A seven-year ban has been placed by the Federal Government on the establishment of new universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country. Despite the restriction, it approved nine new universities.

Education Minister Maruf Alausa told reporters after yesterday’s FEC meeting that the ban was informed by the rising number of under-utilised tertiary institutions, overstretched resources and a drop in academic quality.

Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42, and 28 federal colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private tertiary institutions, as well as specialised schools such as colleges of agriculture, health sciences, and nursing.

Experts have called for a new framework to tackle the disconnect between skills demanded by industry and academic curriculum to end the low employability of graduates. They made the call at the Nubian American Advanced College (NAAC) Business Leadership roundtable themed: ‘Realigning tertiary education for Nigeria’s growth and sustainable development conceptual framework,’ held at the school’s campus in Lekki, Lagos.

A representative of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Adewale Oyerinde, lamented that while universities continue to churn out graduates, many remain ill-equipped for the demands of the modern workplace.

Oyerinde, citing the National Bureau of Statistics’ first quarter 2024 report, said Nigeria’s unemployment rate stands at 5.3 per cent, with youth unemployment and under-employment disproportionately high. “Yet, employers continue to report difficulty finding suitably skilled entry-level candidates.” He said the gap persists due to outdated curriculum, limited industry–academia collaboration, deficits in soft skills, digital illiteracy, lack of work-based learning opportunities, underfunding and brain drain.

The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) has unveiled the draft African EdTech 2030 vision, plan and policy framework for consultation and stakeholders’ input. The new vision, unveiled during the ‘STEMtastic Adventures’, sets out a roadmap to transform the African education system through technology, while positioning the continent as a global leader in mobile-first, locally-relevant digital learning.

The Programme Officer, Integrated Vector Management Programme (IVM), AUDA-NEPAD, Dr Barbara Glover, said the policy framework is to catalyse an accelerated transformation in education for the continent, leveraging local innovation and leadership in Edtech to make Africa’s education system more inclusive, resilient and innovation-driven.

The framework is to coordinate continental efforts by aligning policies and standards that enable open, vendor-neutral technologies; investing in digital infrastructure and platforms that scale affordably; strengthening educator and leadership capacity in digital pedagogy; encouraging local innovation through incubation, financing and partnerships; and using data-driven monitoring and governance to continually improve equity and outcomes.

A university teacher, Dr Tolulope Gbadamosi, has called for greater investment in digital infrastructure, restructuring of teacher education programmes, and enhanced collaboration among stakeholders to reposition Nigeria’s education system in line with 21st-century realities.

Gbadamosi, of the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, University of Ibadan, made the call while delivering a lecture titled: ‘Re-imagining education in Nigeria: Social learning and experiential approaches to addressing 21st Century disruption.’

She noted that rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are reshaping education globally, adding that AI is not only automating tasks but also revolutionising data analysis and decision-making processes, which are in turn altering employment patterns and institutional strategies.

Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and future-ready skills at its recently concluded 2025 edition. Held at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos re­cently, the festival welcomed over 3,000 attendees, highlighting its pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of in­novators and importance of STEAM education in shaping Africa’s future.

This year’s festival, themed ‘AI for Good’, showcased how artificial in­telligence can be leveraged as a tool for solving real-world challenges and the growing impact of hands-on science and technology education in Nigeria.

The festival featured a wide array of STEM activities, tech career talks and hands-on STEAM labs, including sessions on AI and Machine Learning, Coding, Robotics, Virtual Reality, En­gineering, Craft, Drone Technology, Science experiments, amongst other activities.

The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba has said that the commission is leveraging digital technology to transform basic education such that public schools in Nigeria can compete globally.

She noted that with the Korean government, the Federal Government through the commission has redefined the landscape of basic education through technology, innovative teaching, and inclusive learning.Garba stated this at the official closing ceremony of the $10 million funded Korea International Cooperation Agency, KOICA-Nigeria Smart Education Project.

She expressed satisfaction that through collaboration with KOICA, the commission has established 37 smart schools in each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Out of this number, she disclosed that 21 of them are currently in operation across the country as efforts are ongoing to commence academic activities in the remaining 16 smart schools.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the Government of Liberia and other partners, has officially launched a Training of Trainers (ToT) program on digital skills for women in rural communities. The program aims at empowering women across the country with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in the digital economy.

