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NBTE seeks more funding, conversion of 60% of Nigerian varsities into Polys

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NBTE seeks more funding, conversion of 60% of Nigerian varsities into Polys

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has advocated more funding and conversion of 60 per cent of Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics to bridge the gap in skills deficiency amongst graduates.

The Executive Secretary (ES) of NBTE, Prof Idris Bugaje, made the call on Monday in Kaduna at the North-West zone national workshop on the reviewed entrepreneurship and skills development curricular for entrepreneurship educators in Nigerian Polytechnics and similar institutions.

The theme of the workshop was ‘New approach to entrepreneurship curricular delivery’.

Bugaje, represented by his Special Assistant, Dr Ibrahim Bashir, said, ”For every Engineer produced by a university, he requires at least five technologists, 10 technicians and 20 artisans in executing projects.”

He, therefore, said that the artisans and technologists were products of Polytechnics, which called for a reverse in funding process by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) to pump more funds into polytechnics.

“As a serious nation and trying to do what is expected, we should be promoting skills and not theories.

“We should be thinking of chunning out the skillful youth population out of our higher institutions.

“Our people are always thinking of migrating to Europe and Asia, some through deadly routes. If those people are well skilled with the necessary certification, they will be given red carpet reception wherever they go,”he said.

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Bugaje, therefore, wondered why Nigerians were more passionate about degrees instead of skills.

He stressed the importance of curriculum, stating that it is the foundation of any good programme that wants to be created.

Bugaje said the present curriculum being administered to students in the polytechnics was developed in 2007.

According to him,.there have been a lot of changes over the years, where the mantra of the NBTE was centred on skills and not degrees.

Bugaje said that the NBTE’s advocacy on skills was not in any way discouraging acquisition of degrees, but should be complemented by skills.

“Without skills, one is likely not going to fit into the contemporary competitive world. Skills are now the most important global currency of the world,”he said.

The executive secretary described the uproar by some actors about the ‘top up degree’ programme by the NBTE as uncalled for and unnecessary/

Bugaje stated that converting 60 per cent of Nigerian universities into polytechnics was the right thing to do to be seen as serious in the educational sector.

Earlier, the NBTE’s Director, Curriculum Development Department, Dr Musa Koko, said the workshop was the first in its series and the second since 2007.

He said that the last efforts in developing the entrepreneurship curriculum, teachers guide and training manual was to kick start the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) in all the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions.

Koko said the curriculum development was aimed at improving programme delivery and graduates’ improvement towards self-reliance.

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He explained that the training, which was held between 2007-2010, targeted 300 lecturers with a visit to Songhai Centre in Port Novo, Benin Republic.

“It is important to note that nearly seventeen years of implementation of the EDP project in our institutions has made it overdue both in content, approach and delivery.

“The board under Prof Bugaje had rolled out a decisive policy direction aimed primarily to
address TVET position in skills delivery which include the review of all aging curricula in all the
programmes and especially the EEd,”he said.

Koko added that the review was necessitated because of the time and the need to reinvigorate the spirit of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for all TVET Institutions and its graduates.

He however, said that presently, the focus was widened because the number of Instructors and lecturers targeted was nearly 4000, with the North- Central alone having about 350 by estimate.

Koko, therefore, said the workshop was to bring the lecture’s attention to the new approach to entrepreneurship delivery.

“This is because the review has addressed the content, pedagogy and the practical requirement in terms of skills and trades as well as award and certification of graduates”,he said.

Koko urged the participants to grant the workshop the necessary attention it deserved.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the entrepreneurship workshop was organized in conjunction with Danglo Management and Financial Limited while it was sponsored by TETfund.

NBTE seeks more funding, conversion of 60% of Nigerian varsities into Polys

(NAN)

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Maduka University Denies Withholding Student Transcript, Fee Hike Claims in Viral Video

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Maduka University Denies Withholding Student Transcript, Fee Hike Claims in Viral Video

Maduka University Denies Withholding Student Transcript, Fee Hike Claims in Viral Video

Maduka University has denied allegations made in a viral social media video accusing the institution of withholding the transcript of a medical student and imposing arbitrary school fee increases on students.

