Education
AMBODE GRANTS SCHOLARSHIP, N5MILLION CASH REWARD TO BEST LASU GRADUATING STUDENT
…Says 6000 Capacity Hostel, Senate Building, Other Projects On Course
…Attends 22nd Convocation Ceremony
It was an emotional laden moment filled with joy, excitement and sense of fulfillment when Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi on Wednesday granted scholarship and N5million cash reward to the overall best graduating student of Lagos State University (LASU), Ogunsanya Fuhad Adetoro.
Adetoro, who is of the Faculty of Management Sciences, was announced as the best graduating student at the 22nd convocation ceremony held at the Auditorium Complex of the University in Ojo having scored CGPA 4.78.
Responding to Adetoro’s request for scholarship to go for masters’ study outside the country, Governor Ambode said he would personally finance the student’s education in any university of his choice anywhere in the world.
“In response to the best graduating student’s request, Lagos State Government does not generally give scholarship anymore but only bursary. So, I adopt him.
“His story is too compelling and it reflects on my own story. So, any university he wants to go, I will do it personally; I will be responsible.
“In addition to that, because he is the best graduating student, I dash him N5million,” Governor Ambode said.
The Governor said occasions such as university convocation deserved necessary attention as the future of any nation could only be guaranteed when its youths, who form a majority of the population, are educated enough to contribute to the economy and the continued sustenance of the country.
Recalling the pledge to construct 6000 capacity hostel for the institution, Governor Ambode said it was gratifying to report that preliminary works had already been concluded on the project, while work would start in few months, adding that other ongoing projects in the university were on course and would also be delivered on schedule.
“Already, preliminary works on the Six Thousand (6,000) capacity hostel for the University which we promised last year have been concluded and in the next few weeks, construction would start.
“In addition, the Government’s Legacy Projects in the University including the New Senate Building, the Ultra-Modern Library, Students’ Arcade, LASU Homs (Staff Quarters) and the New Faculty of Management Sciences Buildings are all nearing completion simultaneously,” the Governor said, adding that the projects, when completed, would change the entire overview of the landscape of the University.
While alluding to the fact that provision of qualitative education was a cardinal duty which government must render to its people, the Governor said such necessitated the 12.07 per cent allocation for education in the total 2018 Budget of the State, saying the education of the teeming youths remained a priority for his administration.
“Our State has always been a trailblazer in various spheres of life and in order to consolidate on the economic gains made so far, the education of our youth is paramount.
“We seek the cooperation of all Lagosians to ensure we eradicate illiteracy in the State, groom the next generation of leaders and captains of industry as well as position our State as the standard bearer for the nation in the provision of qualitative tertiary education,” the Governor said.
Besides, Governor Ambode said he was encouraged by the successes so far recorded through Ready.Set.Work (RSW), an initiative of the State Government targeted at equipping penultimate and final year students of public tertiary institutions in the State with employability and entrepreneurship skills.
He said: “The feedback we get from the Corporate World is that with adequate and proper mentoring, our graduates can stand toe-to-toe with their colleagues from anywhere across the globe.
“These success stories are a huge motivation for us to increase the scope of this initiative to accommodate more of our students as we have resolved to make every succeeding year of the programme bigger and better than the previous edition.”
While lauding LASU management, staff and students for the feats recorded by the institution, Governor Ambode assured of continuous support in ensuring accreditation of courses and completion of all ongoing projects in the University.
“On our part, as Government, we will support the University in the Accreditation of its various programmes and courses. We will work with the University to ensure that all our facilities and personnel meet the required standards for accreditation because we understand that the rating and sustenance of the University is hinged on the Accreditation of its programmes by the National Universities Commission and other bodies with such responsibilities,” he said.
In his opening remarks, Chancellor of LASU, Justice Adesola Oguntade (Rtd) lauded Governor Ambode for the RSW initiative introduced by the present administration in the State, saying it was gratifying that the scheme keeps getting bigger and better.
He said the initiative had turned out to be a game changer in the lives of students, adding: “It is rapidly changing the thinking of students from being job seekers after school to job producers even while in school.”
Besides, Oguntade charged the graduands to make integrity their watchword, broaden knowledge by reading very well, be bold to take risk and never be afraid of failure, just as he urged them to strive to create a better world for incoming generations.
Also, LASU Vice Chancellor, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun said the graduands have been found worthy in learning and character, saying they have been adequately schooled to contribute to the development of the country.
He said due to reforms put in place, the institution ranked first among state universities in the 2018 maiden edition of National Universities Commission (NUC) ranking, while LASU was also selected by NUC as lead institution for the development of blueprints on how to ensure health security by 2050 and blueprint for transportation in Nigeria.
