In a statement jointly signed by the union’s Oyo State Chairman, Hassan Ajibola Fatai, and Secretary, Olukayode Salami, the union announced that the suspension followed a directive from its national leadership after reviewing the prevailing security situation and considering appeals by the Oyo State Government and other key stakeholders.

The union directed all public primary and secondary school teachers across the state to resume official duties from Thursday, July 2, 2026, bringing an end to the industrial action that was declared in response to the kidnapping of teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area.

According to the statement, the decision was taken in the collective interest of teachers, learners and the general public after the government assured the union that sustained efforts were underway to secure the safe release of the abducted victims and strengthen security around schools and surrounding communities.

The union disclosed that the government had made several commitments aimed at preventing future attacks, including intensified rescue efforts for the abducted teachers and learners, the establishment of a well-equipped Joint Security Task Force to patrol vulnerable schools and access routes, continuous engagement with affected families, psychosocial support and rehabilitation for rescued victims, and payment of gratuities and other entitlements to the families of deceased teachers.

Other commitments include strengthening the Safe School Initiative through public sensitisation and early warning systems, improving emergency response mechanisms, addressing criminal hideouts, upgrading school infrastructure, tackling illegal mining and open grazing in forest reserves, enhancing community intelligence gathering, ensuring speedy prosecution of criminal suspects, improving the welfare of security personnel, and deploying technology to bolster school security.

The union commended its members, as well as the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), for their discipline, solidarity and compliance throughout the period of the industrial action, describing their support as instrumental in advancing the welfare and security of teachers and learners.

While directing members to return to the classrooms, the union urged teachers to remain vigilant, obey the law and promptly report any security threats within their schools and communities to the appropriate authorities.

The NUT reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the welfare and security of teachers, stressing that it would continue engaging the government until all outstanding concerns regarding the safety of teachers and students are fully addressed.

International students have become less likely to pursue education in the U.S. since President Donald Trump’s return to office. The administration has introduced more restrictive anti-immigration policies, including measures that explicitly target foreign-born students, and tightened rules about post-schooling employment for international graduates. 

Last fall, schools reported international student enrollment had dipped 17%, according to NAFSA, an education nonprofit. Declining tuition spending translated to $1.1 billion in lost revenue for universities, and almost 23,000 fewer jobs.

Those figures might just be a drop in the bucket if international students end up permanently absconding from U.S. schools. International enrollees disproportionately pursue technical degrees, including in scientific, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains, otherwise known as STEM. The skills and the professions these lead to are cornerstones to U.S. innovation and technological breakthroughs, which in turn bolster all sorts of businesses and jobs. By cutting off those foreign-born grad students and PhDs at the source, the U.S. risks gutting its own economy years down the line.

That’s the finding of a paper published Tuesday by researchers at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. If the number of transplant STEM graduates trained in the U.S. were to fall by a third over the next decade, the blow to entrepreneurship, productivity, and business dynamism would claw anywhere between $240 billion and $481 billion from the country’s GDP, the paper found.

“A major and enduring economic advantage of the United States has been its ability to recruit and educate top talent from around the world,” the authors wrote. “In practice, recruitment of high-skill STEM talent into the United States happens primarily at U.S. universities.”

The international STEM pipeline
When Trump returned to office, the administration was riding high on voter approval for its planned immigration policies. In January 2025, the president polled particularly well with his promise to clamp down on undocumented immigration. A Gallup poll at the time found Americans had more faith in Trump to deliver on his immigration platform than on any other issue he had campaigned on.

But in the 18 months since, Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown has included a constriction of legal immigration pathways, too. The administration has enacted travel bans affecting dozens of countries, tightened refugee admission requirements, and rehauled the process by which many highly skilled foreign students can come to the U.S. for school, and eventually work.

Last year, the administration ordered changes to the H-1B visa program, which allows companies to hire highly skilled and specialized workers. The overhaul required employers to shell out $100,000 for each application, up from around $5,000 previously. A federal judge struck down the order earlier this month, a decision the administration said it would appeal.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Changes to H-1B requirements are keenly felt in America’s most innovative industries. Companies have relied on the program to hire armies of foreign-born engineers, AI researchers, and healthcare practitioners, many of whom were studying in the U.S. prior to finding work. Of the 1.2 million international students who attended U.S. schools last year, 57% were enrolled in a STEM program, according to a survey by the Institute of International Education.

