Education
UI Undergraduates Win Robotics Contest
Five undergraduates of the University of Ibadan in Oyo State have won N1 million at the Professor Ayodele Awojobi Design Competition (PAADC) for a solution that leverages robotics and artificial intelligence to solve societal problems.
Hive, an Andela-like students-led learning community that builds robots to solve Nigeria’s social problems while teaching relevant industrial skills, won a keenly contested competition at the third annual edition of PAADC, held at the University of Lagos Main Auditorium recently, beating 49 other teams from 20 African tertiary institutions to clinch the grand prize, as well as pro bono venture building and mentoring support, all funded by Verraki Partners, a business solutions company focused on accelerating the development and transformation of Africa.
Hive was rated best idea during the competition by an expert panel of judges that included Tomi Otudeko, Head, Innovation and Sustainability, Honeywell Group; Adia Sowho, Managing Director, Mines.io; Demilade Adesiyan, Programmes Manager, NeuBridges; Azeez Ogunjobi, CEO, SImbi Interactives and Chinasa Onuzo, Vice President, African Capital Alliance.
The judges critically analysed the teams’ entries and assessed the applications based on product performance/dynamics, value potential, scalability, business model, monetization, price sustainability, competitive advantage, customer acquisition and partnership projections among others.
Vice President, African Capital Alliance and chief judge of the contest, Chinaza Onuzo, commended the top winners of the design competition, stressing why Hive won the grand prize. According to him “The fact that the project has very clearly defined ambitions has gone a long way in securing the bag. Much more than I expected, we might be looking at our own iron man”.
The first runner-up was Team WantToPrint, from Obafemi Awolowo University with an online platform that connects students to printing houses on campus and allows them to save time while Team iGlass from Ahmadu Bello University which created a visual assistant for visually impaired citizens (students especially) was the second runner up. Their invention – iGlass takes instructions from the visually impaired user and converts it to actions such as surfing the internet and giving information about the environment.
The third edition (PAADC 3.0) themed “The influence of innovation and technology in a progressive society” featured over two thousand, three hundred engaged participants as well as leading academics, technology and start-up founders.
Attendees included the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who was the chief host and other representatives from the host University. Keynote addresses were delivered by Juliet Anammah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jumia Nigeria and Mr Hakeem Fahm, former Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos State while panel discussants include CEO Max.ng, Adetayo Bamiduro; Lead Innovation & Data Unit; Chief Innovation and Data Officer, Wema Bank, Konstantin Tsanis; Innovation Manager, MTN Nigeria, Victor Orie-Ononogbu; Nigeria Climate Innovation Center CEO, Bankole Toba, Senior Partner, Ventures, Verraki; Kelvin Balogun; Digital Head, Starcom Media Perspectives, Ose Osundeko; Red Media Africa CEO, Tunde Kara, and a representative of the Lagos State Office of Transformation, Creativity and Information, Bolanle Norman.
Former President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Engineer Titi Omo-Ettu who was a student of the late Professor Ayodele Awojobi in 1969 at the University of Lagos was also in attendance, in addition to several other industry leaders, Nigerian students and undergraduates and young professionals.
There were presentations from the highest-ranking teams in the application pool for the third edition of the competition including teams from the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, and Obafemi Awolowo University.
Event sponsor, Verraki Partners, represented by the Manager, Marketing and Communications, Temitope Osunrinde commended the top winners and urged all participants to upskill themselves so that they can contribute to the digital revolution.
The event was hosted by the University of Lagos Engineering Society and an extensive team student from the University of Lagos led by Adedayo Aruwajoye, a 500-level engineering undergraduate.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No fewer than 60 students from the host communities of Dangote Granite Mines in Ijebu-Igbo have received bursary awards in a bid to improve access to education in the area.
The beneficiaries were awarded the financial aid over the weekend by the company at a ceremony attended by monarchs, community leaders and others from the vicinity.
Dangote Granite Mines, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), said it gave out the bursary to cement its commitment to educational advancement and sustainable community development.
The beneficiaries, comprising 40 tertiary institution students and 20 secondary school students, were selected from the four host communities of Ayebandele, Olorunmodu, Saliu Babarisi and Idi Omo under the company’s annual education support programme.
The General Manager of Community Relations at Dangote Granite Mines, Mr Joseph Alabi, described the bursary scheme as one of the organisation’s most impactful investments in the future of its host communities.
According to him, education remains a powerful catalyst for individual and societal advancement, making it imperative for corporate organisations to support young people in achieving their academic aspirations.
“Every year, we are delighted to support brilliant and deserving students from our host communities because we recognise that education is the foundation of sustainable development.
“These beneficiaries represent the next generation of leaders, professionals and change-makers who will contribute meaningfully to society,” Mr Alabi said.
He highlighted several interventions undertaken by the company over the years, including classroom rehabilitation, donation of school furniture, healthcare support initiatives and the provision of potable water through solar-powered boreholes.
“Our commitment extends beyond annual bursaries. We have consistently implemented projects that improve access to education, healthcare and other essential services. Our goal is to ensure that our operations create lasting value and tangible benefits for our host communities,” he stated.
Commending the initiative, the Sopinlukale of Oke-Sopin, Ijebu-Igbo, Mr Mufutau Adesesan Yusuf, lauded Dangote Granite Mines for its longstanding dedication to community development and educational empowerment.
“For more than a decade, Dangote Granite Mines has consistently fulfilled its commitments to our communities through meaningful and impactful interventions. The annual bursary programme has become a source of hope and encouragement for many families, enabling students to pursue their educational ambitions,” the monarch said.
Some of the student beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the firm for the annual gesture, promising not to disappoint the company but to continue to display academic excellence that earned them the awards.
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.
