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FG Opens Portal For N50m Student Innovation Grant

The Federal Government has launched the application portal for the Student Venture Capital Grant, a national program designed to support student-led innovations with equity-free grants of up to ₦50 million.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations on Monday.

At the launch, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the initiative was central to the government’s innovation drive.

In his words, “The President has challenged us to look for the next Moonshot within our tertiary institutions.

“We are not just looking for projects; we are scouting for future Nigerian Unicorns whose roots will be planted right here in our universities and colleges.

“This is an equity-free seed investment in Nigeria’s future.”

The ministry said the grant is targeted at students building innovations in STEMM fields, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences.
It was stated that the initiative is designed to “ignite and support student-driven innovation by funding ventures that address real-world challenges with clear potential for scale and commercialisation.”

It added that successful applicants will be placed in a full support system that includes incubation, mentorship and access to tools.

The ministry also announced a partnership with Google to strengthen the programme’s evaluation process.

It stated that one of the objectives is to ensure that “our students begin their entrepreneurial journey with the very best tools available globally. We are building a powerful innovation funnel from idea to market domination.”

The statement further explained that Google’s Gemini AI will power automated evaluation on the portal, and that every applicant will receive a free one-year Gemini Pro licence and premium learning resources.

The portal for applications is now open at svcg.education.gov.ng, and students in accredited tertiary institutions are encouraged to apply.

According to the ministry, applicants are advised to submit proposals that demonstrate “scalability, market relevance, and potential to solve critical national or global challenges.”

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Apologise to Sunday Igboho Over Home Invasion – Soyinka Tells FG

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has called on the federal government to apologize to Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho over the invasion of his Ibadan home by security operatives.
He described the invasion as “unlawful and criminal.”
Recall that Igboho’s residence, located in the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State, was raided on July 1, 2021, by a joint team of operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army, during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The operation was carried out over allegations that the activist was stockpiling arms and ammunition.
However, in a video posted by Igboho’s media aide, Olayomi Koiki, Professor Soyinka urged the Federal Government to apologise to the Yoruba Nation agitator, rather than continue to treat him as a criminal.
The raid, he recalled, resulted in the killing of two of Igboho’s aides and the arrest of 13 of his supporters.

Although the date of the recording could not be confirmed, the Nobel Laureate made the remarks during an interview in which he addressed questions on the invasion of Igboho’s residence, the arrest of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and the wider issue of insecurity across Nigeria.

Soyinka said: “My advice is not so much to Igboho as it is to the government. They should stop pursuing this person as a criminal because they began by acting in a criminal fashion against him.
 
“If and when Igboho is brought to trial, I guarantee that the government will be very embarrassed. It is not in its interest.
 
“I think they should simply tell him, ‘We made a mistake; we should not have acted this way. You are no longer wanted.’ They should escort him back to his home quietly and let him resume his normal life.”
The eminent scholar further faulted media descriptions suggesting that Igboho was “in hiding,” saying the activist had instead “gone underground” to protect himself and continue his cause.
 
“I am not referring to the secessionist element, I am talking about what Igboho originally set out to do, to protect and defend his people, and to make it clear to aggressors that they are not lords over this nation or any part of it beyond what the Constitution permits,” Soyinka clarified.
 
He concluded that any attempt by the government to prosecute Igboho would backfire: “If you bring Igboho to trial, the government will end up with mud on its face.”
 
“As far as I am concerned, it is up to him to decide his next steps. He knows what happened before his people were killed, and only he can determine what to do next,” he said.
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ASUU Denies FG N50 Billion Payment Claim, Threatens Fresh Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has denied claims by the Federal Government that it released ₦50 billion as part of the university revitalisation fund.

According to ASUU, the report is fake news.

