Author: Sodiq Mojibola

Following public outcry and calls from the legislatures, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has reintroduced Civic Education and Computer Studies in the 2026 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) curriculum.  However, rights groups say millions of Nigerian students in the examination class still face uncertainty as most subjects in the old curriculum remain unavailable, pushing candidates toward new subjects combinations they never studied from SSS 1. The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) as well as parents, students and teachers’ groups expressed this concern on Thursday, through a statement it made available to DevReporting. They described the reintroduction of only…

Fountain University, Osogbo, has announced the promotion of a lecturer in the College of Chemical and Applied Sciences, Kazeem Alabi, as professor.   The 53-year-old academic, who joined the university in 2011 as a young lecturer, was announced on Monday as the institution’s pioneer Professor of Organic Chemistry, crowning his 14 years of academic service at the university. The university’s governing council announced in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Taoheed Alimi, noting that the promotion marks the peak of the professor’s academic career. The statement reads in part: “The Governing Council of Fountain University is pleased to announce…

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) will, next week, host a two-day media conference and award ceremony to mark its 20th anniversary of promoting accountability reporting in Nigeria. For two decades, the centre has led efforts to mainstream public-interest and investigative journalism, spotlighting abuses of power, corruption, human rights violations, and regulatory lapses across sectors. WSCIJ’s flagship programme, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR), has become a key platform for recognising excellence across media including print, broadcast, photography, online, and editorial cartoons. The Executive Director/CEO of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, in a statement made available to DevReporting,…

A major shift in Nigeria’s education landscape is underway, as the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) disclosed that the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme may be scrapped by 2026 to end the perceived bias against its holders. The Executive Secretary of the Board, Idris Bugaje, a professor, disclosed this on Thursday at the 2025 Annual Summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), held at the University of Lagos, Akoka. The summit, themed ‘Nigeria’s Obsession with Paper Qualification and the Integrity of Public Examinations: Is TVET the Way Forward?’, brought together key stakeholders in the education sector. DevReporting…

In response to the worsening security around schools across the country, especially the recent abduction of students in Niger and Kebbi states, the Federal Government of Nigeria on Friday announced the closure of 41 federal government colleges, otherwise known as unity schools, This was contained in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed on behalf of the Minister, Tunji Alausa, by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Binta Abdulkadir. The statement reads in part: “Sequel to the recent security challenges in some parts of the country and the need to prevent any security breaches, the Honourable Minister…

The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to expedite action on resolving outstanding remuneration and welfare concerns affecting its members. This came as the government commenced the payment of third-party deductions owed to its members. In a statement signed by its National President, Niyi Sunmonu, the union said the release of the deductions was “a significant step towards resolving long-standing concerns” and a development that “contributes to rebuilding confidence in government–union relations.” Mr Sunmonu noted that the payment followed months of formal engagements with the Office of the Accountant-General, the Ministry of Education and…

A bill seeking to strip Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, of its status as one of Nigeria’s remaining universities of technology has triggered strong pushback from the institution’s alumni association, which warned that the move threatens the country’s already fragile technological capacity. The amendment bill, sponsored by Bauchi South senator Shehu Buba, has passed second reading and is now three stages away from converting ATBU into a conventional university. Passing the bill to the committee stage, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio commended Mr Buba for sponsoring the proposal and acknowledged lawmakers who contributed to the debate. He recalled that the…

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Christopher Piwuna, a professor of medicine at the University of Jos, Plateau State, has decried the poor welfare of Nigerian academics, revealing that some of the union’s past leaders, who dedicated their lives to education, still do not own a house. Mr Piwuna said one of his predecessors, Dipo Fasina, popularly known as “Jingo,” who taught Philosophy for 34 years at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), still lives in the university’s staff quarters because he has no house of his own. A source on the campus said Mr Fasina, though…

The Nigerian press is facing unprecedented economic pressure, with soaring newsprint and operational costs threatening the survival of newspapers and broadcast outlets, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has warned. Speaking at the 21st All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) in Abuja on Wednesday, themed “Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors,” NGE President and Vanguard editor, Eze Anaba, highlighted the multiple challenges confronting the media industry, including soaring operational costs, insecurity, misinformation, and a steady decline in public trust. Mr Anaba noted that the price of a tonne of newsprint has soared to between N1.3 million and N1.4…

For over 100 days, the medical school of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) has been shut, leaving hundreds of students out of class, due to a strike by clinical lecturers demanding the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). The strike, declared on 1 August by lecturers under the auspices of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) and the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has grounded academic academic activities in the institution, leaving more than 900 students across 100 to 600 levels stranded. The students had staged a three-day protest earlier last…