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 Aduragbemi Omiyale
A free educational initiative to equip children with practical Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills needed to grow, thrive and prosper in a rapidly evolving world has been put together in Lagos.
The programme, Young Innovators Camp, commenced on Monday in the Lekki area of Lagos State. It is organised by MONAT, with Fidelity Bank as the sponsor.
Participating children, who must be between 4 and 10 years, will have a hands-on learning experience focused on creativity, innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking. They will be introduced to age-appropriate STEM concepts, guided build sessions and other engaging activities designed to stimulate curiosity and encourage practical learning.
The camp will also feature small group learning with facilitators, financial literacy sessions, creative activities, and other interactive experiences that support confidence-building among participants.
Every participant will also receive a specially curated gift pack filled with educational resources and STEM learning materials to encourage continued exploration and learning at home, making the camp both a memorable and transformative experience.
The Young Innovators Camp reinforces Fidelity Bank’s ongoing investment in initiatives that prepare children and young people for the future. It builds on the bank’s education-focused interventions, including initiatives such as SWEETA, which supports children, and the lender’s broader CSR agenda, which prioritises youth empowerment, education, skills development and access to opportunities that can improve long-term outcomes for individuals and communities.
“The future will be shaped by those who can solve problems, think creatively, and harness technology to improve lives.
“At Fidelity Bank, we believe these abilities should be nurtured from an early age.
“Through the Young Innovators Camp, we are giving children the opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a fun, practical and engaging way that inspires curiosity, builds confidence, and encourages innovation.
“We want every child who participates to leave believing that they have the potential not just to succeed in the future, but to help create it,” the Divisional Head of Brand and Communications at Fidelity Bank, Mr Meksley Nwagboh, said.
“As a bank committed to helping people grow, thrive and prosper, we see education, particularly STEM education, as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future.
“Today’s young innovators will become tomorrow’s engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, inventors and technology leaders.
“By partnering with Monat, we are investing in a generation equipped with the skills, mindset and confidence to solve real-world challenges, create opportunities, and contribute meaningfully to national development.
“This is more than a summer camp; it is about unlocking potential and inspiring the next generation of innovators,” he added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The top 81 students of the flagship Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition for senior secondary school students in Nigeria, InterswitchSPAK, have emerged.
They were chosen from the national pre-qualifying examinations, which attracted over 21,700 participants from secondary schools nationwide.
The chosen candidates distinguished themselves through exceptional performance in the examination, earning places in the next stage of the competition.
The organisers of the programme, Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, disclosed in a statement that the successful young scholars will now proceed to the next phase of the contest, where they will undergo further assessments at the highly anticipated televised stages airing from November 2026 to January 2027, gaining the opportunity to compete for tertiary education scholarships and prizes worth over N40 million.
“The emergence of these 81 exceptional students is a testament to the incredible talent, resilience and promise that exists among young Nigerians.
“At Interswitch, we believe that investing in STEM education is critical to building the innovators, problem-solvers and technology leaders who will shape Africa’s future.
“While we celebrate those advancing to the next stage, we are equally proud of every student who participated and demonstrated the courage to challenge themselves and pursue excellence,” the Divisional Head for Brands Communications, Content and CSR at Interswitch, Tomi Ogunlesi, stated.
Business Post reports that this year’s participation represents an approximated 19.7 per cent increase over the 18,200 students who registered for Season 7, further underscoring the growing national interest in STEM education and reinforcing InterswitchSPAK’s position as one of Nigeria’s foremost platforms for identifying, nurturing and rewarding exceptional young scientific talent.
Now in its eighth season, InterswitchSPAK continues to provide a national platform that rewards academic excellence while equipping outstanding students with opportunities for mentorship, exposure and life-changing educational support. Beyond the competition itself, the initiative reflects Interswitch’s long-standing commitment to advancing education, promoting innovation and developing the human capital required to drive Africa’s digital future.
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.
