South Africa’s president signed contentious education legislation into law on Friday, angering his party’s main coalition partner amid a debate centred on the integration of schools that teach in Afrikaans.

Part of the bill gives the education department the power to approve school boards’ language policies, which President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) says will help prevent discrimination. “The signing of this bill marks an important step towards resolving longstanding challenges in our education system,” Ramaphosa said at the signing ceremony at the Union Buildings, the seat of government in capital Pretoria.

The ANC says that students are being excluded from some schools because of the language they speak, which it says has been used as a proxy for racial exclusion. Afrikaans was promoted by South Africa’s white minority rulers under apartheid.

THE leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has warned the Federal Government against what it described as unchecked commercialisation of education in Nigeria, as indicated by outrageous school fees and other charges across the country.

The Union expressed concerns that the underfunding and general neglect of public primary and secondary schools, giving room for private providers to set high school fees is gradually putting education out of reach of poor parents and less-privileged in the society.

NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba spoke on Thursday in Abuja, during a one-day capacity-building workshop for state chairmen and secretaries of the Union, organized by NUT in partnership with Education International (EI) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) under the framework of the Global Response to Privatisation and Commercialization of Education project.

THE Federal Government has called for a thorough review of colleges of education’s curriculum to enhance production of quality teachers for learners in schools across the country.

Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, made the call in Abuja, at the flag-off workshop organised for master trainers on Strengthening Teachers English Proficiency (STEP) and Digital Literacy, by National Commission for College (NCCE) in partnership with the British Council.

He noted that the Colleges of Education system in Nigeria is undergoing reforms with the additional mandate of concurrently running Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes in the colleges, hence the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the curriculum to achieve the new set of qualified teachers expected from the system.

THE Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje has painted a gloomy picture of technical colleges in Nigeria, while calling on the government at all levels to invest more on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Bugaje spoke at a workshop on strategies for the implementation of Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) in Colleges of Education (Technical), held in Abuja at the headquarters of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

While revealing the condition of technical colleges in Nigeria, Bugaje, disclosed that of all the 129 Federal Technical Colleges, none is worthy of accreditation exercise. He said that all of them failed the accreditation because they lack qualified instructors, equipment, infrastructures and several others.

The federal government has assured that it will integrate technology into the nation’s educational infrastructure to address human capacity and resource challenges, thereby improving learning outcomes.

Vice President Kashim Shettima provided this assurance on Wednesday during a meeting with the World Bank Nigeria team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He noted that President Tinubu is committed to driving change in the country.

He stated that, with the evolving global technological landscape, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will harness all available opportunities to add value to the nation. The Vice President called for a holistic approach to education reform, including improvements in infrastructure, teacher training, and technology implementation.

The federal government yesterday signed eight partnership agreements with the United Kingdom (UK) valued at about N589 billion (£272.6 million) to boost governance, climate change, education, health, and the economy.

The programme implementation agreements signed by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, and the UK Charge d’ Affaires, Ms Cynthia Rowe, committed both countries to collaboration in those critical sectors.

Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, Bagudu expressed appreciation for the UK government’s support, describing it was a significant show of friendship. He said the timing of the implementation agreement was significant given the downward trend of world economies, noting that “Many economies in the world are going through turbulent times”, and that “Nigeria and the UK are not exceptions.”

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), LiRA Foundation has organised its 5th edition of the ‘Back to school’ programme for school children as the new academic calendar year begins. The Founder, Ruth Ayomide Lijirin in her remarks, emphasised that developing children remains very important to laying the foundation for a stronger, more prosperous Nation.

Essential items including school bags, writing materials, sandals, water bottles, mathematical sets, and others were distributed to the students at the event held recently at CMS Primary School Compound, Ilaje, Bariga.

The theme of the event titled: “Develop a Child, Develop a Nation”, had in attendance dignitaries including the wife of Oworo monarch, Olori Oluwabukola Saliu; SSA to the Lagos State Governor on Technical and Vocational Education Board, Hon. Giwa Moore; APC chieftain, Hon. Dengel Anifowose.

Olawale Olaitan, a Lagos-born statistician, proud alumnus of the University of Ilorin and a Master’s degree holder in Public Administration, believes artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionise Nigeria’s education system and workforce development.

With the country’s growing population and rapidly changing job market, Olaitan argues that AI offers a unique opportunity to address both the skills gap and unemployment issues. An important key attribute of AI in education is its ability to tailor learning to individual needs.

“Nigeria has a young, dynamic population, but we need to equip them with the right skills. AI can play a crucial role in providing personalised learning experiences that meet the demands of the modern job market,” Olaitan said.

The Airtel Africa Foundation has announced the launch of the prestigious 'Airtel Africa Fellowship Program' for the undergraduate students at IIT Madras Zanzibar. This is the first-ever foreign campus established by an IIT.

The fellowship aims to support deserving students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) in Zanzibar.

Starting with an outlay of US$500,000, this program will benefit 10 undergraduate students, for their entire course duration of 4 years. Founded in 2024 with a vision to foster a prosperous Africa, the Airtel Africa Foundation is dedicated to advancing digital and financial inclusion across the continent along with key focus on education and environmental protection.

Stakeholders at a forum on educational technology (EdTech) have called for the development of a comprehensive policy that can help boost innovation in the country’s educational sector. Towards that, they pledged to work together with the government to create a forward-thinking ICT in education policy to bridge skill gaps, boost manpower development, and empower the country's future workforce.

The stakeholders consisting of policy makers, development partners, educators, entrepreneurs and tech experts recommended three main action points consisting of strategic roadmap development, enhanced collaboration across ecosystems and alignment with national educational goals to set the appropriate framework for integrating solutions into the country’s educational system.

This year’s EdTech Stakeholder Forum held in Accra on September 5 was designed to collect insights, feedback and recommendations from diverse stakeholders in the education sector to contribute to an EdTech Roadmap in Ghana.

On this International Day to Protect Education From Attack, the world's attention turns to the urgent need to safeguard educational institutions from violence, particularly in conflict zones like Uganda. Education is a fundamental right and a critical pillar for societal development, offering both knowledge and a sense of stability.


However, when schools come under attack, it disrupts not only the learning environment but also the psychological well-being of students and teachers, threatening the future of entire communities. Protecting educational environments is essential for maintaining societal cohesion and progress, especially in regions affected by conflict.


The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, which includes UNESCO, reports that between 2022 and 2023, there were over 6,000 attacks on students, educators, and schools globally. The coalition emphasizes, "Education is essential for rebuilding societies and fostering sustainable development. Attacks on educational institutions undermine this crucial foundation."

TECNO (www.TECNO-Mobile.com), a leading innovative technology brand, is proud to extend its partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to support UNHCR’s global primary education programme.

The partnership, first established in 2020, is dedicated to providing high-quality, protective education for African refugee children and young people. Over the past four years, the partnership has reached 17,370 refugee children and 40 refugee DAFI scholars, as well as provided support to teachers and school infrastructure.

Among the 11,500 new refugee students expected to enroll in 2024, TECNO's support through the primary education programme will benefit over 7,000 children in Kenya, helping them unlock their full potential to thrive in their adulthood.