Vanishing opportunities for skilled workers
The concentration of international students in STEM fields rises in tandem with their expertise. The Peterson Institute study found international arrivals make up 42.1% of STEM workers whose highest degree is a master’s, a share that rises to 49.2% for those with PhD qualifications. Between 2000 and 2023, foreign-born professionals accounted for more than 60% of all new STEM workers with a PhD.

Several students and teachers were last week abducted in neighboring communities last week and there wlhas been apprehension across the area of a repeat attack by the gunmen.

LAUTECH, in a statement issued by Olalekan Fadeyi, on behalf of the Registrar, Mrs Olayinka Balogun, said its students are currently writing their examinations and the exercise continues tomorrow.

The statement, titled, Re: LAUTECH closes University for fear of banditry, reads in full:
This is to strongly debunk the rumour making the rounds that the Management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has closed down the University for fear of invasion of bandits.

This is to inform our students, their parents and guardians that there is no immediate reason for Management of LAUTECH to close down the University, therefore the University is still in session.

As a matter of fact, our students are currently writing their examinations and the exercise continues tomorrow.

Management regrets whatever inconvenience this unfounded rumour may have caused.

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State wing, has elected new executive members to preside over its affairs for the next four years.

The election of the new state executives was conducted on Wednesday, during the NUT Oyo State wing’s 8th quadrennial Delegates Conference, held in Ibadan, the state capital.

Speaking during the opening session of the conference, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Comrade Titus Audu Amba, stated that the union was founded on democratic principles and the philosophy of labour unions.

According to him, in line with this, the union at the national, state and local levels conducts elections to usher in new executives at the end of every stipulated tenure.

Consequently, the election for the new executive members of the Oyo State wing was due to be held this May, 2026.

Comrade Amba, represented by the National Social Secretary, Comrade Titi Ade Adebanjo reiterated the union’s commitment to continue pursuing better welfare and improved conditions for teaching and learning in Nigeria.

The outgoing NUT chairman, Comrade Raji Oladimeji Ismael, outlined major achievements recorded between 2022 and 2026, highlighting significant improvements in teachers’ welfare, professional development, and infrastructural expansion.

According to him, the Union secured prompt salary payments, promotion arrears, annual increments, and interventions on pension-related matters, while also resolving cases of victimisation, wrongful postings, salary stoppage, and other disputes through its Legal and Welfare Committees.

“Persistent advocacy led to the recruitment of additional teachers and non-teaching staff, which eased workloads, improved teacher–pupil ratios, and enhanced learning outcomes across schools. It also facilitated long-delayed promotions, conducted trainings for SWEC members, and organised capacity-building programmes and mentorship sessions for young teachers”, he added.

Comrade Raji said significant infrastructural projects were completed during the period, including the renovation of the State Secretariat, establishment of NUT Model Schools, construction of new classrooms, expansion of the NUT Resource Centre, and development of an Olympic-size sports complex.

“The Union also reconstructed the access road to the State Secretariat, procured customized Ankara for teachers, and organised state-wide quiz competitions. Despite challenges such as rising living costs, inadequate facilities, and insecurity in some communities, the Union expressed confidence that the foundation laid would support continued progress under the incoming leadership.”

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman, Comrade Hassan Ajibola Fatai, promised to work with all members and stakeholders to reposition the union to better serve the welfare of its members.

Hassan, a teacher at Migrant Farmers Primary School, Igbo-Iroko Kishi, vowed to safeguard the integrity, dignity, and professionalism of the teaching profession in the state.

Other newly elected executive members include Adeleke Adesina as deputy chairman, Alonge Oluyemisi as 1st vice chairman, Morakinyo Oyebola 2nd vice chairman, Badmus Abiona as 3rd vice chairman, Bello Folasade as 4th vice chairman, Titilolu Ibukunolu Treasurer, Dada Kabirat 1st internal auditor, Akinjide Yusuf 2nd auditor and Ajala Niyi publicity secretary.

Also, Alao Femi was elected social secretary, Areo Felicia assistant social secretary, Mobolaji Ademola state national representative and James Ruth Editor.

*NUT Chairman (middle), Deputy Chairman, (left) and Treasurer, (right).

LAUTECH, in a statement issued by its Registrar, Mrs Olayinka O. Balogun said remains deeply appreciative of the Fund’s invaluable support, including the successful disbursement of over ₦1.4 billion in 2025, which significantly eased financial pressures and expanded access to education for our students.