The university described the claims as “baseless,” misleading and an attempt at “content creation,” insisting that due process was followed in all dealings concerning the student involved.

The controversy began after Mrs Chika Akhigbe, mother of a medical student at the institution located in Ekwegbe-Nsukka, Enugu State, posted a viral video alleging that the university refused to release her daughter’s hard-copy transcript despite payment of the required processing fee.

In the video, Akhigbe also accused the university of repeatedly increasing tuition fees for medical students, claiming the hikes had become financially unbearable for many parents.

She said the family requested the transcript because they planned to transfer their daughter to another university following the alleged fee increase.

However, in a statement signed by the Registrar of the university, J. Omeje, and made available to journalists, the institution rejected the allegations and provided its own account of the events.

According to the university, the student’s father was informed that official transcripts are only sent directly to another institution and not handed over to individuals.

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“The student’s father was duly informed by the Registrar to provide the name of the institution to which the official transcript would be sent, in line with standard university practice and established academic procedures. This address has not been provided,” the statement read.

The university maintained that it never refused to release the transcript but merely requested the destination institution’s details in accordance with standard academic procedures followed globally.

Maduka University also alleged that the student’s father admitted he could not immediately pay the official transcript processing fee and later threatened legal action and social media exposure.

According to the institution, he allegedly visited several offices, including the Admissions Office and Bursary Department, making similar threats.

Responding to claims that all school fees had already been paid, the university said the student still had an outstanding balance of N500,000 from a total tuition obligation of N3.5 million for the 2025/2026 academic session.

“It is not true that all fees have been paid. They have an outstanding of N500,000,” the statement added.

The university further claimed that no payment had been received for transcript processing as of May 21, 2026.

“As at May 21, 2026, the university is yet to receive any payment from her for the purpose of any transcript processing,” the institution stated.

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Maduka University also denied claims that the Vice Chancellor personally discussed the transcript matter with the student’s parents, clarifying that all interactions took place strictly through the Registrar’s office, which supervises transcript processing through the university records unit.

On allegations of arbitrary fee hikes, the institution insisted that reports circulating online were inaccurate.

According to the university, tuition and accommodation fees for returning medical students for the 2026/2027 academic session stand at N4,010,000 and not N4.5 million as claimed in the viral video.

The university said the new academic session had not yet commenced and argued that its fees remain among the lowest charged by private medical universities in Nigeria.

“Her claim that we increase school fees annually and therefore have become unaffordable is false. We have maintained one of the lowest fee regimes among our contemporaries,” the statement added.

The institution also dismissed claims that the student involved was the best-performing student in her class, describing the assertion as inaccurate.

Addressing security concerns raised in the video, the Registrar said the university has never recorded any security breach since its establishment.

“It is false and unsubstantiated; we have never had any security breaches since the inception of the university,” the statement said.

The university accused Mrs Akhigbe of attempting to damage the institution’s reputation through social media influence and public pressure.

“Her intention is to use her social media influence to force the university to circumvent official protocol. It is surprising that a mother would use the education of her daughter to entertain her social media followers and drive traffic to her page,” the university stated.

Maduka University reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, due process and adherence to academic standards in all administrative matters.

The institution also urged members of the public to rely on verified information from official channels rather than social media narratives.

Maduka University was founded by renowned businessman and Peace Group Chairman, Samuel Maduka Onyishi, as part of efforts to expand access to quality higher education in Nigeria.

The controversy has continued to generate mixed reactions online, with some social media users calling for greater transparency from private universities, while others argued that transcript release procedures are standard practice across many tertiary institutions.

Education stakeholders have meanwhile stressed the need for better communication between universities, students and parents to prevent similar disputes from escalating publicly.

