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PTDF screens 931 candidates for overseas scholarship in S’West

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About 931 candidates from the South-West region, on Thursday, were screened for the Petroleum Technology Development Fund overseas scholarship scheme in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PTDF team leader in the zone, Masud Mohamed announced this figure at the screening centre, Faculty of Petroleum Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, the state capital.

He explained that 749 candidates were screened last week for the Master’s category, with the interviews scheduled in both morning and afternoon sessions over five days.

Mohamed, who is Manager, College of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, under the PTDF, added that 182 candidates are been screened for doctoral degrees in fields relevant to the petroleum sector.

“The scholarship scheme is in fulfillment of one of its mandates. It remains a deliberate strategy to boost indigenous expertise and bridge the capacity gap in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

“One of the mandates of the PTDF is the responsibility of developing capacity for the oil and gas industry, and that’s precisely why we are doing this.

“The screening is strictly on oil and gas-related courses and the initiative has been running for several years now and produced scholars who are making valuable contributions to the society.”

He stated further that the screening exercise was decentralised, with six centres established nationwide, one per geopolitical zone, to ease participation, maintaining that it aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu in term of human capacity development of Nigerians.

Some of the candidates, Funke Olaonipekun and Uchechukwu Ginika, who spoke with journalists, said they knew about the opportunity from their friends.

Olaonipekun said, “I have no doubt in my mind that I will be one of the successful candidates as the whole process from applying to the screening session has been fair and transparent.”

On his part, Ginika, who applied for a doctoral degree at the University of Strasbourg, France, lauded the PTDF for investing in education of Nigerians and thus contributing to the future of the country.

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Education

Cross River shuts 36 illegal schools

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The Cross River State Government has shut down 36 unapproved schools, ranging from primary to secondary schools, operating without registration or official approval across three local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, who confirmed the development on Tuesday in Calabar, the state capital, described the situation as “unfortunate,” noting that some individuals continue to exploit unsuspecting parents by running unauthorised schools.

He explained that the closures were executed by the state task force on illegal schools, which was inaugurated earlier this month and warned that the ministry would no longer tolerate any unauthorised or “mushroom” operations in the state’s education sector.

“We have begun full-scale enforcement across the three educational zones in Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja to sanitise the system and ensure that only schools meeting the required standards are allowed to operate,” Odey said.

The ministry’s publication listed 16 affected schools in Calabar, 10 in Ikom, and another 10 in Ogoja, all found to be running without government approval.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to quality education, Odey stressed that only duly registered and accredited schools would be permitted to function.

He further advised parents and guardians to verify the approval status of schools before enrolling their children, warning that the enforcement exercise would be extended to all 18 local government areas in the state.

“This exercise will continue until every illegal school is either regularised or shut down. We are determined to protect the integrity of education in Cross River State,” Odey stated.

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Education

ASUU suspends two-week warning strike

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities has announced the suspension of its ongoing two-week warning strike.

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known in an ongoing press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to Piwuna, the decision stemmed from the meeting of the National Executive Council meeting which was held overnight and ended by 4:00 am on Wednesday.

Piwuna noted that the union decided to embark on the strike due to the failure of the government to meet its demands on time.

“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike.

“The union acknowledged that the government returned to the negotiation table. While noting that a lot more work is still required, NEC came to the conclusion that the ongoing strike should be reviewed. The decision to review the strike action was a result of efforts by our students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians.”

Recall that ASUU declared a total and comprehensive warning strike starting from Monday, October 13.

ASUU is currently demanding the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of the withheld three and a half months’ salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of public universities, and cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.

Others are payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years and release of withheld third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, union check-off dues).

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NELFUND opens student loan portal for 2025/2026 academic session

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced the official opening of its student loan application portal for the 2025/2026 academic session, providing access to financial support for students across tertiary institutions in the country.

The agency said the application window will run from Thursday, October 23, 2025, to Saturday, January 31, 2026.

This is contained a statement issued on Tuesday by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.

NELFUND urged fresh students to apply using their Admission Number or JAMB Registration Number in place of a matriculation number.

It appealed to tertiary institutions to show understanding regarding registration and fee payment deadlines for applicants awaiting loan disbursement.

“Institutional Institutions are encouraged to show understanding in enforcing registration and fee Flexibility payment deadlines for students awaiting loan disbursement

“Institutions that have not yet commenced their 2025/2026 academic session should Special Notice formally write to NELFUND with their approved academic calendar for scheduling flexibility

“NELFUND appeals to all institutions to consider temporary registration measures for students whose loan applications are being processed to ensure that no student loses access to education due to financial constraints,” the statement said.

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