Headline

AAU, JAMB, NUC Launch Plan To Promote Academic Excellence In Varsities, Others

Published

3 years ago

August 5, 2023

Stakeholders in the education sector including the West Africa Office of the Association of African Universities, AAU, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB and the National Universities Commission, NUC, have launched a Framework of Action for Accelerating Academic Excellence,FAAAE, in the Nigerian higher education system.

This was unveiled at a seminar jointly hosted by the AAU West Africa Office and JAMB and attended by Vice-Chancellors, VICBHE Module 7 participants and other stakeholders in higher education in Nigeria.

The AAU Ambassador for Higher Education for West Africa and former NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola, who convened the one-day seminar, underscored the importance of accelerating academic excellence to national and regional development.

Okebukola who is also the President of the Global University Network (GUNi-Africa), called for sustainable funding of higher education while also urging prudent and judicious utilisation of resources available by higher education authorities.

The seminar which was held virtually, was addressed by Professor Olusola Oyewole, the Secretary-General of AAU who was applauded for the giant strides AAU has made in the last two years.

Also at the forum was Professor Saeed Bakri Osman, the President of AAU; Christorpher Maiyaki, Acting Executive Secretary of NUC; and Professor Yakubu Ochefu, Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellors.

In his keynote address, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB identified numerous barriers to academic excellence and proposed wide-ranging and sustainable strategies for building bridges across the barriers to advance academic excellence.

In his address to the press after the seminar, the convener- Professor Peter Okebukola, noted that the event was a follow-up to the Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors, and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP) which was held in Windhoek, Namibia from 4-7 July 2023.

In the preamble to the Framework of Action which was adopted by the 256 participants who attended the seminar, participants applauded the impressive contributions of the immediate-past Executive Secretary NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed in the revitalisation of university education in Nigeria, now being actively pursued by his successor in office Christopher J. Maiyaki.

The stakeholders further applauded the giant strides in promoting access to quality higher education in Nigeria by Professor Is-haq Oloyede through the sterling activities of JAMB.

They noted the steady march towards academic excellence as demonstrated by improvements in the ranking of Nigerian universities in recent global ranking schemes

They further noted that several challenges persist in the quest to achieve excellence in higher education including funding especially the management of available funds.

The stakeholders affirmed that with improved resourcing of the system and significant improvement in the welfare of higher education staff, the pace towards academic excellence would be accelerated.

They emphasised that government should not abdicate its responsibility to properly fund higher education in Nigeria.

They were determined to make the Nigerian university system a model in Africa that will showcase excellence in teaching and research as well as relevance in solving the myriad socio-economic challenges facing the country.

Key elements of the Framework for Action include: “with improved resourcing of physical facilities and staff welfare, step up the drive to academic excellence especially through research and production of quality graduates to ensure the attainment of national development goals and the SDGs;

“Request all VCs to study the report of COREVIP 2023 and implement recommendations into actionable programmes in their universities;

“Effective and judicious use should be made of the resources that are currently available in the system;

“A scheme for getting all staff and students to have needed technology especially laptops for online delivery of the CCMAS should be instituted without delay;

“Implement recommendations from COREVIP 2023 that are aimed at improving academic excellence in higher education in Nigeria; and (6) capacity development of staff and partnerships should be bridges we should construct to deliver excellence.

Headline

Woman Passes Out After Receiving 100 Strokes Of Cane

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

A woman has passed out after she and her partner were each flogged 100 times in public for engaging in sex outside marriage under strict Sharia laws in Indonesia’s Aceh province.

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was later carried away after the punishment was carried out in Banda Aceh, located at the northern tip of Sumatra island on Thursday.

A masked official dressed in brown robes administered the caning before members of the public who gathered to witness the punishment.

Her partner was also seen wincing in pain while receiving the lashes.

The pair were among several individuals punished for violating Sharia regulations in the province.

Authorities from the Banda Aceh Sharia Court and the Prosecutor’s Office handed down punishments ranging from 25 to 100 lashes for offences including extramarital sex allegedly arranged through online applications.

Aceh remains the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia operating under Sharia law, where unmarried couples are prohibited from having sexual relations.

Caning is commonly used in the province as punishment for offences such as gambling, alcohol consumption, same-sex relations and sex outside marriage.

