Education
Panic at King’s College Lagos over diphtheria outbreak
Panic at King’s College Lagos over diphtheria outbreak
Parents of students at King’s College, Lagos (KCL), have expressed deep concern following reports of a suspected diphtheria outbreak that resulted in some students being hospitalized.
Speaking on Sunday, several parents attributed the situation to the school’s poor sanitation conditions, raising questions about the management’s handling of the incident.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, criticized the school authorities for their lack of immediate action and limited communication about the outbreak.
The parent said, “If there are no cases, why are the students mandated to wear nose masks and some of them taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for treatment? There were cases late last year.
“We heard that officials of the World Health Organisation (WHO) were in the school yesterday (March 8), to sensitise the students on preventive measures against diphtheria disease. Why is the school secretive about the issue?
“Parents had complained several times about the poor environmental sanitation of the school and toilets, including food given to the students. Students even complain about some members of the food committee and what they do.
“A few weeks ago, some parents raised concerns that their children had fallen sick and were diagnosed with diphtheria at the hospital. Even, some PTA Exco don’t like parents to openly complain about such.
“Last week, the school sent a message to parents to sign a consent form that would enable their children to receive diphtheria vaccines in the school premises.”
A copy of the consent indicated that the routine immunisation was organized by the school in collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board through Eti-Osa Local Government.
Another parent voiced frustration about the state of the school clinic, emphasizing the need for a regular medical doctor to ensure better healthcare services.
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Two parents confirmed that their children had been hospitalized in December with diphtheria.
“It was by GOD’S grace that my son survived. I was called to pick him up. He complained of sore throat. His neck was swollen and he had high fever. When we got to the hospital, he was on admission for over a week.
“In fact, there was another student who was hospitalised for same ailment the same time, but he didn’t pull through,” one of the parents said, calling for more stringent preventive measures and ongoing health education for students.
“These are still children, most of them restless and full of play. They need constant supervision especially in their toilet, washing and also eating and recreational habits.”
A relative of a student who was taken to LUTH on Saturday shared her distress:
“Let’s keep praying for the children. My sister is panicking and distraught especially since she heard a student died from the disease in December. I believe that all will be well.
“However, the Federal Government and schools management should look more into improving the standards of KCL and indeed all unity schools. The PTA should work to better the lot of schools and students and not cover up things that aren’t right. These schools are very good and should not be allowed to continuously fall below standards all round.”
In response, Mrs. Ngozi Ogbonna, Public Relations Officer of the King’s College Parents Teachers Association (KCPTA), urged parents to remain calm, assuring them that measures were being taken to contain the situation.
Ogbonna stated in a message titled, “Issue of Diphtheria Disease in Annex Campus, King’s College”:
“As part of their efforts, the management and PTA EXCO met and contacted the relevant government health agencies, who, in collaboration, advised that booster doses of vaccines should be administered to the students.
“However, some of the students who manifested symptoms have been isolated, taken to LUTH for diagnosis and results awaited. Other students who manifest symptoms subsequently would be taken to LUTH accordingly, and parents contacted for follow-up.
“Delegates of the World Health Organisation visited the Annex Campus this evening to play their own role in controlling the situation.
“On this note, we, therefore, implore parents to remain calm and prayerful as everything is under control. We shall overcome,” Ogbonna said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diphtheria is a contagious disease caused by toxin-producing bacteria that spread through respiratory droplets. The disease can damage the respiratory tract and spread to other parts of the body, with symptoms including fever, sore throat, and swollen neck glands.
WHO emphasized that while diphtheria can affect anyone, unvaccinated children are most at risk. The agency also highlighted that overcrowded living conditions can increase the spread of infection, but early treatment significantly reduces the risk of severe complications or death.
Preventive measures include vaccination, with WHO recommending six doses of a diphtheria-containing vaccine from infancy through adolescence for long-term protection.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported that 41,336 suspected cases of diphtheria were recorded across 37 states between 2022 and early 2025, underscoring the ongoing public health challenge.
Parents are now calling for urgent improvements to infrastructure, water supply, and sanitation facilities at the college, alongside efforts to enhance teaching quality and staff attitudes to ensure the well-being of students in King’s College and other unity schools nationwide.
Panic at King’s College Lagos over diphtheria outbreak
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Education
JAMB Sets Date for 2026 UTME Mop-Up, Directs Candidates to Reprint Slips
JAMB Sets Date for 2026 UTME Mop-Up, Directs Candidates to Reprint Slips
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced June 13, 2026, as the official date for the 2026 UTME mop-up examination for candidates affected by disruptions during the main examination.
The announcement was made on Monday by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, who said the exercise is designed to accommodate candidates who were successfully verified but could not sit for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) due to technical glitches, biometric verification challenges, and other examination-related issues.
According to the board, the affected candidates were among those scheduled to sit the examination between April 16 and April 23, 2026, across accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
JAMB explained that the UTME mop-up examination represents the final phase of the 2026 examination process and is intended to resolve all outstanding issues involving candidates who were unable to complete the exercise despite presenting themselves for the test.
In the statement, the board said all candidates who were biometrically verified but could not write the examination for one reason or another have been captured for the mop-up exercise.
The examination body also disclosed that some candidates whose examination sessions were disrupted by technical failures at certain CBT centres have been rescheduled, while cases involving candidates flagged for examination infractions are still undergoing review.
JAMB noted that the mop-up exercise is part of its commitment to ensuring fairness and equal access for all eligible candidates participating in the 2026 admission process.
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Affected candidates have been directed to begin printing their Examination Notification Slips from June 6, 2026, through the official JAMB portal to confirm their examination venues, date and time.
The board urged candidates to visit their assigned examination centres ahead of the scheduled date to avoid confusion and ensure timely attendance on the day of the examination.
JAMB further warned that the June 13 examination will be the final opportunity for all affected candidates, stressing that no additional mop-up exercise will be conducted after that date.
The board stated that candidates are expected to make all necessary preparations ahead of the examination and strictly comply with all examination guidelines.
The announcement comes as JAMB continues efforts to improve the credibility and efficiency of Nigeria’s tertiary admission process through enhanced digital verification systems and stricter monitoring of CBT centres.
Education stakeholders have described the move as a welcome development, noting that it will provide deserving candidates another chance to participate in the 2026 UTME without being disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control.
The 2026 UTME mop-up exam is expected to conclude JAMB’s examination cycle for the year and pave the way for the commencement of the admission process into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
JAMB Sets Date for 2026 UTME Mop-Up, Directs Candidates to Reprint Slips
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Education
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 Increased my daughter school fees from 3 million to 4.5 million, we can no longer afford the fees, we decided to change school for my daughter, we request for my daughter transcripts’ they said, for them to release the transcript we must pay 2 million. Now we’ve… pic.twitter.com/9fuJhEl71X
— ChukwuNonso✍️ (@Mazi_Chinonso1) May 21, 2026
Maduka University Denies Withholding Student Transcript, Fee Hike Claims in Viral Video
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Education
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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