"AI helps us to learn, it can serve as a tutor, it can be anything you want it to be, depending on the prompt you write," says Omorogbe Uyiosa, known as "Uyi" by his friends, a student from the Edo Boys High School, in Benin City, Nigeria. His school was one of the beneficiaries of a pilot that used generative artificial intelligence (AI) to support learning through an after-school program.

The results of the randomized evaluation, soon to be published, reveal overwhelmingly positive effects on learning outcomes. After the six-week intervention between June and July 2024, students took a pen-and-paper test to assess their performance in three key areas: English language—the primary focus of the pilot—AI knowledge, and digital skills.

Notably, the benefits extended beyond the scope of the program itself. Students who participated also performed better on their end-of-year curricular exams. These exams, part of the regular school program, covered topics well beyond those addressed in the six-week intervention. This suggests that students who learned to engage effectively with AI may have leveraged these skills to explore and master other topics independently.

The President H.E. Dr Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah on Thursday announced that Namibia will implement free university education starting in 2026, a move aimed at empowering the nation's youth and tackling unemployment.

In her inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA), Nandi-Ndaitwah declared that the government will cover 100% of registration and tuition fees at all public universities and vocational training centres beginning in 2026.

This significant policy shift is part of a broader strategy to invest in education and skills development, thereby creating opportunities for young Namibians and driving economic growth. "While tertiary education in Namibia is already significantly subsidized, I am pleased to announce that from the next academic year, commencing 2026, tertiary education will become 100% subsidized by the government," she said.

The government is considering expanding the students’ loan scheme to all deserving students in the country, public or private, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced. “We are doing a fiscal assessment of it, and as and when that is completed, we'll take a decision on it and expand it to all deserving students.

“After all, it is a loan. It is to be paid back. What is important is to manage it well and increase the threshold, and then the students can carry some burdens if that was done,” said the minister. Mr Iddrisu announced this when he inaugurated a 13-member Governing Council of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), chaired by Professor Mahama Dwiejua, in Accra last Friday.

The members of the council include a representative of Vice Chancellors Ghana, Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun; a representative of the private universities, Prof. Fred Mcbangonluri; a representative of the Ministry of Education, Mamle D. Andrews; a representative of the Ministry of Finance, Samuel Danquah Arkhurst, and a representative of the Attorney General Department Stella Otema Badu.

More than N53 billion has been disbursed by the Nigerian Student Loan Fund (NELFUND) to students in upkeep institutional fees. A breakdown of the N53, 036,673,649.40 disbursed under the Student Loan scheme showed that the agency paid N23, 173,240.000.00 as upkeep allowance to beneficiaries and N29, 863,433,649.40 as institutional fees.

According to NELFUND, 497,717 students have applied for the loan while 561,174 have registered for the loan. It added that 88 per cent of registrants have successfully applied for the loan. In its projection, the agency said it hopes to disburse N112,153,680,000 as student upkeep allowance and pay N52,873,195,826 as institutional fees totalling N165,026,607,326 (N165,026,875,826 as calculated by our reporter).

Some beneficiaries of the scheme have however appealed to NELFUND for the payment of their upkeep allowances. According to them, since they changed/updated their bank details, they have not received the upkeep allowance for close to eight months.

For several decades, teaching and learning in tertiary institutions in Nigeria have predominantly occurred in walled environ­ments, utilizing the conventional phys­ical method of delivering educational content, wherein the teacher’s point of view was largely shielded by the walls against global perspectives.

The tradi­tional method of delivering education­al content has been marred by certain limitations, some of which were in­controvertibly manifested, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when virtually all our tertiary schools were like ghost towns.

To what extent have we harnessed the use of digital technology to add flexibility, accessibility and inno­vation to tertiary education to ensure continued relevance and functionality? Can tertiary institutions maximise elec­tronic teaching and learning to align with globalised education?

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, has hailed UK-Nigeria governments partnership for the recent investment in Nigeria education system, leading to the opening of a $150 million Charter House Lagos School.

