Education

ASUU: There’s nothing to celebrate in Nigeria at 62

Published

3 years ago

September 30, 2022

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday, lambasted the Federal Government, saying there is nothing for Nigerians to celebrate, as the country marks its 62nd Independence anniversary tomorrow, October 1.

University lecturers have for more than seven months embarked on strike action, which has paralysed academic activities in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

In an interview with The Guardian, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said from politics and economy to security, education, healthcare and religion, the country has failed to live up to the dreams of its founding fathers at the dawn of Independence in 1960.

He said it was regrettable that 62 years after the nation’s independence, it was still grappling with leadership challenges.

He said: “When you take a look at all the sectors, you ask yourself, what are we celebrating? In Nigeria today, a flight from Abuja to Lagos is about N100,000 and anybody going by road is not sure of his safe arrival. Civil servants are earning N30,000 a month, which is less than a bag of rice.

“There is nothing to celebrate, our children are at home; those in secondary schools have been taken over by private schools where little or nothing is happening. I think we should just use this period to reflect on all the things that have gone wrong in the country and how to address them. Our young men and women are at home and the government is not bothered. It is a very sad development.”

He called on the Federal Government to increase the annual budgetary allocation to education as recommended by UNESCO.

“It is very easy to address some of the challenges we are facing. Go to the countries around us, they have made education a priority. Ghana dedicates over 20 per cent of its national budget to education and we give just 5.3 per cent, which means we don’t have any value for education.

“Any government that is serious about education will allocate a huge part of its budget to education and train the youth,” he said.

VICE President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the elite in Nigeria must make sacrifices for the benefit of citizens, who also should be deliberate to create unity, with equity, justice, rule of law, accountability as components.

This was the summation of Prof Osinbajo’s remarks yesterday at the ‘Nigeria at 62 Independence Day Anniversary Public Lecture’ held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.

He said: “We who are the elite are a privileged class, but privilege comes with responsibility. It is the French who describe it as ‘Noblesse Oblige,’ the responsibility of privilege.”

Osinbajo noted that “the story of successful societies is the story of how the society’s elite – its best educated, its political and religious class, influence, direct and lead their societies to progress.

“Put differently, every successful society is the product of a conscious, elite consensus; the implicit and explicit agreements of the elite to change their societies for good. But the elite must be prepared to make the sacrifices for the benefit of everyone.”

While the Vice President noted the temptation for society’s elite, whether political, religious or intellectual, to seek benefits for self only, the greater good demands a higher sense of sacrifice and responsibility.

The guest lecturer at the event was the former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, who spoke on the topic, Elite and National Unity.

Afolabi noted what he described as the “immense responsibility of the Nigerian elite,” which is in resolving the country’s challenges, fostering national unity and development.

SPEAKING in same vein, a policy advocacy group, Citizens’ Common International (CCI), has said Nigeria’s 62nd Independence anniversary was coming at a time that calls for sober reflection and collective action.

While stressing that a time like this required a sharp focus on building a nation that works for many and not a few, the group said the country today is far from the dreams of its founding fathers.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Executive Director of CCI, Olalekan Oshunkoya, enjoined all Nigerians to contribute their quota towards steering the country away from the brink.

Oshunkoya said CCI is collaborating with critical stakeholders to conduct a national survey among youths on what elected leaders should be doing to deliver the new Nigeria young people desire.

He explained that the research tagged: ‘The Nigeria Youth Voice Survey’ is expected to cover 24 cities across the federation.

“As we explore our fate in Nigeria’s future, we are asking our peers to share their experiences on what it means to be a Nigerian. We are also asking about deepening our democracy, political participation, inclusion and active citizenship.”

Also, the Director-General, International Law, Diplomacy & Economy Research Centre, Ndubuisi Idejiora-Kalu, said the findings and opinions from the survey will be compiled into a publication titled: ‘A Nigeria for the Many: A manifesto for the Nigeria we desire.’

MEANWHILE, Nigerians have been called upon to vote for candidates with history of positive performances, capable with skills to transform the lives of the masses. This was made known by the new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Cyril Omorogbe, in Uyo, where he added that unqualified and greedy leaders were the bane of Nigeria’s development 62 years after attaining independence.

He lamented that the country has not been lucky when it comes to leadership. Omorogbe vowed not to be instrumental in giving people bad leaders, as he vowed to protect people’s votes by ensuring their choices emerge through their votes.

He called on politicians to go out and convince the people based on what they intend to do with their mandate to improve the lives of citizens, rather than plotting to rig on election day.

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Education

NUC grants ESUT full accreditation for Law, 7 other programmes

Published

2 weeks ago

May 21, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

The National Universities Commission, (NUC), has given full accreditation to the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), for her Law programme.

According to the Public Relations Officer of ESUT, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, this is contained in a letter addressed to the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius Okolie, on Wednesday in Enugu by the NUC.

Ani said that in the letter, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu said the report was contained in the result of the October/November 2024 accreditation of academic programmes in Nigerian universities.