He lauded Governor Ambode for the various initiatives designed to promote education in the State and projects executed in LASU especially the RSW through which over 1500 students of the institution had been trained in employability and entrepreneurship skills and Code Lagos programme, among others.
A total of 29,710 students graduated with 201 awarded diploma; 21,481 first degrees; 7982 Post Graduate Diploma (PGD); and 46 Doctorate Degrees. In all, 26 students graduated with first class.
Lagos to Seal Dowen College Over Illegal Waste Dumping
Lagos State authorities have ordered the sealing of Dowen College, Lekki Phase 1, following allegations of improper waste disposal traced to the school.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the move on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the Corps Marshal of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps had been directed to enforce the order.
“This waste was traced to Dowen College in Lekki Phase 1. Such disregard for environmental laws is unacceptable,” Wahab said. “We will not hesitate to take firm action against any institution or organization that violates waste management regulations.”
The commissioner’s statement comes as part of the state’s intensified crackdown on environmental law violations.
Dowen College has previously faced scrutiny from the state government. In 2021, it was shut down indefinitely following the controversial death of student Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., pending investigation.
Education
UBEC, NGF in Conjunction with NEWGLOBE Spotlight Kwara as Model for Tackling Out-of-School Crisis
UBEC, NGF in Conjunction with NEWGLOBE Spotlight Kwara as Model for Tackling Out-of-School Crisis
-By Olufemi A. Adetola
As Nigeria grapples with the challenge of out-of-school children—estimated to be among the highest globally—recent interventions led by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) offer renewed hope. At the center of this momentum is Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, whose leadership as NGF Chairman is setting a new national tone on foundational education.
Penultimate week, the NGF in collaboration with UBEC and NEWGLOBE convened a multi-stakeholders dialogue in Abuja focusing on foundational learning and strategies to combat the out-of-school children crisis. Commissioners of Education and Chairpersons of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) were present to discuss reforms and implementation pathways. The gathering reaffirmed the need for stronger state-level ownership and collaborative policymaking.
Kwara State represented by the Hon Commissioner of Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe and the Executive Chairman of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof Shehu Raheem Adaramaja presents a model of what focused leadership and fiscal discipline can achieve in basic education. According to their presentation, upon assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Kwara State , Mallam AbdulRahaman Abdulrazaq CON moved swiftly to pay backlogs of UBEC counterpart funding, allowing the state to access over ₦14.2 billion in federal matching grants for the years 2014-2019 . This intervention reversed Kwara’s prior blacklisting from UBEC funding and unlocked a cascade of basic education infrastructure projects across the state.
Through the Prof. Shehu Adaramaja-led Kwara SUBEB, over 600 schools have been renovated or newly constructed across the 16 local government areas. Classrooms have been furnished with pupils and teachers furniture, perimeter fences erected, boreholes sunk, Digital literacy centres established in 38 centres and WASH facilities provided across the 193 political wards of the state, with clear attention to equity and rural inclusion. These upgrades are impacting both teaching and learning environments in meaningful ways.
In addition to infrastructure, Kwara has tackled the human resource challenge head-on. Between 2021 and 2025, the state recruited over 6,400 new teaching and non-teaching staff, with an emphasis on STEM subjects. The recent recruitment exercise adopted community-based recruitment approach, where qualified NCE and Bachelor degrees in education from various communities were recruited to teach in their localities. All recruited staff signed performance bonds, demonstrating a commitment to accountability and diligence performance at duty.
Another bright spot is the KwaraLEARN programme—an ambitious education technology initiative that has digitized classroom management in over 1,770 public schools. With real-time monitoring, teacher coaching, and structured lesson plans, over 620,000 pupils now benefit from a more consistent and effective learning experience.
Mallam AbdulRahaman Abdulrazaq gave priority attention to teachers motivation and encouragements. He largely demonstrated this in prompt payment of salaries, promotion of teaching and non teaching staff of the State Basic Education Board, enhance capacity building with significant attention to technology education, modern pedagogical trainings, classrooms management techniques, foundational literacy and numeracy skills and other impactful workshops. Early results show gains in literacy and numeracy scores, attendance, and classroom engagement.
Kwara has also gone beyond the school walls. Earlier this year, a targeted enrollment drive brought over 2,300 out-of-school children into classrooms. These efforts were especially focused on nomadic communities, Qur’anic school pupils, street children, and underserved areas often missed in national data. Plans are also underway to build 75 new schools in remote areas to further reduce access barriers.
Perhaps the most telling endorsement of Kwara’s progress came in May 2025 when UBEC’s North-Central Director, Elder Abalaka described the state as “a pacesetter in compliance.” This reflects not just infrastructural output but the state’s commitment to due process, transparency, and strategic alignment with federal education goals.
