Nigeria has secured the endorsement of seven countries and commitments from 20 others for the establishment of a UNESCO Category II Media and Information Literacy Institute in Abuja. The announcement was made by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Tuesday during a meeting with a UNESCO delegation in Nigeria.

Idris, in a statement signed by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, revealed that the proposed Institute will be housed on the premises of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He expressed optimism that the country will secure the final hosting rights at the next session of the UNESCO Board.

“Already, we have the support of about seven sister nations. Around 20 others have indicated their desire to support Nigeria, and we are confident that at the next sitting of the UNESCO Board, Nigeria will be granted the final hosting rights for the MIL Institute in Abuja, within the premises of the National Open University of Nigeria,” he said.

Over the past 15 years there’s been an increasing demand from within and outside the higher education sector for African countries to produce more PhD graduates. For this to happen, it’s important to know what’s holding people back from pursuing or completing their doctoral degrees. The authors of a new review article did just that, with a focus on South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Nigeria.

Five themes emerged from their work: PhD candidates’ sociodemographic profiles, access to funding, the availability of resources and training, experiences with PhD supervisors, and personal coping mechanisms.
PhD programmes have been shown to play a crucial role in advancing research, innovation, and economic and scientific progress.

That’s because the more research capacity a country has, the more likely it will be able to address gaps in healthcare, economic barriers and food insecurity. This point has been emphasised by, among others, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has approved the recruitment of 3,000 teachers to be deployed to Junior and Senior Secondary Schools across the state. The recruitment is part of efforts to strengthen the education sector and improve learning outcomes.

The announcement was made by the Project Coordinator of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment in the state, Ali Gar, during a sensitisation meeting on the Girls Scholarship Programme with stakeholders from Bauchi Local Government on Thursday.

Gar explained that the recruitment of 3,000 teachers is one of the key actions needed for the successful implementation of the AGILE project in the state. He clarified that 2,000 teachers would be assigned to Junior Secondary Schools, while 1,000 will be deployed to Senior Secondary Schools. The move aims to address the pupil-to-teacher ratio in participating schools, ensuring better learning conditions.

The Vice-President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Institute for Research and Industrial Relations Studies (IRIRS), Professor Frank S. Arku, has stressed the need for teachers to be given the space to shape education policies in the country.

He said over 80 per cent of teachers in 123 countries were not consulted when new education policy or curricular reforms were introduced, as captured by Education Internation in 2019. Prof. Arku said this when he presented a paper on "Shaping and Sharpening Young Educators" on the topic "Empowering the Next Generation" at the 76th New Year School in Accra last Wednesday.

Prof. Arku said teachers were very important in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) which, among other things, focused on inclusive, equitable and quality education for all. He said as the deadline approached in 2030, the importance of teachers in its achievement could not be overemphasised.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has called for a review of its Establishment Act to enhance its operational efficiency and address pressing challenges in Nigeria’s higher education sector. The commission’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu made this appeal during the commission’s 2025 budget defense before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TetFund, chaired by Sen. Muntari Dandutse

Ribadu highlighted the need for legislative updates, pointing out that the current NUC Act, last revised in 2004, does not align with the evolving landscape of university education in Nigeria. “The landscape has changed, yet the Act of 2004 remains the same. For us to perform our duties effectively, it’s imperative that we review the NUC Act. We already have a draft in place and seek your support to move it forward,” Ribadu stated.

Ribadu outlined several challenges undermining the delivery of quality education in Nigeria, with inadequate funding being a recurring issue. “In spite of consistent federal government support, including budgetary allocations and TetFund interventions, funding remains an insurmountable challenge,” he said.

Orode Uduaghan, Delta Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Girl Child Development, on Thursday, said that her Ministry would be training girls in the State on digital literacy, entrepreneurial skills and business management to enable them become self-sustaining individuals.

Uduaghan explained that the training programme would benefit girls across the 25 Local Government Areas of the State. Already, the State Executive Council has given approval for the training programme which aims at boosting the Girl-Child Development Initiatives of the State, she disclosed.