In a statement signed by Prof. Jurbe Molwus, ASUU said the alleged payment has not reached any federal universities, and none of the union’s demands have been met ahead of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for November 8–9, 2025.
Molwus recalled that the union had suspended its two-week warning strike in good faith after assurances from senior government officials that concrete actions would be taken to address pending salary arrears and other entitlements.
“Even the ₦50bn revitalisation fund the FGN claimed to have released some weeks ago is yet to reach the universities. We do not know why the Minister of Education is still keeping it,” he said.
The union also dismissed claims that ₦2.3 billion had been released to settle salary and promotion arrears. Molwus emphasized that university staff have not received any credit alerts, despite government announcements, and described recent statements as misleading.
ASUU stressed that what its members need is actual payments, not press releases, as the union prepares for its NEC meeting.
Outstanding issues include withheld salaries, wage arrears, promotion arrears, and other entitlements, which remain unresolved.
He disclosed that the union had given the government a deadline of November 21, 2025, to meet its demands, failing which it may resume its suspended strike.
The union’s firm stance has reignited debates across Nigeria’s academic community, with many closely watching whether further industrial action will be initiated should the government fail to deliver on its promises.
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ASUU Rejects FG’s 35% Pay Rise Offer

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the proposed 35 per cent pay increase for lecturers.
It is believed the ongoing salary renegotiation between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may suffer another setback as the decision.
All 89 ASUU branches in public universities are said to have voted against the offer at the union’s recent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
The rejection raises concerns about a possible breakdown in discussions between the government’s re-negotiation team and the university lecturers’ union.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, confirmed the development, explaining that the union remains firm on the salary structure recommended by the former government re-negotiation committee led by Prof. Nimi Briggs.
 
“The recent offer by the Federal Government to us was a 35 per cent increase. When we had our meeting to suspend the warning strike, none of the 89 branches accepted the 35 per cent increase,” Piwuna told Daily Sun.

“All the 89 branches of ASUU in Nigeria rejected the 35 per cent increase. So, it’s a non-starter for us. We have Prof. Nimi Briggs’ benchmark, which we are discussing with them in the team, and we believe that’s what they should use.”

The Nimi Briggs committee, which concluded its work in 2022, recommended a new salary scale for university lecturers, including a monthly pay of ₦1.2 million for professors in public universities.
The report, however, was shelved by the government. Currently, professors in Nigeria’s public universities earn less than ₦500,000 per month, less than half of what was proposed.
The union maintains that implementing the Briggs report is crucial to restoring dignity to the teaching profession and halting the exodus of academic talent from Nigeria’s university system.
In 2022, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) had recommended a compromise salary of ₦800,000 for professors, representing a 50 per cent increase, as against the ₦1.2 million earlier proposed by the Briggs panel.
That recommendation was also not implemented by the Federal Government, further widening the gap between the two parties.
With ASUU insisting on the Nimi Briggs template and rejecting the government’s 35 per cent offer, analysts fear that the ongoing renegotiation could reach a dead end, potentially setting the stage for renewed industrial unrest in the tertiary education sector.
Union leaders have repeatedly warned that without fair remuneration and improved working conditions, the nation’s universities will continue to lose qualified lecturers to better-paying institutions abroad.
For now, the ball appears to be in the Federal Government’s court as the academic union stands its ground on a deal it says reflects both economic realities and the true value of intellectual labour.
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ASUU: FG Releases N2.3bn to Pay Arrears of University Lecturers

The Federal Government has announced it has released N2.3bn to clear the salary and promotion arrears of university lecturers.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa confirmed this on Wednesday.
Alausa revealed this while providing updates on ongoing engagements with ASUU and other tertiary institution unions.
He stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains resolute in his determination to resolve all lingering welfare and funding issues in a transparent, fair, and sustainable manner, according to a statement by the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo.
Alausa announced that the Federal Government has released ₦2.3 billion to universities across the country, representing Batch 8 salary and promotion arrears.
The disbursements, processed through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, reflect the Tinubu Administration’s resolve to clear inherited backlogs and enhance the welfare of academic and non-academic staff in the tertiary education sector.
According to him, “A total of ₦2.311 billion, representing Batch 8 salary and promotion arrears, has been released through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to universities. Benefiting institutions should begin to receive payment alerts anytime from now.”
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FG Plans to Regulate TikTok

The Federal Government has opened up that it plans to regulate TikTok and similar social media platforms.
This was made public by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullah, Director-General of Nigerian technology regulator, NITDA.
According to him, Tiktok will be regulated because it should not be purely for entertainment purposes.
The official added that the aim of the regulation is to redirect youth creativity towards productive digital engagement, rather than the “purely entertainment-driven content” currently dominating the platform.
The announcement has sparked widespread debate, with many Nigerians questioning the government’s priorities amid economic and unemployment challenges.
Watch the video below
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NLC Gives FG Four Week Ultimatum to Suspend ASUU Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress has given an ultimatum to the federal government to end the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
NLC gave Tinubu’s government a four-week ultimatum to conclude negotiations with all unions representing tertiary institutions, warning of nationwide industrial action if talks fail.
NLC President Joe Ajaero, speaking during an interactive session with labour correspondents in Abuja, condemned the government’s “no-work-no-pay” policy, describing it as punitive against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who embarked on a nationwide strike.
 
