Education

We won’t make gunpoint negotiations with ASUU, says FG

Published

4 years ago

March 14, 2022

ASUU, FG in a meeting

THE Federal Ministry of Education has said it will not enter into agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities under duress.

The ministry called on ASUU to call off its strike “so that we will not have gunpoint negotiations and make promises that we will not be able to fulfil.”

The ministry’s spokesman, Ben Goong, made this known in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.

Our correspondent also gathered that the National Executive Council of the union, which is currently meeting at the University of Abuja, would announce the final decision on whether to proceed with an indefinite strike or suspend the current industrial action today (Monday).

The National President, ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed that the NEC was indeed meeting, but refused to make further comments.

“The NEC is meeting and details will be communicated,” the ASUU president simply said.

However, a high ranking source in the NEC told our correspondent that the union would have no choice but to go on full blown strike as the government had failed to do anything tangible to meet its demands.

“The government has not done any tangible thing since the announcement of the warning strike. As much as we are not happy about going on strike, I am afraid to say that we have no choice this time. However, the final decision lies with the NEC,” the source said.

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However, Goong stated, “The government has done something tangible. Even The PUNCH has been reporting some of the things that the government did to avert this strike. If I were ASUU, I would call off the strike and that is what we are telling ASUU to do. Call off the strike so that nobody will be negotiating out of duress. If you continue the strike, we will have agreements at gunpoint with you.

“If they stay on the strike, in a desperate attempt to make sure that the universities are re-opened, we will make agreements under duress. We are not in a state of war that you must be on strike before you negotiate. You say it is a warning strike and the government has begun the implementation of agreements, it is only normal that you call off your strike, but it is as if they have that mindset of a strike.”

Meanwhile, fresh crises have risen following the declaration by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, created by ASUU in lieu of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System for the payment of university lecturers, has failed an integrity test.

ASUU, in a statement on Sunday, accused Inuwa of deliberately misinforming the public and invited the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as well as the NITDA boss to a public debate over the integrity of UTAS.

The statement by Osodeke, read in part, “The one-month roll-over strike by our union on February 14, 2022, has entered its fourth week. During this period, we have been having engagements with the government over the contending issues that necessitated the action. One of the contending issues is the deployment of the UTAS, which is a robust software created by the ASUU technical group to manage personnel and payroll in the university system.

“The Federal Government had referred UTAS to NITDA to conduct user acceptance test and vulnerability test assessment and penetration test prior to the final deployment. The process, which commenced on Thursday, March 3, is still ongoing.

“This press statement is necessitated by the need for ASUU to put the records straight on the grounds already covered in our patriotic struggle to get the government to deploy UTAS as a suitable solution for salary payment.

“Of special concern is the statement credited to both the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and the Director-General of NITDA to the effect that UTAS had failed the integrity test. Let us put it on record that an integrity test was carried out by NITDA on August 10, 2021, in the NUC, where relevant government agencies and all the end-users in the university system were present.”

“At the end of the exercise, all without exception expressed satisfaction with UTAS. This was attested to the effect that UTAS scored 85 per cent in the User Acceptance Test.”

PUNCH

Related Topics:ASUU Featured FG gunpoint

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Education

FG Orders Polytechnics to Scrap Non-Technical Courses, Restricts BTech Degrees

Published

4 hours ago

August 6, 2026

Trends Admin

Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa

FG Orders Polytechnics to Scrap Non-Technical Courses, Restricts BTech Degrees

The Federal Government has directed polytechnics across Nigeria to gradually phase out non-technical programmes that fall outside their statutory mandate, as part of a comprehensive reform of the country’s technical and vocational education sector. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, issued the directive on Thursday in Abuja while inaugurating the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which had operated without a substantive board for more than five years. The minister also urged institutions under the NBTE’s regulatory oversight to strengthen their focus on applied sciences, engineering, technology and innovation.

