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Federal Universities To Get Full Financial Autonomy — Education Minister Tahir Mamman

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Federal Government is considering “new creative means” of funding tertiary education in the country, Education Minister Tahir Mamman has said.

Mamman hinted at full autonomy for institutions as one of the measures at the ongoing Nigerian Annual Education Conference (NAEC) in Abuja.

He also said that President Bola Tinubu, who has already expressed commitment to raise the education budget to 25 percent,  directed “the return of the 10.5 million out-of-school children to school at the expiration of his tenure.”

In this year’s budget, the sector got N1.79 trillion, representing 8.2 percent of the appropriation bill. The allocation falls far below the  20 percent suggested by the

United Nations(UN)  for Nigeria to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, universal, inclusive, and equitable basic education for all school-age children by 2030.

The minister also pledged his commitment to bridge the gaps between education policy statements and its actualization outcomes.

Mamman noted that the country had a lot of good education policies that were not yielding value due to poor implementation.

The conference has “Implementation of Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria,”  as the theme.

It was convened for stakeholders in the education sector to deliberate on how to enhance entrepreneurial skills as well as vocational and technical education in Nigerian schools.

The minister told the stakeholders that what Nigeria needed now was “action on the ground and not the policy declaration.”

He said: “Mr President is determined, among others, to initiate a new creative means of funding tertiary education by granting universities the autonomy to explore new sources of financing their activities.

”As you all know, President  Tinubu has publicly declared his commitment to overhaul the education sector as a matter of priority.

“My delight is underscored by the fact that this conference is taking place shortly after my swearing-in as Minister of Education and at this early stage when my colleague, Minister of State(Education),   Yusuf   Sununu, and myself are developing a template to define a strategic roadmap for the education sector which when unfolded, we all will have a responsibility to implement.

“It is important that the Federal Ministry of Education and all stakeholders in the sector work together to see this vision come true. The days of long declarations are over. This time, we must walk the talk.

“This conference provides an opportunity for me to meet you, the pillars of the Nigerian education system, and for us to restate our resolve to implement fundamental changes in the education sector for the benefit of the young, adults, and the entire society.

“Your presence at this event at short notice is an indication of the importance you attach to the growth and development of the sector in Nigeria.

“The theme for this conference: ‘Implementation of Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’ will always remain relevant until our country achieves 100 percent of the targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and beyond to education-related indicators and targets of Agenda 2060 of the African Union.

“As a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) 2030 and African Union Agenda 2060, Nigeria must continue to demonstrate its commitment to achieving these goals through leadership and ownership of the implementation process. The Education sector is one of the line sectors that ensure that planning and budgeting in the country are within the framework of the SDGS.

“I am also happy to note that the technical sessions have been structured to address very contemporary and topical issues in the education sector in Nigeria. Discussions to be held on tertiary education which is expected to focus on emerging trends including university autonomy and Students  Loan Fund as well as education financing aligns perfectly with President Tinubu’s vision for the sector.

“Your  deliberations on enhancing entrepreneurial skills, vocational and technical education in Nigerian schools directly speaks to Mr. President’s vision of promoting technical and vocational education as a means of absorbing the millions of young school leavers who complete primary and secondary schools every year but cannot get admission to universities, other tertiary institutions or employed with ease.”

On the return of 10.5 million out-of-school children to school, the minister said: “We still have a long way to go. We are not matching the children in the country with the desired education and this is because our policies are not producing the values we need.

“What we need is the action on the ground and not the policy declaration. This is where I can tell you we intend to come in.

“We want to bridge the gaps between policy statements and actualization of outcomes.

“This is to give them future training that will enable them to live their lives and make them employers of labour. Everybody deserves to live a life of dignity for the well-being of their family.”

Mamman also lamented attacks on education institutions in the country, recalling with sadness, the recent murder of a female nursing student of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE),   Atanda   Deborah.

The minister said he had directed  FUOYE Vice-Chancellor to work with security agencies to track down the killers of the student.

Education Adviser, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), James O’Donoghue, pledged the United Kingdom’s commitment to support Nigeria in actualizing the 2030 SDG agenda and to ensure every child receives quality education.

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UPDATE: Kidnappers Of Fouani Company MD, Three Lebanese Demand $1.5m Ransom

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The kidnappers of the Managing Director of Fouani Company, who represents LG and Hisense, and three Lebanese nationals, have demanded a ransom of $1.5 million.

According to a source under anonymity, the kidnappers made contact with the family of the victims and demanded the ransom in exchange for their safe release.

It was earlier reported that the victims were abducted around Falomo Bridge while traveling from Apapa to Victoria Island.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the abduction saying, “Yes, it is true. We got the report and we are looking into it. Please, I’m not obliged to state more than that,” he simply said.

 

More to come…

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iPhone User Sues Apple for £5m After Wife Found Out His Infidelity Despite Deleted Messages

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A British citizen is suing Apple for £5 million, alleging that the company’s silence on messages that have been removed caused his spouse to find out he was unfaithful and file for divorce.

According to The Times, the middle-aged English guy, who wishes to remain anonymous, reportedly erased messages he sent to sex workers on his iPhone, but the family’s iMac computer retained them.

He admitted to The Times that he had become a prostitute during the last years of his marriage and that he would communicate them using the iPhone’s iMessage programme before deleting the messages.

But finally, his wife found the messages on the family’s iMac computer, along with some older ones he thought he had erased.

He told the Times newspaper, “If you are told a message is deleted, you are entitled to believe it’s deleted.

“It’s all quite painful and quite raw still. It was a very brutal way of finding out [for my wife].

“My thoughts are if I had been able to talk to her rationally and she had not had such a brutal realisation of it, I might still be married.”

He argued that Apple’s messaging system is misleading, as it implies that deleted messages are permanently erased, when in fact they can still be retrieved on other linked devices.

He added: “Divorce is an extraordinarily stressful process and you have children and family dynamics.

“In my opinion it’s all because Apple told me my messages were deleted when they weren’t.

“If the message had said, ‘These messages are deleted on this device’, that would have been a clue, or ‘These messages are deleted on this device only’ that would have been even better.”

He is now pursuing legal action against the company for the more than £5 million he lost in his divorce and legal costs, claiming the company does not make it clear to customers that deleted messages can appear on other Apple devices.

The lawyer, Simon Walton, from London law firm Rosenblatt which is representing the businessman in a statement said that “Apple had not been clear with users as to what happens to messages they send and receive and, importantly, delete.

“In many cases, the iPhone informs the user that messages have been deleted but, as we have seen, that isn’t true and is misleading because they are still found on other linked devices — something Apple doesn’t tell its users,” he said.

“I would be eager to hear from other Apple customers who have experienced similar issues,” he added.

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BREAKING: Finidi George Reportedly Quits As Super Eagles Coach

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Finidi George has reportedly quit as coach of the Super Eagles.

This followed the decision of the NFF to appoint a foreign coach to boss him after the national team failed to win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin.

The 53-year-old coach was appointed new Super Eagles coach in May to succeed the Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, who left the post after his contract ended in February.

He was an assistant to Peseiro for 20 months.

His demotion meant his year’s contract will be downgraded and his reported monthly salary of 15 Million Naira will be reviewed downwards to five Million Naira.

His handpicked assistants, who he worked with for the recent games against South Africa and Benin, would also not be part of the team as the new foreign coach will come with his own staff.

This past week in a meeting with Sports Minister John Enoh, Finidi said he did not enjoy the support of his employers the NFF.

He also faulted the commitment of the country’s top stars for the crucial World Cup qualifiers this month.

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