Education
Oyo Govt Commends Ibadan City Academy Old Students’ Alumni
Governor Seyi Makinde has commended the Old Students’ Association of Ibadan City Academy, Eleta, Ibadan and its School Governing Board (SGB) for having expended over forty million naira on rehabilitation of fifteen structures, including classrooms, laboratories and the school’s library while another five structures were presently under renovation.
The school has six teachers under the employment of the alumni to take care of various subjects like English Language, Mathematics and sciences to support teachers under the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) while a borehole was sunk for the students’ population to have access to portable water.
Makinde who was represented by his deputy, Engr Rauf Olaniyan at a capacity building seminar organized by the Old Students’ of the school in conjunction with its SGB body said the situation on ground as far as public schools facilities were concerned was pathetic, reiterating the administration’s readiness to take the all-encompassing education policy to a greater level.
The Old Students’ body of the school had invited five education experts from the United Kingdom from the popular Association of Nigerian Academics in UK, among whom was a member of the alumni.
They took over hundred teachers through the modern and up-to-date requisites of teaching methodologies and learning styles that could enhance students’ performance.
The deputy governor while declaring open the seminar promised to partner with Association of Nigerian Academics in UK to spread the gains of the capacity building program to other areas of the State.
In his words, Olaniyan said “on behalf of the government and the people of Oyo State, I want to appreciate the alumni of Ibadan City Academy and its SGB for their efforts to complement government in uplifting education in the State.
“Government cannot do everything. We urge people in and outside the State to inculcate this laudable effort and contribute to the growth of education in the State to propel the needed effect on other aspects of human life.
“Let me give kudos to the last administration for bringing SGB on board, but I want to add here that our administration will take the policy to a greater height. On behalf of Oyo State government, I have the privilege to tell you that we are ready to partner with you because we know that no matter the cost of building structures in schools, if capacity of teachers is not updated, then the buildings are nothing.
“I want to add that with what we have seen here, by the time you come here next year, we would have done our own bit that you will have a good story to tell,” he promised.
The President General, Ibadan City Academy Old Students’ Association, Pastor Titiloye Richard in his address said the ‘Train The trainers’ seminar was targeted at bettering the lives of students which could be achievable by training the teachers to impact the right type of knowledge to the students.
“At the end of this capacity building seminar, we expect the teachers to have a new horizon into teaching and impacting on students and for them to identify that the students do not have the same capacity and that they must be able to accommodate all types of students when it comes to teaching methodologies.
“In the last three years, we have taken it as a responsibility to have a facelift of the school and that is why we renovated about fifteen classrooms, school laboratories and library which had gulped up to over forty million naira. We call on government to take it where we have gotten to and do the needful.
“It is not enough to do free education, the structures and teachers’ capacity as well as teaching facilities should be provided. With the free education which is commendable, there will be a boom in population of students and the facilities and other inputs must be on ground to accommodate them.”
Dr Bashir Olanrewaju who was also an alumni and Chairman of the School’s SGB gave kudos to the incumbent governor for making education accessible to all strata of the society in the State by introducing free education for all public schools.
He pledged the support of the alumni of Ibadan City Academy and its SGB to the education policies and pursuits of the government while promising that students of the school would perform excellently well in all their internal and external examinations.
One of the participants at the seminar who was also a teacher of financial studies, Mr Adeniyi Temitope appreciated the alumni and SGB of the school for broadening the knowledge of the teachers with the seminar which he described as interesting, promising to make good use of what he learned in impacting positively on the students.
The Ogun State Government has inaugurated a multi-sectoral Safe Schools Steering Committee as part of renewed efforts to strengthen security architecture across schools in the state amid rising concerns over the safety of pupils, students, and teachers.
The committee is expected to drive the formulation and implementation of policies, strategies, and intervention programmes aimed at preventing security breaches, enhancing emergency preparedness, and ensuring that schools remain safe, stable, and conducive for learning.
Inaugurating the committee in Abeokuta, the state capital, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, described the initiative as a deliberate and strategic response to emerging security challenges in the education sector.
He said the composition of the committee reflected a careful selection of professionals drawn from relevant sectors, based on competence, experience, and institutional responsibility.
According to him, the government recognises that schools can no longer be treated as isolated institutions, but must be protected through coordinated action involving government agencies, security operatives, communities, and development partners.
“The inauguration of the Ogun State Safe Schools Steering Committee is a strategic response aimed at strengthening collaboration among government agencies, security services, communities, development partners and all stakeholders in the education sector,” Arigbabu said.
He stressed that the task before the committee was urgent and non-negotiable, warning that the future of children in the state depended on the quality and timeliness of their decisions.
“As members of this committee, your selection was based on expertise, experience, and institutional responsibilities. This task is both important and urgent. The future of our children depends on the effectiveness of the decisions and actions we take today,” he said.
