Education
Minister Proposes Merger of Public Schools for Efficiency
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has proposed the merger of some public schools in the country in order to improve the quality of education.
He also called on key players in the education sector to support the federal government in its efforts at moving the vital industry forward.
Speaking at the maiden edition of Re-ignite Public Affairs National Dialogue Series where he was the keynote speaker, he said “we have a lot of public schools that are not doing well.
“So, instead of building new schools, why can’t we concession some of these schools to those who have the capacity to adopt and manage them very well?”
According to him, “Those are the kinds of work I want to do. I had proposed this when I was the Chairman of TETFUND.”
While responding to a submission by one of the panellists at the webinar, Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu,
The Minister said his ministry was already working out a framework for bringing in private sector players to come in and adopt public schools that are not doing well.
At the event held in partnership with Businessday Media and themed Nigeria @ 60, Education: Navigating a New Normal, Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu, a STEM education advocate, canvassed for the government to collaborate with key players in the areas of curriculum, skills development and schools adoption.
In his response, the Minister said, “Essentially, we are going to be changing to the STEM curriculum and enhance it. We are going to be responding more to what players in the sector are going to be asking us to do.
“We are stepping up with private sector players because we have realised that we cannot do it alone. We are bringing everybody on board through Public-Private Partnership.
Speaking further, he said government “does not have all of the funding or the essence but we have regulators; National Assembly is a regulatory agency, the ministries and all of us functioning in the ecosystem will have to step up and participate a bit better and that is why I am here at Reignite Public Affairs National Dialogue Series, this opportunity is great.”
Speaking on schools resumption in the face of the COVID-19 new normal, the Minister disclosed that “government’s priority is to safeguard ourselves, our learners and teachers in navigating the new normal. Most of the things we are doing now are how to carry the leaners forward in the new system”.
The event was moderated by Dr Modupe Adefeso-Olateju, an education policy expert specialising in public-private partnerships in education.
She is the Managing Director of The Education Partnership Centre (TEP Centre) and Programme Director of the LEARNigeria Citizen-Led Assessment and Advocacy Programme.
Mr Nwajiuba was the Keynote Speaker, while an eminent faculty of discussants made up of Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Chairman, Federal House Committee on Basic Education; Hajia Fatima Hamza, former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Jigawa State and Founding Trustee, Al-Amanah Foundation/ School Head, Al-Amanah Academy, Kaduna; and Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu: STEM Education Advocate, Mentor, Speaker, Girls Champion/Obama Foundation, African Leader/Mandela Washington Fellow, made the event outstanding with robust conversations on how to reposition the education sector to meet the opportunities of the 4th industrial revolution.
In the course of his submission, an erudite scholar and former Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Programmes Monitoring, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, stated that COVID-19 has provided Nigeria with a good opportunity to develop its infrastructure.
“It has exposed the underbelly of the weaknesses of the society and the political class and now we see the relative weaknesses not just in Nigeria but the world and thus a good opportunity for us to rethink and reset,” he said.
He added that, “It is not too late, it is not impossible, but there has to be the commitment and leadership at the resources and we have to address both the content and context of education.
In his opening remarks, Franklyn Ginger-Eke, Executive Director/COO Re-ignite Public Affairs, stated that Re-ignite Public Affairs National Dialogue Series which is a knowledge-based policy analysis forum for collating refined submissions of public and private sector stakeholders.
“This will form the basis for shaping the immediate and long term future. As Nigeria marches towards her 60th Independence anniversary, there is a critical need to review her progress in key sectors that have the extreme potential to catalyse national development.
“This becomes even more strident in this era of COVID 19 pandemic which demands a fresh approach to old challenges.
“For this purpose, our focus areas are health, education, economy, agriculture, governance, infrastructure and security,” he stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has granted another extension for its Student Loan Application Portal to accommodate institutions that requested additional time for the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to the statement signed by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Ms Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, on Thursday, the extension applies only to institutions that submitted formal requests, allowing eligible students extra time to complete their applications.
“The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has approved an extension of its Student Loan Application Portal for institutions that have formally requested additional time for the 2025/2026 academic session,” the statement read.
Business Post reports that at the beginning of March, NELFUND announced an extension to the deadline by a week for its student loan application portal following a notable rise in nationwide interest driven by ongoing awareness campaigns.
Speaking on the development, NELFUND Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, reiterated the Fund’s commitment to ensuring that eligible students at participating institutions can access the student loan programme.
“NELFUND remains committed to ensuring that eligible students across participating institutions have the opportunity to access the student loan programme,” he said.
The Fund urges students in affected institutions to take advantage of the extension and submit their applications through the official portal.
