Education
Senate Seeks Urgent Revival of Technical, Vocational Education
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Senate has emphasised the urgent need to resuscitate technical and vocational education (TVE), saying it serves as a vector for human capacity development.
The upper legislature made this appeal during a three–day capacity building workshop organized for the Senate Committee on Local Content in Accra, Ghana.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Mr Solomon Adeola, while speaking during the conference, explained that his committee was set up to ensure the use of local manpower by companies operating in Nigeria; design policies that would engender the patronage of locally made goods and services; to oversight the work of NCDMB and to identify the gaps in the NOGICD Act with a view to amending it to reflect current realities.
He noted that the Senate capacity building workshop was necessary to develop legislators’ understanding the mandate of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the journey so far, what has been achieved, the challenges and further actions required “to ensure that Nigerians derive more benefits from the industry”.
The lawmaker observed that the curriculum of science, engineering and technology courses offered in Nigerian Universities and other tertiary institutions needed to be reformed and reorganized to meet requirements of the oil and gas Industry.
He said the NCDMB was fulfilling the purpose for which it was established.
Also, the Senate Minority Leader and Vice Chairman of the Committee, Mr Godswill Akpabio, as well as other senators re-echoed the same opinion and promised to support the board to ensure that Nigerians derive more benefits from the oil and gas Industry.
Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Mr Abiodun Olujumi, underlined that the participation of two principal officers of the Senate – with six other senators clearly showed the importance the upper legislature attaches to the issue of local content in Nigeria.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Structure and Operation of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board,’ the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote, reaffirmed the determination of the board to fulfil its mission “to be the catalyst for the industrialization of Nigerian oil and gas and its linkage sectors.”
He acknowledged the encouraging remarks of the Senators, noting that their commendations and positive feedback will act as fresh tonic to the board in the pursuit of its strategic objective to increase Nigerian Content performance to 70 percent in the next 10 years.
The workshop had many papers presentations from a cross section of professionals. The papers were followed with panel discussions.
There were lively and extensive question and answer sessions. At the end of the workshop, the Senators unanimously agreed that there was an overwhelming need to amend the NOGICD Act to provide clarity to some vague and ambiguous expressions in the Law; to revisit the waiver provisions; to rephrase the section on penalty for effectiveness; and to undertake a holistic review and repackaging of the Act to cover other sectors of the economy and to meet current realities.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
