Category: Education

The Lagos State Government has reiterated its prohibition of corporal punishment in public schools, advocating counselling as a more effective disciplinary measure.

Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, reaffirmed this stance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. He stressed that flogging students remains strictly prohibited to prevent injuries, fainting, or fatal incidents.

“There is a policy here in Lagos and other parts of the country prohibiting teachers from giving corporal punishment to students/pupils,” Alli-Balogun stated. “Against flogging, we have adopted counselling as a measure of correction.”

While endorsing a non-violent approach, the commissioner noted that minor corrective measures—such as kneeling, picking up litter, or cutting grass within school premises—could be employed as alternatives. He described these as part of “positive reinforcement” to shape student behaviour and encourage discipline.

“The idea is to make the student understand why he or she must not misbehave,” he explained. “Counselling is basically to correct.”

Alli-Balogun attributed many cases of student misbehaviour to poor parental upbringing and urged parents to be more involved in their children’s lives.

Since the ban on flogging, he noted, student discipline has improved significantly, with learners becoming more conscious of their actions and potential consequences.

Lagos State officially banned corporal punishment in public and private schools in 2022. That same year, it launched the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme to reinforce child safety and promote alternative disciplinary measures.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and Abuja has condemned the decision of some northern state governments to close public and private schools for five weeks during Ramadan.

The directive, affecting Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, and Kebbi states, has raised concerns about its impact on students’ education. In a statement issued on Monday in Kaduna, Northern CAN Chairman, Rev. John Hayab, urged governors in the region to balance religious observance with academic commitments rather than shutting down schools entirely.

Rev. Hayab emphasized that the school closures would disrupt learning, particularly for senior secondary students preparing for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations and junior students sitting for their Junior Secondary School exams. He warned that students in these states were already struggling with the effects of insecurity, which had significantly hindered educational progress.

He also pointed out that some of the affected students, particularly those under the age of 14, may not be religiously obligated to observe fasting, raising questions about the necessity of the directive. Citing the Multidimensional Poverty Index by the National Bureau of Statistics, he noted that Bauchi has 54% of children lacking access to education, Kebbi 45%, Katsina 38%, and Kano 35%.

Hayab referenced predominantly Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where schools remain open during Ramadan. Instead of outright closures, he suggested reducing school hours to accommodate fasting students and teachers. He stated that a better approach would be adjusting school hours, such as running classes from morning to noon, allowing time for religious observance while ensuring education is not disrupted.

CAN also questioned the justification for the decision, arguing that it appears to be politically motivated rather than rooted in Islamic teachings. According to Hayab, consultations with prominent Islamic scholars revealed that these school closures might be driven by political considerations rather than religious doctrine.

The Christian body urged the affected governors to reverse their decision, warning that such policies could damage the region’s reputation and hinder educational progress. CAN also called on the public to remain calm and law-abiding while urging stakeholders to work toward a resolution. In solidarity with the statement from the CAN National President, the organization appealed to Nigerians to address the matter peacefully and find a solution that supports both education and religious observance.

The Benue State House of Assembly has directed Dr. Grace Adagba, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to step aside to allow for an investigation into the board’s recruitment exercise.

The decision was made during Thursday’s plenary following a motion by Chief Whip Peter Ipusu (APC, Katsina-Ala West), who accused Dr. Adagba of disregarding an earlier House resolution to halt the recruitment of primary school teachers.

Ipusu noted that despite the directive, SUBEB released new cut-off marks for local governments based on their performance in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) and shortlisted additional candidates for physical screening. He described the action as a reactionary move that disrespected the Assembly’s authority.

Supporting the motion, Alfred Berger (APC, Makurdi North) questioned Dr. Adagba’s integrity, stating that recruitment should be managed by the Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) with SUBEB serving only a supervisory role.

However, Majority Leader Saater Tiseer and Anthony Agom (PDP, Okpokwu) urged the House to ensure fairness by allowing Dr. Adagba to defend herself, highlighting her willingness to appear before the Assembly.

Following a vote, 21 members supported the motion for suspension, while five voted against it. Speaker Hyacinth Dajo directed Dr. Adagba to hand over to the board’s Permanent Member 1 and constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the recruitment exercise. The committee has been given seven days to submit its findings.

This development underscores the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring transparency in recruitment processes.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University Chapter (ASUU-TSU), has launched an indefinite strike due to the Taraba State government’s failure to address several longstanding welfare and institutional challenges.

In a statement released in Jalingo, the union’s chairman, Dr. Garba Mbave Joshua, explained that the strike became unavoidable after the expiration of a 30-day grace period given to the government, which ended on July 4, 2024.

Key issues behind the strike include the lack of a pension scheme, unpaid salary arrears, the absence of a Governing Council, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), exclusion from national minimum wage adjustments, and insufficient funding. The union emphasized that the lack of a pension scheme has placed academic staff’s future security at risk. Additionally, delays in salary payments have caused significant financial hardship, and despite partial payments, negotiations for remaining balances have failed.

For over a year, the university has operated without a Governing Council, leaving critical decisions unresolved and affecting institutional management. The union also accused the government of repeatedly failing to fulfill promises to resolve these issues.

ASUU-TSU stated that, despite multiple attempts to engage the government, the lack of tangible progress led to the strike. The union has called on all stakeholders to put pressure on the government to urgently address the issues, warning that the strike will persist until their demands are met.

“This action is in defense of our members’ welfare, the integrity of the institution, and the future of higher education in Taraba State,” the statement concluded.

