Education
UNN, Others Hail NCC’s Involvements in Tertiary Education
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been commended for its interventions in tertiary education in Nigeria.
This commendation was made the 46th Convocation Lecture of the University of Nigeria (UNN) held at the Princess Alexandra/Unity Hall of the University’s Main Campus in Nsukka.
At the occasion, chaired by the President of National Industrial Court (NIC), Justice Babatunde Adejumo, the NCC was applauded for the great interventions it instituted to bridge the digital divide and to enhance national transformation
The entire university community led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba, gathered to receive the lecture delivered the CEO of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta.
Professor Danbatta recalled that the deployment of ICT infrastructure in the precinct of the Nigerian tertiary institutions nudged the establishment of the Nigerian Research and Education Networks (NgREN), which ensures that Universities communicate, collaborate, access and share resources. The overarching advantages in deploying ICT in education include the fact that through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of students; teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure students’ comprehension; and teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration.
He outlined and explained in details several intervention initiatives, programmes and projects the NCC inaugurated, and also mention the remarkable and measurable impact they have had on the realities in the education sector in Nigeria.
He said these programmes, projects and initiatives include:
Broadband infrastructure and facilities to the universities and other institutions of learning in Nigeria; and access programmes which include twelve (12) ICT/CBT Centres that are on-going under Stakeholders Initiated Project (SIP); as well as additional 4 skills acquisition Centres which are also scheduled for completion soon.
There is also the Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers (TIKC), an initiative of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), a Department in NCC. The TIKCs are designed to promote the use of ICT tools in teaching and learning at tertiary institutions and their neighbouring communities.
In addition to the above are the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) Learning Centres established with training facilities and equipped with modern ICT infrastructure for training engineers, ICT professionals, policy makers, and regulators in the relevant and related sectors of the economy. Currently there are five (5) DBI learning centres across the country – Yola, Enugu, Asaba, Oshodi and Kano.
Still there is the National Teacher’s Institute e-Learning Centres. The USPF recently handed over an e-Learning Centre to the Management of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna.
There are also Information Resource Centres (IRC), another USPF intervention project to create ICT-driven knowledge management (digital libraries) within the existing public libraries to enable e-libraries effective resource sharing and access to e-content. Beneficiary libraries are provided with desktop computers, server systems, UPS, printers, computer furniture, air conditioners, library software, scanner, 60 KVA generator and VSAT equipment with bandwidth. More than thirty (30) state libraries and twenty six (26) tertiary institutions across the geo-political zones of the country have benefited.
Another noble initiative is the University Inter-Campus Connectivity (UnICC) – The UnICC is a support project to the National Universities Commission’s Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) project. Its primary purpose is to deliver broadband infrastructure and access to facilitate research and learning using Optic Fibre Cable (OFC). A total of 381.7 km OFC has been deployed in fifteen (15) Universities linking them with their medical colleges. The UNN enjoyed a total of 26.3 km of OFC capacity linking the University with its College of Medical Sciences at Ituku-Ozalla.
At the moment deployment of OFC is ongoing in another nine (9) Universities. There is also the UnICC Electronics Project which involves interconnecting end-user Electronics within the University Campus. Currently, provision of connectivity is ongoing in five (5) Universities across the country.
The Commission has provided data sharing platforms for learning and health system in Nigerian Universities and Teaching Hospitals, as well as training facilities with modern ICT infrastructure to promote learning and teaching in our institutions. These include: Data Sharing, e-learning Platforms and ICT Infrastructure to selected Universities across the country. The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Bayero University Kano (BUK), The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Federal University of Technology Akure (FUA) and Federal University of Technology Yola (FUTY) have benefited.
In addition, the Data Sharing, e-Health Platforms and ICT Infrastructure to selected University teaching hospitals across the country has also been deployed at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Bayero University Kano Teaching Hospital (BUKTH), Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) and Usman Dan-Fodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH).
The Wireless Cloud, another companion project also provides the platform for supporting campus-wide wireless access to the Internet service for teaching, learning, research and development to faculty staff and students of the nation’s Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities. In this project, the NCC provides the necessary infrastructure, including masts, antennae, networking and twelve (12) months bandwidth supply and maintenance support. The Wireless Cloud project has benefitted numerous tertiary institutions in all the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
One of the central capacity building programmes of the NCC is the Advanced Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI) conceptualized to bridge the digital gaps that exists in academia by providing computers, other ICT equipment and the necessary facilities to provide lecturers, administrative staff and students with the requisite ICT skills essential for the 21st Century.
The Commission donates computers and other ICT equipment, which include scanners and printers to the beneficiary institutions. Yet, the provision of suites of e-Learning applications for academics and students in tertiary institutions across the country was instituted by the NCC to provide the tools that will enable familiarity and confidence in the utilization of ICT in teaching, research and learning. More than 300 institutions of higher learning are beneficiaries of the programme.
Percentage Distribution of NCC Training Programme in Tertiary Institutions
Type of Institution Percentage
Universities (Federal/State and Private) 46.88%
University Teaching Hospitals 6.25%
Polytechnics (Federal and State) 23.96%
Colleges of Education & Agriculture 22.92%
Total 100.00%
Professor Danbatta told the audience that the World Economic Forum ranked Nigeria 134th out of 144 countries evaluated with respect to infrastructure to justify NCC’s aggressive commitment to redressing the infrastructure deficit especially in the ICT sector which is within NCC’s purview.
In a very instructive analysis that captured the distinctive exponential capacity and the speed of multiplier effect of ICTs, Danbatta recalled that it took 100 years for the benefits of the printing press to reach 50 million people and it took 40 years for the radio to reach the same number of people, but it took just 4 years for modern ICT to reach 50 million people just 2 years for the mobile phone to reach the same number of people.
Conclusively, the EVC said the astonishing intervention of the NCC as narrated in the spectacular convocation lecture are important but more important is the optimization of the infrastructure through creativity and innovation to enhance growth and development of the nation – that, he emphasized will be the real digital transformation.
Justice Adejumo, Professor Joy Ezeilo, Dean Faculty of Law at UNN’s Enugu Campus (UNEC), scholars and many other stakeholders also made observations about the challenges in the sector that need to be addressed.
Professor Danbatta thanked them for all the kind words, comments and observations. He said there are a number of initiatives and directions NCC birthed to address the challenges of telecom consumers but people are not utilizing them adequately. He told the audience to use the Toll Free Line 112 for emergencies; and the equally Toll Free Number 622 for complaints about telecom service provision. The EVC bemoaned the low number of consumers who have activated the DO NOT DISTURB (DND) Code, 2442 and persuasively request the audience to amplify NCC’s voice by telling people to activate the Code in order to stop unwanted and unsolicited messages as well as calls from telemarketing companies riding on the crest of telecommunication infrastructure.
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.
