The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) on Wednesday called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare state of emergency in education sector in order to holistically address the rot and decadence in the system.

The Academy has also urged the Federal Government to stop running of secondary schools and as such handover all the 115 Federal Government Colleges to the states with comprehensive conditions.Best online courses

NAE Professor Kabiru Isyaku, made the call in his welcome speech at the 38th Annual Congress, 2024, holding in Abuja from 5th to 8th November, with the theme: “Nigerian Education System: Past, Present & Future. Lamenting the appalling state of education in Nigeria, Isyaku, suggested that there is the need to declare emergency in the sector because it affects all other sectors of the nation’s economy.

Experts in the education space have called on stakeholders to support the integration and adoption of technology to address imbalances or gender-based barriers to learning.

This was the takeout at the October edition of Edtech Mondays, an initiative of the Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Centre for Innovative Teaching & Learning in ICT. The engagement session with the theme: “Potential of Technology to Remove Gender-Based Learning Barriers and Drive Gender Transformative Education in Nigeria” was moderated by Practice Lead, Education, CcHUB, Chinyelu Akpa.

One of the panelists, Programme Coordinator, Women Technology Empowerment Centre, Blessed Hammed-Musa, explained that technology remains a catalyst or enabler for learners necessary to eliminate societal ills or unequal access to opportunities associated with gender biases or issues.

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly,Mudashiru Obasa, has underscored the importance of reviewing the Lagos State Data Protection Bill (LDPB) to address breaches in data privacy prevalent in emerging technologies.

Obasa was keynote speaker at the 6th Lagos State University(LASU) Research and Innovation Fair which was held on campus in Ojo on Tuesday. The conference had as theme: “Emerging Technologies, Research and Innovation: Trends, Threats and Consideration.”

He said: “We, at the assembly, are fervently committed to addressing these concerns through enabling legislation. “We shall continue to strive to make sure that the benchmark recommended for education is observed through enabling laws to allow for technological advancement through research and innovations.”

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is funded through the education tax collected from the profit of registered companies operating in the country . It is to fund infrastructural development and training in the nation’s institutions of higher learning.

In spite of the existence of the interventionist agency, several institutions still suffer from serious infrastructural decay as a result of not being able to access funds. This has prompted the House of Representatives to initiate an amendment to the Establishment Act that will engineer competition among the institutions

What is today known as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) first came into existence as Education Trust Fund. But it was changed to TETFUND, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Establishment) Act 2011. Across several tertiary institutions today, the only government infrastructural presence in the last 10 years has been those funded by the agency.

The Learning Innovation Academy, Lekki, has advised educators to recognise and nurture the unique potential of learners, and provide instruction tailored to their individual strengths and talents. The founder of TLIA, Mrs. Bola Adewole, made this statement at the Inclusion in Creativity Conference, which brought together parents, educators, artists, neurodiversity advocates, and others.

She explained that the conference, titled ‘Inclusion and Innovation: Unlocking Opportunities for All,’ highlighted the mission of TLIA. Adewole emphasised that TLIA was an institution dedicated to creativity, art, science, technology, and innovation, specifically designed to support strength-based individuals.

According to her, the academy’s primary focus is to help these individuals reach their full potential by identifying and nurturing their unique skills. “Our main focus is recognising that there are individuals with unique skills that often go untapped because society has certain expectations of them.

HESED Learning and Development Limited, has developed an app designed to help students, teachers, and parents prepare for exams with over 30,000 interactive past questions.

According to a statement from the company, the HESED PQ App is aimed at providing accessible, high-quality, and affordable educational resources to support the academic success of Nigerian students. The app, which is available across multiple platforms including smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops, allows students to access the past questions anytime, anywhere.

The statement reads, “With the HESED PQ App, students can prepare for exams using over 30,000 interactive past questions. This resource is designed to enhance learning and ensure that students are well-equipped for their exams, regardless of their location.”