Alausa criticised polytechnic leaders for straying from their original mandate, noting that more than 50 percent of courses currently offered fall under management and social sciences. According to the minister, programmes such as accounting, mass communication and other management-related courses now outweigh technical and engineering disciplines, thereby weakening the relevance of polytechnic graduates in the labour market. The minister stressed that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is no longer an alternative pathway to university education but a strategic national priority. He noted that no nation can achieve meaningful industrialisation without a strong base of technicians, technologists, artisans, fabricators, automation specialists, machine operators and other skilled professionals. The government is deliberately shifting the nation’s education system from an overdependence on paper qualifications to producing competent, innovative and highly skilled graduates equipped to drive industrialisation, entrepreneurship and national productivity.

As part of the reform, ongoing amendments to the Polytechnic Act would enable polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degrees in science, technology and engineering programmes, while non-science programmes will continue under the Higher National Diploma (HND) framework. The proposed reform is intended to end the long-standing dichotomy between HND and Bachelor’s degrees, a policy shift many education experts have described as a watershed moment for technical and vocational education in Nigeria. The minister assured stakeholders that strict quality assurance measures would be enforced to ensure that degrees awarded by polytechnics meet global standards. The reform follows years of advocacy and legislative efforts to address the systemic discrimination faced by HND holders in career progression and employment, a policy shift that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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Alausa outlined four key priorities for the newly inaugurated Governing Board. The board is to provide strategic leadership, sound policy direction and effective oversight while maintaining a clear distinction between governance and management by allowing the Executive Secretary and Management Team to handle day-to-day administration. The board is to accelerate implementation of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund to formally recognise and certify the competencies of skilled artisans under the National Skills Qualification Framework. The minister explained that the initiative would enhance employability, expand access to finance, create opportunities for government contracts and strengthen labour mobility within the ECOWAS region. Alausa called for comprehensive modernisation through Outcome-Based Education, with programmes reflecting the realities of Industry 4.0 by integrating digital technologies, automation, artificial intelligence, green technologies, advanced manufacturing systems and other emerging competencies. The minister also directed the board to ensure that public resources, capital projects, intervention funds, research initiatives and institutional investments translate into measurable improvements in skills acquisition, institutional performance, youth employment and national productivity.

Responding on behalf of the Governing Board, its Chairman, Professor Babatunde L. Salako, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Education for the confidence reposed in the Board. He pledged the Board’s unwavering support for the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Minister’s reform initiatives, assuring that members would work diligently to expand opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire relevant technical skills, promote innovation and nurture a new generation of entrepreneurs and job creators. Professor Salako further identified changing the long-held perception of technical education as a second-choice option as one of the Board’s foremost responsibilities. He stressed the need for sustained public enlightenment to encourage parents, students and the wider society to embrace TVET as a respected pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and national development.

In a related policy shift, the Federal Government has scrapped the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for admission into Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes and National Diploma non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related courses. The decision followed data showing declining enrolment in Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and agriculture-related programmes across the country. The UTME waiver is aimed at reviving technical, agricultural and teacher education while expanding access to tertiary education for young Nigerians.

The minister charged governing councils, rectors and academic boards to urgently review and restructure their academic offerings to align with approved educational standards and national development priorities. Regulatory agencies have been directed to strengthen monitoring and enforcement, ensuring that polytechnics comply with approved mandates and stop operating outside their defined scope. Institutions that fail to comply with the new directives risk sanctions, the minister warned, adding that the future of Nigeria’s workforce depends largely on a strong, focused and skills-oriented polytechnic system.

FG Orders Polytechnics to Scrap Non-Technical Courses, Restricts BTech Degrees

Education

BREAKING: 61.54% Pass Rate as WAEC Releases 2026 WASSCE Results – How to Check Results

Published

1 day ago

August 5, 2026

Trends Admin

BREAKING: 61.54% Pass Rate as WAEC Releases 2026 WASSCE Results – How to Check Results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates. This announcement was made on Wednesday via a post on the council’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, directing candidates to begin checking their results online. According to the Head of WAEC Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, a total of 1,200,514 candidates — representing 61.54% of those who sat the exam — obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. He noted that this figure represents a slight 1.42% decrease compared to the 2025 examination results. A total of 1,959,668 candidates registered for the examination from over 24,000 schools across Nigeria and other West African countries, with 1,950,726 eventually sitting for the test. The exams were conducted from April 24 to June 19, 2026. Of the 1.2 million candidates who met the university admission benchmark, 558,883 (28.65%) were male, while 641,631 (32.89%) were female. Overall, female participation edged out males, with 997,267 females (51.12%) compared to 953,459 males (48.88%).

