Oyelakin said standards and quality of education  must be of best practices across the states of the federation.

    She urged governors to prioritise quality and ensure  schools, classrooms and other facilities are in good condition to make learning stress free.

    “Personalised learning is moving from theory to standard practice. Schools today are moving toward teaching methods that focus on each student’s pace, interests, and goals.

    “Supply of digitalised instructional materials. Teachers rely on digital tools to track how students are doing and make quick changes to their lessons when needed. When this approach works well, it helps close learning gaps and keeps students more involved in class.

    “Though many educators have limited training in how to manage personalised instruction at scale. So, I expect professional development and curriculum alignment at all levels for teachers on how to make use of the tools for optimisation. Digital learning tools are opening new doors for students who once had limited access to education.

    “I hope that all rural learners, working adults, and students with disabilities will be able to study at their own pace and connect with opportunities that were once out of reach.

    “Education foundation systems are expected to give greater weight to critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. This trend moves schools away from rote learning. More focus will be on helping students apply knowledge to real-world situations. For educators, this shift means more project-based and inquiry-driven instruction. Teachers will assess how well students reason through problems, not just recall information.

    “Teachers are expected to act more as facilitators than lecturers. Their role now involves coaching students to think critically, manage projects, and evaluate sources.

    “Teachers will need to understand how to safeguard student information, use approved platforms, and model responsible digital citizenship. This will be part of every educator’s professional duty, not just an administrative requirement.

    “In 2026, schools are expected to take further steps to close the curricula gaps which include more diverse voices, and learning environments designed for accessibility. Tools like assistive technology, flexible lesson plans, and teaching methods that reflect students’ diverse backgrounds helps every learner feel included.

    “SBCPC – School based child protection committees across the schools through the community groups to support students outside the classroom. After-school activities, mentorship programmes, and career-focused initiatives are giving young people more ways to learn and grow beyond school hours.

    “Mental health psychosocial support for teachers and students should be prioritised in 2026. Access to counselling and other therapy based services at no cost within the educational districts should be encouraged for children going through traumatic and stressful experiences.

    “Family strengthening support should be encouraged for children in families in distressed situations and those who could not give basic supplies to their children for schooling,” she said.

     ASUU UNILAG Chair, Prof. Idou Keinde, who was terse in his remarks, said he expects the Federal Government to firm up the 2009 Agreement and ensure implementation.

  • Gyrations in the education sector (II)

    Gyrations in the education sector (II)

    When in February 2023.   The then 98 year old Jimmy Carter was admitted into hospice care, many of those who were closest to him were sure that he had only a few days to live. I chose not to wait until he was dead to pay tribute to him and so I celebrated his life in an article. Almost two years on, Jimmy Carter may not be well but he is very much alive. I am writing this on the day of his one hundredth birthday and I am sending him hearty greetings and very best wishes for the rest of his life. Jimmy Carter, like other mortals, has had his fair share of triumphs, failures and even tragedies but through them all, he has remained true to the idles of a genuine human being, a man for all seasons. Since he entered hospice care, he has lost his wife of seventy seven years but he has not allowed this to kill his zest for life. One of his grand sons has been quoted as saying that his grand father is hopeful of living just long enough to cast his vote for his fellow Democrat, Kamala Harris in the up coming presidential elections. Georgia where he has spent his long life is a swing state and his vote may just be important to the outcome of the election. May he live long enough and more to see another Democrat in the White House.

    The First World War battles consumed so many men that conventional wisdom at the end of it was that any ambitious European country needed to have a humungous body of men under arms in order to even think of waging war. After all, the British lost sixty thousand men on the first day of the battle of the Somme and any loss on that scale was not sustainable over a long period. The victorious Allied nations especially France were determined to cripple Germany’s capacity for waging war forever. The ingenuous plan through which they intended to achieve this stern objective was to limit the size of the German army to such a number as to make it nothing more than a ceremonious force. Part of the treaty forced down the constricted throat of the defeated enemy was that her armed forces was to consist of a hundred thousand men only. The German response to this stifling restriction was to build an army in which every member had received advanced officer training of the highest calibre around which a formidable army could be built in a matter of a couple of months. Later on, Germany was able to build up a truly frightening war machine around the spine provided by her highly trained officer corps and had become a serious threat to Europe. This example proves the crucial importance of training to any body of people dedicated to the performance of any task. The purpose of education in any society is to produce that small but critical mass of people to provide leadership to the masses. In Nigeria however, it is apparent that we have dedicated our efforts to train a large body of rabble to provide the leadership needed in a modern, functional society. That choice is making it impossible for the country to build that critical mass needed for the take off which we so badly need to build a coherent society.