Experts across Africa’s education sector have called for a radical transformation of the continent’s education systems, pushing for full integration of digital technologies. Speaking at the African EduTech Conference 2024 in Abuja, they emphasized that leveraging EdTech is critical not only for improving quality education but also for unlocking the continent’s vast economic and innovative potential.

Themed “Building on Effective African EdTech Ecosystem for Global Impact,” the conference brought together thought leaders and industry stakeholders from diverse African nations. Hosted by Edufirst in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the event was a powerhouse of ideas aimed at revolutionizing education through technology.

Co-host Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of UBEC, highlighted the transformative power of technology in bridging education gaps, particularly in underserved communities. “Our commitment to this conference stems from the realization that modern technology is essential to reshaping basic education in Nigeria,” said Bobboyi.

The need to adopt student-centred learning as against the curriculum and textbooks for teaching and learning in Ghana, which promote a teacher-centred approach, thus, stifling students’ engagement, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, was a major takeaway from a 21-day training programme on “Curriculum and Textbook Development for Professional Enhancement of Mathematics and Science Educators”.

The training, which was held at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (SEAMEO RECSAM) in Penang, Malaysia, from September 25 to October 15, 2024, was a clarion call for the need to shift the focus from teacher-led instruction to student-driven exploration, which fosters critical thinking, problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of complex concepts.

The programme, which was a Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), a platform for South-South Cooperation, offers tremendous training for human resource development, particularly for African educators, to integrate innovative pedagogies in curriculum and textbook development to enhance the quality of teaching and learning across Africa.

The government has launched a nationwide initiative to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education across junior high schools (JHS) in the country.

Building on a successful pilot, the project, namely, Basic Science Technology Engineering and Maths (BSTEM), aims to equip students with practical, hands-on skills that align with the ministry’s vision of advancing STEM competencies countrywide.

The pilot phase of the project initially implemented in 100 junior high schools, supplied schools with specialised kits to support interactive and problem-solving approaches to math and science education. The kits also included technology components to foster programming and robotics skills, providing students with exposure to high-demand skills in an increasingly digital world.

Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa, has reversed his predecessor’s policy of 18 years as entry age for university admission. The policy initiated by Professor Tahir Mamman, former Minister of Education, had generated controversy.

But while briefing journalists upon assumption of office, on Tuesday, Alausa said the policy was detrimental to the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the country. He said it is also not sustainable for the education sector, explaining that the 16-year age limit would be maintained and exceptions would be granted for “gifted children”.

The new minister also said going forward, Nigeria’s education system will be 80 percent practical and 20 percent classroom/theoretical. Alausa said practical education will help to curb the unemployment situation in Nigeria as tertiary institutions will not continue churning out graduates on a yearly basis without jobs for Nigerians.

Youth unemployment has been a problem in Nigeria for decades. This is why policymakers are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship education as a solution. It is hoped that entrepreneurship will reduce reliance on formal jobs and create more opportunities for self-employment.

The unemployment rate stood at 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, representing a third consecutive increase since the second quarter of 2023. This is close to the 2023 global unemployment rate of 5.1%. Researchers and policymakers globally view entrepreneurship education as a key solution to youth unemployment.

Nigerian universities have been required since 2006 to teach at least one entrepreneurship course to undergraduates before graduation. All university undergraduates, no matter their course of study, receive entrepreneurship education before graduation

Universities play a number of crucial roles in society. They educate students, research solutions to problems and serve as spaces for national debate. This is especially true for large public institutions, often referred to as flagship universities.

A number were launched with great fanfare around the time of a country’s independence from colonial rule. They were tasked with driving national development by training skilled graduates to fill workforce gaps and conducting applied research to address societal challenges. Many have done well in their historic national missions. But how are they performing today when it comes to serving their local communities?

Higher education researcher James Ransom set out to answer this question in his new book, Revisiting Africa’s Flagship Universities: Local, National and International Dynamics.