Education
Kaduna Gathers 2,000 Stakeholders for School Enrollment Campaign

The Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) on Thursday 22nd August, 2018 gathered 2,000 education stakeholders as part of activities to kick start the 2019 enrollment campaign.
The board’s acting Director, Social Mobilisation, Malam Ibrahim Aminu, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the campaign targets the enrollment of 727,764 out-of-school children in the state in five years.
Aminu explained that the campaign, which target the enrollment of 145,000 pupils in 2019, would be carried out under the World Bank assisted Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA).
He explained that the 2,000 stakeholders, who would serve as enrollment influencers would be trained to carry out community-based and house-to-house sensitisation campaign on the need to send children to school.
He said that the stakeholders comprised of traditional leaders, Civil Society Organisations, Faith-Based Organisations, youths and women groups, Community-Based Organisations, community members, social mobilisation officers and Local Government Chairmen.
“Others are School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), Parent Teacher Association, legal officers, Education Marshals, vigilantes, Local Government Education Secretaries, social welfare officers, as well as education and social development officers,” he said.
He disclosed that the board had held a strategic meeting with Master Trainers, who would train the 2,000 influencers in six centres across the three Senatorial Districts on the enrollment campaign modalities.
He added that the 2,000 influencers would be expected to mobilise community leaders and SBMC Chairmen of 4,260 primary schools in the state and conduct community forum on enrollment.
“The 727,764 out-of-school children in the state militate against the realisation of the full potentials of children in the state.
“This is a huge threat to the attainment of goal four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The community-based and house-to-house enlightenment campaign is to influence change of attitudes and behaviour among parents and community members toward the education of their children, especially the girl-child.
“It is also designed to sensitise the general public on the availability of free basic education in the state and the consequences of not sending a child to school,” he added.
The director recalled that the Federal Government had in 2018 secured a 611 million dollars World Bank grant for the BESDA programme in 17 states with highest number of out-of-school children.
He identified the states as Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, Ebonyi, Rivers and Oyo.
He said that the Kaduna State Government had already received three million dollars to commence implementation of the programme.
According to him, the programme is to support Universal Basic Education Commission in addressing Pillar One of the Ministerial Strategic Plan that seeks to address the problem of out-of-school children in the country.
“The specific objective of the programme is to increase equitable access to education for out-of-school children, improve literacy in focus states and strengthen accountability for results through system strengthening.
“578 million dollars out of the 611 million dollars will be expended on Programme for Result, while 33 million dollars will be spent on Technical Assistance.
“This means that the bulk of the fund will be disbursed to the benefiting states based on the number of out-of-school children they were able to enroll in school by gender.” (NAN)
Education
UNICAL VC Promises to Resolve Dentistry Students’ Crisis

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi has promised that she would do everything humanly possible to ensure that the ongoing crisis in the institution’s Department of Dentistry, is resolved.
Prof.
Obi made the promise in Calabar during a press briefing, stressing that she will resolve the crisis before leaving office.She explained that the problem predates her administration, and pledged to intensify efforts to rectify the crisis.
She added that the crisis was as a result of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)’s refusal to induct 2016 Dentistry students of the institution.She also debunked claims circulating on social media that the institution’s Dentistry programme has lost its accreditation, describing the reports as “misinformation and distortion of facts,” clarifying that the programme remains fully accredited and no students have been directed to transfer to other universities.
“At no point did the University ask Dentistry students to seek transfers to other institutions, nor were they advised to ‘go and learn a trade’ as falsely alleged online,” the VC stated.
“I will feel very bad if I leave without solving this problem and the students are left hanging without knowing their fate. I won’t be fulfilled,” she said.
She reaffirmed the University’s commitment to ensuring all Dentistry students graduate and are duly licensed as dental surgeons.
She noted that the Dentistry programme commenced in the 2013/2014 academic session, and in November 2019, the University secured pre-clinical accreditation from the MDCN and full clinical accreditation was subsequently granted in December 2022.
The VC added that the university’s synergy and partnership with the Minister of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to upgrade its facilities.
“All we asked for is time to engage with other institutions, update the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and follow through on due processes,” she noted.
Speaking further, Obi said that some of the affected students demanded to be transferred to the Department of Medicine and Surgery but said it was not the solution as the department was already saturated.
She urged the affected students to remain calm, noting that the university was doing everything possible to resolve the issues before the end of her tenure.
Education
NUT Reaffirms Commitment to Teachers’ Professional Development in Kwara

From Abdullahi Abubakar, Ilorin
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kwara State Wing has restated its commitment to strengthening the professional growth of teachers across the State, to enhance the quality of education delivered in public schools. Speaking at the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop in Ilorin, the State Chairman of the Union, Comrade Yusuf Wahab Agboola, noted that continuous training of teachers remains a vital component of educational reform and improved classroom delivery.
The training, organised in collaboration with the NUT National Secretariat, is targeted at selected teachers and focuses on the “Study Circle Conveners’ Model”—a grassroots strategy for enhancing peer-to-peer learning and participatory leadership within the education sector.
Comrade Agboola explained that the workshop aims to equip teachers with practical skills in collaborative learning, peer engagement, and innovative teaching practices. He expressed optimism that the training would promote professional bonding among teachers and foster collective solutions to challenges facing the education sector.Also speaking at the event, the National Coordinator of the NUT Study Circle Project, Comrade Solomon Igbelowowa, traced the initiative’s roots to 1985 when it was introduced in Nigeria by the Swedish Teachers Association, having recorded success in Sweden and other parts of the world. He commended the Nigerian Union of Teachers for sustaining the project over the years and urged participants to engage fully and make the most of the training opportunity.
The workshop was officially declared open by the National President of the NUT, Audu Amba, who was represented by the 3rd National Vice President, Bashir Oyewo.
He encouraged teachers to approach the sessions with dedication and punctuality.
Education
JAMB Sets 150 Cut-off Mark for University Admissions

By Tony Obiechina Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The decision was reached on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, with stakeholders from various tertiary institutions in attendance.
According to JAMB, 140 was approved as the minimum score for colleges of nursing sciences, while polytechnics, colleges of education, and colleges of agriculture will admit candidates with a minimum score of 100.
“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions),” JAMB announced via its official X account.