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    In the dim past, at a time when the Nigerian society had a well defined shape, emphasis was placed on giving education to those who have proved their worth, the benefit of outstandingly good education. Even then, the number of people who wanted an education, at least in the southern parts of the country was in considerable excess of available places in the few institutions available. The competition to secure a place in a secondary school for example was a figurative fight to the death as this was recognised as the first crucial step on the ladder to future success. In those days, pupils were attracted to certain primary schools which had acquired a solid reputation for placing their charges in a reputable secondary school. And in any case before the establishment of the Nigerian Colleges in Zaria, Ibadan and Enugu, there were no tertiary institutions in the country. Today, there are probably more institutions rejoicing in the name of university, polytechnic or College of Education than there were primary schools In the period immediately after the Second World War throughout the length and breadth of the country. This begs the question as to the quality of education available in the myriad schools and colleges which are in operation today.

    Those of my contemporaries who were in the primary school at the time of Nigerian independence would remember the drill we were put through throughout the period of our stay in the primary school. First, there were those weekly tests, the results of which were carefully written up into our report cards at the end of the week. We delivered up those cards to our parents who went through those reports and were brought up to date with our progress or the lack of it. Then, there were examinations at the end of every term. The end of year examination which arrived with dry harmattan winds were particularly intimidating as they were promotion exams. Those who failed were not promoted to the next class which also meant a miserable Christmas period bereft of any personal celebrations in the midst of general celebrations. The suffering attached to failure was painfully sharp and immediate but more serious on the long term as the avenue to future academic accomplishment was on the verge of terminal blockage. Passing through the primary school was a veritable obstacle course towards the secondary school or, in the Western Region, something called the Modern School.

    The biggest obstacle to a secondary was the entrance examination. In the last year of primary school, ambitious students began to attend lessons in preparation for entrance examinations to various secondary schools. Some teachers were famous for placing a considerable number of their clients into some of the top secondary schools and their afterschool institutions were oversubscribed. I was fortunate in having teacher parents who made sure that my nose was firmly pressed to the grinding stone throughout the period of my preparation for the entrance examination season because merit was the only consideration for success in the secondary school stakes. All my own study was in-house, a situation which I found to be almost intolerably irksome. I was woken up at the crack of dawn and confronted with unappetising exercises at a time when I thought I should still be asleep and when I came home from school, those exercises were waiting to greet me. There was no window of freedom from the grind and when I showed any signs of flagging, my mother reminded me of the dire consequences of failure to spur me on.

    I suppose that I now have the privilege of writing this piece because, in the end, I was able to navigate the formidable obstacle course which marked my admission to Igbobi College.

    Founded thirty years before I darkened her formidable doors in 1962, the school had acquired an intimidating reputation for elite level education for pupils who had shown that they had the innate ability to cope with the tough demands of the Igbobi College brand. The entrance examination demands were fiendish. The coveted entrance examination form to the school, unlike other schools, was not on open sale but no more than half a dozen forms but frequently fewer were sent to targeted reputable primary schools, to be completed for by the best pupils in the school. To lay hands on the form which qualified one to attend the entrance examination was therefore a little more than a minor triumph. In the language of today, it was a big deal.

    All the boys who turned up at various examination centres on examination day were local champions, those boys whose position in their school examinations were seldom south of third. At that point, they were hoping to score enough points to be invited to participate in the interview process. For most other schools, their interview was over in one day but not Igbobi College. Anxious candidates, about two hundred of them reported at the school on a Friday evening and did not regain their freedom until the following Tuesday morning. During that unforgettable weekend, they were subjected to rigorous tests in English and Arithmetic and a one on one interaction with the principal. High performance in these tests was not enough as the candidates had to show their prowess in athletics and football. Even today, I have not shaken off my belief that my admission to the school owed more to my ability to run very far and my dexterity with a football at my feet than to my rather limited ability to solve arithmetic problems. Whichever way I secured that precious admission, I still regard it as the greatest achievement of my career as it opened the door to a world ruled by merit. It has ingrained in me absolute contempt for mediocrity which is now a byword for the Nigerian education system.

    Unfortunately, there was a time when even Igbobi College could not escape being drawn into the maelstrom of the fraudulent Nigerian education system. Igbobi College, by an accident of geography is situated within that axis of Somolu, a suburb of Lagos famous for its slum character disposition and home to an army of small scale printers. There was a time when the Lagos State government decided in its lack of wisdom to dismantle iconic schools like Igbobi College in an attempt to give some form of education to everyone who so much as showed just a flicker of interest in acquiring a modicum of basic learning. That obstacle course which existed to sift the wheat from the chaff in those who chose the school was removed and the old school opened her gates to everyone who cared to enter them forcing the school to put on the mantle of her Somolu environment. This sad fate has been extended to many of those schools which had built up a solid reputation over several decades. The foundation of Igbobi College was however dug so deep that like the famous phoenix she has risen from the flames which had all but consumed her in that dark period of her exile from excellence. I wonder if that miracle could be extended beyond my old school but reality has dampened my expectations in this direction.

  • Age issue in education sector: A parent’s concern

    Age issue in education sector: A parent’s concern

    Sir: Recently, the federal government and of course, its Ministry of Education, came up with a policy that a child who is not up to 18 years at the time of entry into tertiary education, will no longer be able to be granted admission into such a tertiary institution. That policy seems to have come to stay, because at it seems, everybody has accepted that realisation.

    I must differ from everyone because, I have this agitation or nudge that something is just not right with this policy. It is like deliberately wanting to stall or even cut short, in every sense of it, the lives of our children.

    No matter how well intentioned the federal government is, it was not well thought out at all. Policies should be made in a way that it would naturally fit into the lives of the citizens and be naturally acceptable. 

    If the federal government must correct any educational imbalance, regarding age of entrance, it must start from the very beginning, not by stalling those who had been on the programme.

    To be sincere, this policy is not new in Nigeria. My generation went through it. I schooled in the North, precisely Jos, in those days. No intending pupil would be granted admission if you were not six years old. Your age would further be measured in a crude way of asking you to place your right hand on your head to touch your left ear lobe. I had a little problem with that at that time, because, I was too little for my age. Someone had to confirm that I was six years old before I was allowed into school. Those were the days when things were done right and no one was willing to cheat. With that a child would have a bit of cognition before entering school at all. Not now that a child of four years would be in primary one.

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    The introduction of kindergarten education, obviously by the elite, also had a lot to contribute to the present system. The elite wanted to pursue their careers and did not want the issue of raising their kids to clog their ways. They also started the idea of seeking double promotion for their kids as well as making them jump classes straight to secondary schools at tender ages.

    If the government must insist on this policy now, a lot of harm would be done rather than the malady that they are trying to correct.

    Currently, you have students in SSS 3 who will not be 18 years by the time they are finishing. Clearly, these students would be at home for two years before they can be admitted into tertiary institutions. One can only imagine what the effects may be on these students. The government certainly does not have any programme to absorb these redundant extra two years in the lives of these children. They leave them for their parents to ponder on that. In this age of globalisation, internet fraud and media accessibility, one can only fathom the factors that could influence the children’s lives.

    If the government must implement this policy effectively, it should start from the very beginning by creating a system that would naturally allow a student to start a tertiary education at 18, so that there will not be a sense of loss. Currently, parents are starting to beat the government to it, by making their children write GCE, at Miracle Centres, while in SSS 2 and push them to private universities before the deadlines. The policy is meant for the child of the poor as it seems.

    In developed countries, the education systems are so structured in a way to develop with their age, not some haphazard proclamations.

    In my lone voice and as someone who is directly affected, I shall advise the federal government to begin this policy from those who will just be entering primary school by insisting on a certain age or better still, stall those about to enter JSS 1, to be of a certain age that would enable a perfect calculation.

    This is the advice of a lone voice in the wilderness and like John, the Baptist, it could save lives. No one can tell.

    •Prof Tunji Oyelade,OAU, Ile-Ife.

  • Fed govt to leverage technology to boost education sector

    Fed govt to leverage technology to boost education sector

    The federal government has assured that it will integrate technology into the nation’s educational infrastructure to address human capacity and resource challenges, improve learning outcomes, and drive change in the country.

    The Vice President noted that with the evolving global technological landscape, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will harness all the available opportunities to add value to the country.

    Speaking on Wednesday during a meeting with the World Bank Nigeria team at the Presidential Villa Abuja, VP Shettima assured that President Tinubu is committed to driving change in the country.

    According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Information, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “Be rest assured that where there is a will, there is always a way. Change is a very painful percolation process. But I know we will get out of this very soon and be on the path of sustained growth,” he said.

