By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal government has denied reaching an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to avert the industrial action threatened by the lecturers.

The Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa, told journalists in Abuja, on Thursday, that all the claimed agreements by ASUU were just a proposal contained in the draft agreement.

He said: “I read some reports in the media on Thursday indicating that we have a meeting with ASUU. That was not correct. Rather, we had an expanded meeting with relevant stakeholders to review the content of the draft agreement.

“At the end of the day, we set up a committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, to make a counter proposal to ASUU detailing what the government can offer.

“The committee is expected to go through the content of ASUU demands, line by line, and make a proposal to ASUU. Afterwards, the proposal will be sent to the Yayale Ahmed led committee for onward presentation to ASUU.

“But it’s important for Nigerians to know that the government has no signed agreement with ASUU. All we had over the years was a draft agreement that was not signed,” he clarified.

Earlier, ASUU stated it would not participate in the eagerly anticipated meeting with the federal government to finalise the 2009 agreement with the union.

The 2009 agreement remains the touchstone of the dispute, signed under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which promised comprehensive reforms to Nigeria’s public universities, including sustained revitalisation funding, institutional autonomy, a negotiated salary and conditions package for academics, and a monitoring framework for implementation.

The high-stakes meeting was to make a counter offer to the university teachers in a bid to turn years of stalled renegotiations into concrete and implementable commitments.

Warnings from ASUU branches have emerged nationwide that their patience is exhausted, after a renegotiation process concluded in December 2024 and formally submitted to government in February 2025.

Union leaders insist that the draft must now be signed and implemented to avert another nationwide shutdown of public universities.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The deadline for entries for the 2025 Maltina Teacher of the Year competition has been extended to Friday, September 5 from Friday, August 22, a statement from the organisers has revealed.

The prestigious event, organised by Nigerian Breweries Plc, is used to celebrate teachers from across the country.

Now in its 11th edition, the Maltina Teacher of the Year award has become a coveted prize for the teaching industry in Nigeria.

The Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, explained that the decision to extend the deadline by two weeks was in response to requests from teachers who asked for additional time to complete their submissions.

“We’ve received significant interest from teachers across the country who requested more time to prepare and submit their entries. This extension is to ensure that as many deserving teachers as possible can participate,” Mr Odenigbo said.

“The 11th edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative is open to all secondary school teachers currently teaching in Nigeria. The competition remains an effective intervention program geared towards giving pride to the teaching profession and improving the education sector in Nigeria as a whole,” he added.

Mr Odenigbo noted that eligible teachers interested in taking part in the competition are to log on to www.maltinateacheroftheyear.com to complete their application online. Alternatively, they can download the form and send the completed form via email to maltinateacheroftheyear@heineken.com.

He reiterated the commitment of the company to rewarding teachers, stating that the overall winner for the competition would receive a trophy, a total cash prize of N10 million, a capacity development training abroad, and a school infrastructure project worth N30 million in his/her school.

“The first runner-up of the competition will equally receive a trophy and a sum of N5 million, while the second runner-up receives a trophy and N3 million. All state champions will be rewarded with recognition plaques and a cash prize of N1 million each,” he added.

The Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative was established in 2015 and is funded through the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, which was set up in 1994 to facilitate an active contribution to the development of the education sector in Nigeria in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A mobile platform tailored to transforms the way people learn to code by combining interactive challenges and real-time AI-powered feedback has been launched.

The application, Efiwe, a mobile-first and AI-driven platform that allows anyone to master coding directly from a smartphone, was created to make coding accessible to all

It offers comprehensive training in HTML through hundreds of structured challenges, with CSS and JavaScript set to follow soon.

The platform, launched on Saturday, August 16, 2025, is embedded with an adaptive AI tutor, which analyses learner’s progress, prioritises errors, predicts helpful hints, and adjusts the pace of lessons. The AI doesn’t just point out mistakes, it personalises the journey, ensuring that each learner is challenged but never overwhelmed.

According to the founder of Efiwe, Mr Chidi Nwaogu, the platform was borne out of a clear signal of the urgent global demand for more inclusive and accessible coding education.

He said through Efiwe, learners can be guided step by step to build a professional website from scratch, moving from a blank page to a polished project without the need for a computer or additional software, noting that by focusing on mobile accessibility, Efiwe ensures that coding education is no longer limited by device or geography.

The platform’s offline capability, powered by lightweight on-device AI models, is one of its most groundbreaking features. Once loaded, Efiwe can function without an internet connection, allowing learners in regions with limited or expensive connectivity to continue their coding journey uninterrupted. Its multilingual support in 33 languages further broadens accessibility, making it a truly global solution.

“We believe coding education should be fun, accessible, and effective — and that’s what Efiwe delivers.

“With over 33 languages available and a fully offline mode, we are breaking down barriers and giving people from all backgrounds the chance to learn how to code. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an aspiring developer, Efiwe is here to help you grow,” Mr Nwaogu stated.

“Efiwe is built on the belief that anyone, anywhere, should be able to start their coding journey. By making it mobile-first and offline-ready, we’re especially empowering learners in regions where internet access is limited or costly. Efiwe is proof that technology can bridge the global digital divide,” he added.