Education
Oyoko Primary School: An Avoidable Saga
By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi
As a background to this piece, it is important to underline that this author would be the very last person to insinuate that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Delta State, has not done good things as that would be a lie from the pit of hell.
Aside from demonstrating this fact in my previous opinion articles, commentaries and interventions which favoured or supported policies, actions, inactions and decisions of the Delta State government, I have recently argued that he (the Governor) is eminently qualified to be the nation’s Vice President and would stupendously perform if a such feat is achieved.
However, like every media professional, this piece will continue to support the fundamental needs of the state and the positive purpose of the elected government if such policies by the state actors will not in any way dent or obstruct the people from becoming keen to acquire skills and disciplines of developed nations, it will not support a policy/action based on sentiment or allow sentiment to determine its judgments.
A typical example of such an exception is the pictures of the sorry state of Oyoko Primary School, Abavo, Ika South Local Government Area of the state currently in circulation.
The disturbing pictures showed visibly distressed structures, and dilapidated classrooms laced with fallen ceilings, windows and doors. Going by the pictures and accompanying commentaries, it cannot be characterized as an overstatement to describe such a ‘scene’ as deplorable, dehumanizing, troubling, in bad light bracingly in contravention of international best standards and most importantly, a reality that all well-meaning Deltans including our dear Governor should worry about.
Paradoxically, within this period, I have had the unfortunate opportunity to read many commentaries underlining that this is not the time to hold our state government accountable for such an ugly scenario as the responsibility of the primary schools and primary education in the state falls within the preview of the local government authority. To others, the only remedy for this problem is simply to encourage parents to accept fate as across the world, education is neither easy nor cheap to fund.
Without a doubt, Okowa has done appreciably well for the sector. Take, as an illustration, Delta State under Governor Okowa’s first term in office witnessed the renovation/reconstruction/construction of over 5,000 classrooms. He also incubated, nurtured and brought into existence three healthy universities to cater for the academic yearnings of the people of the state.
Evidence also abounds that as a result of the work of the Technical and Vocational Education Board in conjunction with the supervising Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in the state, six technical colleges in Agbor, Sapele, Ofagbe, Utagba-Ogbe, Ogor and Issele-Uku have been fully rehabilitated, well equipped and fully functional.
Consequently, Delta is the first state in the country to have all of the courses offered by its technical colleges accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
These efforts notwithstanding, the truth is that the state leadership is bound to face confusion in their minds and may not be able to finish strong as presently envisaged if they allow this present reality at Oyoko and other schools to flourish unaddressed.
For me, I think the Oyoko primary school saga was avoidable if only the government’s attention was drawn to it by those who should know.
Another urgent reason why the state government needs to intervene, reassess this process and address the present injustice is the hidden awareness that the Oyoko experience may be one out of many other numerous sad commentaries in the state. While the Oyoko case exists in the open, many others may in a covert/subtle manner be in that condition. If the Oyoko experience is a challenge, others may be a challenge.
More touchingly, that such a ‘learning environment’ still exists in the state could be considered a sure sign that the state did not learn any lesson from the ghastly experience recorded a few years ago at Okotie Eboh Primary school, Sapele area of the state or may have allowed such experience go with political winds.
Surely, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that our schools work and our children are properly educated at the right time. But in this particular case, if the state fails to do the needful, it will again dispatch another sign of a people unmindful of the fact that our children enjoy the right to education as recognized by a number of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognizes a compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all, as well as the progressive introduction of free higher education/obligation to develop equitable access to higher education.
Most importantly, not taking action to address the situation will simply mean our youths/nation by extension is faced with a bleak future.
Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), a Lagos-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). He can be reached via Jeromeutomi@yahoo.com/08032725374
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An organisation known as Jesin Games on Monday, April 7, 2025, launched a new educational game, AfriTrivia, in Lagos.
The trivial game was designed to promote facts about the African continent, improve awareness about Africa, even among Africans themselves, and to better connect the African Diaspora from all over the world to their continent of origin, according to the chairman advisory board of Jesin Games, Professor Soji Adelaja.
It was stated that AfriTrivia would amuse and challenge everyone with a host of intriguing questions for beginners and experts.
The game will also be launched in Marrakech at the African Heritage Concert and Award Ceremony this weekend, while that of United States launch will come up in few weeks to come.
“Many Africans know little or nothing about the rest of their continent, and many people in the diaspora have little opportunity to learn what they lack about their continent because they are left relying on books written by historians or other means of learning not presented by Africans,” Mr Adelaja stated.
He described AfriTrivia as more than just a trivia game but an educational tool that can be used to “discover all the cultural and historical diversity in Africa through different topics.”
The chief executive of Jesin Games, Mr John Esin, on his part, said, “AfriTrivia is a game that challenges you to test your knowledge on some of the most interesting categories like Quotations, History, Sports and Entertainment, Arts and Culture, Government and Politics, and People and Places about some of the historical sites such as the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, to The Great Pyramids of Giza.
“It is meant for families to play together, friends to play with each other, and classrooms to become “creative centres of learning about our world.”
A former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr Donald Duke, while speaking at the unveiling of the product, praised the organisation for the initiative.
“AfriTrivia Jesin Games will fill the void of lack of knowledge about the African continent,” the former presidential candidate remarked, urging the developer to make it available for schools in Nigeria so that they can know more about Africa.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigerian students interested in getting funds for their tertiary education can now apply for the scholarship programme of MTN Foundation.
In the past 15 years, MTN Foundation has awarded 14,728 scholarships worth over N3 billion to students as part of its ongoing investment in education.
