Education
Ezekwesili Praises MasterCard, YTF at Girls4Tech Nigeria Launch
By Dipo Olowookere
MasterCard, a leading technology company in the global payment space, and Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF), an international non-for-profit organisation, have been commended by the former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili.
The commendation by the former Minister came at the Nigeria launch of the Girls4Tech initiative recently.
Girls4Tech is MasterCard’s signature education program designed for young girls around with the goal of inspiring girls to build skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Speaking at the launch held at the RiverBank School, Dr Ezekwesili admonished the young girls to emulate the likes of Sheryl Sandberg and Elon Musk who are making giant strides in the field of technology.
“If Nigeria is going to become a new and different country, it depends on you. You are the human capital that will completely change the basis of Nigeria’s development. Your generation is heralding the 4th industrial revolution,” she said.
Delivering her welcome address, Omoke Adebanjo, MasterCard’s Area Business Head for West Africa, said MasterCard has the goal of reaching out to 200,000 girls through the Girls4Tech programme by the year 2020.
She noted that there was a gap in the amount of jobs requiring STEM skills and the number of women taking up the opportunities.
“According to the latest statistics, about 80 percent of jobs that will be created in the next decade will require some combination of science, technology, engineering and math. Yet, women make up only 30 percent of the science and technology workforce. Therein lies the importance of the Girls4Tech initiative,” Adebanjo said.
She further added that, “Subjects such Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are going to change the world in the nearest future and more girls are needed to take up more interest in these study areas.
“Since the inception of the Girls4Tech initiative, MasterCard has successfully trained about 30,000 girls. We leverage our employees as role models and mentors. We also work through collaborations, hence our partnership with YTF on this initiative.”
President of YTF, Njideka Harry, implored the girls to take advantage of the opportunity of the exposure to the basics of the STEM subjects.
She said, “The opportunities in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are immense, hence young girls should take up more interest. Youth for Technology Foundation has been in existence for over 17 years and we have been empowering individuals and today, we are launching Girls4Tech initiative in partnership with MasterCard to boost the study in STEM education for young girls.”
The highlight of the occasion was the splitting of the young girls into groups and subsequently trained and mentored by staff of MasterCard and YTF. The young girls took turns in the interactive sessions which were the areas of cryptology, digital convergence and algorithm.
During the sessions, the volunteers were able to provide concrete examples of how global science and math standards play out in the real world. This was achieved by providing real life examples through hands-on activities that illustrated each concept, thereby making learning effortless and fun.
The Girls4Tech is a global initiative by MasterCard, launched three years ago to support the global drive to encourage more young girls to undertake the STEM subjects. Through the platform MasterCard has been helped to inspire young girls’ participation in STEM subjects and increase awareness and visibility for STEM.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No fewer than 60 students from the host communities of Dangote Granite Mines in Ijebu-Igbo have received bursary awards in a bid to improve access to education in the area.
The beneficiaries were awarded the financial aid over the weekend by the company at a ceremony attended by monarchs, community leaders and others from the vicinity.
Dangote Granite Mines, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), said it gave out the bursary to cement its commitment to educational advancement and sustainable community development.
The beneficiaries, comprising 40 tertiary institution students and 20 secondary school students, were selected from the four host communities of Ayebandele, Olorunmodu, Saliu Babarisi and Idi Omo under the company’s annual education support programme.
The General Manager of Community Relations at Dangote Granite Mines, Mr Joseph Alabi, described the bursary scheme as one of the organisation’s most impactful investments in the future of its host communities.
According to him, education remains a powerful catalyst for individual and societal advancement, making it imperative for corporate organisations to support young people in achieving their academic aspirations.
“Every year, we are delighted to support brilliant and deserving students from our host communities because we recognise that education is the foundation of sustainable development.
“These beneficiaries represent the next generation of leaders, professionals and change-makers who will contribute meaningfully to society,” Mr Alabi said.
He highlighted several interventions undertaken by the company over the years, including classroom rehabilitation, donation of school furniture, healthcare support initiatives and the provision of potable water through solar-powered boreholes.
“Our commitment extends beyond annual bursaries. We have consistently implemented projects that improve access to education, healthcare and other essential services. Our goal is to ensure that our operations create lasting value and tangible benefits for our host communities,” he stated.
Commending the initiative, the Sopinlukale of Oke-Sopin, Ijebu-Igbo, Mr Mufutau Adesesan Yusuf, lauded Dangote Granite Mines for its longstanding dedication to community development and educational empowerment.
“For more than a decade, Dangote Granite Mines has consistently fulfilled its commitments to our communities through meaningful and impactful interventions. The annual bursary programme has become a source of hope and encouragement for many families, enabling students to pursue their educational ambitions,” the monarch said.
Some of the student beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the firm for the annual gesture, promising not to disappoint the company but to continue to display academic excellence that earned them the awards.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The Federal Ministry of Education made the announcement on Monday in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Boriowo Folasade.
The ministry announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken.
The Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be placed on hold, with the Ministry acknowledging the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public since the planned increase became known.
The Ministry said the proposed fee review was driven by rising operational costs that have accumulated over several years without a corresponding adjustment to examination registration fees.
It said the current fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in costs covering logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the integrity of public examinations.
“The proposed review was informed by the prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of conducting credible national examinations,” the statement said.
“The current examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in operational costs,” the Ministry added.
The ministry said the proposed fee hike will no longer take effect as earlier planned, while acknowledging that the concerns raised by Nigerians warranted a pause in the process.
“The proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect, as earlier communicated, pending the conclusion of the consultation process,” the statement confirmed, adding that the June 18 letter conveying the proposed adjustment has been formally withdrawn.
“This decision underscores the Ministry’s determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of Nigerian students and their families are carefully considered, socially responsive and reflect the collective interest of the nation,” it said.
The Ministry outlined a fresh stakeholder engagement process that must be concluded before any decision on examination fees is made, signalling that the review has been delayed rather than permanently shelved.
The Ministry said it will engage extensively with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders as part of the renewed consultation process.
It said the goal of the consultation is to ensure that any future decision is “fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing realities while safeguarding access to education,” framing the suspension as a course correction rather than an outright reversal of policy intent.
“The Ministry acknowledges the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public and appreciates the keen interest shown by Nigerians in matters relating to access to quality education,” the statement read.
The Ministry assured Nigerians it would keep the public fully informed throughout the consultation process, saying the welfare of students and equitable access to quality education “remain at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the education sector.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The examination fees of Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) have been increased by the federal government by about 82 per cent to N50,000 from N27,500.
A circular signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Adeniji Ibrahim, disclosed that the new fees would become effective in 2027.
In the notice, it was disclosed that the government approved the upward review of the fees following a request by WAEC.
It was further disclosed that the decision to jack up the fees was reached after a March 31, 2026, meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies, where the need to review examination fees was discussed.
“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fees was discussed, the Minister directed that WAEC and NECO should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE,” the statement read.
“Consequently, I am directed to convey the Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of N50,000 only, as the new examination fee per candidate, with effect from NECO SSCE (Internal), 2027,” it added.
