Alausa speaking at the flag-off and the launching of the minimum standards for senior secondary education in Abuja on Tuesday, said the programme is a landmark in its collective commitment to equipping teachers with the skills necessary to prepare students for the rapidly evolving digital age.

“The world is undergoing a technological revolution, and Artificial Intelligence is at its core. AI is no longer a futuristic concept but a present-day reality, transforming industries, economies, and societies.

As educators, we must embrace this evolution and ensure our education sector is not left behind. The integration of AI into pedagogy offers an unprecedented opportunity to enhance learning experiences, personalise education, and develop critical thinking skills among our students.

The Federal Government and its Korean counterpart have commissioned the Korean-Nigerian Information Access Centre (IAC), aimed at driving digital education and creative innovation in the country.

The centre, domiciled at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including computer labs, an AI development centre, a digital lounge, training rooms, a mobile IAC, and an e-resource library, all designed to foster digital literacy, innovation, and research and it is completely funded by the Korean government.

Meanwhile, the Korean government is investing $13 million from 2020 to 2026 to facilitate Nigeria’s transition to e-government, while it has invested $10 million to enhance multi-media education for primary and secondary schools in the country from 2021 to 2025.

Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Director of the UNESCO-affiliated Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, has lauded the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as “the best thing to happen to Nigeria.”

The distinguished scholar remarked during a historic visit to the NYSC Ogun State Secretariat in Abeokuta on Tuesday. The esteemed academic, who was among the first set of corps members in 1973, paid a courtesy visit to the Ogun State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Olayinka Nasamu, to forge a partnership aimed at recruiting top-tier graduates into his institute.

Reflecting on his NYSC experience, Prof. Okebukola shared a candid revelation: “We were initially resistant to leaving our comfort zones for national service. “Some of us even opposed the scheme’s founder, General Yakubu Gowon. However, history has vindicated his vision—today, Nigeria is better for it.”

Kwara State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) has invited 5,928 applicants for interviews in the ongoing senior school teachers’ recruitment exercise. A statement from TESCOM Chairman, Malam Taoheed Bello, yesterday in Ilorin, said the interview would hold between February 25 and March 1, at the Kwara State University International Conference Centre and Kwara Banquet Hall.

He says the cut-off mark for Kwara indigenes for non-STEM subjects is 60 per cent – except for candidates from Baruten, Isin, Oke Ero and Patigi, whose cut-off is generally pegged at 50 per cent.

“The reason for the difference in the cut-off is to harvest as many applicants as are required in the above listed areas. “However, the cut-off for all Kwara indigenes who applied to teach STEM and STEM-related subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computer and Geography is 50 per cent.

The Vice Chancellor of MacPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State, Prof. Francis Igbasan, has said the Federal Government should allow private universities to benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND.

He spoke yesterday at a news conference to herald 8th and 9th convocations of the university.Prof. Igbasan said the institution would on Friday graduate 281 students at its combined 8th and 9th convocations and conferment of diploma, first degrees, higher degrees and presentation of prizes.

He said 24 would graduate with first class, 116 with second class upper, 65 with second class lower and 13 with third class. He said the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities in Ekiti State, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, would deliver the convocation lecture titled: “A Nation in Transition: Managing the Yearnings of its Restless Youths”.

Ecobank Nigeria, a subsidiary of Ecobank Group, has teamed up with Code 14 Labs to expand the accessibility and reach of coding education for children across Nigeria.The partnership leverages Code 14 Labs’ interactive cod­ing workbooks, including the “Andrew Teaches” coding work­book, along with its network of trained teachers, to offer afford­able annual training and profi­ciency certification to students.

As part of this collaboration, Ecobank will provide nation­wide and pan-African access to coding education, utilising its extensive operational network across the continent. In turn, Code 14 Labs will supply its educational technol­ogy and trusted community to ensure high-quality teaching that delivers tangible learning outcomes for students and reas­surance for parents.

Parents and guardians wish­ing to have their wards partic­ipate in the programme are encouraged to open Ecobank’s MyFirst Account—a specialised high yield savings product de­signed for children under 16.

The government of Cameroon has averted a planned protest on 20 February by unemployed PhD holders following an announcement that 150 additional lecturers’ posts will be created and allocated to the three state universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa and Garoua for the 2025 academic year.