Launched Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at the Liberia Chamber of Commerce in Monrovia, the event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, ECOWAS Commission, the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, and technical partners, marking a significant step toward advancing digital inclusion and gender equality in underserved areas.

Speaking at launch, the Resident Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission to Liberia, Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, said the initiative is not just about teaching skills, but it's about building agency, equipping women with the tools and confidence they need to build sustainable businesses and take their rightful place in the global economy.

Ethiopian Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teachers have hailed Chinese government-led vocational skills programs for significantly enhancing their professional capacity and equipping them with practical knowledge beyond traditional experience sharing.

This summer, TVET educators drawn from federal and state institutions are participating in specialized training sessions conducted by Chinese instructors under the Skill Ethiopia Scheme. The program, part of China’s broader cooperation with Ethiopia, aims to make teachers more productive, innovative, and effective in technical education.

Kumilachew Fantu, an architect instructor from the Infrastructure Department at Wolkite Polytechnic College, is taking part in the scheme’s second round at the Federal TVET Institute. He noted that previous training covered machine operation, electrical systems, generators, and motors, blending both technical and soft skills.

The World Bank has approved a total of $8.40bn (N12.89tn) in fresh loans to Nigeria over the past two years, according to data obtained from the bank’s official website. The approvals, covering June 2023 to August 2025, cut across 15 projects in energy, education, healthcare, rural infrastructure and governance.

The amount, converted at the official exchange rate of N1,535.93/$ as of Monday, August 11, 2025, comprises $1.95bn (N2.99tn) from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and $6.50bn (N9.98tn) from the International Development Association.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development provides loans on commercial or near-commercial terms to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, while the International Development Association offers highly concessional loans and grants to the world’s poorest nations.

In a bid to address the myriad of challenges affecting the girl-child education in Bauchi State, a Bauchi-based civil society organisation – the Young Leaders Network, in partnership with the Malala Fund, has organised a Bi-annual Stakeholders’ Forum in support of girls’ education under the Strengthening Advocacy for Girls’ Education (SAGE) Project.

The groups at a forum averred that the girl-child education faces some challenges, and these challenges can be collectively overcome. Arewa PUNCH reports that the forum brought together key stakeholders from Tafawa Balewa, Gamawa, and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas, with the aim of finding lasting solutions to the problems hindering girls’ access to quality education.

Speaking during the event, the Programme Manager for Education at the Young Leaders Network, Charity Solomon, assured that the forum was about to take some decisive actions. “With continued collaboration, the hope is that these efforts will create lasting change and help more girls in Bauchi State stay in school and reach their full potential.”

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has begun the construction of six new multi-disciplinary research laboratories across the country. The agency explained that while four of the state-of-the-art facilities are currently under construction in Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja, and Lagos, two more will be built before the end of the year.

TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, announced this yesterday in Abuja while hosting the leadership of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), led by its President, Mobolaji Adeniyi. Echono said the new multi-disciplinary research laboratories would enable researchers to conduct all types of research locally, eliminating the need to send samples abroad for analyses.

The executive secretary, who was the 28th President of the institute, also promised to mobilise friends of the agency for the furnishing of the institute’s Resource and Exhibition Centre, currently under construction, as requested by the President.

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) said 70 per cent of the over 10 million out-of-school children in the country had benefited from its digital literacy initiative. It said 60 per cent of public primary school teachers, who did not possess basic digital literacy, had also benefited.

UBEC also stated that Nigeria had achieved tremendous digital transformation in basic education with a total of 21 smart schools currently in operation across the country. Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, who announced this on Monday in Abuja, disclosed that efforts were currently ongoing to commence academic activities in the remaining 16 out of the 37 smart schools established by the commission in each state of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Garba spoke at the official closing ceremony of the $10 million funded Korea International Cooperation Agency, KOICA-Nigeria Smart Education Project. The project, which commenced in 2021 with a record of discussion (RoD) signed between UBEC and KOICA on October 26, came to a close on August 11, 2025.