Education

Okpebholo Bags Masters Degree

Published

5 months ago

June 21, 2025

John Okonkwo

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has been awarded a Master’s Degree (M.Sc) in Public Governance and Leadership from the University of Abuja.

This accolade follows Okpebholo’s successful defense of his dissertation on June 20, 2025, in Abuja.

Okpebholo enrolled in the Master’s Degree programme at the Abuja Leadership Centre (ALC) of the University of Abuja in 2022 as one of its pioneer students. His experience in this programme is believed to have inspired him to enter politics, leading to his election as the senator representing the Edo Central senatorial district in 2023. After serving in the Senate, Okpebholo contested the gubernatorial elections and won, becoming the Governor of Edo State in November 2024.

In response to his achievement, Professor Philip Dahida, the Director of the Centre, commended Okpebholo for his dedication to academic excellence despite the demands of his political responsibilities.

Dahida congratulated the governor on his latest academic success and encouraged him to apply the knowledge he has gained to enhance governance in Edo State.

“The Centre is very proud of Senator Monday Okpebholo and anticipates that he will utilize his deep knowledge in the governance of Edo State,” Dahida stated.

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Education

Athena Centre Appointed to NGREN Board as Federal Government Deepens Data-Driven Governance

Published

1 day ago

November 29, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has been appointed to the Governing Board of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN)/Tertiary Education Research Applications and Services (TERAS). NgREN -Nigeria’s national research and education backbone – provides high-speed connectivity, shared digital services, and collaboration infrastructure for universities and research institutions, while TERAS powers the digital applications that support research, data exchange, and digital learning across the tertiary system.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the center’s Media and Communications Officer Paul Liam.

The new NgREN/TERAS Board was inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, at the Nigeria National EdTech Strategy Mid-Term Co-Creation Workshop, hosted with support from Mastercard Foundation and the World Bank Group.

The Board includes the Executive Secretaries of NUC, NBTE, NCCE, and TETFund; representatives of vice chancellors, rectors, and provosts; and major digital infrastructure stakeholders such as NCC, Galaxy Backbone, and USPF. The Athena Centre joins the Board as the civil society voice.

In his remarks, Dr. Alausa acknowledged the Centre’s role in shaping national transparency reforms, noting that the Ministry’s Federal Tertiary Institutions Governance Transparency Portal (FTIGTP) drew inspiration from Athena’s research and advocacy.

He expressed confidence that the reconstituted Board will deliver measurable improvements within two years to strengthen Nigeria’s research ecosystem and digital readiness.

Representing the Centre on the Board, its Chancellor, Chief Osita Chidoka, OFR, commended the Ministry’s commitment to transparency and evidence-based reform.Reaffirming the Ministry’s digital direction, Dr. Alausa stated: “For the first time, Nigeria is building a unified data architecture for basic, secondary, and tertiary institutions. You cannot reform what you cannot measure, and we are determined to measure what matters.”

Echoing the need for interoperability, Dr. Tijani emphasised the importance of shared digital infrastructure, noting:“Digital transformation fails when systems operate in silos. Our priority is a national architecture where platforms talk to each other and every school is connected.”

Chidoka welcomed the digital innovation underway but stressed the importance of deeper inclusion of state governments, who own and manage most Nigerian schools, in planning, implementation, and financing.

According to him:“For education to succeed, states must invest, lead, and commit. The Federal Government must coordinate and support, but it cannot carry the burden of school management alone.”

The Athena Centre reaffirmed its commitment to supporting federal and state governments in strengthening education data systems, digital governance, and transparent accountability.Media Contact:

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