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Buhari appeals to ASUU to call off strike

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Buhari appeals to ASUU to call off strike

Buhari appeals to ASUU to call off strike

President Muhammadu Buhari has again appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to consider the plight of students and call off the ongoing strike.

The president also urged students in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions to exercise patience as the government strives to address the nagging issues in the nation’s university system within the available resources

Buhari made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja at the 19th National Productivity Day and the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award (NPOM) on 48 eminent Nigerians and organisations in both the public and private sectors, for their high productivity, hard work and excellence.

The president recalled that he had earlier directed the Chief of Staff, Ministers of Labour and Employment; Education; and Finance, Budget and National Planning to immediately bring all parties to the negotiation table to again critically look at the grey areas in the demands of ASUU and other university-based labour unions.

On the theme of this year’s celebration ‘‘Achieving Higher Productivity through Improved Education System,’’ the president pledged that the Federal Government would continue to do everything possible to uplift the standard of the educational system in the country.

According to Buhari, his administration recognises that the future of any nation is contingent on the standard of its educational system.

READ ALSO: NUJ Yobe Council Sympathises With Victims Of Damaturu Rainstorm

‘‘Therefore, if we desire to transform Nigeria into a competitive, strong, vibrant, productive and sustainable economy, improving our educational system should be accorded the highest priority,” he said.

He highlighted notable achievements in the educational sector including the drastic reduction of the number of out of school children from 10.1 million in 2019 to 6.9 million in 2020, automatic employment for graduates of education and a review of the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years, among others.

He further explained that his administration had reviewed the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years, while years of service had been moved from 35 to 40 years to encourage more graduates to join the teaching profession.

Similarly, the president said the government had also approved a special salary scale for teachers in Basic and Secondary schools.

These, he said, included the provisions for rural posting allowance, Science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance, while prioritising timely promotion and prompt payment of salaries.

According to the president, the reintroduction of bursary awards to education students in universities and Colleges of Education comes with the assurance of automatic employment upon graduation as well as payment of stipends to Bachelor of Education students.

‘‘Quality educational system is good not just for the national economy; it is also good for the citizens.

‘‘Ignoring the productivity dimension of education would endanger the prosperity of future generations, with widespread repercussions for poverty and social exclusion.

‘‘It will be difficult to improve our economic performance and overall productivity, without improving our educational system.

‘‘Government notes the emergency situation in our educational system with particular reference to the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at all levels of our educational system,’’ he said.

While congratulating all the awardees for their various accomplishments and well-deserved recognition, the president said they had been carefully selected from a multitude of competitors, saying ‘‘this award should spur you to greater heights.’’

The president commended the Chairman and members of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award Committee, including the management and staff of the National Productivity Centre for a job well done.

He urged the recipients of the merit award and Nigerians to make productivity their watchword.

In his remarks, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said since the inception of the award in 1991, 382 individuals and 97 organisations have been honoured with the NPOM.

Dr Stella Adadevoh and Mr Babatunde Lawal received posthumous awards at the 2019/2020 edition of the National Productivity Day.

Adadevoh, who died on Aug. 19, 2014, was recognised for her outstanding performance in the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus in the country while Lawal, who until his death on Nov. 6, 2020, served as Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Affairs Office.

Lawal, an economist by training with bias in fiscal policy analysis, management and strategic planning, was commended for his ‘‘thoroughness and paying keen attention to every detail’’ during his tenure as permanent secretary in the Federal Civil Service.

Other recipients include the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and immediate past Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chike Ihekweazu.

Other recipients are; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi; Chairman and Founder, BUA Group, Abdusamad Rabiu;  Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga Jnr; Prof. Stanley Okolo, Director-General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO); and Allen Onyema, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, among others. 

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Zulum Approves Renaming of Borno State University to Kashim Ibrahim University

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Zulum Approves Renaming of Borno State University to Kashim Ibrahim University

…considers House Numbering, Street Naming

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Executive Council has approved the renaming of Borno State University to Kashim Ibrahim University in honour of the first Governor of northern Nigeria.

This decision was reached during the first State Executive Council meeting of 2025, chaired by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum. The meeting, held at the Government House, lasted over six hours, as key issues affecting the state were discussed.

Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar, revealed that the Council considered 42 memos and assessed the performance of the state in the previous year, along with projections for 2025.

Professor Tar further explained that the renaming of the university will be subject to legislative procedures and the necessary notifications to relevant authorities in coordination with the Ministry of Education.

“Council approved that Borno State University shall be renamed Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri. This is subject to further legislative work by the State Assembly to amend the law establishing the University. It is also subject to the ministry of education taking necessary action by informing relevant regulatory authorities like the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)”, Tar stated.

The council also approved street naming and house numbering in Maiduguri and other urban areas as part of the urban renewal drive of Governor Zulum’s administration.

“Maiduguri is fast developing, there are a lot of new buildings public roads and other facilities that need to be renamed. Council decided that relevant MDA’s shall meet with relevant agencies including Nigerian Postal Service, Nigerian Geological Survey, traditional rulers and community leaders to arrive at a new naming template”.

The Information Commissioner announced that when completed, the updated names across the state will be reflected on Google Maps, public directories, and official records to support effective development planning. “The process will begin immediately as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to enhance urban planning and governance”, he said.

Speaking at the first Executive Council meeting, Governor Babagana Zulum welcomed Council members into the new year, commending them for their unwavering commitment and support to his administration.

Governor Zulum emphasized his administration’s focus on scaling up post-conflict and post-flood recovery efforts, with the aim of delivering more impactful projects to further improve the lives of Borno citizens.

“In 2024, my administration achieved significant progress in the implementation of government programmes and projects and I am committed to doing even more in 2025,” Governor Zulum said.

The Executive Council meeting also included a valedictory session in honour of the outgoing Head of Service, Barrister Malam Fannami, who will be retiring from public service later this month. The Council expressed gratitude for his service and contributions to the development of the state

Zulum Approves Renaming of Borno State University to Kashim Ibrahim University

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VP SHETTIMA AT NASARAWA STATE VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE GRADUATION

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VP SHETTIMA AT NASARAWA STATE VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE GRADUATION

  • Our Reforms Creating Employment Opportunities, Greater Economic Prospects
  • Flags off distribution of relief materials to flood victims, tractors, paddy rice to farmers

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said the ongoing reforms initiated by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are such that will create employment opportunities for the youth population as well as provide greater opportunities in the various sectors of the economy.

He underscored the inevitability of skills acquisition among the young demographic in Nigeria, noting that the nation can no longer afford to keep growing a population of idle, unemployed and unemployable youths.

The Vice President spoke on Friday during the Combined Graduation Ceremony of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

The Vice President stated: “The danger of paying lip service to technical and vocational skills acquisition is one none of us is prepared to experience, and the examples of various low- and middle-income countries, especially the Asian Tigers, are there to inspire the direction of our National Development Plans and push our economic drive towards a destination we all desire—a place of boom.

“This is why His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has championed economic reforms beyond the usual cosmetic fixes to lay the groundwork for greater opportunities ahead. With increased allocations to the states, I believe that we are more than energised to fund our development programmes”.

Recalling Nigeria’s origin as an agrarian nation, Senator Shettima noted that there is no greater inspiration than concentrating on “the magnitude of initiatives made possible by the proceeds of the sector and the hard work of those skilled and unskilled workers who were the fulcrum of our pre-oil economy”.

He said the graduation ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate the sincerity of the administration’s promise to create avenues for upskilling and reskilling the nation’s workforce across sectors.

VP Shettima pointed out that the institute is a vehicle through which the APC-led government fulfils its promise to Nigerians to “prioritise poverty reduction, employment generation, and job creation”.

Cautioning against harbouring the population of unemployed youths in the country, he said, “The reality we inherited points to the existence of a link between youth unemployment, violence, and other associated crimes, and as such, we cannot afford to create an idle, unemployed, or unemployable demographic.

