Education
VP Osibanjo Inaugurates 2.8MW, Decentralised Solar Hybrid Power-Plant at AE-FUNAI

Vice President Yemi Osibanjo on Friday inaugurated a 2.8megawatt decentralised solar hybrid power-plant at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi.
Osibanjo, who performed the ceremony in the company of Gov. David Umahi and other top government officials, said that the inauguration fulfilled another next level road-map agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The vice president said that the project would provide sustainable, decentralised energy to the entire campus, improve education and create a better university experience for both students and staff.
“It will supply 7, 700 students and 1, 819 staff of the university with clean, reliable and affordable electric power.
“We are also commissioning a renewable workshop and training centre and have installed over 7.5kilomotres of street lighting to enhance security and safety within the FUNAI campus.
“This is an additional component of the remarkable project as the days when our students read at night with candles, lanterns and torches are over,” he said.
He said that the students would also receive hands-on training on renewable energy that could be applied beyond the university’s walls.
The vice president expressed delight that that the young women, under the Energising Education Programme (EEP) female internship, are graduating in the construction of captive power-plant,” Osibanjo said.
Gov. Umahi, in his remark, thanked the Vice President for inaugurating the project, noting that his passion and commitment towards the affairs of the nation was astounding.
“We are collaborating with the Managing Director of the Rural Electricity Agency, Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi to expand the project to the neighbouring Ebonyi College of Education and Ikwo Local Government Area headquarters.
“We have also agreed to work with her office in providing solar power to 140 communities across the state,” he said.
The governor noted that the state government had supported FUNAI in several ways through the provision of streetlights, portable water and accessible road.
Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi, MD of Rural Electrification Agency, said that the project would result in 8, 139, 2018 lbs (pounds) of annual carbon dioxide savings.
“Our onsite workshop and training centre will provide training on renewable technology to students of FUNAI and equip them with invaluable knowledge and experience on the power sector,” she said.
Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, Vice Chancellor of the university, thanked the Vice President for inaugurating the project, describing it as ”the first of its kind in any Nigerian university.
“Your presence is unique in many ways as the project you are commissioning remains a milestone in the history of the university and the county,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osibanjo also inaugurated a physiotherapy centre, 500-seater auditorium, 200 capacity lecture hall and a Lassa Fever Observation Bay, all at the Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA)
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.