Education
LAUTECH Will be Envy of Other Nigerian Universities—Aregbesola Boasts
By Dipo Olowookere
Governor of Oyo State, Mr Abiola Ajimobi and his Osun State counterpart, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, have lamented the non-resumption of academic activities at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, in spite of their spirited efforts to restore normalcy.
The owner-states governors bared their minds during the submission of the report of the Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN)-led visitation panel, set up over the crisis rocking the university, at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan, on Friday.
Also at the event were the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Prof. Wale Omole; Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin, and others members of the governing council and the visitation panel.
The panel was set up in October, last year, to chart a fresh path forward for the institution, which had been thrown into crisis for more than eight months due to the industrial action embarked upon by its academic and non-academic staff.
Although the school was reopened by the management on January 27 following the injection of over half a billion naira by Oyo and Osun States, the institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had refused to return to classes citing unresolved issues with the management.
Mr Ajimobi commended the panel for what he called a thorough and in-depth job done, assuring the panel of full implementation of the recommendations.
He, however, harped on the need for the collaboration of corporate bodies and individuals to set up a trust fund for the funding of the institution giving the pervading reality of paucity of funds in the country.
The Governor said, “Awolowo was a realist and he saw the need to finance education while alive. He also had the resources to apply to the vision then and we all benefitted from his gesture. Today, oil revenue, which is the mainstay of sustaining education funding through federal allocation, had dropped.
“Oyo State that used to get N5.2billion as monthly allocation now gets as low as N2.5billion and we have to pay salaries of workers and finance social infrastructure. How do we survive that without looking inward?
“The reality on the ground requires that we look at different ways of doing things. There is need for repositioning of the university, especially on the structure. The non-resumption of academic activities after our (governors) efforts is worrying.
“LAUTECH should be the flagship of the South-West. There is nothing wrong in the whole South-West states buying into the ownership, relying on the internally-generated revenue from the school alone cannot help.”
On his part, Mr Aregbesola said the whole crisis was regrettable, but inevitable having been allegedly brought about by a sharp drop in the states’ financial power, occasioned by the crash of petroleum price in the world market.
He disclosed that the next assignment would be to set up a Technical Implementation Committee that would draw up a white paper from the report of the visitation panel.
Mr Aregbesola said, “The whole situation is regrettable, but I’m of the opinion that the academic staff and students of the university are not unaware of the present financial challenges facing the states, which culminated from the drop in our monthly federal allocation.
“We are happy the panel has done a marvellous job and the next step is for the two states to put up a technical implementation committee that would work on a white paper from the visitation panel’s report.”
The chairman of the panel said the panacea to the crisis bedevilling the academic institution was the establishment of a trust fund and strategic funding by the owner-states governments in the form of subvention.
Mr Olanipekun said it was a well-known fact that throughout the world, funding of university education did not rest squarely on government, but with support from corporate individuals and bodies in the form of trust fund.
He said, “Government alone is incapable of funding university education. Talk of great universities all over the world, you will talk of Harvard. The budget of Harvard University is more than that of Nigeria.
“How did they come about this? It is through trust fund and we are also recommending same as a solution to the funding crisis of LAUTECH. Maybe Nigerian universities would start to learn from LAUTECH if our recommendations are implemented.
“But, we are recommending that for now the university need money; the immediate thing is for the university to reopen. It has been out of session for eight months.
“Therefore, we are recommending that for now, the university must be given some subvention for it to reopen in the short term and after that the implementation of the other steps and recommendations could be also followed.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Plans have been concluded by Nigerian Breweries to support about 1,000 Nigerian students in Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
The foremost brewing company is carrying out this empowerment initiative with a leading non-profit organisation, FATE Foundation, through the Orange Corners Student Ambassadors Programme of the Netherlands.
This partnership marks a significant step in advancing youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria, equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to build sustainable businesses and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.
This is because the scheme is to promote entrepreneurship and offer networking opportunities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Ambassadors are selected from specific universities to inspire students to see entrepreneurship as a desirable career path and to foster a culture of innovation within universities.
It targets students aged 18–35 currently enrolled in tertiary institutions across Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
“The partnership reinforces Nigerian Breweries’ long-standing commitment to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development. Through initiatives like this, we are creating pathways for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Nigeria,” the Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, stated.
He further highlighted the company’s track record in youth empowerment, noting that since the renewed focus on youth empowerment and entreprenuership, Nigerian Breweries has impacted 2,365 young Nigerians across 24 states and the FCT.
Also speaking on the partnership, the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Ms Adenike Adeyemi, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between Nigerian Breweries and the Orange Corners Programme.
