Adigun made the call on Thursday in Ado Ekiti during an interactive multicast organised by the Ekiti State Bureau of Community Communications.

He urged teachers to remain committed to their profession and strive to make a positive impact on the lives of their students.

The ASUSS president described teachers as guardians and mentors who work with parents and government to guide and nurture students.

He also called on parents to take an active role in their children’s upbringing by providing the necessary care, guidance and support.

Adigun urged students to remain focused on their education, work hard towards achieving their goals and avoid cultism and other social vices.

He said a shared responsibility among teachers, parents and government was necessary to address some of the challenges facing the education sector.

The union leader commended Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his administration’s interventions in education, particularly in the areas of teachers’ welfare, infrastructure, salary payments and students’ welfare.

He also praised the state government for increasing the amount available to workers under its car and housing loan scheme, describing the initiative as a significant step towards improving teachers’ welfare.

Adigun further commended the provision of free buses for transporting teachers and students to schools, especially following the removal of the fuel subsidy, saying the initiative had provided relief for workers.

He, however, said more could still be done to strengthen the education sector.

The ASUSS president called for continuous training and retraining of teachers to improve their professional skills and enhance the quality of teaching.

He also urged the government to sustain improved payment of leave bonuses to teachers and other workers, saying better welfare and working conditions would complement the progress already recorded in the state.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, UNIZIK branch, announced the withdrawal of services on Monday following a congress meeting of the union.

In a statement signed by the branch Chairperson, Innocent Nnubia, and Secretary, Osita Nnajiofor, ASUU said the decision was in line with the standing resolution of its National Executive Council on the non-payment of salaries.

The union said its members had not received their complete August salaries as of September 7, which it described as a violation of the condition under which branches could withdraw their services.

According to the statement, ASUU-NEC empowers its branches to suspend services when salaries remain unpaid after the third day of the following month.

The union said the incomplete payment had occurred more than three times, describing the situation as frustrating for its members.

ASUU therefore directed all its members to immediately withdraw their academic and administrative services.

The union said the strike would continue until all members received their complete August 2026 salaries.

It also appealed to the university management and the Visitor to the university, President Bola Tinubu, to urgently intervene and ensure the outstanding salaries were fully paid.

“The sole reason for this action is the non payment of the complete salary of August 2026,” the union said, urging the authorities to ensure that the situation did not recur.

When contacted for a reaction, the university’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Aloysius Attah, declined to comment on the development.

The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, dismissed claims that technical glitches affected the results, saying the council’s marking, processing and moderation procedures remained credible.

Dangut spoke on Thursday during a virtual dialogue organised by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria, themed “Addressing Concerns Over 2026 WASSCE Results, Other Matters.”

He urged schools, parents and other stakeholders with concerns about candidates’ results to approach WAEC directly for clarification rather than relying on unverified claims circulating on social media.

According to him, the council introduced several technological innovations in the conduct and processing of the examination, including computer based assessment, as well as the randomisation and serialisation of questions.

He said the reforms had helped reduce examination malpractice and strengthened the credibility and transparency of the examination process.

Dangut disclosed that examination malpractice declined from 9.97 per cent in 2025 to 8.59 per cent in 2026, describing the reduction as one of the positive outcomes of the reforms.

However, some schools and parents have questioned the 2026 results, particularly the low grades recorded by candidates in English Language and Mathematics.

The concerns arose after some schools said their students’ WASSCE performances were inconsistent with their previous academic records, mock examination results and achievements.

Some stakeholders consequently called on WAEC to review the results of candidates whose performances appeared significantly different from their established academic records.

Speaking during the dialogue, the Principal of Babcock School, Remo, Ogun State, Mr Fatola Samson, described the 2026 WASSCE results as the worst recorded by the school in its 31-year history.

Samson said 190 students from the school sat for the examination, but only 27 obtained satisfactory results, while several candidates failed subjects including Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

The development has prompted calls for greater clarification from WAEC, particularly on concerns surrounding the processing of results and the performance of candidates whose grades differ sharply from their previous academic records.

WAEC, however, maintained that its examination procedures remained credible and urged stakeholders to seek official clarification on individual cases rather than rely on unverified reports.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr Aminu Mohammed, announced the release on Wednesday during a press conference in Benin, Edo State.

Mohammed said 79,503 candidates, representing 81.24 per cent of the 97,863 candidates graded, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

He said the result represented a significant improvement over the 68.18 per cent recorded in the 2025 examination, when 61,104 candidates achieved the same benchmark.

