Author: Sodiq Mojibola

Renowned investor and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu has warned that poverty, no matter where it exists, remains a threat to all of humanity. Speaking at the 32nd anniversary of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), held at the 5,000-capacity Transcorp Event Centre in Abuja, Mr Elumelu, the group chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) called on financial institutions to channel more investments into African entrepreneurs, describing this as the most sustainable pathway to eradicate poverty and transform the continent. He noted that with targeted capital deployment, strategic institutional collaborations, and youth empowerment, Africa’s development narrative can be completely redefined. Addressing an audience…

The Nigerian government launched a new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative on 30 May, aimed at addressing the country’s rising youth unemployment and underemployment rates. Speaking at the monthly dialogue organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Idris Bugaje, a professor, provided an in-depth explanation of the initiative and responded to questions from participants. Excerpt. What is new about Nigeria’s new TVET initiative? Bugaje: It’s good to interrogate government policies to ensure sustainability. Anytime you hear renewed hope, my understanding is that hopes were…

The last may not have been heard of the integrity crisis that rocked the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over the conduct of this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), as the examination body has once again announced a new date for mop-up tests. JAMB, in a statement on Sunday afternoon by its Public Affairs Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, listed two categories of candidates who would be eligible for the examination. According to Mr Benjamin, the examination, which is scheduled to hold on Saturday, 28 June, will have a total of 96,838 candidates. He said: “This examination will accommodate the…

A Nigerian academic publishing initiative, Research Africa, has announced the successful indexing of its first digitised academic journal on Google Scholar, marking a significant step toward global visibility. The milestone was disclosed in a statement issued and signed by the organisation’s founder, Olasunkanmi Arowolo. According to the statement, the indexed content, titled ‘Media and Communication Review’, was originally published in 2021 by Lagos State University (LASU) and later digitised by Research Africa in 2023. The journal was authored by LASU scholars, including Rotimi Olatunji, a professor of Public Relations; Tunde Akanni, a professor and expert in Development Communication; Thanny Nooem, a…

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has responded to a recent outcry by a concerned mother who pleaded for the release of her son’s withheld West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) certificate, stating that the delay was causing him to slip into depression. The woman, Temitope Aladegoroye, a broadcaster and lifestyle coach, told Vanguard Newspaper that her son, whom she described as gifted and highly skilled is experiencing a setback in his educational journey due to the withholding of his WASSCE result by WAEC. She explained that her son, with exam number – 5251101693, sat for the November/December 2024…

As millions of Nigerians journey to their hometowns and villages for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, alarming data from DevStats, a DevReporting project that focuses on collecting, analysing, and disseminating data on key developmental issues in Nigeria and Africa by extension, signals a warning for travellers.  According to data gathered from different media reports, at least 365 people died in road accidents across Nigeria between January and March 2025. The deaths were recorded from 82 road crashes across 22 states reported in the media in the first quarter of 2025. Findings by this newspaper also revealed that no fewer than 1,028 persons…

A Nigerian private institution, Babcock University, has dismissed Oladipupo Siwajuola, a student who allegedly went missing, after investigations revealed that he had secretly left the campus disguised as an outpatient, and was involved in drug peddling, and fetish practices among others. The university described his actions as a gross violation of its rules and moral code. Master Siwajuola, a one academic year student of the Joint University Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEB), left the university premises on 28 April without authorisation and without the knowledge of any staff member or fellow student. His sudden disappearance sparked panic, prompting his mother to…

The chairman of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has announced that the majority of his $200 billion pledge will be directed toward Africa over the next two decades, with a focus on partnering with governments that prioritise the health and well-being of their people. Speaking at the Nelson Mandela hall of the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, on Monday, Mr Gates urged African leaders to seize the moment and accelerate progress, despite global economic turbulence. Mr Gates last month announced that he would give away 99 per cent of his vast fortune, which he expects to reach $200 billion…

Hours after celebrating the end of the 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF) held in Abeokuta, Ogun state, tragedy struck, snatching away at least 19 people including young athletes, a journalist and officials from Kano state in a deadly road crash that has plunged Nigeria’s sporting community into sorrow. The victims of the crash had just represented Kano with pride in Abeokuta, and were returning home when their bus conveying 30 athletes from the venue of the sports festival, veered off the Dakatsalle bridge in Kura Local Government Area of Kano state. The NSF came to an end on Thursday with…

In the face of mounting challenges bedevilling the conduct of examinations in Nigeria, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) have insisted on transiting from paper-based testing to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) in order to eliminate human errors and sabotage that continue to plague the system. The insistence of the examination bodies to adopt CBT for the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) has sparked a wave of mixed reactions among education stakeholders across the country. While the examination bodies maintain that transitioning to CBT will curb examination malpractice, several stakeholders have raised concerns over the readiness…