Education

The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has said teaching boys how to cook is not about redefining masculinity but equipping them with practical life skills that prepare them for adulthood, family responsibilities and career opportunities. She made the remarks on Monday during the prize-giving ceremony of the 2026 Lagos Boy Child Initiative Cooking Competition held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel in Ikeja. According to the First Lady, the initiative is designed to move beyond traditional classroom education by exposing young boys to skills that promote independence, creativity and responsibility. She said cooking is a valuable life skill that enables young people to care for themselves, support their families and explore opportunities within Nigeria’s growing hospitality and tourism industry. Sanwo-Olu explained that the competition, which featured boys aged 13 to 17 from public and private schools, military and faith-based institutions, orphanages and correctional facilities across Lagos, was created to challenge the belief that cooking is solely a woman’s responsibility. She noted that the programme also aims to encourage participants to consider careers in hospitality, culinary arts and related industries, describing the sector as one with enormous employment and entrepreneurial potential. The First Lady added that the initiative aligns with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ development agenda, particularly its focus on youth empowerment and social inclusion. She stressed that many young people will eventually live independently, pursue education abroad or work away from home, making self-reliance an essential life skill. Addressing cultural perceptions, Sanwo-Olu said domestic responsibilities should be shared among family members, adding that teaching boys to cook makes them more responsible and better prepared for adulthood rather than diminishing their masculinity. She also explained that the shopping vouchers presented to the winners were intended to teach budgeting, planning and financial responsibility. To further inspire participants, the ceremony was held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, where the boys toured the hotel’s commercial kitchen, interacted with professional chefs and gained first-hand exposure to careers in the hospitality industry. District II emerged overall winner of the competition with 47 points, while District IV and District VI finished second and third respectively. Members of the winning teams received shopping vouchers, while team leaders were awarded fully sponsored three-week Continental Culinary Arts courses at the Red Dish Chronicles Culinary School in Lagos. Sanwo-Olu also announced that the winners would represent the Lagos Boy Child Initiative at the Akwaaba African Travel Market Jollof Cooking Competition scheduled for September 13. She encouraged the participants to view their awards as the beginning of greater opportunities and urged them to remain disciplined, focused and committed to excellence. The Lagos Boy Child Initiative, launched in 2021, promotes the welfare and development of boys through mentorship, advocacy, life-skills training and empowerment programmes.

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State Council, has warned that it will embark on an indefinite protest against the management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education over their alleged failure to implement approved pension increases. The warning was issued on Monday by the union’s state secretary, Segun Abatan, during a press briefing at the council’s secretariat in Ibadan. According to Abatan, the protest will begin on August 18, 2026, if both institutions fail to comply with Governor Seyi Makinde’s directive on pension adjustments. He accused the management of the two state-owned institutions of disregarding the governor’s approval, noting that the administration had in January 2025 approved a minimum monthly pension of ₦25,000 for the lowest-paid retirees, alongside several outstanding pension increases. The approved adjustments include the 33 per cent pension increase introduced in 2010, the 2019 consequential adjustment, the 20 per cent pension increase effective January 2024, and ₦17,500 from the approved ₦32,000 increase that took effect in August 2024. Abatan stated that while most government agencies implemented the governor’s directive without waiting for an official circular, the two institutions allegedly refused to comply and insisted on receiving formal documentation before taking action. He explained that the union engaged the institutions through letters and advocacy visits. While some state-owned tertiary institutions later complied with the directive, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education have yet to implement the approved pension adjustments. The union also alleged that despite repeated correspondence and meetings, the management of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital continued to delay implementation. According to Abatan, the union is no longer interested in further discussions but wants immediate compliance with the governor’s directive. He stressed that pensioners are demanding full implementation of all approved increases, including payment of accumulated arrears dating back to January 2025. Abatan commended institutions that have already complied with the directive and urged the remaining management teams to follow suit. He also disclosed plans to seek the intervention of the Nigeria Labour Congress to declare a three-day warning strike in the affected institutions. According to him, the planned protest will involve retirees from the affected institutions, government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners. The union maintained that the planned action is intended to ensure compliance with the governor’s directive rather than undermine the state government’s pension policy.

