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OAU has fulfilled founding fathers’ vision, says TETFund boss

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The executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, has said the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has lived to the ideals of its founding fathers, breeding experts in various fields of human endeavors.

Echono, while delivering a lecture to mark the 65th anniversary of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, also said investment in research and innovation systems will generate practical solutions suited to local realities.

The TETFUND boss, in the copy of the paper obtained in Osogbo on Friday, paid glowing tributes to the pioneer and successive Vice Chancellors of the university for sustaining the legacies of the university’s founding fathers.

“The Great Ife has remained a symbol of commitment and purposeful leadership. Expectedly, the university has lived to the ideals of its founding fathers as the breeding ground for erudite scholars, legal luminaries, successful businessmen, diplomats, accomplished technocrats and administrators, including its legion of Nigerian National Merit Award Winners, who are contributing to national development, and have continued to uphold the reputation of the university,” he said.

Speaking on the concept of research and innovation, Echono noted that research and innovation remain key drivers of national development, saying nations that have achieved sustained economic growth and technological advancement have done so through deliberate investment in knowledge generation, scientific inquiry, and practical innovation.

He added that in present day global economy, development does not depend on natural resources, but on the capacity to create, apply, and commercialize knowledge.

“Research and innovation remain key drivers of national development. Nations that have achieved sustained economic growth and technological advancement have done so through deliberate investment in knowledge generation, scientific inquiry, and practical innovation.

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“In today’s global economy, development does not depend on natural resources but on the capacity to create, apply, and commercialize knowledge. Nigeria’s developmental challenges, though significant, also present opportunities for innovation-driven transformation.

“Addressing issues such as unemployment, insecurity, hunger, healthcare limitations, industrial underdevelopment, and technological dependence requires sustained investment in research and innovation systems that generate practical solutions suited to local realities,” Echono said.

Commending President Bola Tinubu for focusing on research and innovation that can provide solutions to challenges peculiar to the country and her people, Echono also stressed that building a fully functional and innovation-driven economy requires deliberate efforts to address issues of funding constraints, insufficient infrastructure, inadequate motivation, limited academia-industry collaboration, and challenges in commercialising research outputs.

He emphasised that the role of TETFund in enhancing the capacity of tertiary institutions in the country for research and development through its interventions activities has become increasingly strategic for strengthening Nigeria’s research and innovation ecosystem.

He further said that by supporting research funding, academic capacity development, innovation hubs, commercialisation initiatives, and entrepreneurship programmes, TETFund has been repositioning institutions in the country as active contributors to national development.

He declared that Nigeria’s “Sustainable development largely depends on how effective we are at leveraging knowledge, innovation, and technology to grow national economy, expand opportunities, create jobs and wealth, develop new products and services and improve the well-being of its people. This is essential for national growth, competitiveness, and long-term stability.”

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Simeon Bamire, said the institution has been recording steady growth since it’s establishment about 65 years ago and commanded the sacrifices and commitment of staff members and students towards sustaining legacies of excellence OAU is reputed for.

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The PUNCH reports that Bamire announced plans to unveil the N10bn President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Centre of Excellence in Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Empowerment on June 8 as part of activities marking the institution’s 65th anniversary.

Bamire said the centre was designed to serve as a platform for research, dialogue, leadership development, innovation and youth empowerment.

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Education

CBT best way to curb ‘miracle centres’, examination malpractice — WAEC official

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The West African Examination Council, has called for “strict computer-based testing to curb examination malpractice in some centres,” popularly known as “miracle centres.”

An official with WAEC office in Makurdi, Timothy Manga gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, on the growing concerns over examination malpractice and its impact on the credibility of public examinations and educational certificates.

NAN on Monday reported that Manga said allegations of the existence of “miracle” examination centres in Benue had become worrisome, though there had not been any official confirmation of the existence of such centres in the state.

In Nigerian education context, PUNCH Online reports that a “miracle centre” is an examination centre where organised examination malpractice is allegedly facilitated, allowing candidates to obtain unauthorised assistance or answers during exams.

He described the development as a threat to the education system, saying schools should be known for quality teaching rather than their ability to facilitate examination malpractice.

“Any system that rewards students for cheating undermines those who have worked hard to prepare for examinations.

“We need an examination system where success is determined by knowledge, preparation, and competence, not by the ability to access assistance during examinations.

” Though WAEC has not gotten any information on any school being a “miracle centre”, we would continue to put our ears to the ground in case we hear of any that we can set an example with,” he said.

Mrs Rebecca Ezekiel, a teacher with NKST Secondary School Makurd, however, said the establishment of independent examination centres could reduce the influence of schools and teachers over examinations such as WAEC and the National Examination Council (NECO).

Ezekiel said the CBT would enable examination bodies to exercise greater control over examination venues, personnel, and security arrangements.

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“Candidates should be examined under conditions that are independent of the schools where they receive instructions,” she said.

