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UBEC; Driving Nigeria To Digital Era
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
The Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC is already navigating through the 21st century, a blessing in disguise for the commission after the COVID-19 pandemic with the establishment of a multi billion Digital Resource Centre (DRC), commissioned in May , 29, 2024 to mark the one year anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda to promote smart Education in Nigeria.
The proactive decisions of the handlers of Basic Education under the leadership of Dr Hamid Bobboyi as the Executive Secretary , Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC had doused the quantum of tsunami that would have befell the quest for quality Basic Education in the country for technological advancement and equality.
Against all odds, both artificial and natural phenomenon, the rate of the scourge of Out of School Children OOSC had alarmingly gone beyond human expectations of 10M, inspite of the concrete and concerted efforts been made over the years by the commission and its stakeholders occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, that led to subsequent lockdowns targeted with dire consequences at Basic Education .
Since Basic Education is the foundation of other levels of Education, the level of awareness and control expected of other levels was not available, as the level was inundated with both kindergarten and adolescents who are growing up, therefore , the choice of government to disengage the pupils to avoid harmattan spread of the COVID-19 was imminent.
Aside COVID-19 pandemic that threw some of the students out of school (OOS) permanently, while others lost various programs within the term , year, the growing need for computer literacy and technology driven society at the tender age became sacrosanct , in line with the decade of action for SDGs Goals 4, (2020-2030), meant for the provisions of quality Education to developing countries.
In an attempt to forestall unforseen circumstances, just like we have officially confirmed the prevalent of “Cholera” in 30 states out of the 36 states including the FCT, the proactiveness on the part of UBEC became justifiable with the establishment of not only smart schools(centres) in the six geopolitical zones along with 36 states of the federation and FCT, but a training centre that had already trained handlers at the state level.
The state of the art Digital Resource Centre (DRC) with the establishment of ” “Smart Schools ” to promote early technology driven learning process from basic levels, was a clear indication of government preparedness even before COVID-19, and artificial occurrences to bring to par provisions of Basic Education between not only the public and private schools, but seamless learning process and procedures across all Basic Education sector in the country.
With the invention of “Smart Schools” that will promote smart Education across the country with over 10,000 already trained to commence orientation, teaching and learning, no doubt the quest by government to bequeath technological driven learning process and forestall all other unforseen circumstances have been overcome.
It will now become a thing of the past , when public schools are closed down owing to both natural and artificial occurrences, for instance the current “Cholera” scourge bedeviling some states of the country, gradually spreading to other parts of the country, will not preclude public schools pupils at Basic level from learning, just like their counterparts in private schools through the introduction of the new “Smart Schools” to achieve “Smart Education “.
Before now, such national and natural disaster are targeted at public institutions and schools, particularly at Basic Education level , but with the foresight and proactiveness on the part of UBEC in Nigeria , the effects of such occurrences will be minimal and insignificant compared to what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic when some pupils did not return to continue with Basic Education learning.
With the new Digital Resource Centre (DRC), coordinating the activities of “smart schools ” and provision of “Smart Education ” became easier in the present dispensation and age.
The new vision in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be of dual advantage for basic learners who are positioned to inculcate both Basic Education and technology driven exposures in line with the template of promotion of automated and online activities by the present administration at tender age.
For the handler’s of UBEC, another milestone has been achieved to continue to deplete the figure out of school children OOSC, increase enrollment at the Basic Education level to promote the global target of inclusive quality Education and opportunities in line with SDGs Goal 4.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar@gmail.com.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has intercepted 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, worth N1,042,500,000 only in street value in a Lagos hotel.
It said the illicit drug, with a total weight of 417.3 kilograms, was seized during an operation in the 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, which it said was used as cover for distributing illicit substances.
It disclosed that no fewer than three were arrested in the course of the operation at the five-storey hotel building between Friday April 25 and Saturday April 26, 2025, while two other suspects were currently at large.
The NDLEA, in a statement by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, explained that the items suspected to be proceeds of illicit drug trade recovered from the hotel included a Toyota Prado Landcruiser SUV, Toyota Sienna, Volkswagen Delivery Van, Kia Ceranto, Grand Caravan Dodge, 74 new TV sets, 10 used TV sets, and 13 refrigerators, among others.
It further disclosed that the agency intercepted over two million pills of tramadol in Kano and Jigawa states.
The NDLEA explained that its operatives, acting on intelligence, on April 23 seized consignments of opioids being moved from Kano to the Niger Republic and Yobe State, through Jigawa.
