Education
Wigwe University Pledges to Forge Ahead Despite Founder’s Death
By Adedapo Adesanya
The management of Wigwe University, the tertiary institution established by the late group chief executive of Access Holdings Plc, Mr Herbert Wigwe, has promised to carry on the visions of the late founder.
Recall that Mr Wigwe alongside his wife, Doreen, his son, Chizi, and a former chairman of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, all died in a helicopter crash in the United States over the weekend.
He had made a substantial investment of $500 million to establish a new university in Rivers State to address the skills gap in the finance and technology sectors within Nigeria.
A statement signed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Wigwe University, Professor Fabian Ajogwu, it was emphasised that, “The foundation he laid for this institution is strong and we are resolute in our determination to honour his memory by continuing to build a world-class educational institution.”
“Dr Wigwe was a visionary, whose commitment to education as a catalyst for Africa’s future advancement was inspiring and unwavering. He believed fervently that education is the cornerstone of progress and transformation, and his vision for Wigwe University was rooted in the profound belief that it could change the course of history for the African continent.
“He envisioned Wigwe University as a crucible for nurturing future fearless leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs who would contribute significantly to Africa’s global standing.
“While we grieve the loss of Dr Wigwe, his wife, and his son, we assure our stakeholders, including prospective students, Faculty, and staff, that Wigwe University remains committed to ensuring that his dreams and aspirations for the university are fulfilled,” the board stated.
It stressed that it would work tirelessly to uphold the standards of academic excellence, innovation, and societal impact that he envisioned.
“The torch he lit will guide us as we forge ahead, nurturing the next generation of fearless leaders and entrepreneurs who will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on Africa and the world,” it added.
Set to commence next year, Wigwe University plans to offer courses in management, science and engineering, information technology, and creative arts. It aims to enrol 1,400 students in its first year, with a projected increase to 10,000 within five years.
The university also planned a hybrid teaching nature, integrating technology to match the education quality found in the US and UK.
Tuition fees at Wigwe University are expected to be around $12,500 annually, significantly higher than public universities in the country.
The university plans to recruit 30 per cent of its teaching staff from the United Kingdom and the US.
Mr Wigwe, before his demise, also intended to personally teach and mentor students. He also envisioned collaboration with notable entrepreneurs, including Mr Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man.
The school’s leadership team includes Professor Miles Davis as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nelson Uzoechi-Uzoma Alino as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Administration, and Professor Dal Didia as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academics.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) has denied claims of mismanagement in disbursing student loan funds.
This development comes after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it was investigating alleged corruption in the disbursement of the funds.
In a statement by the fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, Mr Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFund said ICPC’s comment was taken out of context.
“These reports, which suggest misappropriation and mismanagement of funds, are entirely false, grossly irresponsible, and deeply damaging to the integrity of an institution established to deliver financial hope to millions of Nigerians,” Mr Oluwatuyi said.
“All institutional fees are paid directly to verified institutions, while upkeep allowances go into the verified bank accounts of eligible students,” she said.
“The reports circulating in the public space are based on outdated figures and previous interventions that predate our operations.”
Equally, the ICPC has clarified its earlier statement on the student loan.
The institution’s spokesman, Mr Demola Bakare, said the agency’s move to investigate the disbursement of the funds was due to claims that 51 schools were involved in illegal deductions and exploitation related to the NELFund scheme.
“The ICPC confirmed that a clear case of discrepancies has been established in the administration of the student loan scheme and announced that its investigation will now extend to beneficiary institutions and individual student recipients,” the agency’s statement partly read.
In an update, Mr Bakare clarified that: “Unintentionally, the word ‘NOT’ was missing in the second to the last paragraph of our earlier press release in respect of an ongoing investigation regarding the Student Loan Scheme. The missing word created an erroneous impression that the alleged discrepancies or diversion had been established.
“We admit that this is not the case, indeed, we accept that the same part of the sentence also contradicted the whole paragraph. The paragraph ought to read: ‘The ICPC confirmed that a clear case of discrepancies has NOT been established in the administration of the student loan scheme and announced that its investigation will now extend to beneficiary institutions and individual student recipients.’
“For avoidance of doubt, the commission has only established the total amount of funds received and disbursed so far by NELFUND. The impression of diversion and the issue of discrepancies do not exist at this stage; the investigation would have to move into the receiving institutions and persons before any reasonable deductions could be made.”
It was claimed that out of the N100 billion approved for disbursement, about N71.2 billion was unaccounted for, prompting an investigation by the ICPC.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has clarified that it has not affirmed claims that about N71.2 billion of the N100 billion disbursed as student loans under the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme were unaccounted for.
Recall that there were reports that no fewer than 51 tertiary institutions were implicated in illegal deductions and exploitation related to the NELFUND scheme.
The schools were accused of making unauthorized deductions ranging from N3,500 to N30,000 from each student’s institutional fees received through the loan fund.
The ICPC had commenced a probe into the matter and in a statement on Thursday, it said investigation revealed that the total money received by NELFUND as of March 19, 2024, was N203.8 billion, with N44.2 billion disbursed to 299 institutions, covering 293,178 students.
In the statement, ICPC said it “confirmed that a clear case of discrepancies has been established in the administration of the student loan scheme and announced that its investigation will now extend to beneficiary institutions and individual student recipients.”
Some hours later, after the revelations raised dust, the agency clarified that it made an error in the statement, noting that, “The paragraph ought to read The ICPC confirmed that a clear case of discrepancies has NOT been established in the administration of the student loan scheme and announced that its investigation will now extend to beneficiary institutions and individual student recipients.”
“The general public is urged to exercise patience as thorough investigations require time and ample resources,” the new statement signed by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare, said, stressing that, “Our investigations are still ongoing, and there are no indictments yet.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Lagos, has announced that its 2025 convocation ceremony would take place on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
According to the official schedule, the convocation lecture will hold on Monday, May 5, at 11 am at the Kesington Adebutu Media Resource Centre, located within the institute’s premises.
The main convocation ceremony is slated for Tuesday, May 6, also at 11 am, and will take place at the NIJ premises.
The convocation will cover graduating students from the classes of 2022 through 2024 across its National Diploma, Higher National Diploma, and Post Graduate Diploma programmes.
Business Post gathered that students who excelled during their academic pursuits at the monotechnic would be recognised and awarded for their feats.
Graduating students are expected to receive their certificates immediately after the convocation.
The event is expected to bring together the management, academic staff, students, alumni, and dignitaries from the media and communication sectors to celebrate the achievements of the graduating students.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN