Nigerian families will to meet representatives from United Kingdom boarding schools and learn about academics, extracurricular programmes, and student opportunities.

To make this possible, leading British boarding schools will visit Abuja and Lagos in March for UK Boarding Schools Week 2026, providing parents and students with a firsthand look at the pathways and experiences offered by UK education.

The exhibitions are organised by Mark Brooks Education, led by its founder Mark Brooks, who is also a UK Department for Business and Trade Export Champion and has been advising Nigerian families on British education for over 17 years.

According to a press release by his team on Wednesday, Brooks said, “This programme enables parents and students to meet school heads, explore academic pathways and gain first-hand insight into British boarding education.”

“Families attending will be able to speak directly with schools offering outstanding academic results, strong pastoral care and vibrant co-curricular programmes, all within welcoming international communities,” Brooks said.

According to Brooks, the events provide a rare opportunity for Nigerian families to understand how a UK boarding education supports holistic development.

“British boarding schools are uniquely placed to develop young people academically, socially and personally.

“These events give Nigerian families clearer perspectives on how a UK boarding education can open doors to world-class universities, global networks and lifelong personal development.”

Among the confirmed participating schools are Bromsgrove School, Canford School, Cardiff Sixth Form College, Dean Close School, Downside School, Lancing College, Milton Abbey School, Stamford School, and Wellington School.

School leaders highlighted the long-standing relationship between UK boarding schools and Nigerian families.

Alex Battison, head of Wellington School, Somerset, said, “Wellington has a rich history of having fantastic Nigerian families with us, and we’re incredibly proud of that.

“At the heart of what we do is a complete focus on the individual student and helping every child thrive.”

Michael Punt, head of Bromsgrove School, added, “Our school is popular with West African students because of the breadth of opportunities.

“Students know they will be taught extremely well and achieve excellent examination results, but also benefit from sport, music, drama, outdoor pursuits and a whole host of other activities.”

Henrietta Lightwood, global director at Cardiff Sixth Form College, highlighted the strong academic ambition of Nigerian families.

“Nigerian students are highly ambitious, and their parents are too. For many, it’s the academic results and access to top universities that attract them, particularly at Cardiff Sixth Form College.”

Attendance at the exhibitions is free, although advance registration is recommended.

The Abuja exhibition will take place at the Transcorp Hilton on Wednesday, March 4, while the Lagos event will be held at The George Hotel, Ikoyi, on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

Some schools will also host pre-booked appointments and a smaller follow-up exhibition on Sunday, March 8, in the afternoon.

The public exhibitions form part of a wider week-long programme that includes school visits, student presentations, leadership workshops, and parent receptions across both cities.

It was reported in 2024 that no fewer than 1,500 Nigerian pupils studied at a range of preparatory, senior and sixth form schools across UK.

The Kwara State College of Education, Oro, in Irepodun Local Government Area, has reopened for academic and administrative activities following the directive of the state government amid improved security conditions.

The reopening was contained in an internal memorandum issued on Monday and sighted by The PUNCH.

The memo, referenced CEO/ADMIN/27/Vol.1/268 and dated February 2, 2026, was signed by the Deputy Registrar, Information, Protocol and Publicity, Mrs Lawal Taibat Saka-Bolanta.

The memorandum, addressed to staff and students and issued from the office of the Registrar, stated that the college had resumed with immediate effect.

“In line with the directive of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, I write to inform staff and students of the re-opening of the college with immediate effect,” the memo read.

It added that academic and administrative activities would commence immediately, while the management appreciated the state government, the Ministry of Tertiary Education and other stakeholders for their support.

The development followed the earlier announcement by the Kwara State Government on Sunday that schools across the state would reopen from Monday, February 2, after months of closure due to security concerns.

The government’s decision was contained in a statement issued by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mr Peter Amogbonjaye, quoting the Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe.

According to the statement, school authorities across the state had been notified of the reopening.

