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Nigeria: Striking Lecturers Meet This Week Over Government’s New Offer

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ASUU embarks one-month warning strike

By Derrick Bangura

As members of Nigeria’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) enter their fifth week of nationwide strike, the union’s national leadership plans to meet this week in Abuja to consider new offers made by the federal government to meet their demands.

Although there was nothing significantly new in what the government put forward, ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke told THISDAY over the weekend that in the spirit of dialogue and consultations, the union decided to convene a meeting of its national executive to look at the new timelines and to decide on the next course of action.
When asked what the update was regarding their engagement with the federal government, Osodeke told THISDAY that an emergency meeting of the national executive of ASUU would be held this week to decide on the offers from government.

When reminded that the federal government had made a new commitment to review the salaries and conditions of services of the lecturers within six weeks, the ASUU president said such pledges had been made severally in the past without fulfilment.

“All they did was the same promises they have been giving all along, there is nothing new in their offer. We believe that something must be done to show some measure of commitment.

“They have said that more than four times, what is the difference between this one and others?
“When we met with the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives didn’t he give the same deadline? Did they do anything? They have done that over and over again and nothing happened, unless you say that this time something will change, our members will not believe it because they heard it so many times.
“All these MoU and MoA have been signed do many times and nothing was done. So our members will not believe them.
“Our members will decide on the next line of action, we are meeting next week,” he said.
He, however, declined to give a specific date and venue of the meeting.

The federal government had at the end of its last meeting with ASUU expressed optimism that the union would call off its ongoing warning strike this week.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige while speaking with journalists after a marathon conciliation meeting between the government and ASUU last Tuesday, had said the meeting agreed on many things and put timelines for the implementation of the agreements.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Charles Akpan, the minister had said ASUU agreed to go back to their members with the government offers and report back to him before the week runs out.

The minister had argued that many of the items in the 2020 Memorandum of Action (MOA) had been dealt with exhaustively while some were being addressed.
He said, “We have only one or two areas that are new. One of the new areas is the renegotiation of the conditions of service, which is called the 2009 agreement. An agreement was reached in 2009 that their conditions of service would be reviewed every five years. It was done in 2014.

“We started one which the former UNILAG Pro Chancellor, Wale Babalakin (SAN) was chairing the committee. After Babalakin, Prof. Manzali was in charge and the committee came up with a draft document, proposed by the Federal Ministry of Education and ASUU.

“Today, Manzali’s committee has become defunct because many of the people in the committee are no longer pro chancellors. A new team has been constituted to have a second look at that document to make sure that some of the allowances are not against the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) fixed rates for wages and allowances.

“If you propose allowances that do not comply with NSIWC rates, the government will not be accept it. So, it is important that they do the right thing from the beginning, so that whatever the committee presents can be approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).”
The President of ASUU said their members, students and Nigerian people wanted to see action from the government.

According to Osodeke, “the education sector in Nigeria is in crisis and money is being lost in the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels.”
Meanwhile, the federal government has scheduled the inauguration of a new team to commence re-negotiation of 2009 agreement between ASUU and government.
A statement issued by the Director of Press in the Federal Ministry of Education, Bon. Bem Goong, disclosed that the team would be inaugurated by the minister today, at the minister’s conference room, headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja by 12 noon.

The statement quoted the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, as saying that there was need to speedily bring to conclusion, all outstanding issues in the 2009 agreement in order to achieve the desired industrial peace on our campuses.

The Chairman and Members of the reconstituted 2009 FGN/University-Based Unions Agreements Re-negotiation Team are; Prof. Emeritus Nimi Briggs-(Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo) – Chairman

Are. Lawrence Patrick Ngbale-(Pro-Chancellor, Federal University. Wukari -Member (North East) ; Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth-(Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi) -Member (South West); Senator Chris Adighije- (Pro-Chancellor, Federal University. Lokoja -Member (South East).

Other members are: Prof. Olu Obafemi -(Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna) – Member (North-Central); Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu-(Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science & Technology)-Member (North West); Matthew B. Seiyefa, mni-(Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island)-Member (South-South).

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Education

OISD Empowers Teachers with Digital Literacy and AI Skills to Revolutionize Education in Nigeria

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OISD Empowers Teachers with Digital Literacy and AI Skills to Revolutionize Education in Nigeria

The Organization for Innovation and Sustainable Development (OISD) has taken a significant step toward transforming education in Nigeria by organizing a one-day special training on digital literacy for secondary school teachers in Abuja.

The event, held at the OISD Training Centre in Abuja, was designed to equip educators with essential digital skills and increase awareness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance their teaching impact.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Jamilu Yusuf Dan-Ummah, the Executive Director of OISD, introduced the theme of the program: “Empowering Educators: Advancing Digital Literacy and AI Awareness for Secondary School Impact.” He emphasized the critical role teachers play in shaping the future of education and the need to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Mr. Dan-Ummah highlighted that the objective of the training was to bridge the digital gap in classrooms by empowering teachers with the knowledge and tools to integrate digital literacy and AI-driven solutions into their teaching methods.

