The federal government has rolled out a national ranking system for textbooks used in primary, junior and senior secondary schools, aiming to tackle the proliferation of substandard materials and ensure consistent quality nationwide.

The policy, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education on 26 April 2026, will see the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) continue to approve textbooks while subjecting them to a structured national ranking process based on rigorous academic and pedagogical criteria.

Only a limited number of top-ranked textbooks will be permitted for classroom use from September 2026, with any unranked titles barred from schools regardless of prior approval. Education Minister Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa and Minister of State Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad said the initiative addresses long-standing concerns over inconsistent quality and arbitrary book selections by schools.

While the government’s intentions to improve standards and ensure stability in the Nigerian University System (NUS) are understandable, the effectiveness of a moratorium as a sole solution to the litany of challenges plaguing universities is highly debatable. IYABO LAWAL explores the nuances.

In March this year, the federal government announced a decisive shift in policy. The Federal Executive Council approved a six-year moratorium on the establishment of new private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.

The directive, which follows a similar ban on public institutions imposed in August 2025, signals what the Minister for Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described as a necessary pause to consolidate existing institutions and strengthen quality-assurance mechanisms.

For years, Nigeria’s ambition to compete in the global digital economy has been constrained not by a lack of talent but absence of required infrastructure to nurture it. The proposed TETFund-sponsored Centres of Excellence in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Cybersecurity across the six beneficiary universities across the country, no doubt, represents more than an academic initiative.

It is a strategic investment in the country’s future startup ecosystem. By embedding advanced technology research and training within universities, the country is laying the groundwork for a new generation of technology-driven enterprises.

One major implication of the absence of such centres had been a persistent shortage of high-level digital skills. Although Nigeria has roughly 50,000 AI workers and produces about 2,500 AI graduates annually, industry reports indicated that the number is grossly below the requirement to support the growing tech ecosystem.

The MTN Ghana Foundation has opened applications for its Bright Scholarship scheme for the 2026/27 academic year, offering financial support to hundreds of students across the country. The initiative, which targets academically gifted but financially constrained students, is designed to cover tuition, accommodation and essential learning materials, in a bid to remove barriers to higher education and skills development.

According to the Foundation, the scholarship is open to Ghanaian continuing students pursuing undergraduate degrees, as well as those enrolled in vocational and technical training programmes at public tertiary institutions nationwide.

Eligibility criteria require applicants to demonstrate strong academic performance, good conduct and a clean disciplinary record, reflecting the programme’s focus on nurturing responsible future leaders.

The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has released GH¢22.3 million to all senior high schools (SHS) and senior high technical schools (SHTS) to cover the fees for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) practicals.

The amount was part of three cheques totalling the GH¢199,471,691 released recently for the settlement of outstanding payment of perishable supplies to SHS/SHTS and other educational needs. This payment ensures that all practical examinations scheduled for the 2026 WASSCE are fully supported, including the provision of the required materials and other essential resources.

According to GETFund, the payment reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring no candidate was denied access any aspect of the 2026 WASSCE. This implies that the 2026 WASSCE practical examinations are fully paid for by the government and, therefore, candidates should not be made to pay any amount whatsoever.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Angela Ajala, has raised the alarm over a growing shortage of qualified teachers, saying Nigeria faces a deficit of nearly 200,000 teachers at the basic education level.

She also said enrolment in Colleges of Education was declining. Ajala stated this in Abuja at the opening of the 2nd Annual National Conference of the Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education in Nigeria. Ajala also decried low female enrolment in some northern institutions, noting that in certain colleges, women account for less than a quarter of students.

She stressed the need for urgent reforms, warning that the challenges confronting the system required more than incremental changes. Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, urged Colleges of Education to integrate skill acquisition and entrepreneurship into their programmes as part of efforts to address unemployment and reposition teacher education for national development.

The Universal Basic Education Commission has unveiled the 2025 cycle of its School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme, introduced a new Learners’ Retention Programme, and released N434.5m as final tranche funding for previously approved projects.

The Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Akinyemi, announced this on Thursday in Abuja during the national flag-off ceremony for the 2025 SBMC–SIP.

The event also included the disbursement of final tranche funds for the 2023 and 2024 cycles, as well as the formal unveiling of the Learners’ Retention Programme. Garba said the interventions are aimed at improving basic education delivery, strengthening community participation, and reducing the number of out-of-school children.

The Federal Government, through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has disbursed over N5 billion to 518 communities across the country, under the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP).

This, it said, is part of broader efforts to strengthen basic education delivery and tackle the challenge of out-of-school children.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the national launch of the 2025 SBMC-SIP rollout, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, stated that the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s strengthened resolve to upgrade school infrastructure, enhance community involvement, and ensure that children not only gain access to education but also stay in school through to completion.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, on Thursday, gave students at the University of Abuja reasons to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027. He revealed that under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative, over N30 billion has been disbursed directly to students nationwide.

Beyond vocational training, the Minister outlined new entrepreneurship programmes embedded in tertiary institutions, including innovation hubs, venture capital grants for students, and incubation schemes designed to help young Nigerians transform ideas into viable businesses.

Alausa made the appeal while serving as a panelist at the Renewed Hope Conversations – University of Abuja Edition, held at the institution’s main campus, now renamed Yakubu Gowon University.

The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, has called for deeper African collaboration in strengthening technical and vocational education.

Mohammed made the call during a visit by a delegation from the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board in Abuja, expressing hope that the visit would “lay a firm foundation for a lasting and productive partnership” and significantly advance vocational and technical education in both countries.

Speaking at the meeting, Mohammed described the visit as both timely and strategic, underscoring the urgency of reforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems across the continent. He stated, “It is a great honour to make remarks at this occasion of the official visit of the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board to the National Board for Technical Education.”

Authorities in the Niger Republic have submitted an official list of accredited higher institutions to the Nigeria–Niger Joint Commission, in a move aimed at strengthening academic cooperation and ensuring clarity in certificate recognition.

The directive was issued by Niger’s Minister of Education and Scientific Research, Mamadou Saidou, who approved the forwarding of the validated list through the country’s quality assurance agency.

The list, compiled by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Research, is described as the official record of recognised private universities and other higher institutions in the country. Authorities emphasised that any alternative listings should not be considered valid.

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has announced that approximately 8.7 million learners across Nigeria have so far benefitted from enhanced learning environments and improved instructional materials under ongoing reforms in the basic education sector.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of the 29th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).

The meeting, themed: “Accelerating Basic Education Performance Through Digitally Enabled Coordination”, brought together key stakeholders to review progress and strengthen collaboration in the implementation of basic education policies nationwide.