The newly appointed Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Segun Aina, has introduced a five-year strategic plan aimed at transforming the examination body into Africa’s leading technology-driven and accessible assessment institution. According to a statement issued by JAMB’s Acting Director of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, the initiative, titled “JAMB 2031: Building Trust, Reducing Trauma,” was unveiled on Aina’s first day in office. The roadmap is designed to guide the Board’s activities over the next five years. The strategic agenda is built around two broad objectives, five key pillars, and seven flagship projects focused on improving efficiency, transparency, and innovation in JAMB’s operations. Aina said the Board would remain committed to ensuring fair, secure, and merit-based access to higher education through transparent registration processes and credible examinations. The first pillar, Integrity, focuses on strengthening public confidence by adopting internationally recognised standards such as ISO 27001 certification, conducting independent technology audits, and improving institutional transparency. The second pillar, Service, seeks to enhance customer satisfaction by improving communication and engagement with candidates, parents, tertiary institutions, and other stakeholders. The Governance pillar aims to strengthen accountability, performance monitoring, contract management, and operational efficiency. On technology, Aina said JAMB would expand its digital infrastructure by introducing scalable mobile and web platforms, while also leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics to improve decision-making and service delivery. The fifth pillar, Partnerships, is expected to strengthen collaboration with financial institutions, fintech companies, educational organisations, and international partners to promote innovation. To implement the reform agenda, the Board plans to undertake seven major projects, including a comprehensive review of its technology infrastructure, the attainment of ISO 27001 information security certification, the launch of a unified JAMB mobile application, improved strategic communication, the establishment of a centralised customer service platform, the adoption of a paperless digital administration system, and enhanced staff welfare and professional development. Aina emphasised that while technology would play a critical role in JAMB’s transformation, the people behind the institution would remain its greatest strength. He reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and integrity, noting that every candidate represents the aspirations of Nigerian families. He also encouraged staff members to embrace innovation, professionalism, and teamwork, describing his appointment as both a privilege and a responsibility. Aina pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessor, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, by strengthening institutional systems, improving service delivery, and positioning JAMB as a global model for technology-driven examination and admissions administration.

A group of concerned parents and graduates of Babcock University has called on the institution’s management to restore what it described as the central purpose of convocation by giving greater prominence to academic excellence during graduation ceremonies.In an open letter issued following the university’s 2026 convocation, the group expressed disappointment over what it considered the inadequate recognition of outstanding academic performance, urging the management to acknowledge the shortcomings of the ceremony, apologize to affected graduates and put measures in place to prevent a recurrence. The group argued that convocation should primarily celebrate scholarship, discipline and academic achievement, noting that the ceremony ought to serve as a platform for honoring students who distinguished themselves through years of dedication and hard work. According to the letter, one of the major concerns was the selection of the commencement speaker, a serving state governor, whose address allegedly focused largely on his administration’s achievements rather than offering graduates intellectual inspiration, professional guidance or reflections suited to a university convocation. The group maintained that commencement speakers should be chosen based on their ability to inspire graduating students and contribute meaningfully to the academic significance of the occasion rather than the public office they occupy.It also criticised what it described as the minimal recognition accorded to outstanding graduates during the ceremony, stating that only the overall best graduating student of the university was publicly acknowledged. The parents and graduates noted that the best graduating students from the university’s schools, departments and part-time programmes, as well as first-class graduates, were not recognised on stage despite their exceptional academic records.Instead, the affected students were reportedly directed to collect their awards at the university registry, a decision the group said diminished the value of years of academic excellence. While stressing that it had no objection to other categories of recognition presented during the ceremony, the group expressed concern that the “Youth Development and Social Advocacy Award,” given to graduates recognized for positive personal transformation, received prominent attention while academic distinctions received little publicacknowledgment. According to the letter, recognizing personal growth and social rehabilitation is commendable, but such recognition should not overshadow the primary purpose of a university convocation, which is to celebrate academic merit.The group further argued that public recognition during convocation often serves as an important credential for graduates seeking scholarships, employment opportunities and postgraduate admissions, adding that denying outstanding students that platform could have lasting consequences. It therefore urged the university to publicly acknowledge that the 2026 convocation did not sufficiently celebrate academic excellence, apologize to affected graduates and establish a clear framework for recognizing the best graduating students across all schools and departments, as well as all first-class graduates, during future convocations.The letter concluded that universities exist to promote merit, evidence and excellence, insisting that convocation ceremonies should reflect those values by ensuring that graduates who excelled academically receive the public recognition they deserve.

