The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE) as the foundation of quality basic education and national development.

Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, gave the assurance on Monday during the Annual Integrated ECCDE Consultative Committee Meeting, held in Abuja, with stakeholders from across the education sector, organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

More than 7 million children are enrolled in the Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE) nationwide, according to a report by UBEC. Alausa, who was represented at the event by Dr Folake Olatunji David, Director of Basic Education in the Ministry, described ECCDE as critical to children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, noting that the Ministry remains guided by the National Policy on Education and the National ECCDE Policy.

A total of 28,213 job seekers have applied for the second batch of teachers’ recruitment exercise recently announced by the Abia State government. The government in October 2025 announced its intention to recruit more than 4,000 teachers, most of them science-based, into its state school system to boost and enhance the quality of education.

Briefing journalists in Umuahia, the State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the government will soon shortlist successful candidates out of the number, as has been approved by Governor Alex Otti.

Okey Kanu, who was addressing newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s Abia State Executive Council meeting, explained that the verification of submissions by the candidates will be concluded this week.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has announced a N6.452bn allocation for 271 public tertiary institutions across Nigeria as part of its 2026 intervention programme. The funding, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is intended to support infrastructure development, improve teaching and learning, strengthen research capacity and advance innovation in the tertiary education sector.

The funds will be paid directly to beneficiary institutions nationwide. Under the approved disbursement framework, universities will receive a total of N2.525bn, polytechnics N1.871bn, while colleges of education will be allocated N2.056bn during the 2026 intervention cycle.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, announced the breakdown on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting with vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts of beneficiary institutions. Allocation letters for the 2026 intervention were formally handed over at the event.

The immediate past Registrar and Chief Executive of Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Professor Josiah Ajiboye, has said that Nigeria must rethink its philosophy of education financing in order to effectively address the multiple challenges besetting the sector and put it on the path of sustainable development.

Speaking during an interaction with members of Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN), in Abuja, Ajiboye, who was recently elected as the vice president 1 of the Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE), called on all tiers of government to begin to see money allocated to education as an investment,and not mere expenditure.

He particularly expressed concern about the worrisome situation, which he described as learning poverty.
Global report by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) acknowledges that Nigeria faces a severe learning poverty crisis, with estimates suggesting over 75 percent of children aged 7-14, who cannot read a simple text, and around 45 million are “learning poor,” unable to read age-appropriate text.

A Professor of Information Communication Technology (ICT) at the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Issifu Yinda, has partly attributed the slow integration of digital technologies in Ghana’s education system to the lack of qualified trainers, who can effectively combine technology and information literacy in teacher training.

Speaking at the 77th Annual New Year School (ANYS) and Conference organised by the University of Ghana, Legon, in Accra yesterday, Professor Yinda, one of four panellists at the event, highlighted the importance of both digital technology and information literacy in enhancing teaching and learning.

However, he emphasised that the integration of these two areas, which was referred to as “integration literacy,” should be the ultimate goal in teacher education. Professor Yinda pointed out that while digital technology and information literacy were vital, training teachers to effectively integrate these skills requires specialised expertise.

The alarm bells rang frantically last year when the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) experienced what it termed “logistical” challenges that necessitated the use of flashlights and candles in several states for its English Language examination to “preserve the integrity of the examinations”.

Likewise, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) contended with a “glitch” that resulted in poor results. The former was just transitioning to partial Computer Based Test mode, while the latter had been operating the system.

Thus the two scenarios, observers reckon, exposed weaknesses and a system susceptible to glitches. However, the House of Representatives ordered a suspension of the directive of the Federal Ministry of Education that WAEC and the National Examination Council (NECO) examinations will switch to full CBT mode this year.

The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive policy framework aimed at reducing the cost of education for parents, improving learning outcomes, and promoting sustainability in schools through the use of reusable, high-quality textbooks and strengthened quality assurance mechanisms.

The policy was jointly issued by Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, and Suiwaba Sai’d, Minister of State for Education, according to a statement on Friday signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education.

The Ministers explained that the initiative forms part of ongoing reforms designed to reposition Nigeria’s education sector while easing the financial burden on families. Central to the policy is the prioritisation of standardised, durable textbooks designed to last between four and six years.

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has set a forward-looking agenda focused on digital innovation, strengthened research capacity, and student-centred education to enhance teaching, learning, and societal impact in response to the rapidly evolving digital economy.

Ibraheem Abdul, rector at YABATECH disclosed this at a management meeting held with newly appointed staff at the start of the 2026 academic year, where the college leadership formally welcomed them. Abdul emphasised that the college is intensifying efforts towards becoming a smart campus, encouraging staff to continuously upgrade their digital skills.

“The college’s key institutional priorities, includes digital literacy, entrepreneurship and industry linkages, research and innovation, environmental sustainability, safety, inclusivity, teamwork and zero tolerance for harassment,” he said.

AS Nigeria steps into 2026, the need to devote more attention to education remains glaringly urgent for stakeholders, including all tiers of government and development partners. President Bola Tinubu’s 2026 budget proposal earmarked N3.52 trillion for education, representing just 6.1 per cent of the total N58.18 trillion expenditure.

While he insisted during his budget presentation that the move supported his Renewed Hope Agenda, experts argued that such allocation was insufficient to address the sector’s structural weaknesses and pressing needs.

This was also as the president made several promises during his campaign and post-election addresses to reform the education. The ICIR reports that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) benchmark recommends that at least 15 to 20 per cent of a national budget be directed toward education.n sector by augmenting its funding.

Contrary to the UNESCO and the World Bank recommendations for developing countries to allocate at least 26 percent or between 20 and 30 percent of their national budgets to education, respectively, Nigeria’s budgetary allocation to the sector is still far below the two global benchmarks.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu presented the national budget proposal to the joint session of the National Assembly to pass into law. In the proposal, government allocated N3.52 trillion of its total budget proposals of N58.18 trillion, including N15.52 trillion to service debts, for 2026 fiscal year to education.

The amount represents just 6.1 per cent of the total budget proposed for the year, which is the same with that of last year’s budget for the sector. While presenting the budget, Tinubu highlighted the importance of education to the accomplishment of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which is to make life more meaningful for every Nigerian.

A policy proposal by the Federal Government to remove compulsory credit in Mathematics for admission to non-science and non-technical university courses has sparked a fierce nationwide debate. At the core of the conflict lies a fundamental question: Is mathematics the essential bedrock of critical thinking necessary for all higher education, or has it become an antiquated, discriminatory hurdle that unfairly disenfranchises millions of otherwise qualified students?

IYABO LAWAL writes that the development pits the preservation of global academic standards and the pursuit of a STEM-focused future against the social needs of access, equity, and educational relevance. For decades, a single line on a Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) result has been the gatekeeper, the stumbling block, and the ultimate decider for countless Nigerian students dreaming of a university education: a credit pass in Mathematics.

This longstanding requirement, a cornerstone of admissions to the nation’s universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, has now been fundamentally altered. In October 2025, the Federal Government announced sweeping reforms to tertiary education admission guidelines: Mathematics would no longer be a compulsory requirement for students seeking admission to Arts and Humanities courses.

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have concluded what many Nigerians tagged a final conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement. This brings the long-running industrial relations crisis to an end after over 16 years of strikes and double talks by the government.

The agreement between the Nigerian government and public universities lecturers was reached on December 23, 2025, following intensive engagements between both parties, and is expected to take effect from January 1, 2026, with a review scheduled after three years.

To date, Nigeria has a total of 310 federal, state, and private universities. Federal universities make up 23.9 percent of the total (74), while states make up 21.9 percent (68), and private universities make up 54.2 percent (168).