“The improvement recorded in the 2026 examination is encouraging and demonstrates the collective efforts of candidates, teachers, schools, parents and the wider education system,” he said.

The NABTEB boss added that 89,580 candidates, representing 91.53 per cent, obtained five credits and above, with or without English Language and Mathematics, compared with 83.28 per cent recorded in 2025.

He disclosed that 100,069 candidates registered for the 2026 examinations, while 97,867 sat for the papers, representing a 97.80 per cent attendance rate.

According to him, 24,128 candidates, representing 24.65 per cent of those graded, were certified as craftsmen.

Mohammed said the results were released 52 days after the final paper, describing the development as part of the board’s commitment to timely service delivery.

On examination malpractice, he disclosed that 847 candidates were involved in 1,554 reported incidents, representing 1.55 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examinations.

He said the figure was lower than that recorded in 2025, attributing the improvement to measures introduced by the board to curb malpractice.

Mohammed, however, warned candidates against falling victim to individuals claiming they could alter or upgrade examination results.

“No individual has the authority to change a candidate’s legitimately awarded result,” he said.

He advised candidates to check their results only through NABTEB’s official result-checking platform and urged them to disregard fraudulent offers to manipulate their results.

NAN

The initiative, known as the Gemini Student Offer, is valued at N92,400 per student and is available to students aged 18 and above enrolled in accredited universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.

According to Google, students who benefited from the offer during the previous academic year can renew their subscription for another year after verifying their student status.

The subscription provides access to advanced artificial intelligence tools through the Gemini app, including higher usage limits, Gemini Live for real-time voice conversations, Deep Research for academic projects, custom practice quizzes, unlimited file uploads and 400GB of cloud storage.

Nigeria is among 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where the initiative has been introduced.

Google’s Director for West and East Africa, Olumide Balogun, said the initiative was aimed at making AI-powered learning more accessible to Nigerian students by reducing financial barriers.

He said the offer would enable students to improve their understanding of complex subjects, develop digital skills and become more competitive in the global economy.

Google also said the initiative was designed to support learning rather than encourage academic dishonesty.

According to the company, Gemini’s Guided Learning mode functions like a tutor by using hints and guiding questions to help students understand concepts rather than simply providing answers.

The company said a Google DeepMind study involving 1,763 students in West African schools found that participants who used Guided Learning recorded learning gains equivalent to between 1.2 and 1.7 years within eight weeks.

Google added that more than 90 per cent of the interactions in the study focused on understanding concepts, while only two per cent resulted in direct solutions.

The AI tools can also be integrated with Google Classroom, allowing lecturers to keep Gemini in Guided Learning mode while ensuring that student and classroom data are not used to train Google’s AI models.

The free subscription also includes Gemini Study Notebooks, which can turn lecture notes and course materials into quizzes and lesson plans.

Students will further have access to Gemini Live and Deep Research for brainstorming and research, interactive 3D visualisations and Google Lens Homework Helper for solving equations and interpreting diagrams.

Eligible students can verify their enrolment through SheerID and claim the 12-month subscription through Google’s student offer portal.

punch

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists after the FEC meeting.

Alausa said the decision was approved by the council as part of efforts to strengthen NELFUND and enable it to meet its growing financial obligations.

He said the Federal Government had also approved the channeling of unclaimed dividends from the Capital Market Trust Fund and the Dormant Account Trust Fund to NELFUND.

According to the minister, the Attorney-General of the Federation was mandated to work with the Ministry of Education to develop the necessary legal framework and modalities for implementing the decision.

“The President, in his benevolence, has now directed that all funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission be diverted to NELFUND,” Alausa said.

He, however, clarified that recovered funds currently subject to litigation would not be affected until the legal disputes surrounding them were resolved.

Alausa commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his commitment to transforming the education sector, saying the additional funding would help NELFUND meet its increasing obligations.

He also said the inclusion of unclaimed dividends and dormant funds would provide additional resources for the student loan scheme.

The decision is expected to provide NELFUND with additional funding to support eligible Nigerian students through its education loan programmes.

Rt. Rev. Udogu made the remarks when he led a delegation from the diocese on a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor at his office.

The bishop, who is a former student of the university where he obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees, expressed delight over Prof. Anyaehie’s emergence and commended the transformation and restructuring efforts of his administration.

He said the visit was also an opportunity to thank God for the strength given to the Vice-Chancellor to lead the university and to pray for wisdom, strength and guidance as he takes on the responsibilities and challenges of his tenure.