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    Senator Shettima referenced India’s success in using KYAN smart class solutions to teach students in rural areas, suggesting that similar innovations could revolutionise Nigeria’s education system.

    “In India, Kyan technology is used to teach 50,000 pupils in rural and impoverished areas. I believe technology will help us upgrade our education system significantly,” he noted.

    The Vice President called for a holistic approach to education reform, including improving infrastructure, teacher training, and the implementation of technology.

    “We need a comprehensive plan to address the gaps in our education system as quickly as possible. We must not allow these challenges to persist. The federal government is committed to making the necessary changes, but we need the cooperation of all stakeholders, including state governors, to drive this transformation forward,” VP Shettima said.

    Earlier during their presentation on Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity in Nigeria’s Human Capital, the leader of the team and World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, outlined their focus on improving governance, health, and education across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The projects, HOPE – Governance, HOPE Primary Health Care, and HOPE Basic Education, are part of a broader push to reform governance processes, primary healthcare, and education, with an emphasis on human capital development.

    “We are working to reinvigorate governance, primary healthcare, and education facilities across the country,” Diop said.

    He added that all the HOPE series interdependent operations are result-based financing (programme for results), with results primarily at the sub-national levels.

    One of the core components of the initiative, he explained, is the use of technology to enhance service delivery, both in healthcare and education.

    Diop continued: “Digital health tools will be vital in managing patient records and ensuring follow-up care. We’re looking at leveraging the use of AI and other technologies to streamline service delivery in underserved areas.

    “The challenge is not just infrastructure but ensuring that skilled workers are in place to provide quality services. We need to reinvigorate our healthcare system and equip our teachers to ensure a better future for our children”.

    Other World Bank representatives at the meeting included Operations Manager, Taimur Samad; Senior Health Specialist, Dr Ritgak Tilley-Gyado; Governance Specialist, Ikechukwu Nweje; Lead Governance Specialist, Deborah Isser and Senior Education Specialist, Dilip Parajuli.

  • Kebbi: My transformation of Education sector yielding positive results, says Idris

    Kebbi: My transformation of Education sector yielding positive results, says Idris

    Kebbi State Governor, Comrade, Dr. Nasir Idris, says the transformation of the education sector embarked upon by his administration is progressing steadily towards attaining the target objective of quality and excellence in knowledge.

    The Governor made the remark in Abuja while addressing students from Kebbi State who are currently on an educational visit to the nation’s capital.

    “We inherited infrastructural decay in the education sector. As a teacher, I immediately began the development of schools infrastructure and procurement of instructional materials for teaching and learning as a deliberate policy of our educational reform strategy”, he said.

    “Furthermore, my administration has placed premium on the welfare of teachers; we are building staff quarters in schools, salaries and emoluments of teachers are regularly paid promptly. We hold teachers in high esteem. So far, my government has expended 10 billion naira on the improvement of the education sector that include construction of new classrooms and other school buildings, rehabilitation of dilapidated structures as well as provision of teaching and learning materials to educational institutions”, the governor added.

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    “Teachers will never again be treated on second class status; they will enjoy first class treatment under my watch. I have given approval to the Commissioner for Education to recruit 2,000 new qualified teachers to teach in schools lacking enough teachers,” Dr Nasir Idris announced.

    “I am thankful to teachers and their families for voting for me massively during the last elections that facilitated my victory at the polls, and making it possible that a comrade of their own profession is today the Executive Governor of Kebbi State. I am grateful to you all, I will always attach prominence to your wellbeing as a teacher myself,” he affirmed.

    Comrade Nasir Idris said he was happy that the problem of out-of school children had been reversed in Kebbi State, as majority of such children have been taken back to the classroom to acquire formal education.

    The Governor commended the students for concentrating on their studies for optimum results, and assured that his administration would sustain the sponsorship of students from the state for educational pursuit in and outside Nigeria aimed at hastening societal growth in all sectors of human endeavours.

  • ‘What we expect from Fed Govt’s education sector overhaul’

    ‘What we expect from Fed Govt’s education sector overhaul’

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), branch chairmen, National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), vice chancellors and a Visitor to a university have stressed their positions on the President Bola Tinubu’s approved system-wide policies to comprehensively overhaul the education sector. Bisi Olaniyi, Southsouth Bureau Chief, Frank Ikpefan, Sunny Nwankwo, Adekunle Jimoh, Damola Kola-Dare and Victoria Amadi report.

