Education
Stop Discouraging Girls from Science, Engineering Courses Group Warns Parents
The STEM Damsel Network has warned Nigerian parents against the girl child gender stereotypes and cultural practices that could threaten their future careers.
The non-governmental organisation said discouraging the girls from studying courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, could have negative impacts in their careers.
It insisted that doing so could adversely affect their careers in the future.
The Founder of the group, Ekenedilichukwu Okolie, gave the warning in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday.
She condemned the socio-cultural challenges facing the girl child, especially in Africa.
She said the STEM Damsel Network had restated the campaign during a One-Day Sensitisation for Girls in Secondary Schools in Abuja it organised to commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.’
Okolie said that the event was aimed at sensitising female students on careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
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She said it was also aimed at encouraging investments in teacher training, inspiring parents to sponsor their girls to study STEM-related courses as well as boosting self-confidence and esteem of the girls.
She added that the event was attended by over 150 students along with teachers, parents and volunteers.
Part of the statement read, “In Nigeria, like other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, there is a wide gender gap in STEM. Gender stereotypes, cultural norms and lack of mentorship are some of the factors that continually dampen the interest of girls in STEM, resulting in low representation of women in STEM careers.
“However, with the 4th Industrial Revolution, the reality of the post-COVID ‘New Normal,’ digitalisation and globalisation; all of these trends have sparked radical shifts in how we live and work.
” The jobs of the future will be driven by technology and innovation; and careers in STEM offers so much more for our girls, especially economic empowerment which will help us towards achieving most of the sustainable development goals.
“Therefore, denying girls the opportunities to study STEM-related courses reduces their chances of securing better jobs in the future, thereby perpetuating poverty amongst women.
“As part of our Sustainability Plan, we unveiled The STEM Damsel Mentorship Clinic which is built on a research-based strategic teaming model to increase the likelihood that participating students will pursue STEM careers as well as expose the young girls to female STEM Mentors and professionals.
“We intend to work in partnership with educators, government agencies and corporate organisations as we continue to sensitise our young girls/parents on career opportunities in STEM through advocacy and teachers training.”
The statement further quoted the Lead Consultant, Market3 Consulting, Enoch Haruna, to have stated that “STEM is the future and not just the future.”
Haruna reportedly said, “The highest paid jobs are STEM-based and are also the highest in demand. Therefore, one of the tactics to end the poverty cycle within communities and the nation at large will be to ensure that our women are equipped to compete in STEM careers as we all agree that with women in STEM, we open up the science space for women at the apex.
A self-esteem advocate, Ejiro Alechenu, was also quoted to have encouraged young girls on the need to be self-aware, observant and conscious mentally, physically, negatively and positively.
“This is very important for the girls even in their STEM journey as it impacts how they see themselves and how they grow to be confident even in a male-dominated space,” he said.
The Founder and Creative Director, Tristetix, Dahlia Akhaine, also spoke on sustainable future, the skills needed to build a sustainable future through STEM-strong leadership skills, coding skills, data management skills, communication skills, relationship building skills and long term thinking skills.
The Proprietress, Seed of Greatness and Excellence Academy, Rev. Mrs. Agboola, reiterated the need for continuous STEM education not only for our girls but also for parents/guardians, communities and the society at large.
This, she said, would help break the stereotypes and cultural norms that have consistently dampened the interest of girls in STEM.
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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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Education
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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