Rt. Rev. Udogu assured Prof. Anyaehie of the continued prayers and support of the Anglican Diocese of Afikpo, noting that despite the high expectations surrounding his administration, the diocese was confident in his ability to meet and surpass them.

The bishop also presented copies of the Igbo Bible to the Vice-Chancellor, urging him to study and meditate on the word of God in accordance with scriptural teachings.

He expressed confidence that Prof. Anyaehie’s leadership would contribute positively to the growth and development of the university.

The decision was among several quota adjustments announced at the Council’s Third Quarter Hybrid Meeting held on Thursday, 13 August 2026, presided over by the Chairman of the Council, Chief Emeka Ngige, OFR, SAN, Life Bencher.

The expansion places Ajayi Crowther University among eight institutions granted upward reviews of their admission capacities.

The quota increase aligns with some of the Vice-Chancellor’s 10-point agenda, especially for academic excellence and programme expansion for ACU, and student-centric development and welfare, which ensures students come first, always.

The development also comes at the right time, as the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ebunoluwa Oduwole, is preparing to celebrate her one year of transformational leadership at ACU.

Reacting to the quota increase, Prof. Oduwole expressed appreciation to the Council of Legal Education for finding the University worthy of the increase, promising that ACU will not compromise on standards across all its academic programmes.

She especially thanked the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of ACU, Dr. Olutoyin Okeowo and all members of the university council for their support towards making the university stand-out among equals.

The Vice-Chancellor also appreciated her management team for their unflinching support, the entire university staff, the Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Olanrewaju Onadeko SAN and staff members of the Faculty for their relentless efforts in churning out learned and well shaped law students.

In addition, she appreciated various Directorates and Units such as Works and Services, under the leadership of Engr. Dr. Oluwole Olaniyi; Directorate of Academic Planning team, led by Prof. Bolanle Ibojo and the Environmental Management Unit, led by Mr. Olugbenga Fashina, among numerous others for their contribution to the success recorded.

The meeting also reviewed the May 2026 Bar Final (Resit) Examination results, revealing that of 1,955 candidates, 885 passed (45.3%), while 983 failed (54.7%). Fifty-five candidates received conditional passes, 32 were absent, and 19 results were withheld.

SDG4 #SDG8 #SDG16 #AjayiCrowtherUniversity #ACULaw #AcademicExcellence

By Emeka S. Oluka

The examination body announced the release on Wednesday via its official X handle, urging candidates to generate their Personal Identification Number (PIN) before checking their results.

According to WAEC, 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat for the examination, obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Candidates can access their results by first generating a PIN and serial number on the WAEC portal before proceeding to the result-checking platform. The process requires candidates to provide their examination number, National Identification Number (NIN) used during registration, and contact details for OTP verification.

Approximately 1.96 million candidates from more than 24,200 secondary schools across Nigeria participated in the examination, which was conducted between April 21 and June 19, 2026.

While the majority of candidates wrote the examination using the traditional pen-and-paper format, WAEC noted that a significantly higher number of schools adopted the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) option compared to previous years.

The council had earlier indicated that the results would be released about 45 days after the conclusion of the examination.

The latest release comes months after WAEC published the results of the 2026 First Series Computer-Based WASSCE for Private Candidates.

JAMB disclosed in a notice on Wednesday that the handover ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 31, 2026, at 10 a.m., adding that the event will be streamed live on its official social media platforms.

The board described the occasion as a significant milestone in its leadership transition and invited members of the public to follow the proceedings online.

The ceremony marks the expiration of Oloyede’s tenure as registrar and the formal commencement of Aina’s administration.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier approved Aina’s appointment as the new Registrar of JAMB, succeeding Oloyede. The announcement was made in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the Presidency, Aina is a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, with extensive expertise in digital infrastructure, national examination systems and institutional reforms.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, a Master’s degree in Internet Computing and Network Security, and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University, United Kingdom. He also completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.

The Presidency said Aina has spent more than 15 years advising federal and state governments on digital transformation, institutional reforms and systems design. He has also served as a consultant to examination bodies, including the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), particularly on ICT systems and examination integrity.

The statement further noted that Aina is one of Nigeria’s youngest professors of Computer Engineering and will become the youngest Registrar in JAMB’s history.

President Tinubu expressed confidence that the incoming registrar would build on the reforms and achievements recorded under Oloyede’s leadership while strengthening the board’s operations.

PUNCH