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Student: Such a Dangerous time to be a Student (Opinion)

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CUSTOMSGATE: $3 BILLION PROJECT RUNS INTO DISPUTE

Opinion: Such a Dangerous time to be a Student

By Olutayo Irantiola
Growing up in this country some years ago was full of fun and pleasant memories; from your classmates to your teachers, the school authority, and everyone around. It was a grand community wherein all the misdemeanor of children were corrected by neighbors and children still plead not to be reported to their immediate parent; parenting was done by the community.
Reading newspaper reports daily has negatively impacted the mental health of many persons. Howbeit, would one remain perpetually deaf to what is happening in one’s community? Life has got so bad that being a student has become a difficult journey to embark upon.
The happenings in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria have made schooling very dangerous. Well, as said, that is the meaning of Boko Haram from the beginning is Western Education is forbidden and it is depicted with the various killings and abductions. In the last few years, students in that region of the country have been turned into refugees in their homeland. Although, recently, the Borno State Government is making attempts at resettling the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and schools are being built and commissioned all over. This signifies the beginning of Western Education for this set of Nigerians.
Imagine the recent happening in Greenfield University, Kaduna State. Some students were killed for no just cause. The situation is critically alarming that lecturers, workers, and students have become targets of kidnappers. About the same time, a Professor of the University of Jos, Grace Ayanbimpe and her husband were also kidnapped. All of these led the Senior Staff Union of Universities to demand weapons to guard themselves if they cannot be safe on their various campuses.
It is such a challenging time to be a student when you think about the number of auto crashes that claim the lives of students annually while trying to commute to their various institutions of learning and back to their homes. This also brings to the fore the unfortunate death of the students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, earlier in the year, who were crushed to death by a truck.
When you encounter Nigerian students, you need to pity them specially. They would spend years in a tertiary institution of learning, either state or federal because the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Nigerian Government are always at loggerheads over things they usually claim would benefit the students. It is so saddening that you can only know the year in which you resume school but you can never know the year in which you will graduate. Every day, the heartbeat of parents and the students keep palpitating strongly because nobody knows what would be the next occurrence that would make interrupt learning.
Despite all these, female students are exposed to several ills within few years of maturity. They are trailed by lecturers old enough to be their fathers; some evil students rape and murder them amongst others. The journey of a female student needs special care with all that is heard and seen these days. Kudos to the University of Lagos for firing two randy lecturers.
At the moment, Nigeria is just heading for a more grievous crisis in terms of labour force. As stated by Professor Olayinka Idowu, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. Every Senator wants a University to be sited in his hometown, as such, quality education is fast depreciating in Nigeria. Asides that, all the Polytechnics are being converted to Universities, for instance, Yaba College of Technology and the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.
These schools may become Universities but what of the technical know-how that we are losing. The skillset of a graduate of the Polytechnic is very different from that of a University graduate. Although the Senate has removed the dichotomy lately, we still need everyone to understand the differences, if not, polytechnics would becoming ghost tertiary institutions.
Ultimately, if you are fortunate to get through school without any scar or blemish; the hurdle of serving your fatherland is staring at you in the face. With all the various uprisings in the country, where is the safe haven for a one-year period, that reminds me, the NYSC Orientation Camp in Maiduguri, has been turned into an IDP camp. Where exactly is the place that one would want to serve with the current state of the country?
If you are not thinking of all these, it becomes frightening for the Director-General of NYSC saying that Corps Members can be deployed to a war zone if a war breaks out. Can a Corps member defend the integrity of this nation by mere marching when trained soldiers are being killed by terrorists in our nation?
Have you noted the rising spate of the kidnapping of those in search of work lately? The syndicate is getting more organized daily. They would lure victims to a particular location, thereafter abducting such individuals. It is getting sophisticated to a fault. There jokes about the situation about how lucrative the kidnapping business has become. People now notify others to look out for certain addresses as they are the hideout of people perpetrating such heinous crimes.
It is such a challenging time to be a student; it is such a challenging thing to be out of school and it is such a challenging time to be in search of work! May the Lord see us through these trying times.
Olutayo Irantiola is a Public Relations Consultant and Creative Writer based in Lagos, Nigeria, his writings are available on www.peodavies.com

Education

COMR. YUSUF TOBI JAMIU ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR SUG WEEK 2026, CALLS FOR MASS PARTICIPATION

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COMR. YUSUF TOBI JAMIU ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR SUG WEEK 2026, CALLS FOR MASS PARTICIPATION

COMR. YUSUF TOBI JAMIU ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR SUG WEEK 2026, CALLS FOR MASS PARTICIPATION

 

University of Abuja SUG President Unveils 6-Day Programme Focused on Leadership, Innovation, Culture, and Student Unity

 

ABUJA, NIGERIA — The President of the Students’ Union Government, University of Abuja, Comr. Yusuf Tobi Jamiu (JAMO) has officially unveiled the schedule of activities for SUG WEEK 2026, scheduled to hold from 18th to 23rd May, 2026, at the University of Abuja.