    During electioneering and since his swearing-in, President Bola Tinubu has on many occasions reiterated the commitment of his administration to make more resources available to education sector and also ensure poverty did not prevent any Nigerian from obtaining quality education at the highest levels.

    By virtue of this stance, his government has made education a top priority. Last week, the President approved system-wide policies to comprehensively overhaul the education sector to improve learning and skill development, increase enrolment and ensure the academic security of the nation’s children.

    The planned education policies were captured as DOTS, an acronym representing: Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training & Development, and Skill Development and Acquisition.

    According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, there is a paucity of coordinated, verifiable and authentic data on all aspects of the education sector in Nigeria, which is critical for planning.

    Therefore, Ngelale noted that the President approved the conduct of an extensive census of all schools in Nigeria from primary to tertiary level, their conditions and live-in facilities, proximity to one another, educational infrastructure, and others. The president also approved that there should be a census for all teachers in Nigeria, their qualifications, training support received, etc, a census on all pupils and students in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, gender, exam grades and others. The system-wide policy will further enhance the education and training of the nation’s out-of-school children.

     “This information will guide federal and state interventions for teachers’ training and development as well as overall support. It will also provide data on gender ratio (boys and girls), their specific learning needs, and who is in school or who has dropped out based on daily monitoring with year-by-year reporting,” the president stated.

    In interviews with The Nation, stakeholders in the university communities and others spoke on their expectations from the president’s plan to comprehensively overhaul the education sector.

    Osodeke: we need overhaul of education budgetary allocation

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said: “The government should completely overhaul the budgetary allocation to education. What we have this year is just a single digit for the sector but other countries in Africa are in two digits – 15%, 18% and even 25%. That is what we want to see the Federal Government do. Some state governors are already giving as much as 25% to education. The governors of Oyo, Enugu and Abia states allocated more than 15% to education. That is the first thing to do because education is the key to everything.

    “Unfortunately, the past government wasn’t interested and we have not seen a significant change from this present government. With the first budget, we thought it was going to be different. But it is the same trend.

    “The government should allow university education to run on its own without being tele-guided. From the little money universities generate, they are being asked to remit 25% of it. When did universities become a revenue generating agency? The government should cancel the idea of universities becoming revenue generating agency and remitting money to government.

    “The government should reach an agreement with the union on how to increase university lecturers’ take home to attract lecturers from all over the world. That is missing. There is no African country you will go to that you will not see a foreigner teaching. But when you come to Nigeria and you enter a university, no matter how big it is, you can hardly see a foreigner teaching in that university. This is why our universities are not properly rated. When a professor earns less than $300 a month, who will come and take such a job? That is the crisis.”

    We have been expecting these, says NAAT President

    The President, National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, said the union appreciates the president for prioritising the education sector. 

    “We appreciate the president for prioritising the education sector. That is what we have been hoping for all these while. I want the president to know that if there is anything to be done to the education sector and it will have effect, it is funding. This is because there is a lot of infrastructural decay in the system. The universities are not properly funded.

    “The universities are in a sorry state. Students are hanging in the windows to receive lectures. The laboratories are not operational; there are no equipment. Equipment that are supposed to be used by two or three students are used by close to 100 students. Technologists are forced to divide these students into streams and this is taking a toll on technologists that are working in the universities.

    “We want government to prioritise education because the development of any nation cannot go beyond the standard of education of that nation. So, we want government to prioritise it and fund the sector adequately,” Nwokoma.

    CONUA: a well- thought out plan

    The President of Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), Mr. Niyi Sumonu, described the plan as a well-thought out plan.

    “It is a welcome development and I think the Federal Government has started on that with respect to the Tetfund Tertiary Education Research funds, where they have a data repository of undergraduate projects at any level of tertiary institution, colleges of education, polytechnics and universities. Also, Ministry of Education has started gathering data too.

     “We are encouraging the government to not drop the baton in the middle of the ocean. All stakeholders should have their eyes on the long-term goal. It should not be aborted midstream. If we have information on out-of-school children, we have information on how many teachers require training and development, how many we have trained, the numbers of students that have acquired skills development and the number of students who have not, it will help us plan for now and the future. All hands of stakeholders should be on deck.”

    UNILORIN ASUU hails Fed Govt’s education policies

    Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Dr. Alex Akanmu, hailed the education policies of the Federal Government.

    Dr. Akanmu told our correspondent that the union has keenly followed the present government’s positions and policy drive in revamping education sector.

