Education

Improving Quality Of Education In Rivers

Published

9 years ago

January 23, 2017

Early this year, the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kaniye Ebeku while on a tour of schools on resumption day, said the state governor will focus on improving the education sector of the state in 2017.
“The education sector “will experience more quality changes this year.”
This declaration has attracted a lot of comments and insinuations, most of which border on the kind of focus in terms of development of both infrastructure and personnel.
The comments and insinuations came from parents whose children/wards are based in the rural areas where developments in virtually all sectors have not been hitherto truly felt.
A visit by The Tide to some of the schools in Port Harcourt and some rural areas revealed that the bulk of development in terms of infrastructure and personnel are focused in the urban areas.
Comparatively, while a good number of the government-owned schools in Port Harcourt are relatively equipped in terms of infrastructure and teaching personnel, most of the schools in the rural areas have nothing to show in this wise.
The Tide’s investigation revealed that for the government’s promise to provide quality education to come to fruition, a lot of work needs to be done.
A visit to State School, Elem Sangama in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area (LGA), for instance, reveals that in addition to ill-equipped classrooms, some of the classrooms are dilapidated to the point of no roof in most of the classrooms, while some of the classrooms have become nests for bats and other birds.
In Community Secondary School (CSS), Bori, (Junior Secondary School), the school has ill-equipped classrooms as one of its key challenges.
In most of the classrooms, there are more students than desks, with some of the students sitting on the floor while others are virtually packed on the few available desks. The situation is almost the same with the Senior Secondary of the school.
At Baptist Model Secondary School, Old Bakana in Degema Local Area, the situation is so bad to the point that the school finds it difficult to do practical’s during the Senior Secondary School Examinations. This is because there is no laboratory in the school to enable the students carryout practicals in science subjects.
The situation is more pathetic at Community Primary School, Nortem in Bori, Khana LGA which was established in 1980.
The Tide gathered that since its establishment, the only time the school had had any feel of government was in 2013 when the school took delivery of some sets of desks and books which have all gone bad.
A cursory look at the school from outside the gate gives the impression of a long abandoned compound with dilapidation crying out from the gate, with nothing to show that a school exist in the compound.
When The Tide visited the school last Friday during their long break period, specifically at the Nursery section, a teacher was seen assisting a pupil to defecate in a cellophane bag which she threw behind the building after the child was done.
Further investigation revealed that there were neither conveniences nor water in the whole compound.
The entire three blocks of buildings in the compound were highly dilapidated from the roof, windows, doors and even up to the floor in the classrooms.
Educational activities in some rural areas have virtually gone extinct due to years of insecurity warranted by years of cult related activities.
To focus on improving the educational sector of the state, therefore, the government may need to be guided first by the Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is on development of education.
Three of these Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets specifically related to infrastracture development in schools. If meaningful developments can be made in education in Rivers State the provisions of these goals should be expbited.
The first is target 4.1 which states that, “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education to relevant leading and effective learning outcomes.”
Target 4.2 states, “By 2030, ensure that girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.”
The third is target 4a, which says “Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent inclusive and effective learning environment for all.
Beyond these, however, the government would also need to spread whatever developmental ideas across the state, particularly the rural areas which have not have their fair share of development in its entirety.

Sogbeba Dokubo

Education

RIVCHPP Set To Take Health Insurance Scheme To Tertiary Institutions In Rivers State

Published

1 week ago

January 19, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), the state health insurance agency, is set to take the health insurance scheme to schools, especially tertiary institutions, in the state.

This disclosure was made by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of RIVCHPP, Dr. Vetty Rolegherighan Agala, when she led a team from RIVCHPP on an advocacy visit to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education on Friday, 16th January 2026.

Dr. Agala, who solicited authorisation from the Ministry for RIVCHPP to write to the institutions under Ministry’s mandate so as to begin enrolment of students in the various schools , said that for the health insurance agency to expand universal health coverage of the state, then students need to be enrolled into the programme.

RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary announced that the agency has also started talks with the State branch of Nigeria Association of Proprietors of Private Secondary Schools (NAPPSS) to ensure that no one in the state is left out from having the opportunity of accessing quality healthcare services without passing through financial hardship.

Dr. Agala also commended the innovative policies that the Permanent Secretary have brought to bear towards improving the educational exploits in the state, saying that the changes align to the interest and mandate of Governor Siminialayi Fubara stance on education.

RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary appreciated the Permanent Secretary for giving the team audience, pledging her team’s dedication and commitment to clients’ satisfaction, calling on schools to embrace the S-SHIP package dedicated for the well-being of students in Rivers State.

