COVER
Education Minister Bows to Pressure, Pegs ‘Varsity Entry Age at 16
By David Torough, Abuja.
Education Minister, Professor Tahir Mamman yesterday, bowed to pressure mounted by Vice Chancellors of universities and heads of tertiary institutions in Nigeria to peg the minimum entry age to Nigerian universities and tertiary institutions at 16 years.
This was just as the nation’s universities adopted 140 as the baseline score for admissions as well as 100 for polytechnics and Colleges of Education (CoEs) for the next academic session (2024/25).
The 16-year age approval came moments after the minister had already announced emphatically in his speech at the opening of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting for 2024 that the entry age would be 18 as prescribed by extant laws of the country, particularly the National Policy on Education.
In his initial directive, the minister had explained that the minimum six years of age for primary education automatically implied that any applicant who began primary school at the prescribed age would have attained 18 years at the time of completion of secondary education and application for university admission.
The minister’s declaration was however, met with shouts of disapproval from most of the over 3,000 top education administrators in the audience.
As the education administrators sustained their opposition, the Vice Chancellor of Elizade University, Professor Kayode Ijadunola moved a motion for reduction of the age limit to 16.
Ijadunola argued that since the applicants had already taken the UMTE, so the entry 18 years entry age be enforced in subsequent years.
After due consultation, the Minister accepted the proposals from the academic institutions but ruled however, that after the 2024/25 academic session, admission age would be pegged at 18.
He directed JAMB to ensure that adequate publicity as given to the new directive to guide future applicants and parents.
The policy meeting, attended by Vice Chancellors, provosts of CoEs, rectors of polytechnics and heads of education agencies is convened annually by JAMB to adopt admission policies and procedures after the annual Universities and Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Mamman warned admission officers and heads of tertiary institutions to adhere strictly to the guidelines as proposed by JAMB and democratically approved by yesterday’s Policy Meeting.
He regretted that improprieties in the admission process had led to the illegal admission of one million students in the universities, polytechnics and COEs since 2017 but warned that such would no longer be condoned.
The minister announced that a new curriculum for secondary schools in the country with emphasis on skills acquisition would be introduced from September and said the new policy would be presented to various stakeholders including the National Council on Education for approval before its eventual launch at the start of the next academic session.
According to the minister, the new policy was the ministry’s response to the problem of unemployment of school leavers and crisis faced by many secondary graduates in the pursuit of admission in the tertiary institutions.
“These young children live with us and we must care about their future,” he stated adding that the graduates with reasonable skills would better fend for themselves if they could not pursue higher education.
The minister warned the recently inaugurated governing councils of Federal Government owned universities and tertiary institutions to ensure they operate according to the laws guiding their respective institutions and to avoid the temptation to usurp the powers of the heads of the institutions on critical issues such as appointment of principal officers and procurement of goods and services.
He also clarified that there was no plan by the Federal Government to privatise any of its tertiary institutions or transfer its management to private hands, contrary to what he described as “propaganda in certain quarters”.
Registrar of JAMB, Prof Is-haq Oloyode, who led participants through adoption of the comprehensive admissions policy for 2024/25 academic session warned that the board will not condone any sharp practices in line with its zero –tolerance on corruption in the admissions process.
He assured that the huge investment in technology by the board had made it impossible for criminally minded applicants to circumvent the rigorous examination and admission processes and vowed that anybody who attempted to manipulate the system would be fished out and punished according to law.
He said some applicants and staff of some institutions were already in police custody over various infractions of the law and assured that the suspects would be taken to court to face the law.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) has launched DAWN: DBN Action for Women in Nigeria, unveiled its Impact Report and presented MSME Data Assets at the seventh edition of Annual Lecture held in Abuja.
DBN, in a statement on Thursday, said while delivering a welcome address, its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tony Okpanachi, said the central challenge was no longer reforms themselves but ensuring benefits reach businesses at end of the chain.
He asked how to make sure benefits reach traders in Onitsha, fabricator in Aba, farmer in Kebbi and young founder in Yaba, noting that MSMEs accounted for about half of Nigeria’s GDP and more than eight in every ten jobs, adding that when reform works for MSMEs it works for most Nigerians.
He explained that reform becomes prosperity only when entrepreneurs can act on it whether through long tenor loans to buy equipment, banks willing to take risk or skills and records needed to grow.
He said working through Participating Financial Institutions DBN provides longer term funding, partial credit guarantees through subsidiary Impact Credit Guarantee Limited and capacity building including Entrepreneurship Training Programme.
He disclosed that as at December 2025 DBN had disbursed a cumulative N1.4 trillion to MSMEs through 84 Participating Financial Institutions creating about 1.6 million jobs nationwide.
Under the new five year strategy, the Bank aims to reach more than two million MSMEs with deliberate targets for women led businesses, youth led businesses and underserved states.
On DAWN, Okpanachi said finance alone had not enabled enough women-led businesses to scale.
He said initiative brings together financing, guarantees and credit support, technical assistance, outcome linked grants and market linkages delivered through banks, microfinance institutions, fintechs, aggregators, cooperatives and direct channels.
Its priority sectors are agriculture and exports, healthcare, arts and creatives, technology and green business.
He said DAWN is about moving gender focused lending beyond intention and turning access into opportunity.
On the sidelines of the lecture DBN and African Development Bank held a signing ceremony of AfDB DBN 61 million United States dollars Gender Line of Credit development that reinforces Bank commitment to women led enterprises.