Governor Abdulrazaq’s leadership at the NGF is crucial to replicating this progress nationwide. His advocacy for coordinated policies, timely funding, and inclusive education models is influencing how states approach their UBE responsibilities. The recent dialogue in Abuja underscored the need for such synergy.
As Nigeria intensifies efforts to implement a new national strategy on foundational learning, it is clear that the states must lead from the front. Kwara State’s success story shows that with the right blend of policy, leadership, and stakeholder engagement, progress is not just possible—it is sustainable.
The crisis of out-of-school children and weak foundational education has persisted for too long. But if more states follow the Kwara example under Governor Abdulrazaq’s NGF-backed leadership, the foundation of Nigeria’s future can be salvaged and secured.
In this regard, what is happening in Kwara should not just be applauded—it should be emulated. The real task now is to replicate such bold governance across every corner of the country.
Worst WAEC Results in 10 Years Raise Concerns Over Education Standards, CBT Readiness
ABUJA, August 5, 2025 — Nigeria’s education sector is under renewed scrutiny after the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) recorded its worst performance in a decade, igniting debate over exam reforms, poor teaching quality, and readiness for full Computer-Based Testing (CBT) next year.
On Monday, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) announced that only 38.32 percent of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the exam obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics—a sharp drop from the 72.12 percent pass rate in 2024.
The last time Nigeria posted a worse result was in 2014, when just 31.28 percent made the benchmark. Over the past decade, performance peaked at 81.70 percent in 2021 before plunging this year.
WAEC Blames Anti-Cheating Measures, CBT Integration
Head of WAEC Nigeria, Dr. Amos Dangut, linked the massive drop to stricter anti-malpractice measures, including serialisation of objective papers, which made collusion “more difficult.”
“The decline can be attributed to new protocols designed to curb malpractice,” Dangut said. He added that Computer-Based Testing was introduced in key subjects like English Language, Mathematics, Biology, and Economics, reducing malpractice but exposing digital illiteracy among students.
He noted that 192,089 results (9.75%) were withheld for alleged cheating—slightly lower than 2024’s 11.92 percent—while 451,796 results (22.94%) remain under processing for technical and administrative reasons.
Despite the low benchmark pass, 87.24 percent of candidates earned five credits in other combinations of subjects.
Digital Transition Sparks Fresh Concerns
The sharp performance decline comes ahead of Nigeria’s planned full CBT transition for WASSCE in 2026, following a Federal Government directive earlier this year.
However, stakeholders warn the timeline is unrealistic, citing this year’s glitches in CBT-based Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and WAEC’s own logistical chaos—such as the late-night English Language paper on May 28, which saw students writing under candlelight in some states.
WAEC blamed the midnight session on the reprinting of leaked papers, a move that disrupted logistics nationwide.
Stakeholders React: ‘A Reflection of Deep Rot’
Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) President, Haruna Danjuma, said poor preparation and lack of computer knowledge among candidates worsened the outcome:
“Some students did not prepare well. Public schools lack learning materials, and the environment is not conducive. CBT exams blocked chances of malpractice, which many depend on,” Danjuma said.
Prof. Francis Egbokhare, former Director of Distance Learning, University of Ibadan, described the results as a symptom of systemic failure:
“This reflects a crisis of quality in education. We neglect teacher training and infrastructure while obsessing over technology and AI as if they can replace quality instruction,” he lamented, warning of growing “functional illiteracy” among graduates.
Dr. Bisi Akin-Alabi, Project Lead, Safe Schools, Lagos, agreed with WAEC that tougher protocols and serialised question papers made cheating harder, exposing students’ dependence on “expo.”
“The option of CBT shocked many students who lack digital skills,” she said, urging educators to embrace AI-assisted learning and better preparation rather than reliance on leaks.
What Next for WAEC and Nigeria’s Education System?
With less than a year to full CBT exams, experts warn that failure to train teachers, upgrade infrastructure, and close digital gaps could doom millions of students.
As WAEC insists the reforms are necessary to protect exam integrity, Monday’s result has left one question hanging:
Is Nigeria ready for a technology-driven education system—or headed for another decade of failure?
-
society5 months agoRamadan Relief: Matawalle Distributes Over ₦1 Billion to Support 2.5 Million Zamfara Residents
-
Politics2 months agoNigeria Is Not His Estate: Wike’s 2,000‑Hectare Scandal Must Shake Us Awake
-
society4 months agoBroken Promises and Broken Backs: The ₦70,000 Minimum Wage Law and the Betrayal of Nigerian Workers
-
society3 months agoOGUN INVESTS OVER ₦2.25 BILLION TO BOOST AQUACULTURE
You must be logged in to post a comment Login