The scholars have been given platforms to acquire relevant skills and practical knowledge to thrive in today’s evolving job market.
This gesture has been done by the organisation to encourage excellence in academic pursuit, deepen diversity and inclusion by empowering blind students in Nigeria.
The main objective is to strengthen the development of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the country.
The scholarship is in three categories, the Science and Technology Scholarship (MTN STS), which is for all 300-level Science and Technology students with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.5 (Second Class Upper or its equivalent); the MTN Scholarship for Blind Students (MTN SBS), which caters to the educational needs of blind students in 200-level with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 or its equivalent; and the Top 10 UTME scholarship for top 10 scoring candidates of the UTME, as announced by JAMB.
The application process is straightforward and conducted online, making it accessible for students nationwide. Eligible candidates are encouraged to visit mtn.ng/scholarships/ and apply before the application deadline on April 25, 2025.
Awardees are given N300,000 annually for three years until graduation, provided they maintain the minimum grade point requirement.
“Education is the backbone of national development, and at MTN Foundation, we are committed to ensuring that no bright mind is left behind due to financial constraints.
“This scholarship is not just about funding education; it is about investing in Nigeria’s future leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers,” an Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Berkeley-based startup, SigIQ.ai, has emerged from 18 months of stealth with $9.5 million in funding to transform education through personalized AI tutoring that delivers elite-level instruction at affordable cost.
SigIQ.ai’s AI tutor came into consciousness when it took India’s UPSC civil service exam last June and achieved the highest score in the exam’s history, beating 1.3 million human candidates in under 7 minutes.
The seed round was co-led by House Fund and GSV Ventures, with participation from Duolingo, General Catalyst India (Venture Highway), Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India), Calibrate Ventures and angel investors, such as Mr Andy Konwinski (Co-founder, Perplexity), Mr Christian Storm (Co-founder & CTO, Turnitin), Prof. Trevor Darrell (Berkeley AI Research, UC Berkeley), Prof. Jitendra Malik (Berkeley AI Research, UC Berkeley), Prof. Srini Devadas (MIT), Prof. Sharad Malik (Princeton) and others.
According to a statement shared with Business Post, the investment will accelerate hiring top talent, enhancing AI models, and scaling platforms to educational systems worldwide.
SigIQ.ai’s technology directly addresses “Bloom’s Two-Sigma Problem” – the research finding that students receiving one-on-one tutoring perform two standard deviations better than those in traditional classrooms.
According to the company, this educational disparity has persisted for decades, with personalized tutoring remaining a luxury reserved for the privileged few. The company’s revolutionary approach shifts the cost of personalization from human labor to AI computation, making world-class instruction accessible at unprecedented scale.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in education where modern GenAI can provide a personal 1:1 tutor to every student and reduce the cost of one-on-one learning from hundreds of dollars an hour to the cost of computation,” said Dr Karttikeya Mangalam, CEO and co-founder of SigIQ.ai noted.
“We’ve started by first creating a tutor that itself can ace the very exam students are preparing for. This is a necessary step to ensure accuracy and quality in teaching delivered. And will set a new benchmark in personalized education, making the highest-quality education accessible to everyone, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status, at a fraction of the traditional cost,” he added.
The company was founded in July 2023 by Dr Karttikeya Mangalam and Professor Kurt Keutzer, a distinguished Professor in the Berkeley AI Research (BAIR) Lab.
Growing up in Muzaffarpur, Bihar – a region where educational opportunities are limited – Dr Mangalam experienced firsthand the stark divide between small-town India and elite Western academic institutions. After completing his education at IIT Kanpur and then at UC Berkeley, he founded SigIQ.ai to democratize access to world-class education globally.
In just 18 months, SigIQ.ai has launched two products with remarkable traction. PadhAI, focused on UPSC exam preparation in India, has attracted over 200,000 learners in just six months. On June 16, 2024, moments after the actual 2-hour UPSC Prelims exam had finished, PadhAI’s AI tutor solved the entire paper in a live demonstration in under 7 minutes at The Leela in Delhi. It achieved a score of 175/200 – not just the highest score in 2024, but the highest score ever achieved in UPSC prelims history, far exceeding the typical qualifying score of 100/200. This historic achievement was covered by over 70 news outlets across India, including The Hindu and The Times of India.
The company’s newer offering, EverTutor.ai, designed for GRE preparation in the US market, has already gained more than 10,000 users since launching three months ago.
“SigIQ.ai isn’t just a regular EdTech startup — they’ve built an AI system that publicly demonstrated its ability to outperform both humans and leading commercial AI models on one of the world’s most challenging exams. This redefines what’s possible in personalized education,” said Mr Jeremy Fiance, Managing Director of The House Fund.
The company said SigIQ.ai is different from other educational AI tools in its approach to personalization. Unlike basic conversational AI that offers scripted or limited interactivity, SigIQ’s systems are highly interactive, responsive to follow-up questions, and capable of personalized instruction and feedback – not just chat.
Sharing some results, it said the technology replicates the behavior of a real tutor. Students using the platform report a 30-40 per cent increase in effective study hours while improving performance by 18 per cent in the first month, with over 75% feeling more confident tackling difficult topics within just three weeks.
Looking ahead, SigIQ.ai plans to expand its reach with EverTutor, supporting more GRE takers in the upcoming spring and fall and beyond standardized tests, SigIQ.ai envisions a future where their technology transforms education broadly, creating a new era where high-quality learning isn’t limited by geography, language, or economic status.
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