Education
Oyo Gives Contractors Deadline for Construction Classrooms, Others
By Dipo Olowookere
The education sector in Oyo State is about to get a major facelift with the commencement of the implementation of 217 projects across the state.
Already, a meeting has been held with contractors for the construction of 58 blocks of classrooms, 10 perimeter fences; drilling of 44 boreholes, procurement of 3 lots of sports equipment/facilities, the supply of furniture and renovation of 62 blocks of classrooms.
The projects are to be supervised by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OyoSUBEB).
Last week, the agencies read the riot act to contractors, urging them to abide by the laid down standard for project execution and deliver high standard projects in the state within the timeframe.
Chairman of OyoSUBEB, Dr Nureni Adeniran, noted that due to COVID-19 pandemic and some technical issues, the board shifted the date for its bid opening exercise twice, which eventually came up on October 8 2020.
He thanked Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for the prompt payment of counterpart fund from the state government, which gave the state an edge to quickly draw the 2019 funds from UBEC.
“It is worthy of note that today’s gathering would not have come up without the pro-activeness of the state government, through the prompt release of counterpart fund amounting to N1.5 billion to complement the matching grant of the equal amount released by the federal government through UBEC, for the implementation of the 2019 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB Intervention Projects,” he said.
The educationist informed the gathering that the 2018 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB Intervention Projects awarded in January 2020 have reached an advanced stage.
“About 98 per cent of the projects have been delivered to the benefitting schools and these projects have added greater value to the academic activities in the schools,” Mr Adeniran added.
He, therefore, urged the contractors not to renege in the high standard set by the state government, as the present administration has zero-tolerance for non-performance.
The Chairman said the state government has set a time frame for the categories of projects in the state, urging them to be upright and efficient in the execution of the projects.
“Construction of Model Schools must be delivered in 24 weeks; construction of a block of classrooms must be delivered in 16 weeks; while construction of ECCDE Pilot Centres; and block of 3 and 4 classrooms must be ready in 12 weeks,” he said.
Also, time-frame for construction of perimeter fence is 4 weeks; renovation of blocks of classrooms is 8 weeks; the sinking of the boreholes is 2 weeks; procurement of furniture is 6 weeks while procurement of sports equipment/facilities is 2 weeks.
He, therefore, said the state government expects that the contractors will adhere strictly to the time frame for each of the categories of projects, adding sternly that the time-frame was not negotiable.
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.
