Education
Oyo govt. sets to recruit 7,000 teachers, 3,600 non-teaching staff
The Oyo state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has given a directive to the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) to recruit no fewer than 7,000 teachers; 2,000 non-teaching staff and 1,600 night guards.
This is coming six years after the government of Oyo State last recruited secondary school teachers.
The chairman of TESCOM, Pastor Akinade Alamu, who confirmed the development during a press conference on Tuesday, added that Governor Makinde equally directed that applicants should be given the forms free of charge.
The TESCOM boss also informed that the application form would be in circulation for two weeks after which the applicants will write an aptitude test.
He lauded the governor’s compassionate directive to give forms to applicants for free, adding that all applicants could access the forms at any of the six TESCOM zonal offices in the state and its headquarters at the Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
The zonal offices include; Ibadan Zone 1, Ibadan Zone 2, Saki, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Eruwa.
Alamu informed that applicants would only need to present their local government identification before they could get a form, hinting, however, that this was not by any means discriminatory or shutting the door against applicants who are not indigenes of Oyo State.
He said: “We received approval from His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde, to recruit 7,000 teachers, 2,000 non-teaching staff and 1,600 night guards for all the schools in Oyo State and, immediately, we started the exercise. And we have gone to the press to place the advertisement.
“When the governor became aware that we were to collect N1,000 from each applicant, he gave a directive that the forms should be given freely to all applicants in the state. And, in his usual compassionate attitude, he said he would not want people coming from Saki, Kisi, Ogbomoso, Oyo and other distant areas to come down and pay 1,000 to the bank, wait for confirmation from the Accountant-General, before they finally come to obtain the form from us.
“He said he would not want people to undergo these rigours and that the forms should be given to all applicants free of charge. So, we have started that this morning.
“Also, the governor directed that the forms should be made available at all the zones in Oyo State. There are six zones and the head office is the seventh centre where the forms will be given to the applicants.
“The addresses of our offices are as follows: Ibadan Zone 1, Leaf Road, opposite NTC; Ibadan zone 2, Bishop Philips Academy, Iwo Road. People can go there to obtain the form. Oyo zone is located opposite Ajayi Crowther University’s main gate, Oyo. In Ogbomoso, they can obtain forms at the TESCOM zonal office, Atenda, Ogbomoso. At Saki, we have our office at the Old Teachers College. In Eruwa, they can get it at our zonal office located at the local government headquarters. People can also come to the headquarters here at Secretariat to obtain the forms. Nobody should collect any money from any applicant.
“However, what we want, which we think will serve as control is, people will have to come with their local government identification to obtain the forms. They will fill and submit the form to us, and after the closing of the exercise – that is in two weeks – we will announce the date for the examination. This is because we expect that there will be so many applicants and we know we won’t be able to conduct a face-to-face interview for all of them at once. So, there will be a computer-based test to prune down their number. All those that are qualified will later be invited for an interview after the examination.”
Responding to questions from newsmen, Pastor Alamu maintained that the government has put in a place the arrangement for applicants to present their local government identification even if they were not from Oyo State, noting that this would serve as a control for the system.
“As for whether people can obtain the form by proxy, let me say this, we have a system which we have put in place whereby you come with your local government identification card. This will serve as a control. And before you get the form, they will look at your local government identification. The name will be out on our register and we will give you a form on which the number of the form given to you will be recorded in our register.”
He added that the recruitment exercise was only being done through collection of forms in the seven locations, warning prospective applicants to be wary of arrangements that might lure them to paying fees for online recruitment.
He said: “Actually, doing it online is an option but we have started this and the governor has graciously, in his compassionate manner, said we should send these forms to the zones where people can obtain them without going to distant places. So, this is the arrangement we have put in place.
“As to whether you can bring your local government identification card even if you are not an indigene of Oyo State, we won’t say no. Bring it but it is the result of the weeding test that will tell us those who are qualified to take up this appointment or not. So, we are not discriminating at all but using a method to control, so that it won’t be open to people who are not even qualified.
“The forms are available from today to 24th of February. Some people, in anxiety, have gone to the banks to pay without getting clarification from us and I don’t think we will accept responsibility for such loss,” Alamu concluded.
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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