The teacher also recommended the deployment of biometric verification, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, and other technologies to strengthen examination monitoring.

However, Mr Jude Odeh, a school proprietor in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA), said admitting sudents in final year in secondary schools did not qualify a school to be labelled as a “miracle” examination centre.

Odeh said he had heard allegations about the existence of such centres in the state but was yet to identify any specific school operating as a miracle examination centre.

He said some parents changed their children’s schools for various reasons such as the high cost of examination registration, school fees, and others.

According to him, some schools charge examination fees arbitrarily, and when combined with school fees, the total cost becomes too high for some parents to bear.

Odeh, however, said he knew some schools in Benue that did not admit new students into SS3, insisting that only students promoted from SS2 were registered for external examinations.
(NAN)

Source: punchng.com

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Education

Lagos law student dies after jumping from four-storey building

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The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the death of a 23-year-old student of the Nigerian Law School, Faith Alayande, who reportedly died after allegedly jumping from the rooftop of a four-storey hostel building at the institution’s campus in Victoria Island, Lagos.

PUNCH Metro learnt in a telephone conversation with the command’s Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, that the incident was reported to the police after the deceased was found unresponsive in the hostel premises on Friday.

Adebisi noted that the matron of the institution reported the matter and disclosed that another student and a relative reportedly found a suicide note written by the deceased student, prompting them to search for her.

She noted that before they could locate her, she had allegedly jumped from the rooftop of the four-storey hostel building.

She said, “I can confirm the incident. The deceased reportedly wrote a suicide note and, before her hostel mate and a relative could locate her, she jumped from the rooftop of a four-storey building.

“The matron of the hostel reported the incident, prompting police operatives to visit the scene. Her body has been evacuated to a morgue for preservation.”

Also, a security analyst, Zagazola Makama, who shared details about the incident on X, disclosed that the deceased was found dead within the hostel premises on Friday by another student, who alerted the matron of the institution.

According to Makama, the Chief Matron of the Law School was said to have reported the incident at the Victoria Island Police Division at about 6:30am.

Makama noted that, upon receiving the report, the matron proceeded to the scene, where the deceased was found lying on the ground within the hostel premises.

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Makama wrote, “A 23-year-old student of the Nigerian Law School has died in a suspected suicide incident at the school’s hostel in Victoria Island, Lagos.

“The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, August 7, 2026, when the deceased, identified as Alayande Faith Ajoke, was found dead within the hostel premises.

“The Chief Matron of the Law School, Mrs Igbokwe Juliana, reported the incident at about 6:30am. Preliminary observations indicated that the deceased may have jumped from the rooftop of the four-storey hostel building.”

Meanwhile, the PPRO concluded that an investigation was ongoing into the incident.

This is not the first reported case of a Nigerian Law School student dying by suicide.

PUNCH Metro reported in December 2025 that a Nigerian Law School student, Ayomiposi Ojajuni, reportedly died by suicide after he was allegedly barred from writing the Bar Final examinations at the Yola campus in Adamawa State.

Ojajuni, a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University, was said to have received a series of queries from the school authorities and later discovered that he would not be allowed to sit for the professional examinations.

Source: punchng.com

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Education

Canada updates Visa processing times for Nigerians as study permit wait rises

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Nigerians applying to study or travel to Canada are facing longer estimated processing times following the latest temporary residence update released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The immigration department updated its processing-time estimates on August 5, 2026, with the latest figures showing increases across several temporary residence categories. For Nigerian applicants, the estimated processing time for study permits increased from six weeks to seven weeks between July 28 and August 5.

The wait for Canadian visitor visas also increased, rising from 64 days to 68 days. However, the estimated processing time for Nigerians applying for a work permit remained unchanged at seven weeks. There was also a slight increase in the estimated processing time for super visa applications from Nigeria, which rose from 41 days to 43 days.

With these latest figures, Nigerian applicants should now expect an estimated wait of seven weeks for a work permit, seven weeks for a study permit, 68 days for a visitor visa, and 43 days for a super visa.

The changes in Canada’s latest update were not limited to Nigerian applicants. Work permit processing for applicants from Pakistan recorded one of the biggest increases, jumping from 11 weeks to 25 weeks, a rise of 14 weeks.

Study permit processing for applicants from the Philippines also increased by one week, while super visa processing for applicants from the Philippines rose from 73 days to 100 days. Some applicants, however, saw their estimated waiting periods fall.

The biggest reduction among the featured categories was recorded for super visa applications from Pakistan, which dropped from 196 days to 185 days.

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IRCC’s processing times are estimates and do not represent a guaranteed date for when an application will be completed. The actual time required to process an application can vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the case, the volume of applications awaiting processing, available resources, and whether immigration officials require additional information or documents.

The Canadian immigration department updates temporary residence processing times weekly, meaning the estimates for Nigerian applicants could change again in the next update, which is expected around August 12, 2026.

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