Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced the expansion of its loan programme to some vocational skills centres across the country. The Executive Director of Operations at NELFUND, Iyal Mustapha, stated this during a sensitisation campaign in Enugu on Friday. The sensitisation tour included visits by the NELFUND management to the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu College of Education, Technical, a technical school, and the MSME Clinics Fashion and Garment Hub in Enugu. Speaking, Mustapha said NELFUND aims to support vocational training through loans, helping individuals access technical education at various skill centres, including fashion design and other trades.…
Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Adenije Oladiji, has commended the transparent manner Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, handled the glitches observed in the administration of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. Prof. Oladiji said the bravery displayed by Prof. Oloyede in taking responsibility for what she termed inadvertent glitches was the hallmark of good leadership, a sense of responsibility, responsiveness and an affirmation of his total commitment to transparency, good governance and repositioning the organisation for better service delivery. Oladiji, who spoke in a statement issued in Akure,…
The Apex Igbo Social-cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has declared that May 30th, previously commemorated as Biafra Remembrance Day, shall henceforth be observed as “Igbo Heroes Day”. According to the Igbo social-cultural organisation, the renaming embodies Igbo’s commitment to honouring the indelible legacy of those brave men and women who laid down their lives during the Biafran conflict for the sake of their people’s dignity and future. Ohanaeze Ndigbo made this known in a statement signed by its Deputy President Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, on Thursday, while advocating that the celebrations for Igbo Heroes Day be voluntary in nature. Isiguzoro also urge…
Residents of Ogun State have dismissed claims of “deadly rice” circulating in communities within the state, describing the rumours as mere “business gimmick.” Recently, voice messages were circulated by concerned parents and relatives, warning their loved ones against buying or consuming rice. According to the messages, a foreign trader allegedly invoked the spirit of the ‘Ogun’ deity after two trucks of her rice were stolen and smuggled into Nigeria. The voice notes claimed that the two trucks of rice were stolen from a neighboring country and smuggled into Nigeria through the Idiroko and Seme borders. Allegedly, the owner of the…
Lagos State Government has restricted construction activities across the state to between 7.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, announced the new directive in a statement on Thursday by the agency’s Director, Public Affairs, Mr Mukaila Sanusi. Olumide said the measure became necessary to safeguard the environment, curb incidences of building collapse, and enhance the overall well-being of residents. “This restriction must be strictly adhered to by all stakeholders in the construction sector. “It is in the public interest and will be enforced by relevant government agencies.” He…
Three opposition members of the House of Representatives on Thursday officially announced their defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during plenary. The lawmakers include Oluwole Oke from Osun State, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Kabiru Hassan Rumrum and Sani Abdullahi, both from Kano State, who defected from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the APC. Rumrum had earlier declared his resignation from the NNPP and his return to the APC during a meeting with the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Similarly, Oke had earlier announced his departure from the PDP in Osun…
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has slammed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for the technical glitch that affected the 2025 UTME results. Recall that JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, broke down in tears during a press conference on Wednesday while apologising for errors in UTME results, and later announced that affected students would rewrite the exams. Ezekwesili, in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, wondered why JAMB did not address the earlier complaints with humility and prompt investigation. “Why could the authorities not have immediately acted with humility and done an unbiased and swift system check…
The House of Representatives has called for the establishment of at least one computer-based testing (CBT) in each of the 774 local government areas of the country for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The lawmakers made the resolution during plenary on Thursday, following the admission by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that there were glitches in this year’s examination. According to the lawmakers, the move would aid in forestalling future recurrence. The House also called for calm in the wake of JAMB’s admission to errors in the 2025 UTME. Last month, the Senate mulled a similar resolution,…
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed for the second reading, a bill to amend the Electoral Act, 2022 to make voting in national and state elections compulsory for all citizens of voting age. Sponsored by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen (APC, Kaduna) and the member representing Bassa/Jos North federal constituency of Plateau state, Hon. Daniel Asama Ago, the proposed legislation seeks to deepen democracy in the country through increased participation and legitimacy in electoral outcomes. The bill also intends to provide a legal framework for enforcing mandatory voting for Nigerians age 18 and above, and stipulate appropriate sanctions for unjustified failure…
The Senate has confirmed the appointment of five Resident Electoral Commissioners submitted by President Bola Tinubu in March for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The confirmation followed the receipt and consideration of a report by the Chairman of Senate Committee on Electoral Matters during plenary on Wednesday. Presenting the report on behalf of the Committee, Senator Simon Lalong, urged the Senate to confirm the nomination of five individuals as Resident Electoral Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission having passed the screening exercise. The approved RECs are Umar Yusuf Garba (Kano State), Sa’ad Umar Idris (Bauchi State), Chukwuemeka C.…