Education

FG, ASUU resume talks Monday, students continue protests

Published

3 years ago

May 11, 2022

Students of the University of Ilorin on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest to express their disappointment over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, vowing that they would not have anything to do with the 2023 general election if the government allowed the strike to linger.

This was just as students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, staged a similar protest on the strike in front of The PUNCH Place on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

The PUNCH had reported how ASUU, on Monday, extended its rollover strike by 12 weeks to provide enough time for the Federal Government to attend to its demands.

UNILORIN students, during the protest, said they planned to take their protest to major places like the Government House, roads linking Ilorin Airport, state House of Assembly, Federal Secretariat, police headquarters, and the Department of State Services, among other places, if the meeting between ASUU and the Federal Government did not resolve the lingering crisis this week.

The protesting students lamented their continued stay at home due to the strike and called on the Federal Government to meet ASUU’s demands to enable them to complete their academic activities.

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Speaking with journalists, the Students Union President, Taofik Waliu, said the protest was aimed at creating awareness among stakeholders and members of the public.

Waliu said, “We want to graduate. The Federal Government should meet ASUU’s demands. We don’t plan to move around town today. We hope that soon, the ASUU strike will be a thing of the past whereby about-to-be graduates can graduate and 300 Level students can move up, and so on.

“However, if nothing fruitful comes out after the Federal Government’s meeting with ASUU this week, we will move en masse continuously with other students of 10 educational institutions in the state to block roads to various places in the state capital to register our displeasure over the lingering strike.

“This is just to send a message to the government that we are tired and they should meet ASUU’s demands.”

The state chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Salman Yisa, called on state governors to intervene, adding that the issue is beyond the Federal Government.

OAU students, who stormed the entrance of The PUNCH, said they did so because they believed their grievances would be publicised.

The President of the OAU Student Union Government, Olayiwola Folarin, in an interview with one of our correspondents, described their action as a warning, adding that they have plans to hit the streets if nothing was done soonest.

The union’s Welfare Officer, Dada Arafat, said, “We are in solidarity with ASUU, appealing for the reopening of schools and provision of funds meant for laboratories and structures.”

The union’s Clerk, Odetunde Dickson, added that students were tired of constant industrial action.

OAU orders students to vacate halls of residence

The management of OAU, however, on Tuesday directed all students to vacate their halls of residence.

A statement signed by the Dean, Division of Student Affairs, Prof. I.O. Aransi, dated May 10, 2022, said students must comply with the directive not later than Friday, May 13.

According to him, the directive was a sequel to the latest development on the ongoing strike embarked upon by all the staff unions in the nation’s federal universities.

The statement read in part, “To this end, all undergraduate and postgraduate students in the halls of residence are directed to vacate their respective hostels and go home till further notice.

“It is our hope that issues necessitating the strike action will be resolved as soon as possible.”

Government meets ASUU May 16

Meanwhile, ASUU may meet with the government side on May 16.

The Chairman of the Federal University of Technology, Minna chapter of ASUU, and member of the union’s National Executive Council, Dr. Gbolahan Bolarin, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja.

Bolarin said, “I am aware there will be a meeting coming up next week from May 16 with the government, but we are not aware of any invitation from the Minister of Labour and Employment. Holding a meeting is not the issue, the most important thing is the implementation.

“They will call us for meetings and then say the government does not have the money. When aviation declared strike, they settled it because they are mostly affected. Once our leaders are not affected, they do not care. When bad fuel was imported, they did not really care. Our leaders are not sincere, the day the government becomes sincere, issues will be settled.

“We have given them 12 weeks and we hope that they will resolve the issues within this window. This is something they can resolve within a day if they are serious.”.

Related Topics:ASUU Featured FG Monday protests students

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Education

One of 5 applying for students loan is female – NELFUND

Published

3 days ago

March 11, 2025

Trends Admin

Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr

One of 5 applying for students loan is female – NELFUND

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has reported that male students are applying for the Federal Government’s zero-interest education loans at a 4:1 ratio compared to female students, urging more female students to take advantage of the initiative to bridge the gap.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, made this known during the NELFUND Women Forum Programme in Abuja on Monday, in celebration of the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD).

He was represented by Ms. Oluwatosin Sanusi, NELFUND’s Head of Investments and Funds Management.

