New data from Google Search trends indicates a marked shift in how Nigerian students approach their studies, with growing reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for academic support. As the school year begins, searches combining “AI” and “studying” surged by over 200 per cent compared with 2024, reflecting changing study habits across the country.

The trend is part of a wider rise in AI interest in Nigeria, with overall search activity related to AI increasing by 60 per cent over the past year. Students are applying AI tools to a range of subjects, including Chemistry, Mathematics, and Languages. Searches for “AI + Chemistry” rose by 50 per cent, while “AI + Maths” and “AI + Languages” each grew by 30 per cent. Queries for “AI + Grammar” also recorded a 20 per cent increase.

According to the data, students are seeking practical assistance with schoolwork. Popular searches included “what is the best AI in the world for solving mathematical problems,” “how to use AI to solve math problems,” “AI tutor for students,” “free AI tools for studying,” and “useful AI prompts for studying.”

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has launched the country’s first-ever national Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy framework to regulate the delivery of distance education and safeguard its credibility.

The move comes in response to the growing spread of unapproved “mushroom centres” and increasing concerns about quality standards in higher education. The policy is expected to serve as a guiding framework for integrating ODL into the mainstream tertiary education system while promoting access, equity and innovation.

Speaking at the launch of the framework in Accra yesterday, the Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, said distance learning could not be reduced to “distancing education”, where institutions simply replicated classroom activities in makeshift centres.

On this year’s International Literacy Day (ILD), themed “Literacy as Freedom: Bridging the Digital Divide”, the world confronts a stark reality: over 770 million adults globally remain illiterate, and nearly two-thirds are women. In Nigeria, this global crisis has an acute local face.

More than 10 million Nigerian children are out of school, one of the highest figures worldwide, according to UNICEF, and adult literacy hovers at around 62 percent. Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria risks creating a generation trapped in “double marginalisation”: excluded from traditional literacy opportunities and left behind by a rapidly digitalising world.

For decades, literacy has been Nigeria’s Achilles’ heel. Federal and state governments have consistently allocated less than 10 percent of annual budgets to education, far below UNESCO’s recommended 15–20 percent.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammed Idris, says introduction of the Nigerian Educational Loan Fund (NELFUND) is to ensure that no Nigerian child is denied access to quality higher education. Idris, stated this on Monday in Ibadan at a Town Hall meeting organised by the Ministry to sensitise the public on the midterm achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the sensitisation campaign is ‘Tinubu Administration’s Mid-Term Report.’ Idris, who was represented by the Head of Federal Ministry of Information in Oyo State, Mr Moses Oyelade, said that the country had suffered a regime of haphazard human development indices over the years.

According to him, the nation’s Human Development Index (HDI) was not what it should be, therefore President Bola Tinubu resolved to address the challenge. Idris asserted that over 5,000 students of the University of Ibadan in Oyo State have benefited from NELFUND.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on all levels of Government to redouble efforts in tackling the alarming state of illiteracy in the Country as the World commemorates World Literacy Day. The Union stressed that the occasion should serve as a sobering reminder of the urgent need to prioritise education across the federation.

According to the NUJ, despite some ongoing efforts to raise the standard of education in Nigeria, the interventions remain grossly inadequate in the face of worsening statistics. The Union referenced the latest Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO, which revealed that 251 million children are currently out of school globally — a marginal one percent decrease since 2015.

A statement signed by Achike Chude, National Secretary of the Union meant to mark the World Literacy Day contained a report painted a bleak picture for Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of out-of-school children had increased by 12 million.

The Federal Government has ordered a comprehensive data mapping of out-of-school children and non-literate youth and adults while reaffirming commitment to expand access to literacy for all Nigerians especially youth and adults aged 15 and above. Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad made this known on Monday during a news conference to mark the 2025 International Literacy Day with the theme: “Promoting Literacy in a Digital Era”.

She disclosed that while the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) is conducting a comprehensive mapping exercise on the non-literate youth and adults, the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School-Children (NCAOOSC) is looking at out-of-school across states of the Federation.

Ahmad noted that the Federal Government’s goal is clear: “to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.6, which calls for all youth and a substantial proportion of adults to achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030”.

