One of the negative consequences of Ethiopia’s ethnic-based federal system has been its influence on the governance and organisation of the higher education sector.

For many years, federal universities were typically led by individuals appointed from the same region in which the university was located. This practice reinforced ethnic loyalties and orientations within institutions where merit, professionalism and diversity should have been the guiding principles.

In response to the growing recognition that this narrow, politically influenced governance model was untenable, the government eventually implemented substantial reforms to procedures for appointing institutional leaders, which set meritocracy as the central criterion. As a result, senior university leadership positions, including those of president and vice-president, were publicly advertised and filled through open, competitive recruitment processes.

A new generation of university leaders across Africa is being equipped to steer higher education through complexity, crisis and transformation through two flagship initiatives. The SARUA-UNESCO Research Chairs Leadership Programme and the SARUA-UNESCO Executive Leadership Programme are expected to redefine how African universities approach leadership, research and innovation for sustainable development and for improved social justice across the continent.

Developed through a collaboration between UNESCO’s Campus Africa and the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), the two programmes respond to an urgent need to strengthen institutional leadership that can drive social justice, improve research relevance, nurture innovation, and embed social development within higher education systems.

The training programmes, which were piloted in response to consultations with UNESCO research chairs during meetings in Addis Ababa in late 2024, have been running as online sessions designed to build competencies, enhance networks, and sharpen leadership within Africa’s research and higher education ecosystem.

The reopening of universities in Tanzania scheduled for 3 November has been postponed indefinitely as the country grapples with post-election violence that has seen some students participating in ongoing widespread protests.

The country held elections on 29 October. Main opposition party Chadema was earlier this year barred from contesting the election by the country’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and its leader Tundu Lissu charged with treason.

After the voting process, the electoral commission declared that the incumbent president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, had won the disputed poll with 97.66% of the vote and she was sworn in to begin her second term during a ceremony that was closed to the public on 3 November amid continuing public protests.

The Federal Government on Wednesday began the disbursement of interest-free loans to workers in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide. The loans, introduced under the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund, are aimed at improving the welfare of tertiary-institution staff.

Speaking during the official rollout at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the initiative was part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Alausa, who was accompanied by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, disclosed that over 30,000 academic and non-academic workers had applied for the loan, while about 9,000 applications had so far been approved.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of deceiving Nigerians with claims that it has released ₦2.3 billion to clear salary and promotion arrears of university workers, saying no such funds have been received in any institution.

In a press statement signed by Jurbe Joseph Molwus, chairperson of ASUU, University of Jos branch, the union described the government’s announcement as “misleading” and a deliberate attempt to downplay the realities faced by university lecturers.

Molwus recalled that ASUU had on October 22, 2025, given the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to meet its outstanding demands or face the resumption of its suspended strike. According to him, two weeks after the ultimatum, there has been no meaningful progress.

Wema Bank has celebrated the winners of its “2025 Wema at 80 Teachers Day Campaign”, recognising and rewarding educators whose influence has shaped generations of students. The award ceremony, held at the bank’s headquarters in Marina, Lagos, announced the top five teachers who received over N4.5 million worth of prizes for their exceptional contributions to education in Nigeria.

The event, themed ‘Celebrating Teachers with a Legacy of Impact’, was an initiative that recognised and rewarded educators whose influence has shaped generations of students. Managing Director, Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni, emphasised that teachers are the unsung heroes behind every great achievement, and their dedication to nurturing minds and shaping the next generation is what builds strong nations.

“Today, we are honoured to celebrate our educators. The teachers who have impacted lives. We celebrate their resilience and dedication, especially as we mark 80 years of empowering communities and driving positive impact.

The Federal Government has unveiled a landmark initiative aimed at entrenching transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Nigeria’s tertiary education system with the official launch of the Federal Government Tertiary Institution Governance and Transparency Platform.

Speaking at the event in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the platform as a “major milestone” in the nation’s efforts to promote good governance, restore public trust, and enable data-driven decision-making in the education sector.

According to the minister, the initiative will serve as a unified digital platform providing real-time access to accurate data and financial information across all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. He explained that the platform is designed to eliminate the long-standing fragmentation of institutional data, which he said had hindered effective planning and accountability for decades.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Education, Mr. Olatunji Alausa, to move quickly and resolve the lingering industrial dispute with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, saying he does not want another strike to disrupt academic activities across Nigerian universities.

Speaking to State House correspondents after meeting the President at the Aso Rock Villa on Tuesday, Alausa said the government had already met “literally all” of ASUU’s demands and is now working to extract further concessions from the President.

“The President has mandated us that he doesn’t want ASUU to go on strike, and we’re doing everything humanly possible to ensure that our students stay in school. The last strike they went on for about six days was not really needed.

The Sanguine Academy (TSA), a CAC-registered educational consulting and professional development institution, has reaffirmed its commitment to academic excellence and digital empowerment through a Data Analysis Masterclass held at the University of Ibadan.

The one-day training, organised in collaboration with the Educational Management Students’ Association (EMSA UI Chapter), at the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan (UI) attracted penultimate, final-year, and master’s students from the department and other faculties across the university.

Participants received practical instruction on research data analysis, digital tools for academic work, and the use of analytics in business and education. The session formed part of TSA’s broader mission to promote research competence, academic integrity, and professional readiness among young scholars.

A comparative analysis of academic salaries across Africa has revealed that Nigerian university professors are among the lowest earners on the continent, taking home less than $400 (N550,000) monthly, about 13 times lower than what their South African counterparts earn.

The disparity, which education experts say is fuelling a massive brain drain in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, highlights the deepening crisis in the nation’s university system, where poor remuneration, worsening economic conditions, and inadequate research funding have combined to erode morale and productivity among lecturers.

Despite holding some of the most advanced qualifications and responsibilities in the country, Nigerian academics say their pay no longer reflects the value of their work, especially when compared to peers across Africa.

korea International Cooperation Agency, in partnership with Universal Basic Education Commission, has pledged to sustain and expand digital learning initiatives in Nigeria as the first phase of KOICA-UBEC Multimedia Education Project comes to a close.

Speaking at 2025 KOICA-UBEC Key Stakeholder Closing Workshop in Abuja, Country Director of KOICA Nigeria Office, Eunsub Kim, said the partnership has demonstrated how technology can transform the nation’s education system through innovation, collaboration, and capacity development.

He explained that the workshop is opportunity for teachers, pupils, and partners to share experiences and shape smart education in Nigeria. Kim noted that when KOICA and UBEC first launched the initiative, the goal was to help Nigeria build a foundation for technology-based learning by equipping teachers with digital skills and encouraging pupils to learn creatively and confidently.

Maruf Olatunji Alausa, minister of education, has directed all tertiary institutions across Nigeria to comply with a mandatory annual data submission and financial reporting schedule through the newly launched Federal Tertiary Institutions Governance and Transparency Portal (FTIGTP).

Alausa gave the directive in Abuja during the official launch of the FTIGTP, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance across the nation’s higher education system.

According to the minister, all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education are required to submit comprehensive institutional data and financial reports on the platform in the first quarter of every year. He stressed that compliance with the reporting schedule would form part of institutional performance evaluations by both local and international partners.