It also emphasised its dedication to transparency, accountability, and providing sustainable financing solutions to remove financial barriers to higher education in Nigeria.
Established to administer the Nigeria Student Loan Scheme, NELFUND was enacted into law by President Bola Tinubu in April 2024.
The initiative provides interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to cover tuition and living expenses.
Beneficiaries are required to repay the loans after completing their education and securing employment, aiming to increase access to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has inaugurated a Curriculum Review Committee aimed at strengthening taxation education in Nigerian academic institutions and improving the country’s tax administration system.
According to a statement, the committee was inaugurated on February 24, at the NRS Academy in Durumi as part of the agency’s broader efforts to modernise tax education and align academic training with the evolving demands of contemporary tax administration.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Director of the NRS Academy, Mr Adeolu Akinyemi, said the review exercise would involve collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) to develop a more structured and relevant curriculum for the academy.
He emphasised that the initiative seeks to ensure that taxation programmes taught in Nigerian institutions reflect current developments in tax policy and practice, while also equipping students with the practical knowledge required in today’s tax administration environment.
The committee has been tasked with examining existing taxation curricula across Nigerian institutions and proposing updates that incorporate modern tax policies, recent legislative changes, and emerging areas such as digital taxation and global tax practices.
Officials say the review is also designed to close the gap between theoretical classroom instruction and the practical realities of tax administration.
By strengthening the link between academic learning and professional practice, the revised curriculum is expected to better prepare graduates for careers in the tax sector.
The effort is further expected to enhance tax awareness among citizens, encourage voluntary tax compliance, and support the development of skilled tax professionals who can contribute to national revenue generation and economic growth.
The committee is chaired by Mrs Aisha Hamman Mahmoud, Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of the NRS on Research and Statistics. Its membership includes representatives from the service as well as academic experts in taxation and fiscal policy, alongside professionals with experience in tax administration, policy formulation, and tax education.
The committee will work with relevant educational regulatory agencies and professional bodies to ensure that the proposed curriculum aligns with national academic standards while addressing the practical needs of Nigeria’s tax system.
The NRS stated that the initiative forms part of its ongoing commitment to expanding tax knowledge, strengthening professional capacity, and promoting responsible tax practices across the country.
The curriculum review exercise is expected to be completed within 60 days, after which the Service plans to provide further updates on the implementation of the revised programme.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The first batch of Nigerian undergraduates to enjoy fully paid scholarships for studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses across the continent has been chosen by Airtel Africa Foundation.
Business Post gathered that 70 students from universities across Nigeria were selected from thousands of applicants through an independently managed process, which took nearly six months.
It was learned that most of the undergraduates were from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), the University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU Zaria), and the University of Nigeria (UNN).
The scholarship covers tuition, laptop computers, living expenses, and essential learning resources, a statement from Airtel Africa Foundation disclosed.
The chairman of the foundation, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, speaking at the presentation of the scholarships to the beneficiaries at the Lagos headquarters of Airtel Nigeria, emphasised the need for initiatives such as the Airtel Africa Foundation’s undergraduate tech scholarship for the future of the continent.
“True legacy is not measured by the awards we win or the volume of SIM cards we sell; it is measured by the lives we save, the people we feed, and the students we support when the line between success and failure is at its thinnest.
“At the Airtel Africa Foundation, we believe that lifting people out of poverty is the ultimate benchmark of a great company. Today, we are writing that legacy by tilting the balance in favour of the brilliant but underserved, ensuring that the fourth industrial revolution, driven by AI and Data Science, is built by African talent for the African continent,” he stated.
Mr Ogunsanya further revealed that this fellowship, executed through Airtel Nigeria, is designed to bridge the gap where funding, skills, and opportunity often fail to meet.
In addition to the N500,000 yearly budget for the fellows’ four-year or five-year courses, each fellow would be integrated into a structured support system for academic guidance and career mentorship, intended to ultimately transition students from the classroom to the global tech workforce.
Addressing the students, the chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, stressed that youth development is a strategic imperative for Airtel.
“At Airtel Nigeria, we view youth development as essential nation-building. When young people succeed, innovation accelerates, and social stability improves.
“By connecting these brilliant scholars to knowledge, skills, and confidence, we are fulfilling our core mission to connect people to opportunity. To our recipients: you earned your place here through merit and discipline. You are now ambassadors of excellence, and we expect your leadership to be defined by your conduct as you help shape a more inclusive digital future for Nigeria,” the Airtel Nigeria chief said.
The Nigerian cohort joins a prestigious network of Airtel Africa Foundation fellows currently studying in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and India.
The initiative underscores a broader commitment to technology education, youth development, and Nigeria’s digital economy.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn