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Minister says Qualitative Education is Tied to ICT Development
Mallam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, says the qualitative education in the modern world was intrinsically tied to the development and deployment of ICT in education.
The Minister who was represented by the Director, ICT, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ifegwu Orji during the inauguration of the Unites Cisco Internet of Things (IoT) Innovation Centre at Queens College in Yaba said: ”ICT as an enhancer of education has transformed education delivery from being the transmission of information by the teacher as the custodian of knowledge to the learner as the receiver of the knowledge transmitted and the school, from being a teacher-centered agency.”
He said: “Today, teachers are seen as facilitators or coaches of learning or in some cases, as change agents or activators and the students as active partners in learning.
”The school also had become an open space for learners who initiate and acquire their own learning and expand their knowledge through interaction among themselves and with the teachers.
“This kind of interaction is only made easier by the Internet of Things as it connects people, processes devices and data.
According to him, with the Internet of Thing (IoT), more engaging and measurable method of education that can provide knowledge to a greater number of students in a manner that fits their learning styles and needs are enhanced. He explained that The Internet of Thing (IoT), refers to the ever-growing network of physical objects with IP address for internet connectivity and communication that occurs between them and other internet-enabled devices.
His word: “It also enhances the volume and values of information that can be collected, thus, allowing educators and administrators to turn data into actionable insight like never before envisaged.
“In order to demonstrate our commitment towards the delivery of qualitative education with the resultant production of the requisite manpower, that can survive in the modern society, contributions to sustainable national development and compete globally, we have approved the establishment of the Cisco Unites IoT Innovation Centres in six Federal Unity Colleges in the six geo-political zones for the 2017/2018 academic session for which we are here today.
“Some of the Unity colleges that have benefitted from this project are Federal Science and Technical College Yaba as pilot, Federal Government Girls College Buari in Abuja, Federal Government College Kano and Queens College Lagos, as well as Federal Government College Enugu among others.
“They will all serve as a hub for open innovation to showcase what is with digital transformation and Internet if Things in education.
“We have also approved the establishment of the Cisco network academy in all the unity colleges under Cisco’s corporate social responsibility (CRS) in the education sector and other Cisco long term CRS programnes.
“It is our hopes that these programmes will fast track the achievement of ICT-enhanced education and would empower our students and teachers to adapt to the rapidly changing knowledge requirements and skills.
The Minister maintained that the goal of the Federal Government is to see the education sector as a whole, embrace the use of new technologies to meet the human resources requirements of nation-building for the attainment of sustainable soci-economic development.
He posited that government was optimistic of enhancing the sector for global competitiveness as well as the individual’s ability to survive in the contemporary society.
While lauding the partnership and contribution of Cisco Unites Academy for their support and donation of the IoT centres to the colleges, he added that the gesture would further boost students learning.
Meanwhile, the Director, of the Unites Networking Academy, Mr Toyin Olatayo, on his part said that the inauguration of the IoT project in Queens college was the third in the series.
According to him, efforts were underway to replicate same in all the 104 unity colleges across the country in two years. Olatayo noted that rapid changes in technology trends are forcing humans to keep up in order to stand the chance of surviving in a competitive world.
He maintained that technology has, and would continue to transform every aspect of human lives, be it education, governance, business and even personal relationships.
“There is digital transformation across countries and companies. Digital transformation driving opportunities. We want to bridge opportunities between students and the digital economy,” Olatayo said.
He added that the objectives of the Unites Cisco IoT Innovation Centre were to create technology solutions to unlock opportunities at a speed of rapid prototyping.
The Senate on Tuesday deplored what it described as violations of the principles of federal character in the appointments, recruitments and promotions in some key federal institutions and agencies.
Specifically, the upper legislative chamber fingered the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Pension Commission (PENCOM), the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and several other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as culprits.
The matter was a subject of debate at plenary as Senator Osita Ngwu called the Senate’s attention to the alleged violations through a motion.
Ngwu’s motion, entitled “Urgent Need to Address Systemic Abuse and Ineffective Implementation of the Federal Character Principle in Nigeria’s Public Sector,” got the attention of the lawmakers.
Ngwu, who led the debate, cited Sections 14(3) and 14(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which explicitly prohibit the dominance of individuals from a few states or ethnic groups in federal institutions.
He observed that while recruitment opportunities are limited, promotions are often based solely on years of service rather than merit, leading to the continued marginalisation of certain regions.
According to him, the lack of accountability in enforcing federal character principles has compromised fairness in the public sector, with senior-level recruitments often influenced by cronyism instead of competence.
Ngwu further observed that while the federal capital principle aims to balance merit with equitable state representation, its poor implementation has negatively affected discipline, morale, and institutional efficiency.