“We are giving the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. Talks have started with ASUU, but the issues go beyond them,” Ajaero said.
“If no resolution is reached within four weeks, the NEC will convene, and all unions in the country will mobilise to address this comprehensively. The era of threatening unions is over.”
He further stressed a principle of “No Pay, No Work,” asserting that workers should not bear the brunt of failed agreements. “Most strike actions in this country stem from the government’s failure to honour agreements,”Ajaero added.
The warning comes amid the ongoing ASUU strike, announced by its National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, citing unresolved issues including staff welfare, infrastructure, salary arrears, and the full implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Despite the government releasing N50bn for earned academic allowances and allocating N150bn in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment, ASUU deemed the measures insufficient. The union demands full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of withheld salaries, arrears, and cooperative deductions, as well as sustainable funding for universities.
The NLC reaffirmed its solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, calling for collective action to protect workers’ rights and ensure the continuity and quality of public tertiary education in Nigeria.
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Maths And English Remain Compulsory For O’Level Students – FG Clarifies

The Federal Government has reaffirmed that English Language and Mathematics remain mandatory for all students registering for their O’Level examinations, despite the recent changes to tertiary institution admission requirements.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Federal Ministry of Education, the government said the new policy on streamlined admission criteria does not exempt any candidate from registering or sitting for the two core subjects.

According to the statement signed by Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the clarification became necessary following misinterpretations of the new O’Level admission framework.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, explained that the reform was introduced to promote flexibility, inclusiveness, and fairness in tertiary education admissions, ensuring that capable students are not denied access because of deficiencies in subjects unrelated to their chosen courses.

“The streamlining ensures that deserving students are not denied access to higher education due to credit deficiencies in subjects that are not directly relevant to their chosen fields of study,” Alausa said.

He added that the new framework aligns with global best practices and corrects imbalances in the previous admission system by allowing institutions to admit candidates into certain programmes where credit passes in either subject are not compulsory, but all students must still register and sit for both.

The ministry stressed that the adjustment only affects admission criteria for specific programmes, not the requirement to study or take the subjects.

“All students must continue to take both subjects as part of their Senior School Certificate Examinations, as they remain vital components of a sound educational foundation,” the statement partly read.

The ministry said the policy supports the Federal Government’s broader goal of equitable access, inclusivity, and human capital development, while upholding education quality and integrity.

It also urged students, parents, and education stakeholders to rely solely on the ministry’s official communication channels and verified social media platforms for accurate updates on reforms and policies.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to building a credible, inclusive, and globally competitive education system anchored on integrity, excellence, and equal opportunity for all learners.

It had earlier been reported that Nigerian senior secondary school students in arts and humanities will no longer be required to present a credit in mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination, organised by the West African Examination Council and National Examination Council, as a condition for admission to universities and polytechnics, the Federal Ministry of Education.

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FG Sues Senator Nwebonyi Over Alleged Vile Remarks Against Senator Natasha

The Federal Government of Nigeria has instituted a law suit against Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi.
FG sued Nwebonyi over alleged defamatory statements made against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Sahara Reporters revealed that the five-count charge, marked CR/547/2025, was filed before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, by Mohamed Babadoko Abubakar, Director of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, on behalf of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation.
According to the charge sheet dated September 11, 2025, and obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, Senator Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District and serves as Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, made the offending remarks between March 3 and 29, 2025, during appearances on Arise Television, Channels Television, TVC, and News Central Television in Abuja, as well as in other media outlets

The prosecution accused Senator Nwebonyi of making several statements intended to damage Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation, including describing her as “a habitual accuser” and “a woman who uses her gender as a weapon.”

He was further quoted as saying, “This woman is a known blackmailer, and people should be very careful with this woman.”
 