The institution also recent reports that it faulted the fund disbursement processes of NELFUND, saying its working relationship has been smooth.

The sstatement reads in part:

During our pre-convocation press briefing, the University provided an update on the current application cycle.

Specifically, we noted that approximately 19,000 students applied for the NELFUND scheme, and over 15,000 applications have already been verified by the University in line with established procedures.

For the purpose of clarity, within the current 2025/2026 Academic Session, a total of 5,237 students have already been approved and are awaiting disbursement, while other verified applications are now at different stages of processing.

Portions of this update were however misinterpreted in some quarters, creating the unintended impression that NELFUND was unwilling or unable to disburse funds. We wish to state clearly that this is not the case.

At no time did LAUTECH suggest any reluctance or failure on the part of NELFUND.

Our intention was solely to highlight the progress achieved and to reassure stakeholders that the process is ongoing and on course.

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology remains firmly committed to its strong partnership with NELFUND and other stakeholders.

Together, we will continue to ensure that students receive the financial support they need to pursue their academic goals.We sincerely appreciate NELFUND’s continued cooperation and dedication, and we reaffirm our confidence in the scheme.

Signed  Olayinka O. Balogun (Mrs.) Registrar

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has lauded Kogi State Gov. Ahmed Usman Ododo, for his commitment to repositioning education in the state.

Alausa gave the commendation on Monday at the Inauguration of two newly constructed GYB Model Science Secondary Schools in Nagazi, Adavi; and in Okebukun, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Areas.

Alausa said the school was a testament to the governor’s visionary leadership and dedication to transforming education.

The minister praised the state’s initiatives, including free education policies, payment of exam fees, and establishment of three universities fully accreditated.

He also praised the state for allocating over 30 per cent annual budget to education surpassing the UNESCO recommendation of 26 per cent.

“Your Excellency, I commend your visionary leadership and commitment to repositioning education as a central pillar of development.

“Today’s event is my chance to witness a remarkable transformation – the GYB Model Science Secondary School, a flagship project that’s redefining the educational landscape.

“This isn’t just a school; it’s a symbol of hope, a deliberate investment in our young people’s future.

“I am impressed by the strategic establishment of GYB Mega Model Science Schools across the three senatorial districts, guaranteeing inclusivity, promoting equity, and expanding access to quality education.

“Kogi State is setting a shining example, and I’m honored to be part of this journey,” Alausa said.

He lauded the state’s efforts to promote equity and expand access to quality education.

Alausa also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for implementing far-reaching reforms in the education sector particularly the student education loan fund (NELFund).

He noted that over One million students have benefitted from the loan worth of over N1.1 billion, adding that over 160,000 youths have been trained on digital skills.

Alausa emphasised that the federal government is focusing more attention on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, technical and vocational training, and digitalisation.

He praised Ododo and other governors for complementing the federal government’s efforts towards education transformation in the country.

The minister urged students to seize opportunities, saying, “You have a country now that is giving you all the opportunities you need. The President will meet all his commitments to you”.

Earlier, the governor commended the minister and President Tinubu for their commitment to education sector reforms in the country, emphasising education as the foundation of societal progress.

“Today marks a defining step in securing Kogi State’s future through purposeful investment in education,” Ododo said,

He highlighted the school’s modern facilities, including 18 classrooms, science laboratories, and a 326-capacity Computer-Based Test centre.

Ododo acknowledged President Tinubu’s leadership, crediting his economic reforms for increased state revenue, enabling projects like the school.

The governor also praised his predecessor, former Gov. Yahaya Bello, for initiating the Mega Schools Initiative.

According to him, the school, accommodating over 1,700 students, aimed to promote quality education, uniform standards, and 21st-century skills.

Ododo reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to education transformation towards reducing the number of out-of-school children drastically in the state.

The governor urged students to seize opportunities, saying, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it with purpose”

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Mr Wemi Jones, praised the governor’s dedication to education and unwavering commitment to education transformation in the state.

Jones also commended the education minister for his impactful leadership, saying, “You stand out, you have been so engaging, impactful, and caring, and you care so much about the sub-nationals.”

The Ohinoyi of Ebira, Dr. Ahmed Tijani-Anaje, praised Ododo’s administration for its commitment to improving education.

“Many schools were given a new life, and learning conditions were greatly improved,” the monarch said.

