The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed claims that it approved the “Living History” textbook, which reportedly excluded Igbo content Officials confirmed the book was never submitted to the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and is not on the list of approved instructional materials The Ministry urged schools and parents to disregard misinformation, stressing that only authorized textbooks reflect Nigeria’s cultural diversity and national values

The Federal Ministry of Education has denied approving the “Living History” textbook, which reportedly excluded Igbo content. As reported by Dailytrust, officials clarified that the book was not authorized for use in any Nigerian school.

In a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the Ministry stressed that “Living History” had never been submitted to the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The Council is the statutory body responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and approving instructional materials under the national curriculum.

As a result, the Ministry confirmed that the book was neither recommended by NERDC nor included on the official list of approved History textbooks.

The Ministry explained that consultations with NERDC leadership and a review of officially endorsed materials confirmed that “Living History” did not form part of the approved instructional resources for schools nationwide. Warning against misinformation Parents, teachers, school proprietors, and administrators were urged to disregard speculation, misinformation, and what the Ministry described as “emotionally charged narratives” surrounding the book. Officials warned that unapproved materials could undermine curriculum standards and negatively affect teaching and learning outcomes. “All approved textbooks strictly comply with the national curriculum and reflect Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity, shared history, and core national values, while promoting inclusivity, balance, and unity,” the statement noted.

Call for responsible discourse Folasade further appealed to the public to support responsible discourse, reject divisive misinformation, and verify the approval status of educational materials through official channels before adoption.

“The public is encouraged to consult NERDC for verified information on approved textbooks. Education thrives on truth. Unity thrives on understanding,” the statement added.

Ministry urges schools and parents to reject misinformation on unapproved textbooks. Photo credit: Tunji Alausa/x Source: Twitter

FG addresses claim it abandoned Nigerian students in Morocco Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal Government has rejected reports suggesting that Nigerian students studying in Morocco under a bilateral scholarship scheme were abandoned or denied funding. Education authorities described the circulating claims as misleading and deliberately crafted to distort public understanding.

In a post on its official social handles, the Education ministry clarified that every beneficiary admitted into the Bilateral Education Scholarship programme before 2024 received payments up to the approved 2024 budget cycle. Any outstanding delays were linked to fiscal adjustments currently being resolved through engagements between the education and finance ministries. Education Minister Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa confirmed that no fresh bilateral scholarship awards were issued from October 2025 onward. Documents circulating online claiming otherwise were described as unauthenticated and designed to discredit government policy. According to the ministry, the decision to discontinue government-funded overseas bilateral scholarships followed a policy assessment which showed that Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education now possess the capacity to deliver similar academic programmes locally. Source: Legit.ng

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic Ukana, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Eduma Essien, has encouraged students of the institution to report any form of sexual pressure or harassment from lecturers to the management or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Unit of the Polytechnic for appropriate investigation and sanctions.

Essien also cautioned students against engaging in examination malpractices, cultism or any form of antisocial behaviors, adding that the school will not condone any of the vices.

She also charged them to be conversant with the polytechnic’s policies, rules and regulations.

Speaking during the 12th Orientation Exercise for newly admitted students on Tuesday, the rector also stated that the sale of handouts is prohibited in the polytechnic, saying students should only purchase approved textbooks.

Essien assured the students that as long as she remains at the helm of affairs, learning would be made easy in an environment that promotes discipline, safety and academic excellence.

She said, “I encourage you to report any form of sexual pressure from lecturers to the management or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Unit. This institution frowns at the exchange of gifts for marks.

“We also have zero tolerance for cultism and examination malpractice because we want to produce graduates who can confidently defend their certificates anywhere.”

The rector explained that students of the polytechnic would not only graduate with academic certificates but acquire practical skills through the institution’s mandatory skills acquisition program.

According to her, the world is increasingly focused on what individuals can offer to society.

Essien equally encouraged the students to cooperate with their lecturers by diligently carrying out their assignments to make teaching and learning effective and rewarding.

The orientation exercise also featured resource persons who delivered lectures on various aspects of the polytechnic system. They include the Registrar, Mr Idhigu Lucky, the Bursar, Sir Emmanuel Esomonu, the Polytechnic Librarian, Mr Ehikioya Uduebor, among others.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of abandoning Nigerian students studying overseas under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA), warning that the alleged neglect has left about 1,600 young Nigerians stranded without support.

In a statement on Sunday, Atiku said the BEA scholarship scheme was quietly axed under Tinubu “without notice to parents or wards and without consideration for students already midway through their studies overseas.”

Describing the program as a “diplomatic bridge now left broken,” Atiku explained that the BEA, launched in 1993 and revitalized in 1999, was designed to enable Nigerian students pursue undergraduate and postgraduate education through agreements with partner countries.

“What was initially described as a temporary five-year suspension soon metamorphosed into outright abandonment,” Atiku said.

According to him, the decision has left students abroad without stipends, with unpaid allowances now running into thousands of dollars per student.

“Their pleas are desperate and straightforward: pay the stipends owed, now more than $6,000 per student. Yet from the corridors of power came a cold, technocratic explanation: scarce public funds must be managed ‘responsibly,’ and money meant to keep these students alive abroad should instead be redirected home,” he said.

He revealed that the hardship worsened between September and December 2023 when stipends were unpaid, before allowances were slashed by 56 per cent in 2024 from $500 to $220 per month and later stopped entirely.

“The cruelty of the moment was sharpened by timing and tone. Hunger, rent arrears, and shame have become the daily companions of the beneficiary students.”

“In Morocco, one student did not survive the ordeal, dying in November last year and turning quiet suffering into public grief,” Atiku added.

Parents and students have protested in Abuja, gathering at the Ministries of Education and Finance to demand answers, but their appeals, he said, “have been mainly ignored.”

The former vice president also criticized remarks attributed to the education minister suggesting that students who were “fed up” could be financed to return home, saying the comment “reduced years of study and sacrifice to an administrative inconvenience.

“To anxious parents, it sounded like expulsion by neglect. Today, that pact lies broken.”

Atiku concluded that Nigerian scholars scattered across foreign campuses are still waiting not only for their stipends, but for reassurance that their country “has not forgotten them.”