The Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) has approved the appointment of Prof. Adamu Ahmed as the new Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

This is contained in a statement issued by Malam Auwalu Umar, the Director of Public Affairs of the university on Wednesday in Zaria.

The appointment of Ahmed, he said, was on Wednesday, after the 209th Special Council meeting, presided over by its Chairman, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale-Ahmed.

NAN reports that in June 2024, President Bola Tinubu appointed Prof. Ahmed, a distinguished scholar of urban and regional planning, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Education, Kano.

Ahmed, an academic and administrator, has spent over three decades at the ABU, where he taught and mentored students.

His academic journey began at ABU, where he earned his first, second, and PhD degrees.

Ahmed has held various leadership positions, including Head of Urban and Regional Planning, Deputy Director of ABU Consultancy Services, and Director of the Directorate of University Advancement.

President Bola Tinubu has approved N80 billion for the reconstruction and expansion of the Alau Dam in Borno.

Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources, confirmed this during a briefing with State House correspondents following the second FEC meeting of the year on Tuesday.

Utsev, also the chairman of the inter-ministerial committee on dams, revealed that the President had approved the rehabilitation of Alau Dam, pending ratification by the FEC.

The committee, established on Sept. 23, 2024, includes the ministers of finance, environment, works, information, and the National Security Adviser as members.

The committee was inaugurated on Oct. 2, 2024 with the goal of assessing dams nationwide and recommending improvements for better usage

A sub-committee, co-opting members from the Nigeria Society of Engineers, the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, and the Council of Dams Experts in Nigeria, was formed.

The committee has assessed around 35 dams and produced recommendations. An interim report was presented to the Federal Executive Council.

“So, the committee swooped into action and brought out recommendations of about 35 dams that have been assessed so far.

“Today the interim report was presented to the Federal Executive Council. The Alau Dam is very critical. We saw some challenges as a result of flooding on Sept. 10, 2024.

“The assessment of the remaining 34 dams is ongoing, and will be presented to the Federal Executive Council and the entire Nigerians,” Utsev said.

Utsev assured that the Borno government is working closely with the sub-committee to begin the project, aiming to complete the first phase before July.

He added that desilting will begin in December, with the entire project expected to take 24 months to complete.

Ogun Government has commenced the construction of smart classrooms in public secondary schools across the state.

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, disclosed this at a news conference in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

Arigbabu explained the idea was to create a conducive environment for teaching and learning in the state.

The commissioner said the state government would also be constructing 12 mega classrooms in four divisions of the state with a capacity to accommodate 900 learners each.

This, he said, would further decongest the number of learners in classrooms, particularly in the 42 flagship schools.

Arigbabu said the smart classrooms were being constructed in 72 of the designated secondary schools, including the flagship schools, under the first phase of the project.

He added that the schools were also being equipped with required teaching aids.

“This is part of moves by the present administration to decongest classrooms in public secondary schools.

“Government will continue to expand the facilities in the existing schools and build more schools, if necessary, to make classrooms conducive for teaching and learning,” he said.

Arigbabu assured that the government would continue to prioritise teachers’ welfare, clarifying that promotion arrears for teaching and non-teaching staff had been done from 2016 till date.

He revealed that the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda (OGSERA) model had been used to digitalise and revolutionise the state education sector.