The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said this on Monday at the 2024 budget defence before the joint committee of the National Assembly on Education in Abuja.

He outlined the government’s commitment to producing skilled graduates at the tertiary level who can contribute effectively to national development.

Prof. Mamman highlighted the multifaceted approach being taken to address the out-of-school children challenge, including providing opportunities for those who can return to traditional schooling and empowering those who cannot through short-term skills training.

The minister expressed the ministry’s dedication to creating meaningful livelihoods for all children, regardless of their educational paths.

In alignment with the government’s policy focus, the Ministry of Education has engaged with stakeholders to review the national school curriculum, aiming to emphasize skills acquisition for students.

Prof. Mamman urged universities to incorporate skills training and entrepreneurship into their curricula to produce graduates who are self-reliant and better prepared for the workforce.

For the fiscal year 2024, the ministry is allocated a total of N101.45 billion, with N5.88 billion designated for personnel costs, N1.08 billion for overhead costs, and N94.48 billion for capital expenditures.

Responding to the concerns raised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Alternative Education, Rep. Aliyu Mustapha, Prof. Mamman acknowledged the National Assembly’s efforts to address the rising number of out-of-school children and emphasized the ministry’s commitment to implementing programs and vocational training to address the issue effectively.

This resolution was reached following a comprehensive debate on a motion titled, “Urgent Need to mandate schools to locate their Creche and Nursery Classes to the ground floors of their high-rise buildings and implement safety protocols.”

Sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who represents the Lagos West Senatorial District, the motion expressed deep concern regarding the tragic death of a toddler named David Etim Udo on October 24, 2023, at the Emerald International School in Aba, Abia State.

Senator Adebule highlighted the unfortunate incident in which the young child fell from a high-rise building within the school premises, resulting in his untimely demise. He stressed the need to address safety concerns in schools, particularly for infants and toddlers in Creche and Nursery classes across Nigeria.

The motion acknowledged the occurrence of accidents, including falls from multi-story school buildings, which often lead to injuries, permanent disabilities, and, in some cases, fatalities.

Senator Adebule emphasized the urgency of establishing safety guidelines for schools, citing the heartbreaking case of David Udo as a poignant example.

Following deliberations by other lawmakers, the Senate endorsed the resolution and urged the police to initiate an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragic fall and subsequent death of baby David Udo.

In response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the motion’s sponsor and observed a minute of silence in honor of the young victim.

Subsequently, the Senate approved a motion urging both Federal and State Education ministries to enforce comprehensive safety protocols within educational institutions.

This follows the ongoing face-off between the management and its students regarding the increase.

This crucial decision emerged following a constructive meeting between the university’s management, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) leadership, and the presidents of various university faculties.

The student representatives had voiced their demands, including a rollback of the fee hikes for tuition and accommodation, along with the university’s reinstatement of the student union.

In a positive development, the university administration not only concurred with an immediate reduction in school and accommodation fees but also committed to initiating the process of reinstating the student union on campus.

This promising step forward signals a potential resolution to the ongoing dispute.

The Director-General, of OEQA, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, gave this assurance while speaking during the conclusion of a three-day intervention seminar tagged: “Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools” for private schools operating in the State held at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.

The DG  stated that the office has ensured that schools complied with minimum safety standards as standardization is important in child protection.

The Director-General, who was represented by the Director, Private Education and Special Programmes, Mrs. Falayi Bambi noted that the State Government has continued to put in place adequate measures to stop insecurity in schools, noting that OEQA, as an office responsible for ensuring quality standards in schools below the tertiary level in Lagos State, will continue to work tirelessly in ensuring the safety of students so that teaching and learning will continue uninterrupted.

Seriki-Ayeni highlighted the need for schools to recognise the role they play in ensuring the well-being and safety of children, especially as they spend a significant time of their day in school. According to her, schools are institutions of learning hence they have to comply with standards of learning as well as protection.