Arigbabu urged members to discharge their duties with “dedication, professionalism, integrity and a strong sense of purpose,” adding that every school in Ogun State must remain a place of safety, hope, and opportunity rather than fear.
“I therefore charge you to approach this assignment with dedication, professionalism, integrity, and a strong sense of purpose. Let us work together to ensure that every school in Ogun State remains a place of safety, learning, hope, and opportunity,” he added.
Other stakeholders at the inauguration reinforced the need for collective responsibility, stressing that school safety cannot rest on government alone but requires sustained collaboration from all segments of society.
They noted that communities, parents, security agencies, and development partners must work in synergy to safeguard learning environments and protect the future of children.
“As we inaugurate this committee today, let us recognise that school safety is not the responsibility of government alone. It is a shared responsibility requiring partnership, vigilance, innovation, and collective action,” one of the stakeholders said.
“The decisions we take and the commitment we make here today will contribute significantly to shaping the future of thousands of learners across our state,” the stakeholder added.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers in the state to embark on an indefinite strike over the continued abduction of teachers and pupils.
The strike, which takes effect from Monday, June 1, 2026, is expected to ground academic activities across public schools in the state.
The union said the action became imperative following what it described as growing insecurity in schools and the prolonged captivity of abducted teachers and pupils whose whereabouts remain unknown.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Oyo State Wing of the NUT, Hassan Fatai, and the Secretary, Salami Olukayode, the union expressed concerns over the psychological impact of the incidents on teachers, learners and parents.
According to the union, the lingering abduction cases have created fear and anxiety among teachers, weakened confidence in the safety of schools and discouraged many parents from sending their children to school.
The statement read in part, “The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State Wing, hereby directs all public primary and secondary school teachers across the state to commence an indefinite strike action effective from Monday, June 1, 2026, pending urgent and decisive action by relevant authorities on the abduction of teachers and pupils.”
The union explained that the industrial action was aimed at compelling the government and security agencies to intensify efforts toward the immediate and unconditional release of the victims.
It urged teachers across the state to comply fully with the directive, remain peaceful and law-abiding, and prioritise their safety while staying away from classrooms during the strike.
The NUT also expressed solidarity with the abducted victims and their families, assuring that it would continue to engage relevant authorities until the victims were safely rescued.
The union reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare, safety and security of teachers and pupils, stressing that the protection of school communities remained non-negotiable.
No fewer than 2,243,816 candidates on Thursday commenced the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board across accredited Computer-Based Test centres nationwide.
The figure represents a 10.5 per cent increase from the 2.03 million candidates recorded in 2025.
The examination, which began on April 16, is being conducted in about 1,000 CBT centres nationwide, with candidates scheduled in four daily sessions to reduce congestion and improve verification processes.
The board said it had deployed biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems to safeguard the integrity of the exercise, noting that candidates whose biometric details could not be authenticated would be rescheduled.
Candidates were advised to print their examination slips from the JAMB portal to confirm their schedules and arrive at least one hour before their examination time.
Under the revised timetable, first-session candidates are expected at 7:00 a.m., followed by 9:00 a.m. for the second session, 11:00 a.m. for the third session, and 2:00 p.m. for the final session.
JAMB disclosed that Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with 381,814, followed by Ogun with 137,156 and Oyo with 122,662. Kaduna recorded 103,498 candidates, while the Federal Capital Territory had 102,961.
Other states include Rivers with 105,584 candidates and Kano with 83,167, while Borno and Zamfara recorded the lowest figures with 13,483 and 14,861 candidates respectively.
Outside Nigeria, participation remained low, with Côte d’Ivoire recording 32 candidates, followed by Equatorial Guinea with 16, Burkina Faso with 14, and the United Kingdom with 12 candidates.
As part of efforts to enhance efficiency, the board increased the number of CBT centres but delisted 23 centres across several states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Edo, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory, over technical deficiencies observed during the mock examination.
The board said the action was necessary to maintain operational standards and ensure the credibility of the examination process.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force dismissed reports of insecurity at some centres, describing such claims as unfounded.
The police said it had deployed additional personnel, including patrol teams, perimeter surveillance units and rapid response squads, to ensure the safety of candidates nationwide.
The force added that it was collaborating with other security agencies to monitor the exercise and respond swiftly to any threats.
It assured parents and candidates of adequate security, urging candidates to comply with examination guidelines, arrive early and report suspicious activities.
The police also advised the public to disregard unverified information on social media and rely on official communication channels.
JAMB reiterated its commitment to transparency, warning candidates against accepting admissions outside its Central Admissions Processing System.
It stressed that any admission conducted outside CAPS would be considered illegal and would not be recognised.
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