It noted that the psychoactive substances were being moved in a Toyota Sienna vehicle at about 2:30 am along Kano- Ringim Road, Gumel town, when anti-narcotic officers on patrol intercepted them and arrested two suspects.
Recovered from the Sienna vehicle were 200,000 pills of 250mg of tramadol and 217,500 capsules of pregabalin.
“A swift follow up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the supplier at his residence located at Mil Tara, Layin Technical area of Kano, while additional 1,584,000 pills of 250mg of tramadol stacked inside a Nissan 18-seater bus and a room in his house were discovered and evacuated.
“This brings the total number of the recovered opioids to 2,001,500 pills,” the statement read in part.
According to the statement, another shipment of 46 wraps of cocaine weighing 547 grams hidden in body cream bound for the Middle East country, was intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on April 23.
It said the seizure came barely a week after NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) uncovered 20 parcels of cocaine concealed inside religious books bound for Saudi Arabia at a logistics company in Lagos.
It also said another consignment intercepted the same day included 1.8kg pentazocine injection and 60 grams bromazepam tablets heading for Canada.
Babafemi, in the statement, further disclosed that three Ghanaian ladies were on arrested on April 20 at the Gbaji checkpoint, at the Seme border area of Badagry, Lagos, by NDLEA operatives while attempting to smuggle 4.8kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis into Nigeria.
“While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Edo and Seme commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts,” he added.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has cautioned Nigerians against the excessive desire for money.
The agency issued the advice in a terse post on its X handle on Sunday.
“Love money too much, and Ponzi schemes will love you …..as their next target….be guided, the Eagle loves you all,” the post read.
This is coming amid ongoing investigation into the alleged fraud perpetrated by a digital investment platform, CryptoBank Exchange (CBEX).
CBEX had reportedly crashed on April 14, leading to the loss of billions of naira belonging to Nigerian investors.
Several videos online had shown some Nigerians raising the alarm over the loss of their funds to the scheme.
The EFCC had on Friday declared eight persons wanted over their alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme linked to the online trading platform.
The move came on the heels of the Federal High Court in Abuja granting the EFCC’s request to arrest and detain persons found promoting the CBEX scheme.
Justice Emeka Nwite, issued the order following submissions by the counsel for the EFCC, Fadila Yusuf, seeking the court’s approval to detain the promoters pending the conclusion of investigations into the alleged offences and their possible prosecution.
The EFCC stated that during the investigation, it found that ST Technologies, while registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, was not authorised by the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct investment activities.
Furthermore, it said the defendants had vacated their last known addresses in Lagos and Ogun States.
The EFCC had argued that a warrant of arrest was necessary to place the defendants on a red watch list to facilitate their capture and ensure they face charges.
The commission said its investigation had also established a prima facie case of an investment scam and that granting the application was in the interest of justice.
During an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, on April 16, the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, advised Nigerians against investing in a business without considering the legal framework that regulates it.
Oyewale said, “We know that for every business concern, you declare your profit either quarterly, annually or bi-annually, but if somebody says, ‘Bring your money; I’m going to give you a return in 30 days,’ you know that is not realistic; it’s just not pragmatic.
“Or if somebody says, ‘If you bring your money, we’re going to give you a 100% return on investment,’ that is not possible”.
Jesutega Onokpasa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says President Bola Tinubu has “failed woefully” based on the performance of his administration.
Speaking in an interview with Arise Television on Sunday, Onokpasa warned that Tinubu may end up being a one-term president if he did not improve in his performance.
Onokpasa also wondered why Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta, who he referred to as his cousin, defected to the APC.
The APC chieftain said the governor’s defection to the ruling party does not add any value to the APC or the state.
Onokpasa added that the ruling party should not focus on the defection of opposition politicians into its fold but on good governance.
He said the defections of opposition leaders to the APC negate the principles of democracy.
“It is not a question of people defecting to our party. It is a question of are we ruling well? In that sense, we failed woefully,” he said.
“President Bola Tinubu has failed woefully to rule well, provide food for Nigerians, and give succour in these hard times.
“Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who recently defected to our party, is actually my cousin. I don’t have the slightest idea why he defected to our party. He did not inform me. I wish him well.
“I don’t think it has value to him, our party, or Delta state.
“The whole idea of packing people into our party—that is not democracy. The interesting thing is that you must always have opposition because people must disagree. The idea of a one-party state is simply unattainable.
“There must be disagreement. Even in our party, we disagree.
“I can tell you for free that at the rate we are going, all these things (defections) won’t help us in 2027. If we are not careful, Bola Tinubu will end up as a one-term president. Quote me anywhere.”