The minister also Inaugurated the GYB model science secondary school at Okebukun in Kabba-Bunu.

The examination is scheduled to commence from Thursday, 16th April 2026.

The spokesperson of the board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement urged candidates to print their examination slips to confirm their examination date, venue, and time, as the exercise will be conducted over several days.

“To print the examination slip, candidates should visit the Board’s website at https://www.jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 UTME Slip Printing.

“Candidates are encouraged to print their slips early and familiarise themselves with their examination centers ahead of the exam date to avoid any inconvenience,” he said.

According to him, each candidate has been assigned a specific schedule on the notification slip, which enables the candidate to arrive at the center well ahead of examination time to allow for proper screening and accreditation before the examination commences.

“This year’s examination features enhanced security measures designed to curb all forms of malpractice,” he said.

He added that candidates and center owners are therefore warned to refrain from any form of misconduct, as strict sanctions will be applied.

By Onuora Aninwobodo

The 74th Annual Council Meeting of The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has ended in Accra, Ghana, with the election of Ghana’s Chief Government Nominee on Council, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, as Vice Chairman for a one-year tenure. He succeeds Amos Armah Fully of Liberia.

The meeting, which was held from Tuesday, 24th to Saturday, 28th March 2026,
was declared open by President John Dramani Mahama of the Republic of Ghana, who was
represented by Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.

President Mahama congratulated WAEC on its 74th anniversary and stated that the government and people of Ghana are deeply
honoured to host the 74th Annual Meeting of the West African Examinations Council. He also commended the member governments of WAEC for their efforts to sustain this great institution and lend credibility to their assessment efforts.

Mahama stated that his government will continue to collaborate with other member
governments to provide the necessary support to build strong structures and enhance operational efficiency and sustainability.

He noted that WAEC has remained, for MORE than seven decades, one of the most successful examples of regional collaboration on the African continent.

As an assessment body, the Council has made significant strides in upholding educational standards through credible examinations, he said, adding that countless citizens of the West African Sub-region, holding enviable positions, are products of the rigorous and trusted systems that WAEC have put in place.

The President commended the Council for the innovative mechanisms put in place to maintain fairness, transparency, and integrity in its examination process.

He, however, stressed that the surge in examination malpractice threatens to erode these enviable goals. He warned that if care is not taken, the Council risks losing its credibility to these fraudsters.

He also called on all people who have truth, honesty, and integrity as their core values to collectively defend the credibility of the Council’s examinations by saying no to malpractice and yes to integrity.
The Minister of Education, Ghana, Haruna Iddrisu, who was represented by the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement A. Apaak, acknowledged the critical role examinations play, not only as a means of screening candidates for further educational advancement, but more importantly, as an instrument for honing the intellectual and practical skills that are essential for developing the human capital required to drive the service and productive sectors of member states’ economies.

He also acknowledged that the international version of WASSCE conducted by WAEC has more inclination towards credibility, comparability, regional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the impact on students’ competitiveness within the sub-region
and therefore, in accordance with the President of Ghana’s directives, the Ministry of Education has reinstated Ghana’s participation in the international version of WAEC’s WASSCE for School Candidates, beginning with the 2026 diet, alongside other member countries.

At the formal opening of the meeting, Council honoured three Ghanaian candidates with the WAEC International Excellence Award for their outstanding performance in WASSCE for School Candidates, 2025. They were Miss Huda Suglo Suleman (1st Prize), Miss Paula Adzo Elinam Suwo (2nd Prize), and Miss Matthea Aba Andoh (3rd Prize). The three candidates were selected from 2,612,830 who sat the examination in The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

The Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the Best Candidate in West Africa, 2025, also went to Miss Huda Suglo Suleman.
On the same August occasion, the prestigious award of Distinguished Friend of Council was conferred on an eminent citizen of Ghana – Professor William Afiakwa Asomaning – for his immeasurable contributions towards the achievement of the Council’s objectives.

Council, which is WAEC’s governing board, holds its meeting yearly in rotation among the five member countries, namely: The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The 73rd Meeting was hosted in Monrovia in 2025 by the Government of the Republic of Liberia, and, at the invitation of Nigeria’s delegation, the 75th edition will be hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria in March 2027.
The meeting, which lasted for a week, was attended by delegates from all the member countries.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has announce release of the result of the Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) for Private Candidates, 2026–First Series.
 
