Education
TETFund to partner agencies to boost AI studies in higher institutions
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it will partner with relevant agencies to boost Artificial Intelligence (AI) studies in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Sonny Echono, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.
He said the Fund had drastically scaled up textbook production in addition to other initiatives such as ICT centres to position Nigeria as a leader in AI in Africa.
He said this was part of TETFund’s contribution to the nation’s quest to tap into the multi-trillion dollars global digital economy.
According to him, AI is one of the few subject areas where the Fund could send scholars abroad for further training because it had not fully developed in Nigeria.
“We don’t send anybody outside anymore. But AI is a new and expanding field. It is one of the few areas we are training people abroad because we want to lead in Africa,’’ he told NAN.
He said the Fund had supported the development of AI textbooks, covering topics such as AI in teaching and learning, ethics, and curriculum development.
Echono said the aim was to boost the use of AI and to get the tertiary institutions to begin to exploit and use it in teaching and learning.
He said that in addition to book development, TETFund had trained over 3,000 scholars in AI and emerging ICT trends in the last two years in collaboration with leading institutions.
He explained that the initiative had resulted in the ICT training of over 17,000 educators through the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme.
“We started with general ICT training because we’ve been doing a lot of ICT training. If the teacher is not ICT-savvy, even for him to put his lecture on the platform is a problem.
“For him to interact with the students on the platform or to send his mark, to do his marking scheme, to relate, to get presentations, even zoom meetings would be a problem he must be ICT literate.
“After that we started letting them understand how they can use ICT, how they can leverage on it to improve the quality of their delivery and the experiences of their students,” he said.
“We want to leapfrog others in ICT, robotics. We are coming very strong in robotics now, but we are late comers, some people are already doing it before us.
“But we don’t want anybody to be ahead of us on this continent. So we are pushing those frontiers,” he said.
Echono also said that the present TETFund management inherited a stagnated book development programme that published only 20 books in 13 years.
He said that upon assuming office in 2022, he challenged the book development committee to meet ambitious targets of producing more books.
“I said, in the first year, you must do 50, if not I’m going to disband it, we’re wasting money coming to do meetings, talking, and not seeing the books.
“Later, I said I want to see up to 100 books being published and they said it can be done. We’ll give you all the support, publicise and advertise to Nigerian authors.
“We identified the subjects where we do not have enough textbooks. We Tasked the professors and all the experts in that field to put things in order..
Echono said this challenge spurred the book development committee as TETFund published 50 books in 2023, another 60 shortly after with another tranche of 50 textbooks published recently.
He explained that another batch of 50 textbooks was currently in under production. (NAN)
Barring any last minute change of plans, the National Working Committee, (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is expected to meet today at the party headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
The meeting even though the regular gathering of the National Working Committee, is expected to take some far reaching decisions in view of the prevailing situation in the party.
Also, the meeting is coming on the heels of the defection of the party’s former Vice Presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other key party members, who were formally received to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday. This is one of the largest defections the PDP has faced in recent years.
In addition to the situation in Delta, there has been an increasing exodus of high-profile members from the party, a result of the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP.
Agenda for today’s meeting
Reliable sources have informed Daily Trust that today’s meeting will discuss, and possibly confirm, the proposed May 27th date for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. The NEC session, which has been postponed multiple times, is now slated for that date following a resolution by the PDP Governors Forum.
During their most recent meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, the governors decided to collaborate with the NWC and other relevant organs of the party to ensure the NEC meeting takes place on 27th May, 2025.
Another key issue on the agenda is the leadership vacuum in Delta State following the departure of key party figures. Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum has proposed the establishment of a caretaker committee to continue managing the party’s affairs in the state.
Speaking at the party headquarters last Thursday during the presentation of a certificate of return to Ezenwafor Jude, the PDP’s candidate for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election, Damagum said: “We will immediately take over our structures by setting up a caretaker committee. We are still taking stock, but this will be done promptly. I also want to remind our members in Delta and across the country about what happened in 2023. Obi had no governor but still managed to gather significant votes, which impacted the ordinary man’s livelihood. The decision is ultimately in their hands. This election is between the APC and the people.”
Ongoing controversy over national secretaryship
Despite a Supreme Court ruling on the matter, controversy continues over the position of National Secretary within the PDP. Senator Samuel Anyanwu maintains he is still the party’s National Secretary, while the governors have appointed Setonji Koshoedo, the Deputy National Secretary, as acting Secretary.
At the last meeting in Ibadan, the governors reiterated that the court had granted the party the authority to appoint its leaders and instructed the South-East Caucus to nominate a candidate for the position, which would then be ratified by the NEC before assuming office.
The governors had earlier approved Koshoedo as acting National Secretary. Damagum, a known ally of Anyanwu, has instructed the National Secretariat staff to recognise Koshoedo as acting Secretary and provide the necessary support.
A memo signed by Alhaji Gurama Bawa, Head of Administration for the acting Chairman, clarified this decision, stating that Koshoedo would remain as Acting National Secretary “until further notice.”