 

In an official release to the general public, Comr. Yusuf Tobi Jamiu stated that this year’s edition is designed as a comprehensive student engagement and development programme aimed at promoting leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, culture, intellectual interaction, entertainment, sportsmanship, and social integration within the university community.

 

COMR. YUSUF TOBI JAMIU ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR SUG WEEK 2026, CALLS FOR MASS PARTICIPATION

 

“SUG Week 2026 is not merely a celebration, but a reflection of purposeful student leadership and the collective spirit of the University of Abuja student community, ”Comr. Yusuf Tobi Jamiu said. “I encourage every student to participate actively, represent their faculties and departments positively, and make the most of this platform for growth and unity.”

 

Building on a Record of Student-Centred Governance

Under the leadership of Comr. Yusuf Tobi Jamiu, the current administration, has introduced several initiatives to improve student engagement and institutional representation. These include the unveiling of the official SUG Website, presentation of SUG Buses, development of strategic partnerships, presentation of the SUG Magazine, and various welfare and empowerment-driven programmes.

With the approval and support of University Management led by the Vice-Chancellor, *Prof. Abdulhakeem Fawehinmi Babatunde*, SUG Week 2026 has been structured to provide students with opportunities for networking, creativity, intellectual participation, relaxation, and campus-wide unity.

`

SUG WEEK 2026 Schedule of Activities

Day 1 – Monday, 18th May: Corporate Day
Official Launch & Unveiling
1. Official Unveiling of the SUG Website
2. Presentation and Commissioning of the SUG Buses
3. Presentation of the SUG Magazine
4. Award Presentation Ceremony
5. Leadership and Innovation Summit
6. Networking Session

The opening ceremony will feature distinguished personalities, public office holders, institutional stakeholders, business leaders, and guests from across the country.

Day 2 – Tuesday, 19th May: Old School Day
Inter-Faculty Debate Competition
A day dedicated to celebrating culture, creativity, and intellectual engagement through vintage-themed appearances and an inter-faculty debate competition.

Day 3 – Wednesday, 20th May: Jersey Day
Sports & Health Awareness
Focus on fitness, wellness, sportsmanship, and health awareness through sporting activities, recreational engagements, and sensitisation programmes.

Day 4 – Thursday, 21st May: Denim Day
Career & Entrepreneurship Day
Empowering students with career development opportunities, entrepreneurship knowledge, mentorship, networking, and innovation-driven discussions.

Day 5 – Friday, 22nd May: Fashion Show Day
Fashion Display & Runway Experience
Students will showcase creativity, talent, fashion expression, and entertainment through runway displays and coordinated fashion activities.

Day 6 – Saturday, 23rd May: Fake Wedding / Owambe Finale
Grand Finale
The grand social and cultural finale brings students together through music, culture, fashion, food, entertainment, and social interaction.

Call to Action
Comr. Yusuf Tobi Jamiu and the Students’ Union Government encourage all students to take part in the week’s activities and uphold the spirit of unity and excellence that defines the University of Abuja.

Students interested in volunteering, participating, partnering, sponsoring, modelling, or engaging in any activity are advised to send a direct message to the Union through the provided contacts.

For Sponsorship and Partnership: +234 810 593 0335

Signed:
Comr. Yusuf Tobi Jamiu (JAMO)
President, Students’ Union Government (SUG)
University of Abuja

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Education

GIRAU INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MILLENNIUM CITY KADUNA, OPENS ADMISSION FOR THE 2025/2026 ACADEMIC SESSION

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GIRAU INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MILLENNIUM CITY KADUNA, OPENS ADMISSION FOR THE 2025/2026 ACADEMIC SESSION

*GIRAU INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MILLENNIUM CITY KADUNA, OPENS ADMISSION FOR THE 2025/2026 ACADEMIC SESSION

 

Girau International School (GIS), a premier educational institution located in the heart of Millennium City, Kaduna, has officially announced the commencement of admissions for the forthcoming academic year. The school invites applications for its comprehensive educational streams: *Early Years, Primary, Secondary, and Islamiyya*.

Renowned for its unwavering commitment to academic excellence and holistic development, GIS stands as a beacon of learning in Northern Nigeria. The institution is built on a foundational philosophy dedicated to providing *world-class education* that meets international standards while being firmly rooted in positive cultural and moral values.

The school’s mission extends beyond conventional academics. With a dedicated focus on *nurturing young minds and shaping future leaders* of tomorrow, GIS employs a curated blend of innovative teaching methodologies, a blended curriculum, and state-of-the-art facilities. The environment is meticulously designed to ensure that every student excels *academically, socially, and morally*, preparing them to thrive in a dynamic global landscape.

*A CAPACITY FOR EXCELLENCE*

GIS boasts significant capacity to deliver on its promises:
* *Modern Infrastructure:* The campus features purpose-built, technologically integrated classrooms, advanced science and computer laboratories, expansive sports facilities, and dedicated learning spaces for creative and performing arts.
* *Qualified Faculty:* The school employs a team of highly trained, experienced, and passionate educators who are specialists in child-centered and participatory learning.
* *Blended Curriculum:* The academic programme seamlessly integrates the Nigerian/British curriculum ensuring international best practices, complemented by a strong emphasis on character building, leadership skills, and Islamic ethical teachings in its Islamiyya section.
* *Secure and Conducive Environment:* Situated within the serene and secure Millennium City layout, the school provides a safe, inclusive, and stimulating atmosphere ideal for learning and personal growth.

Prospective parents and guardians seeking an educational partnership that prioritizes excellence, discipline, and comprehensive development for their wards are encouraged to secure a place.

Admission forms are available at the school’s administration office. Early application is advised due to limited vacancies across all classes.

 

GIRAU INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MILLENNIUM CITY KADUNA, OPENS ADMISSION FOR THE 2025/2026 ACADEMIC SESSION

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NIGERIA’S EDUCATION STRIDES, GLOBAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT: When Evidence Travels from Jigawa

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Governing Through Hardship: How Tinubu’s Policies Targets the Poor. By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com 

NIGERIA’S EDUCATION STRIDES, GLOBAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT: When Evidence Travels from Jigawa

…as President Tinubu set to commission Africa’s largest schools complex in Lagos

By O’tega Ogra

 

There is a quiet shift happening in Nigeria’s education system. You will not find it in speeches neither will you find it in long policy documents. But if you look closely, you will see it in something far more difficult to dismiss. Evidence.

Last week in San Francisco, at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) conference, data from classrooms in Jigawa State was presented before a global audience. Not projections. Not estimates. A record of what is happening inside a public system in Nigeria. 

That distinction matters. For years, much of what the world has understood about education in countries like ours has been assembled from a distance. National averages. Modelled estimates and reports written long after the fact. What was presented this time came from within. Attendance tracked daily. Teachers reassigned based on need. Classrooms observed as they function. All under a digitalised ecosystem.

In Jigawa, under the JigawaUNITE foundational learning digital programme, the numbers tell a simple story. Within roughly 150 days of implementation which commenced at the end of 2024, 95 previously understaffed schools were fully staffed. Pupil teacher ratio moved from 114:1 to 70:1. Daily attendance rose from 39 per cent to 77 per cent. This remarkable improvement was not achieved by expanding the workforce. It came from reorganising what already existed under a digital umbrella.

There is something instructive in that. Nigeria has never lacked policy. What we have often lacked is the discipline of execution. The ability to take what already exists and make it work as intended. That is where the real shift is beginning to show.

But it would be too convenient to reduce this to one programme.

At the federal level, the direction has also been adjusting. The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has placed measurable outcomes, foundational learning, and teacher quality back at the centre of policy. UBEC, the Federal Government’s Universal Basic Education body, continues to drive national interventions around school improvement and teacher development, even as it insists that reform must remain system-led and not fragmented.

The First Lady’s education interventions, through the Renewed Hope Initiative, have reinforced education as a national priority, particularly around access, learning materials, and inclusion. These are different levers, but they are part of the same ecosystem.

And then there is the fiscal reality.

Recent reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have increased allocations to subnational governments, creating more room for states to act. In a federation like Nigeria, that matters. Because education is not delivered from Abuja. It is delivered in states. In schools. In classrooms.

What Jigawa has done is to use that room and the Executive Governor of the state, the State Universal Basic Education Board, and their partners on the JigawaUNITE project, New Globe, must be given kudos.

However, Jigawa is not alone in this journey.

In Kwara, efforts to align teaching with actual learning levels are beginning to correct a structural mismatch in classrooms. In Lagos and Edo, structured pedagogy and closer monitoring are improving consistency in teaching. Across the entire ecosystem, state governments, federal institutions like UBEC, and delivery partners like NewGlobe are pushing at the same question from different angles.

How do children actually learn better?

In a prior reflection, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, VP at NewGlobe, captured the urgency clearly. With the right tools, training, and use of data, foundational learning outcomes can improve at scale. The real risk, she noted, is delay, allowing learning gaps to become permanent.

That warning should not be ignored because the context remains difficult. Nigeria still carries one of the largest out of school populations in the world. Learning gaps remain. Progress in one state does not resolve a national challenge, but it does something else.

It proves that movement is possible.

What was presented in Washington did not claim success. It demonstrated function. It showed that a Nigerian sub-national can generate evidence that holds up in a global room. That reform does not always require something new. Sometimes it requires using what already exists more honestly and more efficiently.

The real question now is whether this remains an exception.

Or whether it becomes a pattern.

Because reform at scale is never built on isolated wins. It is built on systems that can reproduce them.

And perhaps that is why the timing matters.

This week, another subnational, Lagos State, is expected to commission the Tolu Schools Complex in Ajegunle, a sprawling 36-school integrated facility spread across 11.7 hectares, designed to serve over 20,000 students, and described as the largest school community in Africa. 

There is a connection here that should not be missed.

On one hand, a classroom system in Jigawa is learning how to organise itself better. On the other, a state like Lagos is building the physical scale required to carry thousands of learners at once.

One is structure. The other is capacity.

Real progress sits where both meet because education reform is not only about what we build, it is about how well what we build actually works.

For once, the data was not explaining Nigeria from the outside.

It was coming from within.

And it carried weight.

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