Education
Lagos Warns Against Corporal Punishment in Schools
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government has warned against all forms of corporal punishment in schools, insisting that it would not accept such from any quarter.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, reinstated this at a scientific conference of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Yaba themed Corporal Punishment in the Modern African Setting: Examining the Scientific Evidence behind Corporal Punishment.
The event came after a Junior Secondary School 2 student of Simple Faith Schools, Agbara, Lagos State, Emmanuel Amidu, died after being subjected to punishment by a teacher.
Mrs Adefisayo, represented by Mrs Adumasi Bosede, a Director in the Ministry, decried the prevalence of corporal punishment in schools and homes, noting that it has mostly not ended well.
According to her, there are instances where corporal punishment meted out to students has resulted in the death of the child or student involved.
“There had been occasions whereby corporal punishment given by a teacher to a child either in form of flogging or bullying had eventually led to the death of the child, thereby implicating the teacher.
“To avert such ugly incidents, including other negative effects of corporal punishment; there is a policy in Lagos State prohibiting teachers from inflicting corporal punishment on students and pupils in schools.
“Meanwhile, there are other alternative ways to discipline and correct children, which are being adopted in the schools,” she said.
The President of ARD, Dr Samuel Aladejare, described corporal punishment as one of the burning issues in the society now, as it was prevalent in schools, homes and even workplaces.
In his address, Dr Aladejare said that there was the need to urgently address the issue, with a view to putting an end to all forms of corporal punishment in society.
“The scientific conference is one of the programmes used by the association to identify, discuss and proffer solutions to burning issues in the society through the help of seasoned experts and professionals in the medical field.
“So, I am convinced that the invited guests, experts, academics and professionals here today will adequately deliberate on the topics,” he said.
Dr Tolulope Bella-Awusah, Head of Department, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCH, Ibadan, said that corporal punishment was not good for the mental health and brain functioning of a child.
Dr Bella-Awusah said that what children needed was discipline and not punishment, adding that corporal punishment includes slapping, spanking, bullying, flogging, striking, and pinching among others.
According to her, in society; corporal punishment is used to train, discipline and correct misbehaviours among children to no avail.
“Scientifically, using corporal punishment such as flogging or beating is not an effective way to correct children, because it makes them be aggressive, drug abusers or stubborn in life.
“So, there is no need to beat children with the intention to correct them because its effects will manifest later in their lives,” she said.
A consultant psychiatrist at the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, said that deprivation of social privilege measures could be used to correct and discipline children rather than corporal punishment.
According to him, parents, teachers and caregivers can deprive the child of certain privileges if the child fails to do what is expected of him or her.
The Director-General, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr Babatunde Salako, said that corporal punishment had become a societal norm, which would be difficult to stop.
“The Nigerian society uses corporal punishment to correct bad behaviours in children.
“The truth is that there are some bad behaviours, which if you do not apply corporal punishment, such a child may not stop nor change from his or her bad habits.
“No matter what you do, people will still lock up their children and beat them if they do bad things. So, there is the need for more scientific evidence to the reasons why corporal punishment must be stopped,” Dr Salako said.
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.
**Modibbo Adama University Emerges Grand Prize Winner, Secures N50m
A leading integrated independent exploration and production company with full-cycle upstream delivery capability, FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P), has reaffirmed its commitment to developing Nigeria’s next generation of engineers.
This commitment was highlighted during the grand finale of the maiden edition of the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO), held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event recognised outstanding student innovators whose engineering solutions addressed real-world challenges, marking the culmination of months of regional qualifiers, prototype development, mentorship and boot camp sessions that equipped students from universities and polytechnics across Nigeria with practical skills in engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Olympiad attracted 984 participants across 375 teams from more than 80 tertiary institutions representing all six geopolitical zones of the country.
Delivering the sponsor’s address, the General Manager, Engineering and Capital Projects, FIRST E&P, John Alamu, emphasised that the competition reflects the company’s commitment to equipping students with the practical knowledge and innovative mindset required to excel in engineering and strengthen Nigeria’s future workforce.
Alamu, noting that initiatives such as the Engineering Olympiad provide a structured platform for young talent to transform innovative ideas into practical solutions that contribute to the country’s technological and industrial advancement, stated that, “FIRST E&P believes that developing STEM capacity is an investment in this country’s ability to solve its own problems. The Nigerian Engineering Olympiad has taken young engineers and taught them to think beyond the drawing board, and FIRST E&P is proud to have been a funding partner for this initiative. I commend NCDMB for championing the Olympiad and Enactus Nigeria for successfully delivering a platform that is helping shape the next generation of Nigerian engineers and innovators.”
In his address, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Acting Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Silas Ajimijaye, expressed appreciation to FIRST E&P for their unwavering support in successfully delivering the Olympiad.
Ajimijaye added that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy, which aims to build indigenous engineering capacity and equip young Nigerians with the knowledge and skills needed to drive industrial competitiveness, technological advancement, and sustainable national development.
The competition concluded in the awarding of prizes, with Team Mavericks of the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Adamawa State, winning the grand prize of N50 million and a Centre of Excellence building for its Faculty of Engineering.
The team’s winning innovation, Ubuntu Sapphire, is a community-powered rapid alert system that uses affordable devices to instantly notify neighbouring households and emergency responders during emergencies, offering a practical solution aimed at strengthening community security and emergency response infrastructure.
Speaking after receiving the award, Team Lead, Dr David Patrick, expressed gratitude to the organisers and sponsors for providing a platform that fostered innovation and practical learning.
The University of Ibadan emerged as the first runner-up, receiving N30 million and N75 million worth of engineering equipment for its Faculty of Engineering. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, secured third place and was awarded N20 million and N50 million worth of engineering equipment. The University of Jos finished fourth, receiving N10 million.
