Education

BUTH Hunts for Children of Abandoned Patient

Published

1 year ago

April 16, 2024

ADMIN

By Cynthia Abah

The management of Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) has launched a search effort for the children of one of its patients, Mr. Maurice Okpenyong, 81, who was reportedly abandoned at the hospital. According to a statement from Babcock University’s Communications Department, Mr. Okpenyong was brought to the hospital by his children, a man named Lawrence and a woman, who have since disappeared and failed to accompany him home when BUTH signed his discharge in December 2023.

Despite efforts to locate the patient’s son and daughter, their whereabouts remain unknown to BUTH management. Collaborating with the police in Ilishan, Area F, and Bariga, the hospital has searched for his son at both his official and private addresses without success. The outstanding total debt accrued by the patient at the time of his discharge in December 2023 was N399,320. However, due to his children’s failure to retrieve him and his prolonged stay, his bill has escalated to N1,279,350 as of March 20, 2024, with only N180,000 paid by either the patient or his children.

The decision to publicize the situation was made by the hospital management to prompt the patient’s family to collect him, as BUTH can no longer ensure his well-being. Additionally, despite the hospital’s continued provision of care, Mr. Okpenyong has displayed rebellious and abusive behavior. The administration cited instances where he removed his pee bag, causing unsanitary conditions. Due to concerns that he may attempt to flee, the hospital has placed him under watch.

Mr. Okpenyong, hailing from Akwa Ibom’s Obot Akara Local Government Area, had been diagnosed with Repeat Suprapublic Cystostomy. The hospital’s efforts to locate his children and address his care needs reflect their commitment to patient welfare amidst challenging circumstances.

Education

FG Rolls Out AI Training for Teachers to Boost Tech Education in Schools

Published

2 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Salihu Mohammed

By Rofiat Olokuta

The Federal Government has unveiled a pioneering initiative to integrate artificial intelligence (AI), into Nigeria’s public school classrooms.

Launched on July 7, 2025, the programme, Experience AI in Nigeria is set to train over 3,150 secondary school teachers across five southwestern states.

Spearheaded by NerdzFactory in partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and funded by Google.org, the initiative introduces teachers to the basics of AI and machine learning.

These educators will, in turn, train more than 150,000 students, fostering early exposure to future-ready tech skills.

The hybrid training model blends online learning with hands-on workshops, ensuring inclusive participation from both urban and rural schools.

Running until December 2026, the programme marks a major step in Nigeria’s push to align its education system with global digital advancements and prepare its youth for emerging careers in technology.

Education

FG Launches Free One-Year PGDE Programme for Technical School Teachers

Published

6 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Salihu Mohammed

By Huldah Shado

The Federal Ministry of Education has unveiled the 2025/2026 Technical Teachers Training Programme (TTTP), offering a tuition-free one-year Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), for teachers of technical and vocational subjects in public schools.

The initiative aims to enhance the quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), nationwide by equipping teachers with up-to-date pedagogical skills and aligning their expertise with industry standards.

Applications for the programme will be open from July 8 to July 21, 2025.

Eligible applicants must be currently teaching in public secondary technical schools or colleges and have at least five years remaining before retirement.

The PGDE will cover areas such as Technical Education, Vocational Education, Building Technology, Business Education, Home Economics and Hospitality, Agricultural Education, Automobile, Computer Science, and Electrical/Electronics, among others.

The pilot phase will run in partnership with six institutions: Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Benin; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; and Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo.

Education

JAMB Releases Mop-Up UTME Results, Updates Public on Fake Admission Letter Syndicate

Published

8 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Salihu Mohammed

By Omoniyi David

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has released results for the mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), held on June 28.

Out of 96,838 scheduled candidates, 11,161 results have been released.

JAMB, in a statement by its Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, noted that many candidates failed to access their results due to non-compliance with the instruction to text ‘UTMERESULT’ to 55019 or 66019 using the same SIM used during registration.

Meanwhile, the board gave an update on its investigation into a fake admission letter syndicate.

The five masterminds arrested in 2024 are currently facing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, after confessing to producing forged admission letters.

A total of 17,417 candidates were flagged in the scam. Of these, 6,903 were cleared after resolving minor issues, while 10,514 were referred to police.

Among the latter, 5,669 were confirmed to have used fake letters, while 4,832 tried to bypass JAMB’s condonement process through the syndicate.

JAMB urged institutions and candidates to adhere strictly to admission protocols to safeguard the integrity of the process.