In her remarks and response, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr.(Mrs. ) Azibaolanari Uzoma-Nwogu, who warmly welcomed the RIVCHPP team, promised to share with and disseminate all information about RIVCHPP to all public schools in the state so that the schools will be willing to give RIVCHPP opportunity to sensitise them on what RIVCHPP is all about and the benefits of signing up with RIVCHPP.

Dr. Uzoma-Nwogu advised RIVCHPP to be proactive and consistent in the mandate of providing affordable and quality health care to Rivers residents.

The visit witnessed a presentation of RIVCHPP’s sensitisation/campaign materials to the Permanent Secretary by RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary

Education

University Don wants AI to be made compulsory course

Published

1 week ago

January 19, 2026

The Tide

A university don, Prof. Sunday Olatunji, has argued that Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be made a compulsory course for all students in higher institutions across Nigeria, irrespective of their field of study

He also called on Nigeria and Africa to build an intelligent, inclusive and technologically sovereign future to elevate human potential through artificial intelligence.

To achieve these goals, the Professor of Artificial Intelligence urged the nation and continent to: institutionalize capacity building for AI excellence; develop functional policy and ethical frameworks for responsible AI; build artificial intelligence literacy and workforce development; make AI a general course in all higher institutions; promote no-code

AI and machine learning pathways for beginners; develop public-private-academic partnerships; and build inclusive and culturally grounded AI.Prof. Olatunji, who is ranked by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the Best AI Researcher in Nigeria (2025), made these statements on Tuesday, while delivering the 53rd Inaugural Lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, held at the University Multipurpose Hall.

The lecture was titled, Symbiosis of Mind and Machine: Harnessing AI for National Development.He stressed that artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction but a reality that permeates every stratum of human life. “Just as Computer Appreciation became a national requirement decades ago, the time has come for AI Appreciation as a compulsory General Studies (GST) course.

This course should introduce all students, regardless of discipline, to aspects of AI including: AI fundamentals, machine learning concepts, applications of AI in their respective fields, ethical implications of AI, and its role in national development, among others,” he said.

The lecturer called on governments to establish AI innovation hubs in all tertiary institutions and research centres; promote cross-disciplinary collaboration integrating computing; provide national research grants focused on AI solutions for local challenges; and recruit and train faculty specialised in AI, machine learning, data science, robotics, and computational intelligence.

Prof. Olatunji allayed fears that AI could replace humans or end humanity, positing that, “Many fear that the rise of artificial intelligence signals the decline of human relevance – that the machine might replace the mind. But history teaches otherwise. Every technological revolution – from the printing press to electricity, from the internet to AI – has not diminished humanity but rather redefined it.

Today, AI diagnoses diseases, predicts the weather, translates languages, and protects nations.

Prof. Olatunji has garnered from far and wide and commended his role in setting up the Faculty of Computing and for doing a yeoman’s job as its founding Dean.

The Vice Chancellor also noted that Prof. Olatunji is a well-respected and accomplished academic and researcher who has carved an enviable niche for himself in the digital world of computing and artificial intelligence.

Education

FG, ASUU Set Date to Sign Agreement

Published

2 weeks ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government is set to formally sign an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities following weeks of negotiations.

The development may be linked to the 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff proposed by the FG last month and accepted by the union.

A circular issued by the Ministry of Education invited Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of federal universities to witness the signing ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Conference Hall, Abuja.

The circular, dated January 5, 2026, and referenced FME/IS/UNI/ASUU/C.11/Vol.V/82, was signed by the Director of University Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, on behalf of the Minister of Education.

It was titled ‘Invitation to the Ceremony for the Signing of Agreement Between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.’

The circular was sighted by our correspondent on Saturday and confirmed by the Ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.

“This signing represents a critical milestone in promoting industrial harmony and improving teaching and learning in our universities.

“It also reaffirms the Federal Government’s commitment to the sustainable development of education in line with the Renewed

Attendance at the ceremony was declared mandatory for all invited university administrators, highlighting the importance attached to the agreement and its implementation.

Last month, the industrial crisis that had burdened Nigeria’s university system for 16 years following the 2009 Federal Government–ASUU Agreement saw the union accept the Federal Government’s proposed 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff.

It was reported that the deal, effective from January 1, 2026, would be reviewed after three years

Why FG Shouldn’t Be Blamed for Non-Implementation of Council Autonomy

Under the new terms, professors will earn a pension equivalent to their final annual salary upon retirement at age 70. The agreement also provides for the establishment of a National Research Council to fund research with at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

Other provisions include improved funding for libraries, laboratories, equipment and staff development, greater university autonomy, and the election of academic leaders, with only professors eligible to serve as deans and provosts. The pact also guarantees that no staff member involved in past industrial actions will be victimised.