Education
Oscar Onyema Plans Scholarship for Less Privileged Kids, Youth
By Dipo Olowookere
Last Friday, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Oscar Onyema, launched his foundation aimed at transforming the lives of less privileged children and youth in the country.
Called the Oscar N. Onyema (ONO) Foundation, it is a not-for-profit and non-political organisation that will positively affect the society with the first tranche of beneficiaries of the foundation’s scholarship expected to be announced before the end of the year.
The primary goal of the foundation is to support the continued effort to expand access to formal education in Nigeria, especially amongst indigent children and youth, raise the bar in academic achievements and encourage positivity and hope to the less privileged families and communities.
It plans to achieve this by investing in four priority areas: Mentorship Program, Scholarship Management Program, Workforce Program and Home Visitation.
In addition, the Foundation would identify and partner with any private, public or civil society organisation or institution or indeed individual with similar objectives for the promotion of philanthropic activities.
The unveiling event was witnessed by a cross section of dignitaries from media, development work, organised private sector amongst others.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Onyema noted that ONO Foundation is positioned with the goal of unlocking access to formal education for less privileged youths.
According to him, the foundation will organise lectures, seminars, workshops for public enlightenment in such areas of interest as the foundation’s management may from time to time determine, as well as pair less privileged children and youth with respectable and credible members of society and organisations, in order to groom them into becoming responsible citizens and effective nation builders.
“ONO Foundation will focus primarily on providing safety nets for the less privileged children and youths, by ameliorating the issues of lack of guidance and providing educational materials and funding towards achieving greater social impact in the education sector in Nigeria.
“Today’s launch is the culmination of a passionate idea long held by me to contribute my time and funds towards enhancing access to qualitative education for orphans and vulnerable children in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the country,” he said.
Mr Onyema encouraged “every patriotic Nigerian to continue to give their support towards uplifting indigent youths especially those who seek knowledge.”
He stressed that, “Our efforts to play an active role in the 4th industrial revolution must have the youth at its centre due to their population, energy and potential impact.”
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, ONO Foundation, Mr Tunde Folawiyo, echoed the sentiments of Mr Onyema emphasising that, “The Foundation is borne out of an understanding that the society of our dreams cannot materialise if its future (the children and the youth) are not properly trained, inspired and equipped to be the catalyst and springboard of change and growth. This foundation is unique because its programs are focused not just on education but also on treating the emotional and mental challenges and ails faced by our children and youth, their families and our less privileged communities.”
The Foundation will be managed by an Executive Director who shall be overseen by an Executive Committee and the Foundation will be strategically led by a Board of Trustees made of Mr Tunde Folawiyo, Chairman; Mr Oscar Onyema, Founder; Mr Sonnie Ayere, Trustee; Mrs Margaret Orakwusi, Trustee; Miss Florence Otedola (DJ Cuppy), Trustee and Ms Ejim Dike, Trustee.
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.
