The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has pledged renewed efforts to combat the persistent problem of out-of-school children across Nigeria. The pledge focuses on strengthening access to quality basic education for vulnerable communities. Speaking at the opening of a two-day management retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, emphasised the urgent need to remove barriers preventing millions of children—especially those from impoverished and rural backgrounds—from enrolling…

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, has raised alarm over the declining state of Nigeria’s education and the worsening poverty levels across the country. Obi, in a statement, called for urgent and strategic investment in critical sectors. He described the recently released results from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as ‘shocking’ and a clear indicator of systemic failure in the country’s educational sector.…

The Federal Government has announced the discontinuation of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) programme, citing its high cost and limited benefit as justification.  The move follows growing criticism from former beneficiaries who accused the government of neglect and delay in fulfilling financial obligations. Speaking on Tuesday, April 29, during a courtesy visit by the newly elected leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji…

Dr ‘Niyi Sunmonu is an Associate Professor of Atmospheric Physics in the Department of Physics & Engineering Physics of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and he is the National President of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA.  In this exclusive interview with The New Daily Prime, he speaks on several issues, including how the congress was registered as an academic staff union in the Nigerian university system. Excerpts. Can…

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has strongly condemned the scheduling of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, which has placed students in precarious situations by assigning examination times as early as 6.30 a.m. Given the prevailing security challenges in the country, the student body said the decision is both inconsiderate and dangerous. The body spoke through the National President, Comrade…

In a major financial commitment to secondary education, the Lagos State Government has disbursed more than ₦1.5 billion to fund WAEC fees for over 58,000 public school students who took part in the 2024 WASSCE. Announcing the development at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, said the move was part of the administration’s ongoing free education initiative. The briefing marked the…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, have warned the government and members of the National Assembly against turning the setting up of new universities to constituency projects. The academic staff unions in the Nigerian University System, NUS, made their positions known in a chat with New Daily Prime through their National Presidents. The unions were reacting to the creation of 21 new universities…

In a vibrant and colourful celebration held in Manchester, United Kingdom, Ekiti indigenes across Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, and Ekiti States came together in a powerful show of unity, elegance, and cultural pride. The event, themed Ekiti Cultural Day, brought together members of the Ekiti community in the diaspora to reconnect with their heritage and reaffirm the values that define their shared identity. Held in an atmosphere rich with tradition and…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates are free to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in any part of the country, regardless of where they registered. This comes in response to a misleading media report suggesting that candidates are restricted to writing the exam only within their state of registration. In a statement released on Wednesday, April 16, the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr…

By Alade Adisa The Governing Council of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has suspended its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, following allegations of sexual harassment made by a senior university official, Engineer Folasade Adebayo. The suspension was confirmed in a statement on Monday by the university’s Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Mr. Mufutau A. Ibrahim. The statement reads in part: “The Governing Council of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti…

An unnamed student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Distant Learning Centre, has reportedly died after being electrocuted while retrieving a ball from a compound in Moro, Osun State. According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened on Saturday evening in a private hostel located along the Moro/Ife route. The deceased had reportedly gone to the compound next to the one where he lived to retrieve a ball and after retrieving the…

By Alade Adisa Acting Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts of federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education can no longer aspire to become substantive heads of such institutions, the Federal Government has said. The government’s position is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja. The move, aimed at strengthening integrity in the selection of Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts, became necessary, according…