She noted that the state government is emphatic on child protection policy, but, however, emphasised that the state government should not be left alone to tackle the issue of safety and security in schools, noting that it is essential for schools to have a ‘child protection officer’ for complaint and enquiry.

The Director-General stated that the doors of OEQA are opened for opinions and suggestions on how to improve the education standards as they affect learning outcomes in the State.

She urged participants to take advantage of the free online course “Introduction of Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy” on the agency’s website www.oeqalagos.com, which some educators have successfully completed, encouraging those who haven’t taken the course to do so.

The Director, Private Education and Special Programmes, Mrs. Falayi Bambi stated that there is a correlation between schools that are not complying and issues of child abuse.

She noted that the majority of cases reported to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) are schools that are not approved by OEQA, hence the office is directing all schools to register and validate their operations with the agency in order to sensitise them on things to put in place to ensure that every child is protected.

Bambi also noted that the agency operates an open office hence school proprietors can come directly to the agency instead of engaging touts for the registration of their schools, noting that the approval process/information can be found on the agency website.

One of the Coordinating Directors representing Education District VI, Mr. Dayo Adekunle urged the school proprietors to see safety as essential because as school owners they are responsible for whatever happens in their schools.

He said that in the event of any safety and security issues in schools, complaints should be forwarded to the Office of Education Quality Assurance or the complainant can fill out the incident report form on the OEQA website.

An officer with the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mr. Henry Okafor put participants through the process of early identification of domestic and sexual violence in schools as well as ways to report such cases to the agency.

The forum afforded the school proprietors opportunity to ask questions on grey areas concerning registration and validation as well as brainstorm on ways to ensure that every child is given quality education.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, noted that the policy takes immediate effect.

He stated that the government is aware that its implementation will be difficult but it is necessary to promote the cultivation and use of all Nigerian languages.

He revealed that as of today, 29 languages have become extinct, leaving the country with 625 languages.

For this reason, he disclosed that the mother tongue will be used exclusively for the first six years of education, and then combined with the English language from Junior Secondary School.

Adamu said even though the policy has officially taken effect, it can only be fully implemented when government develops instructional materials and qualified teachers are available.

He further explained that the mother tongue to be used in each school will be the dominant language spoken by the community where it is located.

President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the Federal Executive Council Meeting on Wednesday.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as well as a number of cabinet members were physically in attendance.

The ministers include those of Transportation, Muazu Sambo; Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Education, Adamu Adamu; Power, Abubakar Aliyu; state for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva.

Others are Ministers of Niger Delta affairs, Umana Umana; as well as Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo.

He stated this at the end of a study tour which he led to South Korea comprising some SUBEB chairmen and top officials from UBEC, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the National Teachers Institute (NTI).

The one-week study tour which took place from September 20th to 26th, 2022, was organized by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between UBEC and KOICA on strengthening the ICT utilization capability of smart schools teachers, improvement of accessibility to high quality teaching and learning contents, and infrastructural assistance to 6 smart schools.

During the study tour, the delegation visited some smart schools in the country where it became evident that the smart schools being established by the Federal Government were of exceptionally high standards in terms of the befitting school infrastructure, state-of-the-art equipment and teaching facilities, competent and highly trained teachers, and the modern Blended Learning methodology to be used.

The delegation also participated in several seminars and interactive sessions where specialists from UBION (the education technology company contracted by KOICA) and officials of the South Korean Ministry of Education took turns to explain the rapid educational progress recorded by Korea and the meticulous processes followed to introduce and sustain smart education in the country.

In his remarks, during one of the seminars, Dr. Bobboyi explained that Nigeria had a lot to learn from the Korean education system and promised that the lessons learnt would go a long way in adding value to the Nigerian Smart Schools Programme, in particular, and strengthening the entire education system in general. Noting the existing cordial relationship between the two countries, he emphasized that the study trip and the other interventions by KOICA will go a long way in strengthening the mutually beneficial affiliation between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that of South Korea.