Ani disclosed that other programmes in the institution accredited by the NUC include Master of Science in Business Management; Education Computer Science; Education Physics and Agricultural Engineering.

Other accredited programmes he said were Quantity Surveying; Urban and Regional Planning; and Applied Microbiology.

He said that the letter quoted Section 10 (1) of the Education National Minimum Standard and Establishment of Institutions, Act CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as empowering the NUC to lay down minimum academic standards for all academic programmes taught in Nigerian universities.

He said the session also empowers the NUC to accredit such programmes.

Africa

When the Gatekeeper Fumbles: JAMB’s Error and the Future of Our Youth

Published

3 weeks ago

May 16, 2025

AccessNewsNG

When the Gatekeeper Fumbles: JAMB’s Error and the Future of Our Youth

By Matthew Eloyi

It is not every day that a public official publicly sheds tears. And so, when the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, broke down while admitting to errors in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), it was a deeply emotional moment. But make no mistake: while the tears may have reflected remorse, they cannot wash away the consequences of what is, quite frankly, a systemic failure.

Let us be clear — JAMB is not merely an examination body. It is a gatekeeper to higher education in Nigeria. It is the bridge between dreams and their realisation for millions of young Nigerians. To fumble that responsibility is not a technical error; it is a breach of trust with life-altering consequences.

With nearly 380,000 candidates now required to retake the exam due to technical glitches and irregularities, one cannot help but ask: How did we get here? And more importantly, why does this keep happening?

For years, JAMB has marketed its transition to computer-based testing as a step toward modernisation. Yet each year seems to expose new cracks in its implementation — from faulty computer systems and power outages to incomplete biometric verification and poorly configured questions. These are not unforeseeable anomalies. They are predictable outcomes of poor planning, lack of oversight, and inadequate investment in infrastructure.

Imagine the psychological toll on the students, many of whom studied day and night, only to be met with malfunctioning systems and flawed questions. Some walked out of examination halls in tears, their confidence shattered, their futures placed in limbo. For those in remote or under-resourced areas, the technical errors are compounded by infrastructural and economic disadvantages. What we are witnessing is not just an exam failure; it is an institutional failure that amplifies inequality.

JAMB’s decision to allow affected candidates a resit is necessary, but it is insufficient. What about those who may never realize they were victims of the glitch? What about those whose faith in the process has been irreparably broken?

Professor Oloyede’s tears may have been sincere, but what Nigerian students need now is not emotion — it is accountability. Heads must roll, systems must be overhauled, and the entire structure must be audited. We cannot allow a body that plays such a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s intellectual future to operate with such recklessness.

The UTME is a rite of passage for Nigerian students; it should not become a roulette of misfortune. Until JAMB can guarantee a glitch-free, fair, and standardised assessment, its credibility will remain on shaky ground.

In the end, our children deserve better. They deserve an education system that works; not one that breaks down and apologises after the damage is done.

Education

Petroleum institute matriculates 1,625 students

Published

2 months ago

March 28, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

Petroleum institute matriculates 1,625 students

The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, has matriculated a total of 1,625 students in her 2024/2025 academic session, with a charge to exhibit good character.

The ceremony, held on Friday in Effurun, Delta, was a combined matriculation of the Full time and School of Industrial Continuing Education Programme students.

Addressing the matriculants, Dr Samuel Onoji, the Principal and Chief Executive of the PTI urged the students to exhibit good character while in the institute.

Onoji, while congratulating the matriculants, warned that the institute had zero tolerance for social vices.

He mentioned some of the social vices to include: examination misconduct, physical and sexual assault, indecent dressing, prostitution, cultism, stealing, certificate forgery, bullying and harassment.

Onoji advised the students to be focused and determined, curious and innovative, respectful and responsible and be proactively engaged in extracurricular activities in the institute.

Onoji also encouraged the students to access the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) programme of the federal government to alleviate their financial needs.

He said that the institute received her first NELFUND disbursement on Feb. 11, 2025, adding that the beneficiaries had been paid.

The PTI boss said the institute was dedicated to training middle level manpower for the oil and gas industry.

“Today marks a significant milestone in your academic journey, and I am delighted to share this experience with you.

“PTI has established international collaborations and partnership that enhance our curriculum, facilities and research capabilities that are industry-focused and aligned with the industry to address identified skill gap in the oil sector.

“Our programmes are designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to excel in dynamic and highly technical fields,” he said.

Onoji urged the students to uphold the highest behavioral standard, respect, and integrity in line with the rules and regulations of the institute.

The PTI boss emphasised the importance of hard work and dedication, saying that the oil and gas industry was highly competitive and dynamic.

He said that the campus was a safe and inclusive environment that promoted learning, growth and personal development.

Onoji assured parents of the matriculants that the institute was committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment that would enhance academic excellence, personal growth and character development.

One of the matriculants, Mr Monday Ejiroghene, thanked his parents and the institute for the admission and promised to justify the confidence reposed on him by way of exhibiting good character.