THE Federal Government has expressed determination to reform basic education to make it more responsive to the demands of the 21st century society.

Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, who disclosed this, also charged state governments to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in the various schools across the country.

He said: “As professionals, you need no convincing that quality assurance is an important component of the teaching and learning process. It ensures that school services consistently meet set standards; that content aligns with established educational standards and that the materials are relevant, appropriate, supportive and effective for the learners.

The future of Africa is intricately connected to the vitality and well-being of its higher education system. It is imperative to continue investing in this sector to uphold the standard of education and broaden its accessibility to a larger population, thereby increasing its overall influence.

Higher education plays a crucial role in fostering a knowledgeable, forward-thinking, and united society, thereby establishing a solid basis for sustainable development and national progress.

On 8 and 9 May, experienced and influential educators, administrators, and policymakers will gather at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies to discuss the impact of private universities on public ones. Five key researchers drawn from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya will present their findings based on research conducted in the last three years.

The Remi Okunrinboye Foundation has unveiled plans to offer three-year scholarships to 200 students in Junior Secondary School classes one to three across Nigeria.

In a statement released by the foundation, philanthropist, and youth empowerment advocate Mr Dekunle Okunrinboye, announced the initiative, emphasising the foundation’s commitment to educational advancement. He added that the inaugural phase would take place in Ondo State.

Spearheaded by the patron, Senator Remi Okunrinboye, the foundation aims to commence the scholarship programme in September 2024, marking a significant milestone in enhancing educational opportunities for young learners in the state.

Nigeria’s potential for greatness is hindered by the inability to harness the innovative spirit of our young people. As we may have seen across the world, our products excel in foreign nations where there are systems that foster results. One question remains unsettling as to why Nigerians could not maximize their potential in their home country.

As technology advances, Nigeria must follow suit by investing hugely in education to meet the global demand in the human capital sector. Otherwise, in years to come — we will be nurturing graduates who lack the basic literacy skills or entrepreneurial spirit to succeed or collaborative effort to sustain our educational system.

Aside from the usual focus on government, concurrently, individual and private sector responsibilities in education are requisite for long-term gains.

Dr. Jacob Manu, the founder of Creche De-Ghana and Creche De-Rosa in the Ashanti region, has strongly emphasized the need for professionals to handle early-grade education in the education sector.

Some time ago, we thought we could send anybody, even those with the least education in our society, to teach early graders because they are kids and they don't know much, so people with expertise aren't necessary to teach them. But the reality is, just like in our buildings, if your foundation is weak, then obviously the whole structure cannot stand the test of time," Dr. Manu stated.

Over time, comparisons would be made between these children and those receiving different kinds of education, with the findings eventually being made public once trends in their education methods are established.

To equip teachers with the right tools and strategies to support their learners in the ever-changing world, a one-day training programme has been organised by the Crescent Bearers 1939 in collaboration with the Lagos State Government.

The career-defining sessions for the teachers’ conference was held on Saturday, with over 137 teachers drawn from schools across Lagos State present and it was facilitated by Brainy Oaks Educational and Professional Consultants with the theme: “Future-Focused Education: Leading 21st Century Learners”.

The Executive Secretary of Lagos State Agency on Domestic & Sexual Violence, Lola Vivour Adeniyi, who spoke on Safeguarding and Child Protection, said: “The Lagos State Government’s expectations of schools regarding safeguarding includes compliance with policies.

No fewer than 931 staff of Nigerian tertiary institutions participated in 13-week intensive training on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support their teaching, research and community engagement.

The training programme was organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and the West Africa Office of the Association of African Universities (AAU) under the auspices of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee (STRADVCOM).

Prof. Emeritus Peter Okebukola, who was the Facilitator of the Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE) through which the training was delivered, said “during the training, key concepts in AI and 11 other practical sessions were covered.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of a renowned banker and businessman, Jim Ovia, as the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The president, according to a release issued on Friday by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, believed Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds.

The Board under the leadership of Ovia is to also ensure that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.

A non-governmental organisation, Children of Dream and Hope Foundation has launched a N35m back-to-school fundraising programme, urging Nigerians to key into the dream to secure the well-being of the future generation.

The founder of the foundation, Juliet Clara Onwuka while briefing newsmen in Abuja said her dream to embark on the campaign is to ensure that children are truly positioned as leaders of tomorrow.

According to her, the aim of this back-to-school outreach is to create and make available adequate learning equipment, school kits and also imbibe a certain level of confidence and selfworth in children, which in turn will make learning easier, encouraging and determinant spirit in the Nigerian child.

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has commissioned a new office in Kenya to help conduct research and provide technical assistance in the East Africa region. The newly opened office located in Westlands Nairobi will house 39 AIR staff members and will serve as the institution’s regional hub in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and other countries on the continent.

Jessica Heppen, AIR Chief Executive Officer, affirmed that the hub will be conducting third-party monitoring for USAID’s Afya Uwazi project to ensure medicines and other health commodities are reaching areas where they are needed.

“In East Africa, there is a growing desire to improve education, health, workforce, and economic opportunities as a way to strengthen communities and improve lives,” said Heppen.

The Acting Executive Secretary National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Jibril Maiyaki has said that Nigeria has a total number of 272 existing Universities, comprising 62 Federal, 63 State, and 148 private Universities, pointing out that the fact that there are more private Universities is a pointer to the appropriate investments that Nigeria has always yearned for.

Maiyaki stated further that what it means is that with the advent of private providers of university education in Nigeria, the challenges of access is gradually and successfully being tackled. stressing that despite the large numbers of these Universities in Nigeria it was yet inadequate to accommodate over two million students seeking admission on yearly basis.

He stated this at the Maiden Matriculation and endowment ceremonies of El- Amin University Minna, Niger State held at the University’s Auditorium on Tuesday, 16th April 2024.

Panelists at a symposium on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) have advocated for the infusion of more innovations in the teaching and learning of TVET skills, That, they said, would not only expand access to TVET education but make teaching more practicable to produce a competent workforce for the country.

The symposium also saw the launch of the Second Edition of the Ghana TVET Report, as well as the outdooring of a declaration of intent on a corporation in the field of TVET education between the Ministry of Education and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

In a speech read on his behalf by Professor Mark Adom-Asamoah, the Minister of Education, Dr Osei Adutwum, said to fully capitalise on the potential offered by TVET, the government had made urgent improvements within the TVET institutions and initiated policies as part of its TVET transformation agenda.