The school, which is located in the high Lekki, a high-brow area of Lagos State, sits on 70 hectares, (nearly 150 acres). According to Montgomery, the school is modelled after the Charter House United Kingdom school, which has over 400 years of history, heritage and prestige.

The envoy said the school is an outcome of partnership between both governments. He said: “Now this is all made possible by the fact that the UK government and the Nigerian government have been working and secured a deal last year.

ADDIS ABABA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have called for the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI)-related content in foundational and secondary school curricula to transform the education system in Africa.

Speaking at the event, Rita Bissoonauth, director of the UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said the development of AI in Africa will help promote innovative and sustainable education ecosystems through promoting digital solutions.

The opening ceremony of the Ethiopia Digital Week 2025 and Huawei Education Summit was held on Tuesday, bringing together African technology and education experts in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. "UNESCO calls for African governments and private sectors to partner and work together in integrating AI into formal curricula and investing in green, tech-driven educational models to meet the needs of the new green economy," Bissoonauth said.

The Federal Government has announced the release of N50 billion to university-based unions for the settlement of earned allowances as promised by President Bola Tinubu. Minister of Education Dr. Olatunji Alausa announced the release of the funds yesterday through a statement issued by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, in Abuja.

The four university-based unions that will benefit from the fund include: Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

It added that the release of the funds reflected the administration’s bold resolve to transition the nation from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy through strategic investments in education, infrastructure, and human capital.

IHS Nigeria and Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) have emphasised the need to include more females in all-round development through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The event was held across three states for 300 girls, with 100 girls each participating from Gbaja Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos; Queens Model Secondary School, Enugu State; and New Girls Science and Technical College, Kano State.

The events in each state featured insightful STEM career talks, hands-on practical training on the production of rechargeable lights, a creative showcase, and gift presentations to students. Addressing the female students at the Lagos event, a Senior Manager, Engineering and Design at IHS Nigeria, Idowu Olugbemi, noted that failure to have more females in STEM would hinder overall national growth.

Kwara State Government and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration in education, infrastructure, and youth empowerment. Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, a member of the Board of Trustees of the agency representing the North Central zone, Nurudeen Adeyemi, said the present administration’s focus on inclusive education and innovation aligns with the objectives of TETFund in building resilient institutions.

During the engagement, he commended the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, for his strides in infrastructure development, human capital development, and prioritising education. He also hailed the establishment of Kwara State University of Education, describing it as a landmark achievement that reflects the governor’s commitment to advancing teacher education and lifelong learning opportunities.

Adeyemi reaffirmed his commitment to supporting initiatives that empower youths with digital literacy, tech skills, and entrepreneurial capacity to thrive in the knowledge economy. He emphasised that sustainable development starts with equipping the next generation with tools to create, innovate, and lead.

A recent move by some of Nigeria’s Federal Government institutions to make General Studies (GST) courses compulsory and count them toward students’ final CGPAs is a promising attempt to modernise higher education.

Courses such as GST 102 (Communication Skills) and GST 307 (Entrepreneurship) are meant to give students the tools to navigate an economy that’s no longer just about what you know, but how well you can communicate, adapt, and solve problems.

But while the intention is sound, the delivery method remains outdated, and that could make the entire effort fall short. Soft skills have become critical in today’s job market. A 2023 report from McKinsey & Company found that employers now rank communication, teamwork, and problem-solving higher than technical qualifications.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement, said the president, who was represented by the Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs at the launch of a series of events to mark the regional body’s golden jubilee held in Accra, Ghana.

President Tinubu, also the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authorities of Heads of State and Government, said ECOWAS remains true to the bold vision created by its founding fathers and is a beacon of hope for the region’s over 400 million citizens.

“Today, we celebrate numerous remarkable achievements that distinguish ECOWAS as the most successful regional economic community on the African continent. In five decades, we have established one of Africa’s most vibrant free trade areas, fostering intra-regional commerce and lifting millions from poverty”, he stated.