Education
Igbonla Kidnap: We’re In Charge—Adegbule
By Dipo Olowookere
Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, has assured parents and families of the victims kidnapped on Thursday morning at the Igbonla Senior and Junior Model College in the suburb of Epe that the state government was on top of the situation.
During the incident, four students and two teachers were kidnapped by a gang of suspected Ijaw militants.
Mrs Adegbule assured that government would work assiduously to ensure prompt rescue of the victims.
It was learnt that the kidnappers, numbering about seven, invaded the school premises at about 8am when students were having a special session at the hall and shut sporadically into the air before kidnapping the victims, which included a vice principal and head teacher.
The Deputy Governor, who visited the school after the incident, condemned the act, but pleaded with the parents to cooperate with government and security agencies in ensuring prompt rescue of the victims.
Mrs Adegbule, accompanied by top government functionaries and head of security agencies to the school, told hundreds of parents who had come to the school to remove their children that such would not help the situation as panicking would further compound the situation.
“It is true that in the last 29 years that this school was established, we have never experienced such a thing like this, but now that it has happened and it is confronting us, we must come together to find a lasting solution to it.
“We, as government, parents, the school and security agencies, must remain united to solve this problem.
“I know you are angry, I know you are worried and I know you are agitated, but we must look for solution. But I plead for the understanding of parents in this matter. I know how traumatic it could be, I know how emotional the issue we are discussing could be, but the best we can do is to handle it with care and with utmost wisdom that God can give us.
“It is God who secures, it is God who protect and even in other climes where you have everything, you still have this type of incursion once in a while, but what we should be talking about is how we can collectively solve this problem,” she said.
The Deputy Governor further assured that the State Government would do everything humanly possible to ensure the rescue of the victims, assuring that a team of security operatives would stay behind in the school to secure the students and teachers.
She also revealed that all security agencies including the Police, Air Force, Navy, the Army and others have been fully mobilized to ensure rescue of the victims, just as she expressed confidence in the success of the ongoing rescue operation.
On his part, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, reassured the parents and families of the victims that the rescue operation already launched would be the shortest in the history of the Command.
While soliciting for the support of the parents, Mr Owoseni said security agencies were already in custody of useful leads, adding that there was a strong hope of rescuing the victims.
“All I just want to say for now is that you have to work with us. What we also need from you is your prayers. We will seek your understanding and for now, I will not reveal much because as we speak, there are agents of the kidnappers here and they will reveal whatever we say here to them.
“We have a government in Lagos State that is ready to go all out and I can assure you that this will be the shortest rescue operation that we will carry out. We will do everything we need to do to secure the release of the victims,” he said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State government has stressed that it did not approve the use of the controversial nursery school English language textbook in public and private schools in the state.
A mother had come online to criticise an alleged inappropriate content in her child’s textbook. It was claimed that the publisher of the book threatened to sue the woman.
Reacting to the development, the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, said the “textbook is not among the approved and recommended instructional materials authorised for use in public, or approved private schools across the state.”
According to her, the ministry maintains a strict policy on the selection and approval of educational materials to ensure that all learning resources are age-appropriate, morally sound, and align with the educational standards and values of the state.
She stated that based on preliminary findings, the “school featured in the video is located somewhere in Ojo Local Government, Lagos State.”
“The name of the school and publisher have been identified for further investigation and appropriate actions. The public is hereby assured of qualitative foundational education for our children in the state,” the senior government official said in a statement on Tuesday.
Mrs Dokunmu-Adegbite reiterated that only government-approved textbooks and instructional materials are permitted for use in schools in Lagos State, advising school administrators, proprietors, and teachers “to adhere strictly to these guidelines to safeguard the moral and academic development of our learners.”
She assured parents, guardians, educators, and the general public that the state government will always work hard to ensure children get quality education.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government announces the introduction of a National Textbook Ranking System for Primary, Junior and Senior Secondary Schools across the country as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen quality assurance and standardisation in Nigeria’s education sector.
The development was disclosed in a Monday statement signed by Mrs Folasade Boriowo, the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, noting that the initiative is designed to address the growing proliferation of textbooks in schools and ensure that only high-quality, curriculum-compliant learning materials are approved for classroom use.
The Implementation of the National Textbook Ranking System will commence from the September 2026 academic session, following the establishment of the Standing Subject Committees and completion of the evaluation framework.
The statement disclosed that the Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suiwaba Sai’d Ahmad, stated that under the new system, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to exercise its statutory authority to approve textbooks for use in Nigerian schools.
The Ministry explained that the textbooks will now be ranked through a structured national evaluation process to determine the most suitable and highest-quality options for each subject and level of education.
The statement reads, “As part of the reform, NERDC will establish Standing Subject Committees comprising experts in relevant subject areas. These committees will conduct rigorous reviews of textbooks submitted by publishers and evaluate them based on clearly defined academic and pedagogical standards.
“Following this evaluation process, only a limited number of textbooks will be ranked and approved for use in schools for each subject, ensuring improved quality control and consistency in teaching and learning materials across the country.”
The Ministry explained that the introduction of the ranking system is expected to significantly reduce the excessive number of textbooks currently in circulation in many schools, which has often created confusion for teachers, students and parents.
The statement added, “The reform also aims to bring greater transparency, order and quality assurance into the textbook approval process while aligning Nigeria’s education system with international best practices in instructional material standardisation.
“Under the new policy, NERDC will continue its responsibility of licensing textbooks. However, any textbook that is not ranked under the new system will not be permitted for use in Nigerian schools, regardless of prior licensing status.”
The statement further revealed that the Education Ministry will communicate the new ranking policy to teachers and other key stakeholders in the education sector to ensure proper awareness and compliance with the new framework.
The federal government reaffirmed that the reform forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the quality of education delivery, enhance learning outcomes and ensure that Nigerian students are equipped with the best possible learning resources.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The winner of the 2026 African Spelling Bee Championship, Ms Adeolu Oreofe, has been congratulated by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President described the outstanding achievement of the 14-year-old student as the importance of sustained investment in education, literacy, and youth development.
The student of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College in Ado Ekiti claimed the championship in the Junior Category in Harare, Zimbabwe recently.
She defeated contestants from over 20 African countries to claim the continental crown, which comes with a $5,000 educational scholarship.
She finished second at the 2023 MTN Spelling Bee and the 2024 Ekiti State Spelling Bee. She then placed fifth at the 2025 African Spelling Bee and second at the 2025 Nigeria Spelling Bee, before clinching the first prize this year in the continental championship.
Mr Tinubu applauded Oreofe’s dedication, as well as the unwavering support of parents, teachers, and mentors who contributed to this remarkable success, noting that she did not allow earlier disappointments to deter her from her determination to reach the top.
“I am convinced that this feat not only brings honour to Nigeria on the continental stage but also serves as an inspiration to millions of young Nigerians to pursue excellence in academics and personal development.
“As a government, we will continue to strengthen the education sector by creating opportunities that enable Nigerian youths to compete and excel globally. I wish Miss Oreofe continued success in her future endeavours,” the President further said in the statement by his chief spokesman.
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