Education

UNIABUJA enforces no mask no entry for workers, visitors

Published

5 years ago

August 1, 2020

The Management of University of Abuja said it has distributed over two thousand face masks and hand sanitisers to workers to protect the university community from COVID-19.

The items were distributed to the staff through the University COVID -19 Committee, which the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, had set up in April 2020 to ensure that the university is free of the pandemic.

The management also directed the full enforcement of ‘no mask no entry’ order and regular washing of hands by both workers and visitors to the university.

In a statement by Head, Information and University Relations of the university, Dr. Habib Yakoob, the management stressed that henceforth no staff, student or visitor would be allowed into the campuses if they fail to comply with the directive.

However, final year students in Abia State may be going back to school, as stakeholders in the state’s education sector are considering August 10, for reopening of schools to enable students in exit classes to prepare and write their relevant examinations.

This was the outcome of a one-day summit at Michael Okpara Auditorium of Government House, Umuahia, where it was agreed that the planned school reopening is subject to verifiable compliance with all the proposed COVID-19 protocols, prevention and control measures.

In his remarks at the summit, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who insisted that the state was desirous of ensuring that students resume classes as quickly as possible, maintained that his administration would not sacrifice the health of the children for anything.

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Education

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

Published

2 days 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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