    “So far, there is a resemblance of seriousness and genuine desire to reposition the sector for effective delivery. Just two days back, the minister announced age of 18 as prerequisite for admission into higher institutions of learning. It is not new for those who are students of history. This is a good step to match development to be able to face the world of challenge in our institutions.

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    “What the govt is yet to announce is accommodating 6-3-3-4 system. What is the gap plan for waiting period like vocational skills or ICT training or checkmate the rush from primary schools? Is this policy only applicable to public institutions or rule will be bent at the private institutions also?

    “The government plans for teachers’ development and support; data repository, out of school children’s education and training and, skill acquisition for all levels are well-appreciated.  What we should be told now is how far with the guidelines or packages to ensure successful implementation of these intentions?

    “What is the level of critical stakeholders’ involvement in planning, execution and appraisal? When is the takeoff time and modalities?”

    Unijos stakeholders seek autonomy, effective funding

    The University of Jos Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, while speaking on the subject, said: “On the plan of Mr. President to overhaul or reform the education sector, honestly, as the vice chancellor of the University of Jos, we have so much expectation from Mr. President. And of course, I will speak on just two or three things.

    “Number one. The current funding model of universities in particular, is flawed. It’s not sustainable. It’s not sustainable at all. So, of course, with the overhaul plan of Mr. President, we are expecting that the funding model of universities will change and the funding model should be in such a way that there is a cost to education, because indeed there is cost to education.

    “Number two is the autonomy. The Acts that created the universities do provide autonomy. But the autonomy is more of a mirage now. The autonomy of the universities has been taken away somehow. But the model that we’re seeing at the moment is that universities are not able to replace lecturers at the time that they are needed. And it is that real autonomy that we expect to see.

    The last one, of course, is the issue of entitlement mentality that we have in this country. Students that go to university will have come from secondary schools and they would have been paying a minimum of N100,000 per term. Cumulatively, they would have paid N300,000; meaning N100,000 per term and N300,000 per year.

    But, the same students and even the parents who are paying for this will look at paying N100,000 in a university as a very costly fee. So, I think that mentality will have to change. I think all stakeholders will need to really come together towards ensuring that we are sustainable in our tertiary institutions. We are looking forward to seeing how the student loan scheme takes off and I hope and I believe and I’m sure, we have a lot of faith with that. We hope that it will pick up very, very well. And those, who were not able to pay, will have access to education.”

    ‘Fed Govt should guarantee equal access to education’

    Also speaking, Unijos ASUU Chapter Chairman, Prof. Jurbe Joseph Molwus, said: “Well, I expect the president to first and foremost respect established laws governing funding of education at all levels and to also be mindful of the constitutional mandates requiring government to guarantee equal access to education at all levels for Nigerian citizens, regardless of their status or class.

    “We as a union, we are against the student loan. We prefer that government should provide grants to students rather than enslave them through a loan that they may not be able to pay back throughout their entire life. We also expect that President Tinubu should restore or bring back the hitherto, to dissolved governing councils of federal universities so that full functioning can return to our universities. As it is, there are so many things that cannot be done smoothly because the governing councils have been dissolved and they are not in place and their tenure did not finish before he dissolved them. And to ensure that, there is a good welfare package for all workers in the educate sector. I say!, in capital letter in the education sector” he said.

    UNIBEN ASUU Chairman: there must be respect for the University Act

    The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Benin (UNIBEN) chapter, Dr. Ray Chikogu, called for improved funding of the education sector, and non-interference in the internal running of universities.

    “There must be respect for the University Act, thereby not imposing alien policies. There is need to respect university autonomy and academic freedom, while the continued non-existence of governing councils in federal universities should quickly be addressed.”

    UNIBEN’s chairman of ASUU also stated that the Federal Government should not pretend as if all was well in the education sector.

    ‘President must Pursue 2024-2027 education roadmap’

    A Professor of Law, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, urged President Tinubu to ensure that he pursued the 2024-2027 Education Roadmap published last year as he plans to reform the country’s education sector.

    Ojukwu noted that whatever that the President needs to move the country’s education forward in the next three-four years were well-articulated in the published document.

    “All that the President needs are contained in the published 2024/27 education policy roadmap that’s already with the federal government.”

    Caleb varsity founder lauds Tinubu’s interventions

    Also, Director, Caleb Group of Schools and Visitor, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, praised President Tinubu for his interventions and notable positive developments in the education sector since he assumed office.

    Adebogun, who is a prominent stakeholder in the education sector, having founded the Caleb Group of Schools in 1986 and Caleb University in 2007, scored the Tinubu administration very high across all cadres – primary, secondary and tertiary.

