The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has disbursed over 100 billion naira to selected tertiary institutions across Nigeria to strengthen medical education and address the shortage of healthcare professionals.

As part of the initiative, three institutions in each geopolitical zone received 4 billion naira each to expand infrastructure and training capacity in medical sciences. The intervention aims to increase the number of trained doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health workers in the country.

The project is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to curb brain drain in the healthcare sector. TETFUND has also deployed monitoring teams to ensure proper use of the funds.

Ali Larijani, the newly appointed head of Iran’s top security council, is embarking on his first foreign trip since taking office last week. He will visit Iraq to sign a bilateral security agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two neighbors.

Following his visit to Iraq, Larijani will travel to Lebanon, where he plans to meet with senior Lebanese officials. His visit comes at a sensitive time as the Lebanese government has approved a plan to disarm Hezbollah, a powerful militant group and close ally of Tehran.

Iran has expressed strong opposition to the Lebanese government’s disarmament plan, describing it as a threat to regional stability. In response, Beirut has condemned Tehran’s stance, calling it a blatant and unacceptable interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.

Larijani’s visits underline the complex regional dynamics and Tehran’s ongoing efforts to maintain its influence across neighboring countries.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly prioritizing early re-election efforts for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections, despite worsening economic and security conditions in the country. In a statement released by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the APC of violating electoral laws and displaying insensitivity to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians through premature political activities.

This condemnation comes just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warned political parties and aspirants against early campaign activities, which it said contravene the Electoral Act. INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, reiterated that the commission has not yet released a timetable for the 2027 elections and emphasized that public campaigning is prohibited until 150 days before polling day. Despite this, the ADC pointed to growing instances of political posters, endorsements, and rallies as clear signs of illegal early campaigning by the ruling party.

Abdullahi noted that while the country grapples with a collapsing naira, soaring inflation, rising fuel costs, and rampant kidnappings, the APC has focused on orchestrated endorsements and campaign billboards for Tinubu’s second term. He cited rallies in cities like Port Harcourt, Minna, Kano, and Akure, along with a declaration by the Abuja national caucus naming Tinubu the sole candidate, as examples of brazen disregard for electoral guidelines. The ADC warned that such moves not only flout INEC regulations but also reflect a troubling disconnect from the real challenges Nigerians face daily.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the worst performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in over a decade, sparking widespread concern among education stakeholders. Only 38.32 percent of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the 2025 examination obtained credits and above in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr Amos Dangut, who described the sharp drop as significant. The last time Nigeria recorded a pass rate this low was in 2014, when just 31.28 percent of candidates achieved the same benchmark. This year’s result represents a dramatic decline from the 72.12 percent recorded in 2024 — a drop of 33.8 percentage points.

Performance rates in WASSCE have fluctuated over the past ten years, but the 2025 outcome is the most concerning. While 2015 saw a similarly low pass rate of 38.68 percent, results improved in the following years, peaking 81.70 percent in 2021. Between 2021 and 2024, the pass rate consistently remained above 70 per cent. Education analysts have described the latest figures as a major setback for a system already grappling with multiple challenges.

WAEC has attributed the decline in part to newly introduced anti-malpractice measures, including the serialization of objective papers in key subjects to curb cheating. Dr. Dangut said these reforms made collusion more difficult and contributed to the lower success rate. He also raised concerns about the growing role of rogue websites and social media platforms that distribute fake or outdated examination answers, deceiving students under the guise of providing “expo” materials.

The 2025 WASSCE also featured a hybrid Computer – Based Test model for the first time in subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Biology, and Economics. Candidates were given the option of either the traditional pen-and-paper method or the new hybrid format, where questions were displayed on a screen and answers written manually. Despite the challenges, WAEC revealed that 87.24 percent of candidates obtained credits in at least five subjects — whether or not English and Mathematics were among them.

The performance slump comes just one year before WAEC’s planned full transition to Computer-Based Testing for all WASSCE papers in 2026, following a directive by the Federal Government. Dr. Dangut confirmed that the council is finalizing preparations for the shift, even as over 450,000 results are still being processed due to technical or administrative issues. Additionally, 9.75 percent of results (192, 089 candidates) are being withheld due to suspected examination malpractice — a slight drop from last year’s 11.92 per cent.