According to the Federal Government, these remarks were malicious and capable of exposing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule.
The charge sheet also alleged that Nwebonyi made disparaging personal comments about the senator, describing her as “a mother of six from different men” and questioning her moral character, statements which the prosecution says constitute a violation of Section 391 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, and are punishable under Section 392 of the same Act.
Count One of the charge specifically accuses Senator Nwebonyi of making imputations knowing that such statements would harm the reputation of another person, contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code Act.
If convicted, the offence carries a potential sentence of imprisonment, fine, or both, as stipulated under the Penal Code provisions.
The statement of offence for count one reads, “Making imputation knowing that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Nigeria and punishable under Section 392 of the same Act.
 
“That on or about the 3rd day of March 2025, during a live studio interview programme “NewsDay” on Arise Television in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, You SENATOR PETER ONYEKACHI NWEBONYI, made the following imputation concerning Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan during the referenced interview programme with Arise Television anchors/hosts (Aaron Akerejola and Cynthia Areh) to wit:
 
“This is an attempt to discredit the Senate President, and this is not the first time, just give me some time, this is not the first time this woman is doing this. This is a woman that have accused Yahaya Bello of sexual harassment…”
 
“This is the same woman that accused Reno Omokri, the former media aide to Jonathan of sexual harassment, this is a woman I saw on a video yesterday accusing a Minister of sexual harassment. Are you the only woman in Nigeria? Senator Natasha! What is wrong with you?”
 
“This is madness, Nigerian women should rise against this, let me tell you something…”
 
“Senator Natasha is spoiling game for Nigeria women trying to enter politics, because nobody will vote for a woman… No! I’m telling you, if women can behave this way, then there is danger… if you give them more power!”
 
“And I have my points, any slightest provocation, you accuse eh, he want to sexually harass me, he eh (inaudible). Who are you? A mother of six…a mother of six from different men, without going to her character, this is a mother of six from different men and you think that her character is not questionable.”
 
“I’m going to her character, she have to change! We should condemn evil that is the point…I’m a Christian.”
 
“Listen! She is a habitual accuser, she is a habitual accuser of men, of sexual harassment.”
 
“And YOU SENATOR PETER ONYEKACHI NWEBONYI know or have reason to believe that these imputations will harm the reputation of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a Senator of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
 
Counts Two to Five: Each of the remaining four counts accuses Senator Peter Nwebonyi of making statements or imputations knowing, or having reason to believe, that such remarks would harm the reputation of another person, in violation of Section 391 of the Penal Code Act.
The Federal Government maintains that these imputations were made maliciously and with reckless disregard for the truth, thereby constituting criminal defamation under the law.
The case has been formally scheduled for hearing at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where Senator Nwebonyi is expected to take his plea and defend himself against the allegations.
If found guilty, he faces penalties prescribed under Section 392 of the Penal Code Act, which include imprisonment, a fine, or both.
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No Inmate Released Yet, Presidential Pardon Under Review – FG

Following backlash, the Federal Government has clarified that no inmate has yet been released under the recent Presidential Prerogative of Mercy exercise.
According to the government, the process is still undergoing its final administrative review.
This follows reports that President Bola Tinubu approved pardons for Sir Herbert Macaulay and 174 others, including environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 for alleged coup plotting.
The list also reportedly included Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, along with other inmates and ex-convicts recommended by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
However, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in a statement on Thursday, clarified that while the Council of State had endorsed the recommendations for clemency, no formal release had taken place. He said the process remains at the verification and review stage to ensure full compliance with legal and procedural standards.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice wishes to clarify that no inmate approved for clemency under the recent exercise of the President’s power of prerogative of mercy has been released from custody. The process remains at the final administrative stage, which includes a standard review to ensure all names and recommendations fully comply with established legal and procedural requirements before any instrument of release is issued,” the statement read.
Fagbemi explained that the issuance of the release instrument marks the final phase, after which the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service will be authorized to implement the decisions.
He stressed that the review process is standard protocol, reflecting the government’s commitment to transparency, due diligence, and the rule of law.
“There is no delay in the process; it is simply following the law to the letter to ensure that only those duly qualified benefit from the President’s mercy,” he said, assuring that the public will be informed once all legal and procedural checks are completed.
 
“The rule of law does not rush; it ensures fairness,” he added.

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