Tag: Tunji Alausa

Education Minister, Tunji Alausa, Founder and President of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti(ABUAD), and other ministers are expected to attend a one-day National Conference on Innovative Trends in Technology and Development in Nigeria.

The conference which has as theme: “Visions of Tommorow: Sciences, Innovations, Technologies and Applications,” is organised by

 The Academy of Innovative Research, Science & Technological Development (AcIRSTD).

It will be held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Mambilla Barracks Junction, Asokoro, Abuja, on the 27th February, 2025.

Babalola will chair the event,  while Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu  will be co-chair.

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A statement by the Lead Facilitator and President General of IARSA Worldwide Group,  Prof. Akin Ogunsakin, noted that the keynotes, presentations, and discussions will focus on a wide range of topics related to how innovations and applications based on technologies like AI, robotics, IoT, blockchain, renewable energy, and biotechnology, are inspiring transformations across various fields.

 He said leading academic scientists, technologists, innovators, industry professionals and researchers will gather together in this conference to exchange experiences and research findings on all facets of innovation and sustainable development.

The don noted that they willdiscuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as real-world difficulties faced and solutions chosen in the domains of innovations and sustainable development.

He said the findings will contribute to appreciating the potential of science, technology and innovation to meet the most pressing sustainable development trials to fairly improve the operation of the “national innovation system” for sustainable expansion of technologies.

The outcome, he noted, will help to realise the potential of science and technology to address the most urgent challenges facing Nigeria. 

The don expressed optimism that NCITTD25 will contribute to shaping our collective future, and inspire new ideas, collaborations, networks and projects among participants.

Other special guests expected at the occasion include the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation and   Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has said the ministry is considering a proposal to convert all federal colleges of education across the country to universities of education.

Alausa broke the news before the joint House of Representatives Committees on Education during his ministry’s 2025 budget defence at the National Assembly in Abuja.

The minister said the plan became necessary because many students no longer sought admission into colleges of education.

The minister explained that despite budgetary allocation to the colleges of education, some of them were having less than 1,000 students.

“Do we need these colleges of education? They don’t exist in the United States of America and several other advanced countries. Let us convert them to universities of education,” he said.

Alausa said this year’s budget proposal was hinged on achieving major plank of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eight priority areas to be implemented through the ministerial deliverables of 2024-2027 in line with the education sector’s roadmap.

The minister said the budget was focused on ensuring “that we provide opportunities for children to return to school, make the teaching and learning environment safer, improve the capacity of teachers to deliver curricular that are contemporary and globally competitive and improve the capacity of our tertiary institutions to produce appropriate human resource base for our national development”.

According to him, there are currently 54 federal universities, including four inter-university centres, 36 federal polytechnics, 32 federal colleges of education and 118 federal unity colleges divided into conventional; sciences; as well as science and technical, dedicated as technical.

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Alausa said this year’s education budget of N2.5 trillion comprises N348.3 billion for the Ministry of Education; N816.7 billion for its parastatals; N226.7 billion for polytechnics; N139.3 for colleges of education; N811.9 billion for universities; N171.6 billion for Unity Colleges, and N3.1 billion for UNESCO Paris.

The Chairman of the House Committee on University Education and Chairman of the joint Committee, Abubakar Hassan Fulata, said the committee would use its constitutional powers to avoid disruptions in academic activities and work towards improving the standard of education in the country.

He said due to insufficient funds to meet competing demands, the ministry and relevant institutions should ensure proper and efficient utilisation of the fund allocated for them.

Fulata warned heads of MDAs against shunning invitations and summons, stressing that the legislature carries out checks in line with the provisions of the constitution to ensure that MDAs do the right things.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has decorated staff of the ministry with the Armed Forces Emblem in honour of Nigerian fallen heroes.

While decorating them, Alausa admonished staff in the ministry, agencies and parastatals to put on the emblem to honour veterans of World War 1, 2 and Nigerian civil war.

The minister said the significance of the ceremony was to commemorate the sacrifices of the country’s fallen heroes who put down their lives to protect the territorial integrity of the nation.

He said: “We see Nigeria as a country that was going to disintegrate from war, but our heroes went to war to protect the integrity and unity of our nation. The least we can do is to remember them after they are gone. So we will be putting on the emblem to remember them for the years, centuries and decades of sacrifices.

“We are enjoying the sacrifices of these fallen heroes. Let’s celebrate them, and that is what the president does every year. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Tinubu, has launched it and we are supporting him in the ministry.

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“I am directing all the agencies under the Ministry of Education to do the same and wear the emblem till January 15 when the official celebration will happen.”

Alausa added that as a policy, it was expected that all agencies of government emulated the president in remembering Nigerians who laid down their lives for the country.

The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is celebrated and observed globally by Commonwealth-member countries. It is also to commemorate the end of World War I which officially happened at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month (November) 1918.