The Commissioner made the statement while briefing the Executive and Members of the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State led by Ifeanyi Olannye, the Chairman, on the programmes and policies of the Ministry this year. “We have entered into a partnership with Junior Achievers of Nigeria, with the aim to assist and empower survivors of trafficking in the State”, she said.

Nigeria’s education system is at a critical crossroads. The former registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Prof. Olu Aina, aptly highlighted this when he stated that Nigeria needs a tertiary education system capable of propelling the twin engines of development: technology and entrepreneurship.

His observation underscores the urgent need to integrate these two transformative pillars into the core of Nigeria’s education system, particularly in an era dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) and rapid technological advancements. For decades, Nigeria’s education system has struggled to adapt to the evolving demands of a globalised world.

While progress has been made, the system’s ability to produce graduates equipped with the skills necessary for the 21st century remains inadequate. By embedding technology and entrepreneurship into the nation’s educational framework, Nigeria can prepare its youth for global competitiveness and create a workforce capable of driving innovation and sustainable development.

The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Technical Education has tied performance to the allocation of more funds in the 2025 budget. Chaired by Mr. Fuad Kayode Laguda, the committee made this known after a presentation by the Executive Secretary of the National Board for NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje at the 2025

Laguda who acknowledged that the polytechnics are poorly funded stressed the need for government agencies to judiciously utilize resources available to them before asking for more as their performance should determine why more resources should be allocated to them.

He said, that, NBTE as a body is very crucial in the area of technical education, hence, adequate funding for the agency will go a long way in ensuring that technical education institutions are positioned to provide Nigeria with the needed expertise and workforce to drive innovation and development.

The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Education has emphasized that government agencies must justify their requests for additional funding by demonstrating effective utilization of previously allocated funds.

During the budget defense session of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Committee Chairman, Faud Kayode Laguda (APC, Lagos), stressed that performance is crucial for progress and should serve as the basis for approving increased funding for 2025.

Laguda called on agencies to make judicious use of available resources, noting that their performance would determine whether they merit additional allocations. He said: “Performance is very key because that is what will help us move forward. It is an acceptable and known fact that polytechnics in Nigeria are poorly funded.

Picture a young girl in a rural community, her dreams tethered by the limitations of an underfunded education system. With dilapidated classrooms and under-resourced teachers, her potential remains largely untapped. This scenario is not just a story; it is the reality for millions of Nigerian children who deserve better.

In the grand tapestry of a nation’s future, the threads of education are woven with care and intention, shaping the very fabric of society’s existence. It is, undeniably, the cornerstone of economic growth and development.

Nigeria unveiled its 2025 appropriation bill in December 2024 with an allocation of N3.52 trillion to education—representing a worryingly 7.3 percent of the total budget.” As Nigeria stands at the crossroads of opportunity and challenge in 2025, the budgetary allocation to education emerges as a critical focal point for national development.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged President Bola Tinubu to develop a sustainable strategy for financing education in the country. Obasanjo made the call, on Tuesday, while speaking at the 70th birthday celebration of the Vice Chancellor of Bells University, Prof. Oludele Ojediran, which was held at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

He said Tinubu and the Federal Government must find a means to finance education for its sustainability. He said: “President Tinubu and the Federal Government must find a means to finance education for its sustainability.”

The former president also urged all levels of government to empower youths to become job creators. ”Governments at all levels must also empower the youths to become providers of job opportunities,” he added.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) has announced the approval of N20,075,050,006.55 for disbursement to 192,906 students in public tertiary institutions across the country. This update was shared on NELFund’s official X page on Monday, stating that the disbursement is as of January 1, 2025.

Bayero University, Kano, will receive the largest share, with 11,683 students approved to receive a total of N1.3 billion. The University of Maiduguri follows closely, with 12,198 students set to receive N1.27 billion. The University of Jos has 6,988 students who will be allotted N941 million, while 8,978 students from Federal University Dutsin-Ma will benefit from N909 million.

At the University of Ibadan, 4,907 students will receive N746 million, and 5,451 students at Federal University Dutse will share N593 million. Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has 6,480 students set to receive N578 million, and the University of Lagos will disburse N557 million to 3,685 students.