“The government deems the situation now to be a lot better than it was before. Even so, we continue to maintain vigilance,” the commissioner was quoted as saying.

The statement added that security operations were ongoing to sustain recent gains, while efforts were also being made to strengthen community resilience alongside kinetic operations by security agencies.

The PUNCH had earlier reported the closure of the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, a few weeks ago, following security threats in the area, a development that forced students to vacate the campus and disrupted academic activities.

This had raised concerns among parents, education stakeholders and residents over the safety of students and staff.

The reopening of the college also comes months after the state government ordered the closure of primary and secondary schools in November 2025, following escalating insecurity in parts of Kwara State, particularly in border and forested communities affected by banditry and kidnapping.

At the time, the government said the closure was a precautionary measure to protect learners, teachers and other education workers from possible attacks.

However, the state government has maintained that sustained military and security operations in recent weeks have led to the neutralisation of several criminal elements and the restoration of relative calm in previously affected areas.

Security agencies are said to be maintaining a strong presence in vulnerable communities, with intensified intelligence gathering and community engagement to prevent a resurgence of criminal activities.

The government has also urged parents, teachers and school administrators to cooperate with security agencies and remain vigilant, assuring residents that measures have been put in place to guarantee the safety of students and education workers across the state.

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The management of the Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, has dismissed claims circulating on social media that its governing council ignored former Ogun State governor and university founder, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, in the award of honorary doctorate degrees.

The university, in a statement issued on Friday by its Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dapo Oke, described the reports as “malicious, misleading and deliberately crafted to sow discord”.

“For the avoidance of doubt, and to set the record unequivocally straight, the university affirms that its longstanding tradition has been to confer an Honorary Doctorate Degree on civilian Governors of Ogun State, in recognition of their executive stewardship and support for public education,” the statement said.

According to the institution, the tradition is a matter of public record, noting that Daniel, the founder of the university, was honoured as the first serving governor to receive the award in 2010.

“His successor, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was similarly honoured,” the statement added.

The university explained that the scope of its honorary awards also extends beyond state governance to recognise individuals with outstanding national and global contributions.

It recalled that during its 10th anniversary in 2015, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and other notable Nigerians, including Sir Kensington Adebutu, Asiwaju Adebola Adegunwa and Dr Tunde Lemo, were honoured.

“In this established context, the recent conferment upon His Excellency, Prince (Dr) Dapo Abiodun, CON, the Executive Governor of Ogun State, is neither anomalous nor extraordinary. It is a continuation of a consistent institutional practice applied to all civilian Governors of the State,” the statement said.

On former governor Olusegun Osoba, the management stressed that his contributions remained highly valued.

“His signature, as Governor during the Third Republic, enacted the legislative bill that transformed the former Tai Solarin College of Education into a degree-awarding institution — a pivotal act in our institutional metamorphosis,” it stated.

The university further clarified that the conferment of honorary degrees was not limited to governors alone, noting that all paramount rulers in Ogun State and other distinguished Nigerians had also been honoured over time.

The management condemned what it described as attempts to distort facts and urged the public to disregard the misinformation.

“We affirm our unwavering commitment to recognising excellence and distinguished service in accordance with our established traditions and institutional prerogative,” the statement said.

The clarification comes amid social media debates suggesting that Daniel was sidelined in the university’s honorary awards, a development linked by observers to ongoing political disagreements between the Ogun State Government and the former governor, despite both belonging to the All Progressives Congress.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that TASUED announced plans to confer honorary doctorate degrees on First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and former governor Olusegun Osoba at its 17th convocation ceremony, scheduled to hold between January 23 and 29, 2026.

According to the university, Senator Tinubu will receive a Doctor of Science (D.Sc. Ed.) Honoris Causa in Childhood Education, Governor Abiodun a D.Sc. Ed. in Education Management, while Osoba will be awarded a D.Sc. Ed. in Political Science.

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