Although a PhD is now a standard requirement for attaining the rank of professor in Nigerian universities, history records a few exceptional cases where individuals earned professorships based on their outstanding contributions to their fields rather than doctoral qualifications. Among the most notable are Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, literary icon Chinua Achebe, renowned poet J.P. Clark, and celebrated artist Bruce Onobrakpeya. Wole Soyinka Nobel Prize-winning playwright and author Wole Soyinka does not hold a PhD. He began his university education at the then University College Ibadan before completing a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Leeds in 1958. Despite not pursuing a doctoral degree, Soyinka built an internationally acclaimed career as a playwright, poet, novelist, essayist, and public intellectual. His achievements earned him numerous honorary doctorates from universities around the world. In 1986, he became the first African to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature for his contributions to world literature. Chinua Achebe Renowned novelist Chinua Achebe also became a professor without obtaining a PhD. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the then University College Ibadan and went on to establish himself as one of Africa’s most influential literary figures. Achebe’s academic recognition was based on his remarkable literary contributions rather than a doctoral qualification. Throughout his career, he received more than 30 honorary doctorates from institutions across the world, including Harvard University, Brown University, the University of Cape Town, the University of Toronto, and Dartmouth College. J.P. Clark Poet and playwright John Pepper Clark, popularly known as J.P. Clark or J.P. Clark-Bekederemo, was another Nigerian scholar who attained the rank of professor without a PhD. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the then University College Ibadan and later taught literature at the University of Lagos, where he rose through the academic ranks based on his scholarship and literary achievements. Clark is widely known for works such as Song of a Goat, The Raft, Ozidi, and the poetry collection Casualties: Poems 1966–68. Bruce Onobrakpeya Celebrated Nigerian artist Bruce Onobrakpeya also achieved academic distinction without earning a PhD. He studied at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, now part of Ahmadu Bello University where he obtained a diploma in Fine Arts and a teacher’s qualification. Although he later undertook postgraduate studies and specialized art training, he did not complete a doctoral degree. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to art and culture, Onobrakpeya has received several honorary doctorates, including an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Ibadan and an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Delta State University.

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has reduced the fees for textbook assessment and ranking as part of preparations for the Federal Government’s National Textbook Ranking System. The Council also directed that publishers who paid the previous, higher assessment fees be refunded, saying the move is intended to reduce the financial burden on stakeholders in the education sector. The decision was announced in a statement signed by NERDC’s Executive Secretary, Professor Salisu Shehu. According to the statement, the assessment fee has been reduced from N2,000 to N1,500 per page, while the ranking fee has been cut from N1 million to N750,000 for each textbook title. Professor Shehu said the revised fees take immediate effect and are aimed at encouraging greater participation by publishers and authors in the new textbook evaluation process. He added that publishers who had already paid the former assessment fee would receive refunds of the excess amount, with details of the refund process to be announced later. NERDC urged publishers and authors submitting textbooks for assessment to comply with the new fee structure with immediate effect. The fee reduction comes ahead of the rollout of the Federal Government’s National Textbook Ranking System, a key education reform introduced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to improve the quality of learning materials used in Nigerian schools. Under the policy, which is scheduled to take effect in September 2026, only textbooks that have been assessed, approved and ranked by NERDC will be recommended for use in classrooms, while unranked books will no longer be approved for schools. The minister said the initiative is designed to eliminate substandard textbooks and ensure that learners and teachers have access to quality, curriculum-compliant instructional materials. He explained that although NERDC will continue to approve textbooks in line with its statutory mandate, every approved title will also undergo a national evaluation and ranking by expert committees before it can be recommended for classroom use. The National Textbook Ranking System forms part of the Federal Ministry of Education’s broader reforms aimed at improving the quality of basic and secondary education, alongside initiatives to strengthen learning outcomes, expand digital education infrastructure and tackle learning poverty across the country.