    In a statement by Director, Public Relations, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Mr. Abimbola Olulesi, he highlighted notable policies of the government, such as the signing into law of the Student Loan Bill to create equal opportunities for all Nigerians to acquire a tertiary education

    He equally appreciated the high-level of responsiveness of this administration to the yearnings of the ASUU by removing Federal Universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and migrating them to the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

    He also hailed the president for twin policies on  Out-of-school children and training, which already have about two million beneficiaries and teachers’ development and support, which is expected to bring technology and digitisation to teachers and learners at all levels.

    He equally applauded the establishment of a National Education Data System and Skill Development for all levels of Education, Teacher Training and Support Nationwide.

    On the president’s new policy, he said: “The system-wide policies are  aimed at comprehensively overhauling the education sector to improve learning and skill development, increase enrolment and ensure the academic security of the nation’s children succinctly captured as DOTS – Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training & Development, and Skill Development & Acquisition.

    “These bold spirited and outstanding interventions of the Tinubu-led administration in education, which is in congruence with the renewed hope agenda, will protect the future of our children and that of our country,” he added.

    A welcome development, says Olawale

    Citing education as the bedrock of national development and transformation, Tutor General/Permanent Secretary education District IV in Lagos, Mr. Osinaike Olusegun Olawale, is of the opinion that the move is a laudable one and a welcome development.

    He suggested that the government should concentrate on early detection and practice of identified skills, more access to vocational and technical education, including establishment of music and sports academies, professionalism of the teaching profession and improvement of their welfares, and making education to be skilled-based and not paper certifications.

  • CSOs to FG: increase budgetary provisions to education

    Some Civil Society organisations on Friday called on the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocation to the education sector.

    The CSOs, BudgIT, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and Basic Rights Watch (BRW), during a joint press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, said that allocation to the education sector in the last three years had declined.

    The conference was on education funding, access to funds and accountability process and recommendations for agencies under the education ministry.

    BudgIT’s Lead Partner, Seun Onigbinde, who spoke on behalf of the civil society organisations, said the challenges in the sector was worrisome.

    According to him, the development of the sector rests largely on adequate funding and proper monitoring of the use of funds.

    He said it was unfortunate that funds set aside for intervention are not accessed by state governments.

    Onigbinde said: “Over the years, allocation to the education sector have stalled below 11 percent, falling short to the 15-20 percent Incheon Declaration benchmark. In the last three years, allocations to the education ministry, as a percentage of the federal budget, has even declined.

    “It must be noted that the development of the education sector rests largely on adequate funding and proper monitoring of the use of funds. Unfortunately, funds set as intervention are not accessed by state governments.

    “With this in mind, we call on state governments to prioritise education by accessing funds to help develop the sector. Intervention funds to improve education through the tertiary education trust fund (TETFund) and universal basic education commission (UBEC) should be accessed by state governments and tertiary institutions respectively, as they must fulfill the requirements.”

    He called on the Federal Government to spearhead urgent reforms which are needed in the sector.

    Onigbinde noted that the rot in sector could be seen in the quality and performances of Nigerian pupils.

    He said Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has a lot to do in order to revamp the sector and should not only talk about declaring a state of emergency on it.

    Onigbinde said Nigerians need to raise questions about the inconsistency of the government in the education sector, so as to awaken them to their responsibilities.

    He said: “We have talked about the colourless administration of the current authorities at the Ministry of Education. We have not seen genuine reforms in the education sector. The government itself in 2018 talked about an emergency situation in education. They didn’t need to declare an emergency in advance. We expected them to start addressing the emergency immediately. But it simply shows that education has yet to become a priority for the government.

    “The rot in the education sector is generational and you can see the quality of pupils from schools and graduates from universities. This was not so in the last 20 or 30 years.

    “Hence we need to raise our voices and ask questions from the government. How have we funded the education? Is it adequately? We have money sitting in the federal purse through the Universal Basic Education Commission but you see some states not accessing the funds, because you tell them to bring the counterpart funding.”

    In a joint release, the civil society organisations recommended that “the federal and state governments should prioritise education by creating a soft landing for states to enable access to the UBEC grants.”

    “For Nigeria to reverse the trend of education decline, we call on the Federal Government to align budgetary allocations with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s standard,” the CSOs added.

  • Aregbesola has done well in education sector, says NUC chief Rasheed

    •VCs laud Osun education revolution

    The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, has lauded the Osun State government under Governor Rauf Aregbesola for raising the education bar.