The recruitment of the group will be in addition to 150 positions that have already become available this year, bringing the total number of available new academic positions to 300 and creating more job opportunities in the higher education sector for unemployed PhD holders.

The announcement of the government of Cameroon of another group of 150 lecturers in the state universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa and Garoua for the 2025 academic year was in response to grievances expressed by a group of about 80 PhD holders whose names did not feature on an employment selection list published earlier in February.

The consequences of the United States’ foreign aid freeze introduced in January have been interrogated from many vantage points, including that of higher education – in particular in Africa, where the university sector has benefited from US aid dollars for many years.

University World News spoke to Professor Atta-ur-Rahman, a UNESCO Science Prize laureate and former coordinator general of the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, or COMSTECH, of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which includes 22 African states, about the impact on research in Africa following the US decisions to pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the World Health Organization (WHO).

While the US withdrawal is a setback, it is important for the international community to continue to support climate action in Africa through alternative funding sources and collaborative efforts. The resilience and adaptability of African institutions will be crucial in addressing the challenges posed by climate change, despite the changing global landscape.

The Education Ministry has been trending lately with stories in the popular media of pronouncements, directives, counter-narratives on issues about Education and the educational system. Topics that have been rancorous include minimum entry age for universities, compulsory vocational subjects from Basic 1, re-introduction of History as a stand-alone subject, and extension of basic education to 12 years.

The debate has been the loudest in the mass market because the opinions of professionals in the field are not being sought. The National Policy on Education 2013, (revised) stipulates age six as the minimum entry age into elementary school in Nigeria for a six-year duration. The first rung of the formal education ladder runs from age 6-12.

Evidence-based research and scholarly works in Educational Psychology, and related fields on child development, learning in the classroom have settled matters about what a child can do and cannot do, what age, why, etc. Contemporary Theories of Education also enlighten on current strategies of teaching and learning, even as research is continuous.

The Federal Government has been advised to develop a comprehensive national policy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education which provides a framework for integrating AI into teaching, learning and research at tertiary institutions.

Olufemi Iyabode Lawanson, a Professor of Labour Economics at the University of Lagos, (UNILAG) gave the advice while delivering the 7th inaugural lecture of the university with the theme; ‘To Everything There is A Season.’

She said that it is imperative for the government to establish policies that foster innovation across the educational, industrial and political spheres of the economy and that it is also crucial for the government to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure economic stability.

As artificial intelligence continues to disrupt the workforce globally, the federal government and the National Universities Commission (NUC), have been advised to overhaul and delete academic courses across tertiary institutions overtaken by artificial intelligence(AI) in today’s labour market. This is as he stressed the need for provision of funding for AIenabled education and policy for the country.

A professor of Labour Economics, Prof. Olukemi Iyabode Lawanson, stated these while delivering the 7th Professorial inaugural lecture series of the 2024/2025 academic session of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Speaking on a theme, ‘To Everything There Is A Season: The Perspectives of a Labour Economist’, Lawanson said the government and the NUC must ensure relevant courses in today’s labour market are approved for Nigerian students. According to her, “On the part of the National Universities Commission (NUC) which is saddled with the responsibility of designing and approving the curricula being taught in tertiary institutions.

UNESCO Laureate, Prof Sir Bashiru Aremu, has Commended the leadership of World Literacy Foundation led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Andrew Kay on summit initiative as he was invited, selected amongst the 800 Delegates from 85 Countries.

Special Guest of Honor to participate at the forthcoming largest gathering of International Literacy Specialists; Researchers, academics, Literacy Entrepreneurs, NGO Leaders, Government Representatives, Practitioners, Publishers and others scheduled to take place at Oxford University, UK London between April 6-9, 2025 as Lauds foundation on invitation.

The letter as signed by Mr. Andrew Kay, Chief Executive Officer, World Literacy Foundation, which was addressed to His Excellency, UNESCO Laureate, Prof Sir Bashiru Aremu reads in parts: “Dear UNESCO Laureate Prof Sir Bashiru, NOMINATION TO PARTICIPATE AT THE WORLD LITERACY SUMMIT 2025.