“Our response, over which we gather here today, is to build on our agenda of providing our youths with skills to either find gainful employment or become self-reliant. This grand event, the Combined Graduation Ceremony for the graduands of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute, Lafia, aligns with the direction the world is headed—the path of skill acquisition.”

The VP applauded the foresight of Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, which he said is being manifested in his aspiration to turn the state “into a hub of jobs and opportunities.”

Senator Shettima who had earlier flagged off the distribution of relief materials to flood victims, presentation of tractors and paddy rice to farmers in the state said it was a demonstration of his “affinity for Nasarawa State, and as a Kanuri man who has ancestral connections with some segments” of the state that has already become home to him.

He also commended the institute for graduating no fewer than 9,000 graduands barely three years of its existence, even as he charged the graduands to join relevant associations and cooperatives to enable them access loan facilities and learn from the experiences of those ahead of them in their respective enterprises.

Earlier in his remarks, Governor Sule said the skills programme of the state vocational and technology institute was designed to address the skills gap in critical sectors and empower young Nigerians.

He thanked Vice President Shettima for finding time to visit the state, and for supporting its modest contributions to economic transformation and youth empowerment.

In his remarks, former Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong, praised the courage and efforts of the state government in impacting the lives of young Nigerians through the various schemes in agriculture and vocational and technology training.

On his part, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, His Lordship, Hassan Kukah, thanked Nasarawa State government for the efforts to address poverty through skills acquisition and economic empowerment initiative, just as he emphasised the significance of empowering young people with skills to impact their communities and societies.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational Technology Institute, Dr Daniel Asele said the 1,000 graduands of the 2024 programme of the institute had undergone rigorous training and acquired skills that are relevant to contemporary challenges of their communities and state at large.

In a goodwill message, the Director General of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Mr Adewale Oyerinde, commended the Nasarawa State government for its commitment to empowering young Nigerians, saying the programme would significantly impact ongoing efforts to transform and industrialise the economy by providing the necessary skilled manpower to drive the processes.

On his part, the Emir of Lafia, Hon. Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I (rtd), thanked the Vice President for his support and commitment to the people of Nasarawa State, pledging the loyalty of the traditional council to the federal government’s programmes and policies.

High points of the event were the presentation of start-up packs and certificates to the graduands in welding, tailoring, and ICT among other fields.

Meanwhile, Vice President Shettima had earlier flagged the distribution of relief materials to flood victims in affected local government areas.

He also presented tractors and distributed Jangwa Paddi Rice from the proceeds of the pioneer Nasarawa Rice Farm project to 13 local government areas.

The VP commended Governor Sule for his exemplary leadership and sterling qualities, saying they have ensured peaceful co-existence among the different tribes in the state, and transformed agricultural production across the area.

The VP also toured the Olam warehouse where the produce of the Nasarawa State Rice Farm project for 2024 was stored.

Also present at the event were the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari; Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr Emmanuel Akabe; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Danladi Jatau; Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mr Silas Agara, and other top government functionaries.

VP SHETTIMA AT NASARAWA STATE VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE GRADUATION

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Borno State Scholarship Board Defends 2025 Budget Before State Assembly Committee

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Borno State Scholarship Board Defends 2025 Budget Before State Assembly Committee

By: Our Reporter

This morning, the Borno State Scholarship Board, led by its Executive Secretary, Malam Bala Isa, appeared before the Borno State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation to defend its 2025 budget proposal.

The budget defense session was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Engr. Mohammed Gambomi Marte, representing Marte Constituency, with support from other committee members, including Hon. Mohammed Kawajjafa, representing Hawul Constituency.

During the session, the Scholarship Board outlined its proposed budgetary allocations and key initiatives aimed at improving access to education for Borno State students. The discussions emphasized the importance of continued scholarship programs to enhance educational opportunities and human capital development across the state.

Borno State Scholarship Board Defends 2025 Budget Before State Assembly Committee

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