The Ekiti State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Olabimpe Aderiye, has called on education stakeholders to adhere strictly to government policies to improve service delivery in the sector. She made this appeal during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ado-Ekiti to review the 2024 State Examinations.

Dr. Aderiye emphasized that government policies are developed through extensive consultations and reflect the interests of all stakeholders. She reiterated the commitment to maintaining online registration for state examinations, a system introduced in the last academic session. The Commissioner described the policy as cost-effective, secure, and aligned with global best practices, urging stakeholders to support its seamless implementation.

Taiwo Olatunbosun, Commissioner for Information, highlighted the Oyebanji Administration’s dedication to transforming education institutions into centers of excellence. Similarly, Prof. Femi Akinwumi, Chairman of SUBEB, stressed the need for head teachers and school owners to actively monitor and support the examination process.

Director of Examinations and Records, Mrs. Olutoyin Fajana, advised schools to ensure accurate candidate registration, including correct names and passport photographs, to avoid errors.

The Chairman of ASUSS, Sola Adigun, added that consistent follow-ups with schools lagging in compliance are crucial for the success of the registration and examination processes.

The meeting underscored the importance of collective efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of state examinations and the overall improvement of education in Ekiti State.

The Senate and the National Universities Commission (NUC) have urged for the creation of more universities in Nigeria to meet the increasing demand for higher education. This call was made during a public hearing organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund in Abuja on Monday.

Key stakeholders, including Senator Muntari Dandutse, Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, sponsor of the Federal University Okigwe Bill, and Mr. Chris Maiyaki, Executive Secretary of the NUC, emphasized the urgent need to address the shortage of university spaces.

Maiyaki pointed out that Nigeria has only 275 universities, public and private, serving over two million prospective students annually. This leaves over 1.3 million students without the opportunity for tertiary education. In comparison, countries like Indonesia, Russia, Brazil, and India have far more universities relative to their populations.

Senator Dandutse highlighted that the proposed Federal University, Okigwe would improve access to education in Imo State and contribute to national development. Similarly, Senator Ndubueze noted the transformative impact the university would have on Okigwe, a town that has long been without federal recognition.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to assist Nigeria in tackling its high number of out-of-school children and in broadening the country’s tax base for sustainable economic growth.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil, Tinubu emphasized the critical link between education, hunger, and poverty. He highlighted the need for global support to keep millions of Nigerian children in school, a step crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty.

“We have too many children out of school, and education is the way out of hunger and poverty. We are creating incentives to ensure these children stay in school and will require your support to achieve this,” Tinubu said.

He also underscored his administration’s efforts to expand the country’s tax base without increasing the tax burden on Nigerians, many of whom are already under financial strain.

Despite economic reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the Naira, Nigeria faces mounting economic challenges. Inflation surged to 33.88% in October, while fuel prices soared to over N1,100 per litre, significantly impacting Nigerians’ cost of living. Additionally, the Naira has depreciated sharply, with the exchange rate reaching N1,658.57 per dollar as of November 21, 2024.

According to UNICEF, Nigeria had 18.5 million out-of-school children as of August 2024, a statistic Tinubu aims to change with IMF backing.

The Federal Government has reinstated Professor Joseph Ikechebelu as the acting Vice-Chancellor and Victor Modebelu as the acting Registrar of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK).

The announcement was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nullification of Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh’s appointment as the 7th substantive vice-chancellor. Odoh was removed due to his appointment by the now-dissolved 10th Council of the university being deemed illegal.

Professor Ikechebelu, initially appointed as acting VC in June, had been replaced in July by the then-university council. His reinstatement grants him authority to oversee the university’s administration, with any critical decisions requiring ministerial approval until a new council is constituted.

Similarly, Victor Modebelu was reappointed as acting Registrar, following the removal of Rosemary Nwokike by President Tinubu. Modebelu had previously served in the same capacity before being replaced.

These appointments aim to stabilize the university’s administration while awaiting the reconstitution of its governing council.

The Federal Government has expressed its appreciation to the Republic of Ghana for the reconstruction and official handover of a property belonging to the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed by acting spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the handover ceremony took place on Wednesday. The property, a four-bedroom flat, was demolished by Ghanaian authorities in 2020, an act that was strongly condemned by Nigeria. After high-level diplomatic discussions, the Government of Ghana committed to rebuilding the structure, fulfilling that promise.

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mrs. Shirley Botchway, officially handed over the keys to the newly reconstructed building. Nigeria’s Ambassador Chimezie Ogu, Director of the Foreign Service Academy in Lagos, received the property on behalf of the Nigerian government.

Nigeria has praised Ghana’s actions as a positive reflection of their commitment to enhancing bilateral relations. The ministry emphasized that the reconstructed building is a symbol of cooperation and mutual respect, key elements of the relationship between the two nations.

The Federal Government has announced a reshuffle of the Governing Councils at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), and the Federal University, Lokoja (FULokoja). This change, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is aimed at fostering national unity and enhancing governance within the institutions.

A statement from the Federal Ministry of Education revealed that Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba SAN will now serve as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of FUOYE’s Governing Council, while Engr. Kayode Ojo will take on the same role at FULokoja. The reshuffle comes after the observation that Ojo, an indigene of Ekiti State, was initially serving as FUOYE’s Pro-Chancellor. To maintain impartiality and promote national integration, Pro-Chancellors are typically appointed from outside the university’s home state, ensuring unbiased governance and supporting diversity.

The changes are part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen governance in higher education institutions across the country.