The memo further directed all party correspondences to be sent to Koshoedo and asked staff to cooperate fully with him in his temporary capacity.
PDP will reorganise, says Osadolor
Timothy Osadolor, a prominent PDP chieftain, told Daily Trust that the party is working to restore order, urging leadership to take firm action to move the party forward.
He commented on the upcoming NWC meeting: “The party is expected to take a position on recent defections, reassess the state of the party across the country, and communicate its stance. They will also review preparations for the 2027 elections.”
Osadolor addressed the situation in Delta, saying: “When people prioritise personal comfort over integrity and national interests, this is the outcome. The sacrifices needed for democracy to thrive must be made by all. However, this experience serves as a lesson. We will be more discerning in selecting those entrusted with leadership positions in the future.”
Despite the ongoing defections, Osadolor remains confident that the party will weather the storm. “The PDP has endured worse crises. Former vice presidents have left the party, but it did not collapse. The electorate remains our strongest ally. They have repeatedly proven their support for the PDP.”
He further suggested that those with divided loyalties should leave the party, allowing those with clear intentions to take their place. “It is essential that the party does not shy away from taking tough decisions to maintain its integrity,” he added.
Ojo calls for action among opposition parties
Political analyst, Dr Jide Ojo, also weighed in on the situation, urging opposition parties to resolve their internal issues quickly.
He stated: “If the opposition parties are to blame the APC for attracting their members, they must first acknowledge their own shortcomings. Every political party has internal conflicts, but how the PDP, Labour Party, and others manage these issues is crucial.”
Ojo pointed to the crisis within the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), where internal disputes have led to the expulsion of party leader Rabiu Kwankwaso and the defection of elected members to the APC in Kano. He also noted ongoing tensions in the Labour Party, where Julius Abure continues to claim the position of chairman despite being contested by other factions.
Ojo questioned the PDP’s leadership structure, pointing out the confusion surrounding the National Secretary position. “The party has an acting National Chairman and acting National Secretary, yet they are reluctant to conduct congresses and convene a national convention. This indecision is hurting the party’s credibility.”
He suggested that many opposition parties serve as “special purpose vehicles” used to attain power without fostering lasting unity or cohesion. “Political parties must develop robust conflict resolution mechanisms if they wish to retain their members and prevent them from crossing over to the ruling party,” he argued.
Reflecting on the broader political landscape, Ojo emphasised that the tactics being employed by the APC are not new. “The PDP did the same during its 16 years in power. Any party in government will attempt to weaken the opposition by poaching its members,” he said.
Ojo also criticised Atiku Abubakar’s efforts to form a coalition, claiming that his personal ambitions are preventing the opposition from uniting. “Atiku’s desire to be the presidential candidate for any coalition he forms is the root cause of the lack of support from the party’s governors. This is why they are not backing his plans.”
A total of 92 visually impaired candidates participated in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the Kano centre.
Prof. Muhammad Yahuza-Bello, JAMB Coordinator for the Kano centre, made the announcement while monitoring the exercise on Monday.
The examination took place at the School of Continuing Education, Bayero University Kano (BUK), under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) initiative for candidates with special needs.
Yahuza-Bello, a former vice-chancellor of BUK, explained that the 92 candidates were drawn from Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna States.
He added that among the candidates, two had Down syndrome, while two others had autism.
The candidates, both male and female, were provided with specialized gadgets such as typewriters, braille machines, slates, styluses, and paper to facilitate their participation in the exams.
The coordinator also said over 500 candidates with special needs-ranging from visual impairments and albinism to Down syndrome and autism-had registered to take the exam at 11 centres across the country.
He said, unlike regular Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centres where candidates interact with screens and keyboards, special needs candidates benefit from adaptive materials to eliminate barriers to education.
Since its introduction in 2017, JEOG has seen positive results, with an increasing number of special needs candidates gaining admission into tertiary institutions.
Yahuza-Bello pointed out that while approximately 25% of regular candidates gain admission, over 33% of special needs candidates are successful in securing placements.
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The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, has announced the release of ₦50 billion by the Federal Government to the academic and non-academic staff unions of federal universities for the settlement of earned allowances, as promised by President Bola Tinubu.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo.
Boriowo described the move “as yet another testament to Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to fundamentally transform Nigeria’s education sector.
“It reflects the administration’s bold resolve to transition the nation from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy through strategic investments in education, infrastructure, and human capital.
“This intervention is not just a financial transaction—it is a reaffirmation of our President’s belief in the capacity of Nigerian youth and the invaluable role that academic and non-academic staff play in nurturing them,” she quoted the minister as saying.
“By prioritising their welfare, we are laying the foundation for a future where every Nigerian child receives highly qualitative and globally competitive education,” she added.
Alausa expressed Tinubu’s heartfelt appreciation to the academic and non-academic unions for their sustained trust in his administration and for fostering an atmosphere of peace and cooperation across Nigeria’s federal institutions.
“Notably, the country is currently experiencing one of the longest uninterrupted academic sessions in recent history—a feat attributed to the mutual understanding and shared commitment between the government and the university community,” the statement read.