Education
Coventry University Woos Nigerian Students
By Dipo Olowookere
Britain’s Coventry University has invited potential students to its open days across Nigeria next week to highlight the value a UK university education provides, particularly for those wanting to pursue a career in industries such as energy, or create their own jobs through a focus on innovation and enterprise.
Dr Babatunde Anifowose, a senior lecturer in Petroleum and Environmental Technology at Coventry University, will be on hand to meet open day attendees, and said that the future belonged to “forward-looking” graduates with technical and soft skills.
Graduates returning to Nigeria having studied undergraduate or postgraduate degrees such as those offered by Coventry in areas like oil and gas, engineering and computing will be able to adapt to the ever-changing local and global economy.
Attendees at the open days can also learn more about the enterprise and innovation activities in Coventry being taken forward through its International Centre for Transformational Entrepreneurship (ICTE), which offers courses in enterprise and runs workshops in-country with graduates and alumni.
The open days will take place in Lagos (Protea Hotel Select) on Friday 11 August; in Abuja (Newton Park Hotels Annex) on Saturday 12 August; and in Port Harcourt (Golden Tulip Hotel) on Sunday 13 August, with each event running from 3pm-6pm local time.
Open day attendees will be able to find out about a range of Coventry University bachelor’s and master’s courses, including Oil, Gas and Energy Management BSc (Hons); Petroleum and Environmental Technology MSc; Oil, Gas and Energy Law LLM; Mechanical Engineering MEng/BEng (Hons); Electrical and Electronic Engineering MSc; Computer Hardware and Software Engineering BEng (Hons); and Computer Science MSc.
In addition to the focus on enterprise and energy, the university will be providing insight into its UK work experience programme for overseas student, which sees a dedicated team support students to arrange work placements with local and regional organisations while they study in Coventry.
“The global energy industry is at a critical stage where rising energy demand and the clamour for sustainable development have led to ambitious targets in nations around the world. The future, therefore, belongs to forward-looking 21st-century graduates with wide-ranging technical competencies and soft skills, and a ‘can do’ attitude.
“Our energy courses at Coventry University offer technical professional qualifications in addition to an academic degree, thereby offering the vital skills needed to start-up as entrepreneurs, or take-up advanced degree programmes or relevant job opportunities anywhere in the world,” Dr Anifowose said.
Also commenting, Dr David Pilsbury, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) at Coventry University, noted that, “Only two UK universities attract more international students than Coventry, because we have excellent courses, fantastic facilities and high employability rates.
“We are also extremely experienced in meeting the needs of international students, so they have a great time and a great learning experience, and that relationship doesn’t stop on graduation.
“We’re proud to put so much effort into maintaining connections with our global community of students – particularly with our Nigerian alumni who so often share our energetic and entrepreneurial spirit.
“We currently have around 1,000 Nigerian students studying at Coventry, and it is great for all to stay in touch and continue to build the relationship with them when they graduate and return home to build their professional lives. It’s a relationship that we hope can start at open days like the three we’re holding next week across Nigeria.”
Coventry University was recently awarded a gold rating – the highest possible score – by the UK government for the quality of its teaching, as part of Britain’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
The university is also currently ranked 12th overall in the UK in the prestigious Guardian University Guide, and is in the world’s top 200 in the Times Higher Education magazine’s Young University Rankings.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
