Technology brand Infix has entered into a partnership with Google and UNESCO to conduct CogLabs workshops aimed at helping UoN students get hands-on AI experience. The CogLabs project is an innovative educational initiative that aims to make AI and robotics accessible and engaging for today's youth.

Themed ‘Get in Now’, the partnership aims to inspire today's youth with Artificial Intelligence and robotics education through the CogLabs initiative. Infinix Kenya Brand Manager Michael Zeng said over 200 students participated in the workshop.

Mr Zeng said the project aims to equip Africa's next generation of thinkers and makers with accessible, hands-on experiences in robotics, machine learning, and AI education. According to Zeng, the initiative aspires to ignite the creativity, imagination, and problem-solving abilities of young people across Africa.

The Executive Secretary, ES, of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Hameed Boboi, has emphasized the significance of advancing multimedia proficiency among teachers. Dr. Boboi made the remark while declaring open a 3-day training for Smart Schools Teachers on the utilization of Multimedia Studio Equipment in Abuja recently.

The ES, represented by the National Coordinator of the UBEC Digital Resource Centre (DRC), Professor Bashir Galadanci, noted with satisfaction that all the UBE model smart schools were being well-equipped with state-of-the art multi-media content development studios.

Hence it was crucial for the teachers to become fully familiar with how to utilize the various sophisticated tools and equipment in the production of high-quality educational content for their learners, he said.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has called for the conversion of Nigerian Educational Loan Fund to grants. National president, ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, spoke in reaction to the N850m announced by NELFUND for disbursement last Wednesday.

NELFUND revealed it had disbursed a total of N1.17bn to 20,000 students in five of the public tertiary institutions that applied for the loan. Osodeke insisted that if the Federal Government could give some people a sum of N90b for Hajj prayer, he did not see reason why government could not give the N35b NELFUND loans to grants for students.

“Giving loans here in Nigeria where people are not sure of getting a job 10, to 20 years after graduation is unfair. They’re creating more hardships for the students and rooms for insecurity. They want to burden poor students with loans, it’s not fair.

Stanbic IBTC Bank has selected 200 outstanding scholars from over 16,000 applicants for its University Scholarship Award. Speaking during the award ceremony, Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Dr Demola Sogunle, promised the recipients that the bank would support them throughout their academic journey.

He encouraged the scholars to remain focused and strive for excellence in both their academics and character. The University Scholarship Programme, which was founded in 2019, sought to empower brilliant young minds who, due to financial constraints, might find it difficult to realise their academic potential.

“This year, from over 16,000 applicants, we have meticulously selected 200 outstanding scholars through a rigorous process that assessed their academic excellence, leadership potential, and desire to impact their communities and the nation significantly.

The Government of the Republic of Korea, through its grant aid and technical cooperation agency, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOlCA) office in Nigeria, has awarded 2 Ph.Dd and 12 M.Sc scholarships to Nigerian scholars in 14 government agencies to study inleading Korean universities.

The Country Director of KOICA Nigeria, Mr. Son Sungil, urged the beneficiaries to leverage this opportunity to gain relevant skills and knowledge that would enhance their contributions to their respective organizations and Nigeria as a whole.

“This scholarship initiative underscores KOICA’s commitment to fostering international cooperation and human capital development in partner countries”. The 14 beneficiaries from Nigeria will pursue various degrees, including doctorates, at seven prestigious universities in the Republic of South Korea.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has called for massive investment in education as the only solution to youth restivenes. The President of UNESCO Read and Earn Federation, Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, made the call in Abuja on Thursday against the backdrop of the ongoing hunger protests.

Ladigbolu stated that quality education must be provided across the board in such a way that Nigerian youths would get engaged rather than being instruments of violence whenever protests arose. He urged the government to use the trying times to turn things around between the administration and the youths by improving youths’ civic engagements and boosting their communication strategies.

“The caregivers and teachers are the bedrock of education. The government should vigorously improve its investment in the continuous building of its capacity through various globally informed programs and activities.

In a recent public hearing held in Abuja, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas, affirmed the House’s commitment to enhancing the Nigerian education sector. The hearing, organized by the House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, focused on three key bills aimed at advancing the sector’s development.

“We are here today to discuss the establishment of the National Polytechnic Commission, the Federal Vocational and Entrepreneurship Institute in Okota/Oshodi, Lagos State, and the Federal Vocational and Skills Acquisition College in Yankaba, Kano State.

These initiatives are more than just legislative proposals; they embody a commitment to our nation’s future. They represent a vision where education becomes the cornerstone of economic growth, social mobility, and national development.

The Federal Government has pledged to ensure that the educational curriculum and training programs perfectly align with the skills required by industries, to empower young people to become active participants in the economic growth and development of the country.

Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the pre-validation meeting of stakeholders on the National Policy on Skills Development in Nigeria. According to him, in a rapidly evolving global landscape, the ability to adapt, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to the workforce has become increasingly paramount, hence the culmination of collective efforts in shaping “this important policy.”

He expressed concerns about the skills gap in the country, stating that the development of a comprehensive national policy on skills development is a crucial step in equipping Nigerian youth with the necessary skills to thrive in the 21st-century job market.

A school administrator, Dr Wilson Nwaneri, has solicited for increased focus on education for national growth and development. Nwaneri, who is the Proprietor of CityLight International School, said this during the school’s annual graduation ceremony, in Owerri, on Friday.

While commending the graduands for their dedication to studies, Nwaneri congratulated them for diligently reaching the academic milestone, while thanking God for the gift of life.

He extolled the parents and other guests for gracing the event while charging students who won various awards not to let their light dim in the interest of themselves and the larger society. He said: “only a well educated population can birth a better society and brighter future” in fact, today was a huge success and we thank God for everything for He really helped us”.

The Oyo State Post Primary School Teaching Service Commission has released the results of the computer-based tests for the recruitment of teachers into secondary schools in the state, saying about 9,000 candidates passed.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Commission, Akinade Alamu, in a statement made available to the journalists on Tuesday, August 6, in Ibadan, the state capital. Alamu said in the statement that the commission had set 50 percent as the minimum cut-off mark for qualification to the next stage in the recruitment exercise.

The chairman said the 9,000 candidates would go through interview sessions within one week, starting from August 14, 2024, adding that the interview panels, headed by both serving and retired Permanent Secretaries, would be split into 10, with five members each.

Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Prof. Olusegun Ajiboye, has highlighted a significant shortage of teachers in Africa and globally.

Speaking at the 10th anniversary and sixth convocation ceremony of Corona College of Education, Ilupeju, he urged Nigerian teachers to see themselves as global professionals and become acquainted with technology to progress in the global market.

“The world needs teachers. There is a shortage of about 45 million teachers globally, with Africa experiencing a severe deficit and Nigeria accounting for a significant portion with a shortage of about 15 million teachers. He continued, “Today, we have teachers’ mobility. They move across the world. In two years, the UK has recruited about 2,000 Nigerian teachers. In 2022, Canada recruited about 600 Nigerian teachers.

In a bid to tackle the challenge of low learning achievements in basic education and improve the quality of the products, the Federal Government under the Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC) has trained 56 Master Trainers for its newly initiated Effective Schools Programme (ESP).

Making this assertion was the executive secretary of the commission, Dr Hamid Boboyi in Ibadan, at a five-day training with the theme ‘Training of Master Trainers’ organised for 56 Master Trainers drawn from the South-Southern zone of Nigeria, including Kogi and Kwara states.

Speaking further, he said, training of Master Trainers which took place on Monday, July 22 to Friday 26 is one of the activities in the implementation of the ESP which will culminate to cascading the training to the other teachers in the 111 schools.