The Federal Government has released the authentic and approved subject offerings for Nigeria’s newly revised Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum, warning stakeholders against fake versions in circulation.

In a press release on Monday, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council said: “We fervently call on all critical stakeholders to disregard any other fake and unauthentic list that is at variance with the authentic and approved list provided above.”

The reforms, undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) under its National Education Sector Reform Initiatives (NESRI), are designed to reduce overload and ensure “positive learning outcomes” for pupils across the country.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has approved the disbursement of ₦945,250,000 for the 2024/2025 scholarship programme for indigenes of the state, with ₦800m already released to beneficiaries across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The National President of the National Union of Bauchi State Students, Bello Ibrahim, who disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday, described the gesture as historic both in scale and impact. According to him, a total of 21,901 applicants were recorded, while 19,546 verified beneficiaries have already received the sum of ₦801,263,200 across 154 tertiary institutions nationwide.

The NUBASS president further revealed that the governor recently sponsored 100 indigenous students of Bauchi State to pursue advanced studies in China, with the first batch already embarking on their journey.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement (SSAP-SE), Comrade Sunday Asefon on Monday commenced a free digital skills’ training for girls in Abuja. Speaking to reporters during the opening session of the training programme, Asefon said the training was in furtherance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s belief in investing in women.

The programme which is being anchored under the Gender Education, Engagement, Empowerment, and Entrepreneurship Programme (G4EP), an initiative of the office of the SSAP-SE is meant to train 100 girls through intensive hands-on training on digital skills like photography, cinematography, graphics and website design in one month.

Asefon said: “Today, we have launched part of a bigger programme tagged: “Project RISE.” RISE is Renewed Hope, Inclusion, Support and Empowerment for the female students in Nigeria. “The RISE Project will be launched in Abuja on October 14 and it’s going to be the largest convergence of female students in Nigeria.

The Federal Government has begun a nationwide review and validation of trade syllabuses for technical colleges to bring vocational education in line with labour market needs. The exercise, which covers 26 trade areas, was launched in Abuja during a workshop convened by the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education.

Executive Secretary of NABTEB, Mohammed Aminu, said the review was designed to equip students with practical skills demanded by emerging industries. He listed the focus areas to include robotics, coding, machine learning, automotive mechatronics, smart agriculture, creative media production, and solar photovoltaic installation.

According to him, the inclusion of new trade subjects reflects Nigeria’s commitment to renewable energy, sustainable technology, and economic diversification. “This initiative responds directly to the 21st-century challenges, ensuring our graduates possess skills that are immediately applicable to today’s dynamic labour markets,” Aminu stated.

A high-level international peer review of Liberia's Education Management Information System (EMIS), led by the African Union Commission, through its Pan African Institute for Education for Development (AU-IPED), under the Global Partnership for Education's Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX), a joint endeavour with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, concluded today.

The exercise, held from 1-2 September 2025 brought together education data experts from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia to assess the country's EMIS against the continental AU EMIS Norms and Standards framework. The review was officially opened by Liberia's Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development, Mr. Thomas Parker, and Mr. Adoumtar, Head of AU-IPED.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Adoumtar emphasized the critical nature of the initiative, stating, "Our meeting comes at the right time, because the Ministry... is willing to advance its efforts toward strengthening a unified and responsive data system, a critical tool for producing timely, accurate, and relevant information across the education sector."

Teach For Liberia, a leadership development program that uses teaching as a pathway to nurturing future leaders, has hosted its first-ever alumni retreat, uniting graduates of the fellowship to strengthen professional networks, develop entrepreneurial skills, and explore new directions for impact.

At the event, CEO Alicia-Ann Caesar said the organization is committed to nurturing leaders who understand that education is the foundation of national progress "We believe you can't run a country without understanding the foundation of your country, which is education--our children," Caesar said. "We are a Liberian NGO first and foremost, and we've built pathways for our fellows after they graduate by becoming an accredited private teachers training institute.''

Teach For Liberia recruits four-year college graduates to serve as teachers in underserved schools for two years. The organization currently operates in eight counties and is expanding into Maryland County, where 20 new recruits are undergoing training.