Maduka University Denies Withholding Student Transcript, Fee Hike Claims in Viral Video

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Nigeria Signs Deal To Train 36,000 Youths In Digital Economy Programme

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Nigeria Signs Deal To Train 36,000 Youths In Digital Economy Programme

Nigeria Signs Deal To Train 36,000 Youths In Digital Economy Programme

The Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a landmark agreement to train 36,000 young Nigerians in digital skills development, as part of a renewed push to prepare youths for opportunities in the global digital economy.

The initiative, known as the Digital Training Academy (DTA) programme, was formally signed on the sidelines of the Education World Forum (EWF) in London and is being positioned as a flagship intervention under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the programme reflects the administration’s commitment to equipping Nigerian youths with globally competitive skills in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. According to him, digital competence is now essential for national development and individual employability. He added that the Renewed Hope Agenda recognises digital competency as a core foundation for modern economic growth, stressing that the initiative is a direct investment in helping young Nigerians compete globally.

A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Ikharo Attah, confirmed that the programme will be delivered in partnership with global online learning platform Coursera, alongside Nigeria’s National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH). Through this partnership, participants will be trained in high-demand digital and tech fields including Artificial Intelligence (AI), data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing, software engineering, and digital product development.

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The Federal Government also confirmed it has fully funded 36,000 learning licences across Coursera and Pluralsight, ensuring that selected participants will access training at no personal cost. Officials said the initiative is designed to remove financial barriers while ensuring participants earn internationally recognised certifications that can improve their employability in both local and global job markets.

To ensure nationwide participation, the programme will leverage NOUN’s distance learning structure, allowing access for youths across all geopolitical zones in Nigeria. YABATECH will complement this effort by providing industry-based mentorship, facilitators, and technical support to strengthen practical learning outcomes and improve completion rates.

Alausa stressed that success will depend not only on access but also on accountability and completion, noting that structured support systems have been built into the programme to ensure measurable impact. He described the agreement as a “covenant between government and Nigerian youth,” reaffirming the administration’s commitment to long-term investment in human capital development.

The initiative is part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to reduce youth unemployment and strengthen participation in the global digital economy, where demand for skilled tech professionals continues to grow. Analysts say the programme could position Nigeria as a major exporter of digital talent if properly implemented and sustained.

However, education stakeholders have urged the government to ensure transparency, strong monitoring, and long-term funding to avoid challenges that have affected similar intervention programmes in the past.

Despite these concerns, the initiative has been widely welcomed as a significant step toward bridging Nigeria’s growing digital skills gap and expanding access to globally relevant technology education.

Nigeria Signs Deal To Train 36,000 Youths In Digital Economy Programme

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BREAKING: JAMB Releases 279 Withheld UTME Results After Malpractice Review

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BREAKING: JAMB Releases 279 Withheld UTME Results After Malpractice Review

BREAKING: JAMB Releases 279 Withheld UTME Results After Malpractice Review

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the release of 279 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results that were earlier withheld for further scrutiny over suspected examination malpractice.

The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday by the board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who said the decision followed a detailed review of flagged cases during the 2026 UTME exercise.

According to JAMB, the released results are part of ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities recorded in some examination centres across the country.

The board explained that while some candidates were cleared after investigations found no evidence of malpractice, others had their results cancelled after being found culpable.

JAMB noted that the review process remains ongoing for several centres identified through its monitoring system for suspicious activities and reported irregularities during the examination period.

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It added that results linked to such centres will remain withheld until investigations are fully concluded.

The examination body warned that any candidate eventually found guilty of malpractice will have their results cancelled in line with its regulations and examination guidelines.

To check their results, candidates were advised to send “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number used during UTME registration, as part of JAMB’s official result-checking process.

The board reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the UTME examination, stressing that strict monitoring systems were in place to curb malpractice and ensure fairness in the conduct of future examinations.

The latest release is part of JAMB’s phased review process for the 2026 UTME, which has seen results released in batches following nationwide examinations conducted earlier in the year.

 

BREAKING: JAMB Releases 279 Withheld UTME Results After Malpractice Review

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