The examination took place in Nigeria between Wednesday, January 28 and Saturday, February 14, 2026.

A statement by WAEC said the Coordination of Examiners and Marking of Candidates’ Scripts were carried out at three Marking Venues in Lagos, Enugu, and Kaduna from Thursday, February 26, to Friday, March 13, 2026. A total of 608 Examiners participated in the Coordination and Marking Exercise.

“A total of 10,523 candidates, representing an 11.49% increase, when compared with the 2025 entry figure of 9,438 enrolled for the examination, while 10,480 candidates sat the examination at 166 centres spread across the country,” the statement said.

“Among the candidates that sat the examination, 43 candidates, with varying degrees of Special Needs, registered for the examination. Out of this number, 11 were visually impaired, four had impaired hearing and fourwere Albinos. All these candidates with special needs were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination.

“Of the total number 10,480 candidates that sat the examination, 5,106 were males while 5,374 were females, representing 48.72% and 51.28% respectively.

“Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, 8,418 candidates, representing 80.32% have their results fully processed and released while 2,062 candidates, representing 19.68 % have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors traceable to them.

“However, efforts are being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released, subsequently.

“The analysis of the statistics of the candidates’ performance shows that out of the 10,480 candidates that sat the examination: 4,598 candidates representing 43.87% obtained credit and above in a minimum of Five subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics); 3,429 candidates representing 32.72% obtained credit and above in a minimum of Five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

“Of this number, 1,847 i.e., 53.86% were male candidates, while 1,582, i.e., 46.14% were female candidates.

” The percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2024 and 2025 – First Series, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, were 30.95% and 26.96% respectively. Thus, there is a marginal increase of 5.76% in performance in this regard.

“Furthermore, Seventy-five Candidates’ results, representing 0.72% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

“The cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for determination.  The Committee’s decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates, thereafter.

“Candidates may check their results by visiting www.waecdirect.org to ascertain their status before visiting the Digital Certificate platform (www.waec.org) to access the digital copies of their certificates, which have been released along with the results.

“Candidates will be required to apply for the printing of the hard copies of their certificates online, through the WAEC Certificate Request Portal (e-Certman). The portal address is https://certrequest.waec.ng/. All candidates who sat the diet are hereby advised to check their results carefully and take necessary actions as required.

“The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, would like to congratulate all candidates who have worked hard and achieved great results.

“Our profound gratitude also goes to the Government at all levels, Security Agencies, Ministries of Education, Staff, Supervisors, Invigilators, Custodians, Examiners, and other Ad-hoc personnel who, despite all odds, availed the Council of their services in ensuring the successful conduct of the examination and marking of scripts. The results are a testament to their dedication and hard work. We wish all the candidates the best in their future endeavours.

“Once again, we assure all our stakeholders of our dedication and commitment to excellent service delivery.”

The board on a statement by the Spokesperson, Dr.Fabian Benjamin noted JAMB has been inundated with accusations of dereliction regarding the purported admission of candidates into the Law Faculty of Lead City University despite its suspension for 5 years.

Dr. Fabian said the Board unequivocally states that the said admissions were not conducted through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), the only platform approved for the processing of admissions into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Consequently, such admissions are void as they are unknown to the Board.

He said the institution is not authorised to admit candidates into the programme until the expiration of the suspension.

“This sad development once again underscores the importance of heeding the Board’s repeated and unequivocal advice to candidates not to accept any offer of admission outside CAPS as admission that is not processed and approved on CAPS is fake.

“Candidates admitted through such irregular means have no legitimate claim as they are considered complicit,” he said.

According to him, the board for umpteenth time strongly advises prospective candidates, in their own interest, not to accept any admission not processed through CAPS, as the Board will neither recognise nor condone such admissions.

“Candidates who have been offered admission outside CAPS are therefore advised to disregard such offers and commence the process of obtaining the next UTME application in order to sit for the examination and pursue legitimate admission through the appropriate channels. Any admission offered outside CAPS is nothing more than an exercise in futility,” he said.

He said the Board is aware of certain universities that are circumventing the rules by attempting to transfer illegally admitted candidates to other universities through inter-university transfer. Such would also not work as JAMB will not endorse any such inter-university transfer without initial admission on CAPS.

“For a transfer to be valid, the candidate must have been validly admitted in the first instance,” he said.

JAMB emphasises that it will discharge its responsibility in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations.