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).

LEAP Africa, in partnership with Dow Chemical and TEM Nigeria, has empowered over 300 students in Lagos public schools with fully equipped, solar-powered digital libraries. The initiative, aimed at bridging the digital divide, was implemented at Onike Girls High School, Yaba, and Hope Nursery and Primary School, Ikoyi.

The project provides students with access to digital learning tools, interactive STEM resources, and curriculum-aligned e-learning content, while enhancing classroom delivery and fostering early digital literacy.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, LEAP Africa Executive Director, Kehinde Ayeni, said, “This digital library represents more than devices and internet access; it is an investment in the potential of young minds. Through partnerships like this with Dow Chemical, we can create sustainable learning environments that empower children and educators alike.”

The Federal Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has begun the implementation of a $500 million Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity–Governance (HOPE-GOV) Programme, aimed at strengthening financial and human resource management in basic education and primary healthcare across the country.

The National Coordinator of the HOPE-Governance Programme, Assad Hassan, confirmed the commencement on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Deborah Odoh, where the programme is domiciled.

A statement issued by the programme’s Communications Officer, Joe Mutah, said the intervention was designed to address long-standing governance gaps in the education and health sectors, particularly at the sub-national level.

The National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Titus Amba, has said that teachers across the country may withdraw their services if insecurity in schools continues unchecked.

PUNCH Online observed that the NUT President’s vow comes amid a surge in insecurity that continues to cripple education across some northern parts of the country, with recent abductions of schoolgirls in Kebbi, hundreds of students in Niger State, and pupils in Kwara State highlighting the escalating threats.

It was learnt that these incidents have forced the closure of several boarding schools in vulnerable areas, as authorities struggle to ensure safety amid banditry and kidnappings. Comrade Amba issued the warning while fielding questions from journalists shortly after the 8th quadrennial delegates’ conference of the Jigawa State chapter of the NUT, held on Thursday at the Manpower Development Institute in Dutse, the state capital.

Bildup AI, a Nigerian-based edtech startup, has successfully closed an oversubscribed $400,000 angel investment round. The funding marks a significant milestone for the company as it seeks to redefine the learning landscape in Africa through artificial intelligence.

The investment, backed by a group of undisclosed angel investors, will be used to scale the company’s operations, expand its team, and bridge the gap between digital and physical education. Founded to address the high cost and inefficiency of traditional vocational training, Bildup AI utilises an adaptive AI engine to provide personalised and practical learning experiences.

According to the company, learners on the platform can access high-quality education at costs over 80 percent lower than traditional training centers, with some students reporting learning speeds up to 70 percent faster.

This was made known by the Federal Ministry of Education in a statement on Thursday. The unity Schools reopening reaffirms Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education, said Boriowo Folasade, the director of press and public relations.

“After the strengthening of security architecture within and around the affected schools, academic activities have fully resumed. Students have returned safely to their campuses, with many currently concluding their December academic programmes, while others have successfully completed their examinations,” the statement read in part.

The ministry assured parents, guardians, and the general public that the safety, welfare, and well-being of students remain a top priority. It also explained that the government continues to work closely with relevant security agencies to sustain stability and restore normalcy within school environments nationwide.

In a decisive move to strengthen the education sector and reward professional dedication, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has approved enhanced service conditions for teachers across the state. With effect from 1 August 2025, the mandatory retirement age for teachers has been extended from 60 to 65 years, while the maximum years of service have been increased from 35 to 40 years.

In addition, teachers posted to rural and hard-to-reach communities will now receive a special rural posting allowance. The approval aligns with the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022, enacted by the National Assembly, which exempts teachers from the general public service retirement threshold of 60 years or 35 years of service, in recognition of their critical role in national development.

The Honourable Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the decision reflects Governor Uba Sani’s firm commitment to improving workers’ welfare and revitalising the education sector. He noted that the Governor considers experienced teachers central to delivering quality education and sustaining learning outcomes across the state.

Inclusive education is a recognised right for all students, with no prerequisites and regardless of their personal or social characteristics. The guarantee of the right to inclusive education has been developed at the international level for several decades.

An example of this is the recognition of the need to guarantee inclusive, equitable and quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all among the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda approved by the United Nations.

However, in the case of higher education, although the recognition of the principle of universal access to education has contributed to a “breaking down” of university walls, facilitating access for populations that were previously under-represented, it is important to consider that an inclusive university model also requires ensuring equity in other dimensions, such as participation and educational achievement.

Speaking to University World News Editor-in-Chief Brendan O’Malley in a video interview, Barney Glover, commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia, talks about: There is a natural tension between universities’ traditional role as knowledge creators and the need to equip students with skills that will land them a job, but increasingly universities realise the importance of ensuring students have the skills needed by industry.

Why having a common language describing skills is important: because employers want to be able to understand and see the skills students have, as well the work-integrated learning and work placements they have experienced that will make them job-ready.

AI will increase the importance of softer skills such as critical thinking and communications skills and we need common ways across all stakeholders to be able to describe and recognise that students have acquired them.

The World Bank has launched the Excellence in Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) project, a landmark education initiative aimed at reversing Liberia’s deep learning deficits, with officials warning that two out of three Grade 3 pupils cannot read a simple story and four out of five struggle with basic numeracy.

Speaking at the official launch on Tuesday, World Bank Liberia Country Manager Georgia Wallen described the project as a “day of hope” for Liberia’s future, emphasizing that education remains the single most powerful tool for national transformation.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” Wallen said, quoting Nelson Mandela. “Liberia is at a pivotal moment. Foundational literacy and numeracy early in life determine a child’s future—and ultimately Liberia’s capacity to rise.”