“Nigerian Breweries has been a longstanding partner with Orange Corners Nigeria in many ways. We are delighted to have the company continue to support the Orange Corners Programme and elated that this commitment will reach an additional 1000 young Nigerians leveraging the proven Orange Corners Student Ambassadors framework,” she said.
Ms Adeyemi outlined FATE Foundation’s role to include designing and delivering the training curriculum, managing student registration and participation, maintaining accurate records of all beneficiaries, and coordinating all logistical and technical aspects to ensure successful programme delivery.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced the reopening of the 47 unity schools earlier shut down due to security concerns on November 21.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday.
It said that the decision to reopen the affected colleges across the country reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education.
On November 18, 2025, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.
Just three days later, on November 21, about 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger state.
In response, the federal government shut down 47 Federal Unity Colleges, and some states including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger also closed schools or restricted school activities, particularly boarding institutions.
Rights group including Human Rights Watch lamented that while these measures were aimed at protecting students, they disrupted learning for thousands of children, denied them access to education, and the social and psychological support schools provide.
FULL LIST OF AFFECTED UNITY COLLEGES
North-West:
FGGC Minjibir, FTC Ganduje, FGGC Zaria, FTC Kafanchan, FGGC Bakori, FTC Dayi, FGC Daura, FGGC Tambuwal, FSC Sokoto, FTC Wurno, FGC Gusau, FGC Anka, FGGC Gwandu, FGC Birnin Yauri, FTC Zuru, FGGC Kazaure, FGC Kiyawa, FTC Hadejia.
North-East:
FGGC Potiskum, FGC Buni Yadi, FTC Gashua, FTC Michika, FGC Ganye, FGC Azare, FTC Misau, FGGC Bajoga, FGC Billiri, FTC Zambuk.
North-Central:
FGGC Bida, FGC New-Bussa, FTC Kuta-Shiroro, FGA Suleja, FGC Ilorin, FGGC Omu-Aran, FTC Gwanara, FGC Ugwolawo, FGGC Kabba, FGGC Bwari, FGC Rubochi, FGGC Abaji.
South-West:
FTC Ikare Akoko, FTC Ijebu-Imusin, FTC Ushi-Ekiti, FTC Ogugu.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Online learning platforms, Coursera and Udemy, have reached an agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction, with the combined company’s implied equity value estimated at approximately $2.5 billion.
The agreement, unanimously approved by both companies’ boards of directors, stipulates that Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 shares of Coursera common stock for each Udemy share held.
Upon completion of the merger, Coursera shareholders are expected to own about 59 per cent and Udemy shareholders approximately 41 per cent of the new entity on a fully diluted basis.
The combined company will continue under the Coursera name, and maintain its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Coursera, founded in 2012 by Mr Andrew Ng and Ms Daphne Koller, is an online learning platform with 191 million registered users as of September 30, 2025. It collaborates with over 375 universities and industry partners to offer courses, specialisations, professional certificates, and degrees.
The platform includes features such as generative AI (gen AI) tools (Coach, Role Play, Course Builder) and role-based solutions (Skills Tracks) to support scalable and personalised learning. Coursera is used by institutions for workforce development in fields such as gen AI, data science, technology, and business.
Udemy is a platform that provides on-demand, multi-language courses to help companies and individuals develop technical, business, and soft skills. It uses AI to offer personalised learning experiences and supports workforce development in a changing workplace.
Mr Greg Hart, currently CEO of Coursera, is set to lead the enlarged organisation as CEO after the merger.
The board will consist of nine members. Six from Coursera’s board, including chairman Mr Ng and CEO Mr Hart, and three from Udemy’s board.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in which AI is rapidly redefining the skills required for every job across every industry.
“Organisations and individuals around the world need a platform that is as agile as the new and emerging skills learners must master,” Mr Hart said.
The combination is said to create a complete ecosystem of top instructors supported by AI tools, data-driven insights, and broader distribution, enabling more engaging, personalised, and dynamic learning at scale.
Projected operational efficiencies include anticipated annual run-rate cost synergies of $115m within two years after closing.
Udemy CEO, Mr Hugo Sarrazin said: “For more than 15 years, Udemy has helped millions of people master in-demand skills at the speed of innovation.
“Through this combination with Coursera, we will create meaningful benefits for our learners, enterprise customers, and instructors, while delivering significant value to our shareholders, who will participate in the substantial upside potential of the combined company.”
The merger is anticipated to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory clearances, approval by both companies’ shareholders, and other customary closing conditions.
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