Sawyerr pointed out that female students were not utilizing the loan opportunities as much as their male counterparts. The ratio of female applicants to male applicants is 1:4, a figure he described as unimpressive.

“The NELFUND initiative is all about providing loans for students in tertiary institutions, to pay for their fees and to take care of their welfare.

“Currently we have a ratio of 4 to 1, which means for every four male applicants, we have just one female, which isn’t impressive.”

To address the low participation rate, Sawyerr stated that NELFUND was collaborating with women stakeholders to increase awareness of the loan initiative and its benefits.

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However, he also stressed that loan repayment was crucial for the sustainability of the programme.

“Timely repayment would allow for the expansion of the initiative, enabling more students across all government-owned institutions to benefit,” he noted.

He further clarified that the education loan was accessible to students at various levels in universities and polytechnics within federal and state-owned institutions, while the skill acquisition loan extended beyond tertiary students.

Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmed, praised the Federal Government’s commitment to gender equity and urged female students to seize educational opportunities. Represented by Dr. Mufida Hussain, she stressed the need for bold action to break barriers and highlighted government investments in gender-balanced initiatives to ensure financial constraints do not hinder girls’ education.

Ms. Choice Enebeli, the National President of Female Students of Nigeria, praised NELFUND’s efforts in advocating for more female applications.

“Women’s rights are human rights, and we must continue to strive for a world where women and girls have equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and leadership positions,” she said.

Enebeli pledged to spearhead an awareness campaign on the educational loan across the country to encourage more female students to apply.

Mrs. Chioma Nweze, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, encouraged female students to be proactive in seeking opportunities rather than waiting for them. She emphasized the importance of taking initiative and claiming available opportunities.

One of 5 applying for students loan is female – NELFUND

Education

Workers of Oyo tertiary institutions begin indefinite strike

Published

3 days ago

March 10, 2025

Trends Admin

Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde

Workers of Oyo tertiary institutions begin indefinite strike

Workers at five Oyo State government-owned tertiary institutions have begun an indefinite strike.

The workers, in a statement on Monday, noted that strike action became necessary due to non-payment of minimum wage and unresolved salary disputes.

The institutions involved are The Polytechnic, Ibadan; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora; and Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate.

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The Joint Action Committee (JAC) stated that the decision to embark on strike came after extensive discussions among the unions.

It added that the strike was a necessary measure to urge the state government to fulfil its obligations.

It said, “Declaration of Indefinite Strike by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Oyo State-Owned Tertiary Institutions

“The Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising 15 unions across the five state-owned tertiary institutions in Oyo State, hereby declares an indefinite strike action commencing on Monday, March 10, 2025.

“This decision was reached after extensive deliberations and consultations among the unions, following the inability of the management of the affected institutions to address the longstanding issues of non-implementation of the approved 25/35% salary increase being enjoyed by our colleagues in other institutions since January 2024 and the new minimum wage for workers in the Polytechnic and College of education sector.”

Workers of Oyo tertiary institutions begin indefinite strike

Education

Over two million candidates register for 2025 UTME, JAMB closes registration

Published

3 days ago

March 10, 2025

Trends Admin

Over two million candidates register for 2025 UTME, JAMB closes registration

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has closed registration for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

A total of 2,030,627 candidates completed their registration, allowing them to participate in the UTME scheduled for April 25, 2025.

Recall that JAMB recently informed that the registration process, which began on February 3, 2025, would end on March 8, 2025, adding that unlike in the past, there would be no extension.

In its Monday weekly bulletin, JAMB revealed that with the closure of the UTME registration, preparations for the annual examination are now in full swing.

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This number excludes the candidates registered for examination at foreign centers.

Additionally, 200,115 candidates expressed interest in taking the optional mock UTME, which is set for April 5, 2025. Among these, 630 candidates have registered for the trial mock examination, which will also occur on the same date.

The bulletin read in part: “This year, the Board has implemented several innovative measures to deter cheating and maintain the integrity of the examination process.

“These measures have already led to multiple arrests of candidates attempting to use forged A-level results for admission, highlighting the effectiveness of the new system designed to detect such fraud.

“Candidates are strongly advised to adhere to the examination rules and regulations and refrain from any dishonest practices during the examination.“