According to him, educators must stay ahead of technological advancements to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

“This training is a response to the growing demand for educators who can leverage digital tools and AI to deliver effective learning experiences. Our goal is to ensure that teachers are not just aware of these technologies but are also capable of applying them to improve student outcomes,” Mr. Dan-Ummah stated.

The program brought together secondary school teachers from various schools across Abuja, providing them with hands-on training on essential digital tools, interactive learning platforms, and AI concepts.

Facilitators at the event shared insights on how to use technology to make lessons more engaging, foster critical thinking, and prepare students for a technology-driven world.

The event concluded with participants expressing their appreciation for the training and the actionable insights they gained. Some of the teachers highlighted the importance of continuous capacity-building programs to keep up with emerging educational trends.

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Army chief charges junior officers to be enterprising and resourceful

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Nigerian Army Debunks Reports of Mass Resignation, Clarifies Discharge Process

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has charged students of the Junior Course 98 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, to be enterprising, diligent and resourceful.

Oluyede gave the charge while addressing the students at their regimental dinner night on Wednesday in Jaji, Kaduna State.

According to him, possessing the attributes will enable them build successfully on their career and personal lives.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner night is one of the major events lined up for the graduation of the students on Friday.

Oluyede said the objective of the college was to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of selected officers to prepare them for staff and command appointments.

He said the officers in the last 23 weeks had learnt some vital concepts like counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, estimate process and manoeuvring approach to warfare and peace support operations.

“It is also gratifying that you learnt the rudiments of time management, perseverance, determination, team spirit, staff work, and self-confidence and most importantly, discipline while on this course.

“Your leadership, dedication and ability to inspire and guide your teams are essential to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.

”As junior leaders, you must be able to inspire confidence in subordinates and not lead through intimidation or be overtly coercive.

“Your impact significantly contributes to the overall plan and objectives at the operational and strategic levels, “he said.

The army chief congratulated the students on the successful completion of their course

NAN reports that prizes were given to students who distinguished themselves

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Wike backs amendment of TET Fund Act to accommodate Nigerian Law School

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Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has backed ongoing calls for the amendment of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET Fund) to accommodate the Nigerian Law School in its interventions.

Wike announced the support at the inauguration of the construction of 10-unit housing staff quarters for the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja, on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister also handed over seven operation vehicles to the school to improve its operation.

The minister said that the amendment of the TET Fund Act to accommodate the Nigerian Law School was long overdue, considering its contribution to the development of the legal profession.

“This is a professional training school. So, we will give all the necessary support that the Fund be amended for the law school to benefit from its special intervention funds.

“If that happens, I am sure the difference will be clear. The school will have the money it requires to provide critical infrastructure,” he said.

Wile also called for increased budgetary provisions for the Nigerian Law School to enable the school to carry out infrastructural development for quality service delivery.

He explained that the provision of staff quarters and operational vehicles to the law school in Bwari was directed by President Bola Tinubu.

He added that the institution also belongs to the Federal Government, and as such, there was nothing wrong in providing the needed infrastructure to uplift the school.

The minister also promised to build 200-bed male and female hostels for the Nigerian Laws School, Bwari.

According to him, the current hostels are not fit for the training of professional lawyers for the Nigerian legal profession

He said that the funds for the construction of the hostels would be captured in the FCTA’s 2025 budget.

He called on those who might not be happy with the support being given to the judiciary and legal education to wait for their turn.

He said: “If anybody is angry with us, let him wait for his turn. When you become the Minister of FCT, do it for your own profession.

“I am not going to be intimidated by anybody.

“Now that we are in this position, we must contribute to our constituency so that tomorrow, we will be able to say, while we were there, this was our own contribution as far as our constituency, the legal profession is concerned.”

He thanked Tinubu for giving him all the support he needs to succeed as the minister of the FCT.

Also, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, equally frowned at the non-inclusion of the Nigerian Law School as a benefiting institution.

“If you look at the laws setting up TET Fund, the Nigerian Law School is not included, and I think the time has come to amend the Act to include the Nigerian Law School.

“This will enable the school benefit for the TET Fund intervention funds,” he said.

Fagbemi thanked Wike, whom he described as “Mr Project” for all the support to the judiciary and the legal profession.

“Whether or not you like him, you cannot dispute the fact that he is a performer, and one person you will always know where he stands, no matter what, even if you don’t agree with him.

“Another thing is, he does not embark on any project he has no money to complete,” he said.

He appealed to other public office holders to extend a similar gesture to the Nigerian Law School to enable the school to maintain high standards in the training of legal professionals.

On his part, the Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isah Chiroma, recalled that he had appealed to Wike for infrastructural support when he assumed office in August 2023.

“This project, is therefore, a promise made and a promise kept. The housing and operational vehicles will go a long way in assisting the school to achieve its mandate,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Richard Dauda, acting Executive Secretary, said that staff quarters would consist of a fully furnished four-bedroom bungalow, and expected to be completed in nine months.

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