According to him, “The federal character principle, entrenched in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, mandates fair representation in federal appointments to reflect the linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the nation.”
He continued, “Section 14(3) and (4) of the Constitution unequivocally stipulate that ‘no predominance of persons from a few states or a few ethnic or sectional groups’ should exist within the federal government or its agencies.”
Ngwu listed the NNPCL and its subsidiaries, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), PENCOM, NDIC, the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), the National Library of Nigeria (NLN), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) as non comliant entities.
He accused them of consistently failing to adhere to federal character Mandates, and often bypassing regulations in their recruitment exercises.
Ngwu warned that unchecked violations of federal character laws would continue to erode the effectiveness of key legislative provisions.
He listed the affected legislative provions to include Section 14(d) & (e) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017, Part I(1)-(2) of the Subsidiary Legislation 23 of 1997, and Section 11(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
He also raised concerns about the lack of independence of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).
Ngwu observed that despite the Commission’s constitutional mandate, it remains weakened by underfunding, political interference, and a lack of enforcement power.
While approving the probe of the affected entities, the Senate directed its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to conduct investigative hearings into their activities.
The committee is expected to submit its findings within four weeks.
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four bank employees over their alleged involvement in a sophisticated fraud and money laundering scheme that diverted over £138,924 (more than ₦270 million) from international airline accounts.
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, command’s spokesperson, disclosed the arrests on Monday during a press briefing at the state police headquarters in Ikeja.
According to CSP Hundeyin, “The suspects conspired to siphon funds from domiciliary accounts into personal accounts before redistributing them to multiple destinations.
“The fraud was uncovered when the affected bank detected unauthorized transactions and alerted the police.”
Explaining further, the spokesperson said: “Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the following suspects: Oluwatobiloba Olaleye, male, aged 27, was arrested on March 12, 2025, in Ogun State. A Toyota Camry 2012/2013, suspected to be a proceed of the crime, was recovered from him.
Oladunjoye Adegoke, male, aged 33, was arrested on March 13, 2025, in Victoria Island, Lagos. A Toyota Camry (Pencil Light), suspected to be another proceed of the stolen funds, was also recovered.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Austin Alfred, male, aged 38, the Supervisor of the Trade Services Department, and Jude Uzobuaku, male, aged 36, a processor in the same department. Both facilitated the illegal transfer of funds to foreign accounts.”
Police investigations revealed that the stolen funds were initially funneled into an account belonging to one of the suspects before being transferred to multiple other accounts, making it harder to trace. Authorities are now working to track down additional accomplices and recover the remaining funds.
“The suspects are in custody and will face prosecution as the investigation continues,” CSP Hundeyin stated.
Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has announced a $15 million grant to support 3,000 budding entrepreneurs from 52 African countries.
Tony Elumelu, founder, TEF, made this known on Sunday in Abuja during the unveiling of the 2025 cohort of the foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme.
He stated that each beneficiary would receive a $5,000 seed grant to kick-start their businesses.
Elumelu, who is also chairman of Heirs Holdings, Transcorp, and United Bank for Africa (UBA), reaffirmed his commitment to empowering African entrepreneurs and transforming the continent’s economic landscape.
According to Elumelu, the foundation aims to democratise opportunity across the continent, fostering economic growth and providing young Africans with access to funding and mentorship.
“We had a vision that started in 2010; one that envisions a self-sustaining Africa, driven by the energy, vision, and resilience of young entrepreneurs.
“We understand the challenges they face in contributing to Africa’s economic transformation.
“If empowered and encouraged, these young Africans can drive meaningful change,” he said.
He noted that capital alone was not enough, highlighting the importance of business education, mentorship, and training in building successful entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneurship programme, which began in 2015, originally set out to economically empower 10,000 young Africans over 10 years, each receiving $5,000 in seed capital.
“This year marks the 15th anniversary of the foundation, and we have made a considerable impact across all 54 African countries.
“In the 21st century, Africa does not need aid; what it needs is investment in its youth,” Elumelu said.
Somachi Chris-Asoluka, chief executive officer (CEO), TEF, noted that since the programme’s launch in 2015, the foundation had.disbursed over $100 million to more than 21,000 young entrepreneurs across Africa.
According to Chris-Asoluka, these businesses have collectively created 1.5 million enterprises, and generated $4.5 billion in revenue.
“Our entrepreneurs have demonstrated that ideas are the lifeblood of the African continent.
“For the 2025 cohort, we received over 200,000 applications, and from this pool, 3,000 entrepreneurs from 52 African countries will receive $15 million in funding.
“Each entrepreneur will receive a $5,000 non-refundable seed grant; this is neither a loan nor equity,” she stated.
She further assured that the foundation had a monitoring and evaluation platform in place to track progress after disbursement, ensuring that beneficiaries adhered to their approved business plans.
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