Amongst other activities during the trip, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Nigerian Ambassador to South Korea, His Excellency Alhaji Aliyu Magashi, visited some booths at the Edu Tech Korea Fair and participated in some cultural tours.

The Director-General of LSSC, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, declared the event open at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The DG stated that sports are an encompassing event that is not only about winning but about developing every part of your body including the mental ability.

He explained that sports, especially Chess, are very good in enhancing the intelligence quotient of the players including school children which underscores the reason behind the annual tournament, adding that the tournament was designed to provide a platform for the youngsters to develop their latent abilities in the game.

Gafaar thanked PWC for sponsoring the programme for the youths, urging the organization to do more in terms of expansion and prize-winning to increase the capacity of the competition to attract more participants.

In his remark, the Country Operation Partner of PWC, Pedro Omontuemhen, describes Chess as a tool that can influence the thinking faculty of children.

“We are focusing on children in public schools because Chess can be used as a means of changing their mindset, behaviour and academic performance”, he added.

The directives was given in a statement on Saturday issued by the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance of the state, Abiola Seriki-Ayeni.

The statement disclosed that the Commissioner for Education in the state, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo gave the approval.

The statement partly read, “All schools below tertiary level in Lagos State are mandated to resume for First Term on Monday September 5, 2022 as stated in the 2022/2023 Harmonised Academic Calendar as approved by the Honourable Commissioner for Education Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo.

“The academic calendar prioritises standardised learning days and schools are to ensure strict compliance for the delivery of quality and sustainable education in Lagos State.

“Students and school-based staff are welcome back to school and are expected to adhere to health and safety protocols toward a productive school year.”

The statement added that the academic calendar could be downloaded from the Lagos Education Quality Assurance website.

Some of the measures include temporary abolition of boarding schools in rural areas, creating a special security unit for schools and introduction of security studies into the curriculum of our institutions.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Andrew Adejo, who announced this yesterday in Yola at the 81st Joint Consultative Committee on Education, said other measures, included drilling of students and teachers on emergency measures, construction of perimeter walls around schools and the installation of CCTV/alarm system.

Adejo noted that it had “become very pertinent in the light of attacks on our educational institutions, kidnapping of innocent children, wards and even parents and guardians, culminating in an unsettling air of insecurity that threatens our educational systems. The need to ensure the delivery of qualitative education in Nigeria is a common trend that runs through all parents, hence the need to ensure the existence of a peaceful, secure and serene environment for effective teaching and learning, only if we work individually and collectively towards eliminating extreme cases of fear and uncertainty.”

Declaring the workshop open, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, among others, said, “ While the general security lives and properties of all Adamawa citizens remain our paramount priority, more important is the security of the schools that hatches the younger ones to take up the task of the nation building.”

Fintiri added that “Government has a duty to carry on the responsibilities of the provision of the required infrastructure. I must add that we all have vital roles to play; school managers, facilitators, teachers, administrators, role models, parents and guardians have to play these roles responsibly. It is indeed, one thing, to secure the schools from external aggression and an entirely different thing to keep.”

According to a statement by Force PRO, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, this is to ensure the protection of schools and colleges, particularly boarding schools, tertiary institutions, and their campuses in areas prone to security breaches around the country.

The directive was issued at the management meeting of the Force Management Team at the IGP Conference Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The meeting reviewed the general security in the country including the security of schools and colleges as a result of some isolated incidences reported in some schools.

Adejobi said, “The IGP equally directed all State Commissioners of Police, Tactical Commanders, as well as their supervising Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), to explore all available options and think outside the box to boost security in and around schools, colleges, and student-based communities

“The IGP has equally directed detectives/operatives of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) and the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) to ensure sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering activities within various school environments while the Police Airwing has been directed to extend its aerial patrols to the six geo-political zones of the country.

“The Inspector-General of Police, therefore, assured that all hands will be on deck to ensure a safe environment for all pupils and students in the various schools and colleges of learning within the country. He further reiterated the commitment of his administration to diversifying resources towards sustainable security and safety of all and sundry in Nigeria.”