    He said the state had revamped education, as reflected in the laudable achievements it recorded in the sector since the inception of the Aregbesola administration.

    Also, the leadership of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) hailed the government for revolutionising education.

    The heads of the nation’s universities had met at Redeemer’s University campus in Ede, Osun State, for their 33rd conference, where topical issues were discussed on how to improve tertiary education.

    Rasheed spoke at a get-together organised by the state government for the conference participants.

    The dinner was attended by Osun State Deputy Governor Mrs Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; the senator representing Osun East, Babajide Omoworare; Acting Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Commissioner for Cabinet Matters, Senator Mudashiru Hussain; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Higher Education, Bursary and Scholarship, Profr Grace Akinola; Prof Rasheed; former NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Peter Okebukola; the host of the conference and Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Prof Debo Adeyewa, other vice-chancellors of Federal, state and private universities.

    Others included Osun State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Gboyega Famodun as well as popular musicians Innocent Idibia and Tony Tetuila.

    Rasheed described Aregbesola as an intellectual per excellence.

    He said: “Our presence in Osun is not by accident but a deliberate move to acknowledge the unparalleled impact of Governor Aregbesola on the Education sector in the state.

    “There is no doubting the fact that Osun has blazed the trail at ensuring that education is given the utmost and topmost attention in all strata as reflected in the giant strides the state has witnessed so far under the leadership of Governor Aregbesola.

    “We are fully aware of the successes the present administration in the state has recorded over the years to ensure that education is advanced, democratised, uplifted and standardised in line with the global practices.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Why we are reforming education sector, by Ajimobi

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has said that the ongoing reform in the education sector is aimed at enhancing the schools’ infrastructure, as well as producing students that will excel in learning and character.

    The governor disclosed this during an inspection tour of Oba Akinbiyi High School, Mokola, and Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan; two of the ultra-modern model schools under construction in the state.

    He declared that the projects, including a similar one at the Baptist High School, Saki, which, according to him, was also nearing completion, would be inaugurated in the next few weeks.

    The governor said that any serious reform in the education sector must take into cognizance learning, curriculum and teaching, as well as moral rectitude among the students, all of which, he said informed the introduction of the Oyo State Model Education System Intervention (OYOMESI) policy.

    The governor said that the construction of the model schools was in fulfillment of his administration’s resolve to holistically transform the education sector by enhancing the physical structures, teaching and learning as well to promote moral rectitude among the students.

    He said that some cynics went to town to dismiss the vision as impossible when he announced the decision of the government to construct the model schools, insisting that he would continue to prove them wrong by making his words his bond.

    Ajimobi said that the model school project and the Technical University, which recently matriculated its first set of students, were part of the legacies his administration would leave behind in the education sector.

    The governor said, “When we first started, some people said we would not do it, but now, we have done it. They might say it took so long, but we did all these within our eight-year tenure.

    No administration had achieved similar feat in the last 30 years.

    “No matter the rhetorics of the opposition and detractors, we have improved on education. Oyo State recorded the best performance in WASSCE and NECO in the last 18 years, last year. This is another feather in the cap of educational standards and growth in our state.

    “For me, this is a legacy. These model schools are a lot different from the type of school facilities we used to have. It is a lot of improvement.

    “If you want to appreciate the improvement you can go and check the quality and aesthetics of the structures we are putting up in the three locations, compared with what used to be.

  • Provost seeks reform in education sector

    Provost seeks reform in education sector

    The Provost of Kwara College of Education (Technical), Lafiagi, Alhaji Alhassan Ishiaku, has advocated for pragmatic reforms in the education sector to galvanise the nation’s socio-political and economic development.

    Ishiaku spoke yesterday in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of the state.

    The provost called on the three tiers of government to continue to commit themselves to pursuing education reforms that would address the needs of the population.

    “Teachers are undoubtedly the key actors in any reform process in the education sector and, therefore, must be adequately involved in the process.

    “The quality of education anywhere depends solely on the quality of teachers since no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers,’’ he said.

    Describing education as an inalienable right of every citizen, the educationist stressed the need for the government to ensure affordable and sustainable education for the citizenry.

    Ishiaku also advised the government to provide necessary infrastructure and facilities to guarantee a steady flow of teachers in the school system.

    He suggested that the pre-service and in-service training programmes for teachers should be entrenched into the system while more incentives be introduced to boost teachers’ morale for effective service delivery.