Okpanachi urged Participating Financial Institutions to extend lending into sectors and states where access to finance has been limited, policymakers and regulators to measure reform by what changes for business at end of chain and MSMEs to formalise, keep good records and use support now available.
The Vice President as Special Guest of Honour was represented by Dr Fred Iklaga Senior Technical Adviser in the Office of Special Adviser to the President on Economy.
Keynote speakers were Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Dr Karl Toriola, and Chairman of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Dr Segun Ogunsanya.
Fireside chat featured Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Abubakar Suleiman, manufacturing and trade entrepreneur Mrs Omoyemi Chukwurah and by video Kola Masha of Babban Gona.
The Secretary to the Government of Federation, represented by Augusta Warren Bekaredebo, said 2026 tax reforms would bring relief to many small businesses expressing optimism that a lot of businesses will be smiling by next year because they will be exempted from tax.
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened possible nationwide industrial action following the failure of talks with the Federal Government over workers’ welfare, petrol prices and other outstanding labour demands.
The warning came after a meeting between the government and organised labour at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on Thursday, October 22, ended without an agreement.
The congress has given the Federal Government until Tuesday, October 27, to make meaningful progress on the issues, warning that its relevant organs would decide the next line of action if the next meeting fails to produce concrete commitments.
The NLC has also directed its affiliates, state councils and civil society allies to begin mobilising members for possible nationwide action.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, expressed disappointment over what he described as the government delegation’s lack of preparedness for the negotiations.
According to the congress, organised labour presented its demands in good faith but left the meeting without any concrete commitments from the government.
The demands include a reduction in petrol prices to 2024 levels, renegotiation of the national minimum wage, implementation of agreed tax relief measures and resolution of the terms of settlement involving the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
The congress also called for the resolution of issues raised by the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) over peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances.
The NLC said the government delegation lacked the necessary authority to engage meaningfully on the issues presented by labour representatives.
“The meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour, convened at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on 22nd October 2026, has ended without resolution,” the statement said.
It added that the Minister of Labour requested that the meeting be adjourned until October 27 to allow the government to prepare adequately for further discussions.
The preparations, according to the statement, would include bringing relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies to the negotiating table.
The congress said it remained open to dialogue but would not accept continued delays in addressing workers’ concerns.
“We will report back to our organs, and if no meaningful progress is made on Tuesday, the relevant organs of the NLC will decide the next line of action,” it said.
The labour body urged workers and members of the public to remain calm while the negotiations continue, even as it directed its affiliates and allies to prepare for possible industrial action.
“However, we urge all affiliates of NLC and TUC; all state councils and our civil society allies to be alert and start mobilising for a possible action across the nation while we hope that the tenets of our demands are met by the government,” the statement added.
The October 27 meeting is expected to provide another opportunity for both sides to address the outstanding issues and prevent a possible escalation of the dispute.
However, the NLC’s decision to begin mobilisation suggests that tensions could rise if the next round of talks fails to produce meaningful progress.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has barred its personnel from escorting politicians during campaigns for the 2027 general elections.
Zonal Commanding Officer, RS6, ACM Abimbola Owolabi, gave the directive during her maiden visit to the Cross River Command in Calabar on Wednesday.
Owolabi said patrol vehicles and sirens must not be used for political activities or private engagements, including weddings and funeral processions.
She directed officers deployed to campaign venues to focus exclusively on traffic management to prevent congestion and road crashes.
The zonal head warned personnel against leading political convoys or providing escorts for politicians, stressing that official vehicles must not be used for unauthorised purposes.
Aba Commercial Smart City Celebrates COO, Mazen Kalassina at 39
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja Aba Commercial Smart City has celebrated its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Engr. Mazen Kalassina, on his...
Rebuilding Public Trust in Government Borrowing: The Case for Scaling Up Sukuk Financing in Nigeria
ShareBy Uche Joe Uwaleke The recent request by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly for approval to raise $20.52...
2027: Buba Yakub Mobilises Adamawa Support for Tinubu, APC
ShareFrom Yagana Ali, Yola The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has called...
2027: FOOG Women Coordinator Urges Nigerians to Support Tinubu’s Re-election Bid
ShareBy Francis Sadhere, Warri Chief (Mrs) Esther Orighomisan Okotie-Eboh, Coordinator of Felix Omagbemi Ogbe Group (FOOG) Women Support Group for...
Troops Neutralise 217 Terrorists, Rescue 349 Kidnap Victims, Arrest 333 Suspects in Oct
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) say troops neutralised 217 terrorists and other criminals, rescued 349...
2027: Tompolo Mobilises Support for Tinubu in Ogun, says Economy Stabilising
ShareThe Grand Patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Government Ekpemupolo, has called on the people of Ogun State to massively...
Henry Okeke Commends Mbah for Clearing Pension Arrears in Enugu
ShareBy Raphael Atuu, Abuja Barrister Henry Nnanna Okeke, a member of the Governing Council of Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, has...
2027: ADC Urges ECOWAS to Insist on Credible Elections in Nigeria
ShareThe National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Sen. David Mark, has urged the Economic Community of West African...
Obi Promises Emergency Measures on Security, Corruption, Poverty
SharePresidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has promised emergency measures to tackle insecurity, corruption, hunger and...
Why I Chose Music over Football – Mr Eazi
ShareAfrobeats star Mr Eazi has claimed that English club Chelsea FC wanted to sign him before they signed former Super...