The Lagos government has awarded university scholarships to two exceptional students, Favour Anuoluwapo and Taiwo Muhammed, for emerging best students with 8 A1’s and 7A1’s, respectively at the 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations.

The state government also received students who emerged champions at various national and international science competitions.

Addressing the awardees at a ceremony held recently at the Ministry of Education, Secretariat, Alausa, Lagos, the Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, expressed delight about the feat attained by the students in various national and international competitions, noting that this is authentication of improved quality of education in the state.

She emphasised the students’ various efforts, adding that one of the awardees, Olamide Marvelous, who represented the state at the African Leadership Academy competition, an international competition emerged as the ‘Best Critical Thinker’.

The commissioner noted that the state government has continued to introduce various initiatives and innovations geared towards improving the educational system, adding that some of these programmes are to enhance teaching and learning outcomes in schools.

Adefisayo commended Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for approving scholarships for the two students who emerged best at the WASSCE, pointing out his passion for the continuous provision of school infrastructure for academic success students in the state.

While congratulating the students, Adefisayo advised them to remain focused, avoid distractions and remain committed to their studies. She also encouraged parents not to relent in monitoring, guiding, providing enough time and love for their children.

Announcing some of the other awardees, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Abayomi Abolaji said, “Vetland Senior Grammar School representatives, Ebere Divine and Olajide Akorede as well as Seidu Samuel of Brainfield College represented the State at the 2021 National Institute of Physics Competition and clinched the first position. While Oladipupo Marvelous of Government Technical College, Agindigbi, was adjudged the ‘Best Critical Thinker’ at the 2021 African Leadership Academy Competition, Seidu Samuel of Brainfield College also emerged second in the 2021 Oluwole Awokoya Chemistry Competition.”

The Lagos government has awarded university scholarships to two exceptional students, Favour Anuoluwapo and Taiwo Muhammed, for emerging best students with 8 A1’s and 7A1’s, respectively at the 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations.

The state government also received students who emerged champions at various national and international science competitions.

Addressing the awardees at a ceremony held recently at the Ministry of Education, Secretariat, Alausa, Lagos, the Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, expressed delight about the feat attained by the students in various national and international competitions, noting that this is authentication of improved quality of education in the state.

She emphasised the students’ various efforts, adding that one of the awardees, Olamide Marvelous, who represented the state at the African Leadership Academy competition, an international competition emerged as the ‘Best Critical Thinker’.

The commissioner noted that the state government has continued to introduce various initiatives and innovations geared towards improving the educational system, adding that some of these programmes are to enhance teaching and learning outcomes in schools.

Adefisayo commended Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for approving scholarships for the two students who emerged best at the WASSCE, pointing out his passion for the continuous provision of school infrastructure for academic success students in the state.

While congratulating the students, Adefisayo advised them to remain focused, avoid distractions and remain committed to their studies. She also encouraged parents not to relent in monitoring, guiding, providing enough time and love for their children.

Announcing some of the other awardees, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Abayomi Abolaji said, “Vetland Senior Grammar School representatives, Ebere Divine and Olajide Akorede as well as Seidu Samuel of Brainfield College represented the State at the 2021 National Institute of Physics Competition and clinched the first position. While Oladipupo Marvelous of Government Technical College, Agindigbi, was adjudged the ‘Best Critical Thinker’ at the 2021 African Leadership Academy Competition, Seidu Samuel of Brainfield College also emerged second in the 2021 Oluwole Awokoya Chemistry Competition.”

Thousands of outgoing secondary school students in Kano state, may not be able to access admission into tertiary institutions because NECO has withheld their results due to the inability of the State Government to clear debts.

The post secondary school future of over 80,000 students in Kano state, hangs in the balance as the state government could not pay their NECO examination fees amounting to over N500 million.

According to report, 70% of the students who sat for the NECO examination in 2021,were sponsored by their parents, but till date there is no news of when the examination body will release their results.

This development has made rights organisations to put pressure on the government so that the chances of going to higher institutions of these students during this session,is not jeopardised.

Kano state is said to be among states such as Adamawa, Niger and Zamfara that are owing NECO millions  of Naira as a result of their inability to pay their students exams fee.

Already, some rights groups have written to the State government, notifying it of the plight of the students and urged the government to take the necessary action.

Also, a leader of an NGO, Umar Ibrahim Umar,said the complaints they got from students at a time tertiary institutions are about closing admission intake, made them to intensify the call for government to solve the problem.

Umar said they will take the necessary measures to see that the results are released to the students, because majority paid the exams fees themselves.

According to reports, NECO is being owed over N500m by the Kano State Government, despite the fact that last week, the state government said it has reduced the debt by paying N100 million.

The Kano  state government has attributed the mounting debt to economic recession and inadequate flow of IGR.

However, there are reports that this is not the first time the Kano state government found itself in such situation,because every year there are complaints from students of the withholding of their results due to uncleared  debts .

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, has commended Dr Bibiana Okoli, the first female visually impaired to bag a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the institution’s Department of Special Education.

Adebowale, who gave the commendation in his address at the 73rd Founder’s Day and convocation ceremony of the institution, in Ibadan on Wednesday, said that Okoli’s tenacity, which made her achieve the rare feat, was worthy of commendation.

Adebowale, who started out by commending the governing council, management and staff members of the university, added that the council had successfully midwife the appointment of five principal officers in three months.

Speaking to the 481 candidates who bagged doctorate degrees in various disciplines, the Vice-Chancellor urged the graduands to raise the bars wherever they found themselves and be good ambassadors of the institution.

“The nation needs many like you who can provide feasible and practical solutions to the complexities that it is grappling with,” Adebowale said.

In his address at the occasion, the Visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari, said that his administration had given priority to the education sector, especially tertiary institutions.

The president, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Mayaki, noted the roles of the private sector in providing quality education in Nigeria.

He said his administration would increase budgetary allocation to education by 50 per cent in the next two years and 100 per cent over the next five years.

The event was attended by many dignitaries, including Prof. Sarah Agbor, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, African Union Commission, representative of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, among others.