Under Aceh’s Sharia regulations, child rape offenders face some of the harshest penalties, including up to 200 strokes of the cane, a prison sentence of as long as 200 months or fines equivalent to two kilograms of gold.

The punishments are usually carried out publicly as a way of shaming offenders in addition to inflicting physical pain.

Such canings are often conducted outside mosques or in open public spaces, with residents watching and taking photographs during the exercise.

Human rights organisations have continued to condemn the practice, arguing that it causes emotional trauma and violates international human rights standards.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticised the punishments, saying they conflict with Indonesia’s constitution and global legal obligations.

Amnesty said in a statement: “Caning contravenes Indonesia’s constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards.

‘It constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and other international covenants, to which Indonesia is a State Party.’”

Despite the criticism, local authorities have defended the punishments as part of Aceh’s religious and cultural identity, insisting they serve as a deterrent against immoral behaviour.

Earlier in January, another couple in the province reportedly received 140 lashes each after being found guilty of drinking alcohol and engaging in sex outside marriage.

(Daily Mail)

Headline

Senegal’s President Sacks Prime Minister After Months-long Feud

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government following months of rising political tension between the two former allies.

The decision was announced in a surprise decree read on national television by a presidential aide, stating that Faye had “ended the duties” of Sonko and “consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who are members of the government”.

Sonko, who remains a highly influential figure among Senegal’s youth, responded on social media, saying he would “sleep with a light heart”.

The political fallout comes at a time of growing economic strain in the country, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) putting Senegal’s public debt at 132% of its GDP.

His removal followed a tense parliamentary session on Tuesday, where Sonko openly criticised President Faye’s handling of the debt situation.

The development is striking given that Faye’s rise to power was largely tied to Sonko’s popularity and political backing.

Sonko would almost certainly have contested the presidency himself in 2024, but was barred from the race due to a defamation conviction. Instead, he threw his support behind Faye, rallying voters with the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko, Sonko is Diomaye”.

The alliance helped unseat former President Macky Sall in a dramatic electoral victory, despite both men having been released from prison only days before the vote.

Tensions between the two leaders had been building for months, with Faye reportedly accusing Sonko of excessive dominance within the ruling Pastef party, while Sonko accused the president of weak leadership and failing to defend him against critics.

(BBC News)

Headline

Six Nigerians Arrested In Thailand Over AI-Powered Romance Scam

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Six Nigerian nationals have been arrested by the Thailand Police Force for allegedly operating an AI-powered deepfake romance scam syndicate from a luxury condominium along the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi Province, following a cocaine trafficking investigation that exposed their activities.

Thai authorities said the operation began after police arrested a Nigerian suspect identified as Patrick and three associates in April over alleged drug trafficking offences. During the raid, officers reportedly seized assets valued at about 2.5 million baht.

Investigators said financial transactions linked to the suspects led them to several foreign nationals living in a high-end riverside condominium near Phra Nangklao Bridge in Nonthaburi. Police discovered that many of the occupants were staying in groups of five or six per apartment under student visas despite not being enrolled in any educational institution or engaged in lawful employment.

According to Thai police, officers executed search warrants on three condominium units on May 22. The suspects allegedly refused to open their doors, forcing authorities to break into the apartments.

Videos circulating on X captured the moment police officers forcefully gained entry into one of the apartments before arresting the suspects.

During the operation, one suspect reportedly attempted to escape by climbing over a balcony, while another was found hiding on the bathroom floor while allegedly sending warning messages to occupants in neighbouring units.

Police recovered 18 mobile phones, three laptop computers and three bank passbooks from the apartments. Authorities said some of the phones were still logged into active conversations with victims at the time of the raid.

Investigators alleged that the syndicate specialised in romance scams targeting older Thai women by using AI-generated faces and manipulated video calls to create fake online identities.

The suspects allegedly posed as pilots, United States military officers, doctors and engineers to gain the trust of victims before requesting money under false pretences.

Police said the fraudsters typically claimed that valuable packages or gifts sent to victims had been withheld by customs officials and required payment of clearance fees before release.

Authorities also said they recovered scripts for sexually explicit conversations allegedly used to emotionally manipulate victims into transferring funds. Investigators claimed the group relied heavily on artificial intelligence technology to generate realistic Western faces for fake video interactions.

Thai police said all six suspects are currently facing preliminary charges bordering on illegal association and immigration overstay, while additional fraud and romance scam charges are expected to follow as investigations continue.