WAEC also announced that the results of 167,486 candidates (8.59%) have been withheld over various allegations of examination malpractice. Dr. Dangut noted that the use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating were among the infractions cited. This figure represents a decline from the 9.7% malpractice rate recorded in 2025. Some supervisors and invigilators suspected of assisting candidates in malpractice have been arrested and will be disciplined.

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The council confirmed that 1,834,695 candidates (94.05%) have had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 116,031 candidates are still being processed due to candidate-related errors. A total of 1,213 candidates with special needs participated in the examination, including 137 visually impaired candidates and 491 candidates with hearing impairment.

Here are the steps to check your 2026 WAEC result:

Step 1: Get Your Serial Number and PIN

Before you can check your result, you need a Serial Number and PIN. If you don’t have them, you can recover them on the WAEC website:

Visit waec.org.
Click the “Serial Number and PIN” menu at the top of the page.
Select the 2026 examination year and the appropriate diet.
Enter your examination number and the National Identification Number (NIN) you used during registration.
Enter your email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
Enter the OTP to recover your Serial Number and PIN.

Alternatively, you can purchase a new WAEC result checker e-PIN for ₦5,000 by visiting waeconline.org and following the payment instructions. Scratch cards from previous years remain valid and can be used up to five times.

Option 1: Check Online via the WAEC Website

Step 2: Visit the WAEC result portal
Go to waecdirect.org.

Step 3: Enter your examination number
Type your 10-digit examination number (7-digit centre number + 3-digit candidate number).

Step 4: Select the examination year
Choose 2026 from the dropdown menu.

Step 5: Select the examination type
Choose School Candidate Result.

Step 6: Enter your Serial Number and PIN
Input the Serial Number and PIN you recovered or purchased.

Step 7: Submit
Click the Submit button. Your result will appear on the screen and can be printed or saved.

Option 2: Check via the WAEC Mobile App

You can also check your result using the official WAEC Result Checker app:

Download the WAEC Result Checker app from the Google Play Store.
Open the app.
Enter your examination number, select 2026 as the year, and enter your Serial Number and PIN.
Submit to view and download your result.

Option 3: Check by SMS (No Internet Required)

If you do not have internet access, you can check your result via SMS on MTN, Glo, or Airtel networks:

Type your message in this format:
WAEC[Examination Number][PIN]2026
Example: WAEC4123456789*123456789012*2026
Send the message to 32327.
Standard SMS charges apply.

BREAKING: 61.54% Pass Rate as WAEC Releases 2026 WASSCE Results – How to Check Results

Education

UNIOSUN ranks third among state universities in latest Webometrics ranking

Published

3 days ago

August 3, 2026

Trends Admin

UNIOSUN ranks third among state universities in latest Webometrics ranking

Osun State University, Osogbo, has emerged as the third-best state-owned university in Nigeria in the July 2026 edition of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities.

The institution also secured the 19th position among all universities in Nigeria, according to the latest ranking released by Webometrics, an international university ranking platform that assesses higher institutions based on their web presence, research visibility and academic impact.

In a statement made available on Monday, the university said the achievement reflects its sustained investment in quality teaching, impactful research, innovation and digital visibility.

The university added that it was also ranked 17th in Nigeria in the 2026 uniRank National University Ranking, another international assessment of higher education institutions.

Reacting to the development, the management described the rankings as a reflection of the commitment of its governing council, management, academic and non-academic staff, students and alumni to advancing the institution’s vision of becoming a globally competitive university.

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According to the university, the recognition will further strengthen its resolve to sustain excellence in teaching, research, community service and international collaborations.

Webometrics, published by the Cybermetrics Lab of the Spanish National Research Council, releases its rankings twice a year, evaluating universities based on indicators such as research excellence, openness, visibility and the impact of their online academic content.

Established by the Osun State Government in 2006, UNIOSUN has continued to expand its academic programmes, research output and international partnerships, earning recognition among Nigeria’s leading public universities.