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How Leaked Memo Exposed Trends In Securing Admission Into Varsities

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“My son registered and wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) three times before he was able to secure admission into the university to study,” said Mr Ifeanyi Ozoemena.

At each sitting, Ifeanyi’s son scored above 200 marks but failed to secure admission to study his desired course, Computer Science, at one of the universities in South-West Nigeria.

He said it was after a friend introduced him to a staff of the university after his son wrote the third entrance exam that he secured admission.

Thus, gaining admission to most public universities is not just about scoring points, but also about who you know to help you.

Another parent, Eucharia Azu, said her son also missed securing admission with his mates despite scoring higher than the cut-off mark set by the university for the course he applied to study.

She said the course he was seeking admission to study was highly sought after, making it more ‘about who you know’.

Mrs Azu said some people get admission based on merit with the reforms at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), but “You need people who can push for you and that gives you a level of assurance that someone is there to ensure your child is not passed by.”

She bemoaned the relegation of merit while “money buys for you everything.”

Another parent said after he tried to use some people in the education sector to influence his son’s admission he opted to pay for it.

“It was the only option I had after he could not secure admission the previous year and I did not want him to remain at home, “ he said

Admission into tertiary institutions, especially universities, has over time become difficult because of the challenge of access.

In his presentation on the 2023 Admission Exercise, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, said from over 1,635,881 applications for UTME and Direct Entry, only 639,263 candidates were admitted into tertiary institutions across the country.

This was in July 2024. The limited space and capacity of the universities to absorb qualified candidates to study has pushed many desperate parents into paying to secure admission for their children, including politicians who use their influence to peddle slots for their preferred candidates.

Meanwhile, a memo from a senator to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja seeking admission for students was leaked and it went viral generating divergent views online.

In the leaked memo, the senator appealed to the university leadership to grant admission to four students to pursue various courses including Medicine, Public Administration, Computer Science and Law in the school.

The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores as contained in the letter had 264 as the highest to study Law, followed by 205, also applying for Law, 181 for Computer Science, 191 for Public Administration, and 222 for Medicine and Surgery.

Reacting to the incident, an X user, @Govern_mend said, “Nigerian senator writes to seek university admission for constituents,” asking, “Does a public office holder need to write a letter to a school for any student to be admitted?”

Another wrote: “This is why many do not get admission into some universities.”

This, however, is not new as a former vice chancellor had told Daily Trust that the requests he gets from lawmakers and people in power were usually high and made the admission process difficult for them.

The admission rate in Nigerian universities is placed at about less than 40 percent of the total number of applicants, leaving the rest to scramble for another chance the following year, which many are not likely to get.

This has left parents and applicants to universities across the country disappointed and disillusioned and a few others going to private institutions.

Sources from one of the universities in the North, however, told Daily Trust that demand for admission by politicians doesn’t translate to automatic admission for the candidates.

“If you don’t have up to the required cut-off mark on your JAMB (score), you don’t get admitted here,” a source said.

“I can tell you that because there’s the National University Commission (NUC) accreditation, JAMB is watching. We don’t take anybody with less than 180. And this place is very competitive.”

Another source from the University of Abuja denied pressure from politicians for admission saying, “There’s no harm in trying to use their power; trying to use their office. They don’t get it. JAMB will not allow that.”

Prof. Ugo Sylvester, a lecturer at the University of Abuja and chairman of the institution’s Academic Staff Union, while speaking on politicians’ perceived interference in admissions, said it was commonplace for parents or anyone else to seek help where they think they could get it.

He said the leaked memo wasn’t a directive but an appeal thus it was not mandatory to be acted upon as being perceived.

 

Education

Borno Kids Stole The Show At NYSC Camp With Flawless March Past (Video)

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A group of primary school pupils from host communities in Borno State captivated participants at the NYSC orientation camp in Maiduguri with a precise and energetic marching display during the inter-platoon parade competition.

The viral footage shows four children marching confidently beside corps members, sparking loud cheers from onlookers who were visibly delighted by their coordination and enthusiasm.

The heartwarming moment quickly gained traction on social media, where users applauded the Army and the NYSC for creating an atmosphere of joy and normalcy in a region often defined by insecurity.

The children later received warm praise and encouragement from military officials and corps members at the camp, rounding off a memorable day marked by wide smiles and excitement.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR4aCOMAh4d/?igsh=dnZtdHN1azZqcnJq

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Teachers strike looms in Kwara over unmet demands

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A statewide industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, looms in Kwara State as a result of unmet demands to the state government.

The national body of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) criticised the state government for what it described as continued failure to address long-standing welfare concerns affecting teachers across the state.

In a letter addressed to Governor Abdulraham Abdulrazaq, the union condemned the government’s refusal to implement the 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA) and the National Harmonized Teachers Retirement Age Act, 2022.

The letter, dated November 13, 2025, and acknowledged by the Governor’s Office on November 17, was jointly signed by the NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, and the Secretary-General, Dr Clinton Ikpitibo.

The NUT stated in the letter that several engagements with government officials between 2023 and 2025 did not yield any positive outcome.

The union expressed disappointment that while the government had approved consolidated salary structures for medical workers, nurses, and judiciary staff, the long-standing demands of teachers remained unaddressed.

It warned that the refusal to implement the 27.5% TSA for TRCN-certified teachers and 21% for non-TRCN-certified teachers had pushed teachers in the state “into a riotous mode,” noting that frustration within the system had reached breaking point.

The NUT also criticized the government’s failure to implement the National Harmonized Teachers Retirement Age Act, which extends teachers’ retirement age to 65 years or 40 years in service.

The letter added that over 25 states had already complied with the law, lamenting that Kwara State despite being led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, had failed to follow suit.

The union called on the governor to convene an emergency meeting before December 13, 2025, stressing that there was still room for peaceful resolution if the government acted promptly.

“We do hope that our interventionist approach is accepted, because to jaw-jaw will be better than to war-war,” the NUT said.

Copies of the letter were sent to the Acting Head of Service, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, the State Controller of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Kwara chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the NUT.

With tension rising among teachers, the union warned that failure to address the issues urgently, could trigger a fresh industrial action that may disrupt academic activities across the state.

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Fed Poly Nekede, environ under siege, as masked gunmen attack 2 students

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  • Fear grips community over alleged threat letter

There was pandemonium within the vicinity of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State on Monday when two students of the institution were allegedly ambushed and attacked on their way back from Owerri Municipality, where they had gone to buy an electricity generating set.

A source close to one of the victims who spoke to our reporter said the two friends were driving back to the school through the Amaeze Obibi-Ezena Road at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday when they saw some people flashing torchlights by the bush side. “They initially thought they were security men and kept driving, but the one on the passenger seat suddenly noticed that those they thought were security men had their faces covered,” the source said.

He continued: “He shouted and told his friend to reverse the car. But as soon as they reversed, the gunmen opened fire and riddled the car with bullets. Fortunately, they escaped unhurt.”

The frightening incident has further fueled reports circulating in the area alleging plans by suspected Fulani herdsmen to launch coordinated attacks on Nekede-where the Federal Polytechnic is located-and neighbouring communities.

Anxiety in the area has intensified due to unconfirmed reports that the gunmen had written a letter to community leaders, demanding a certain amount of money to prevent an imminent attack. It was also alleged that intelligence reports suggest that several armed groups who have infiltrated the area have concluded plans to strike within a specific time frame. These reports further claim that the suspected attackers have been receiving supplies, arms, and ammunition for some time and are being reinforced from outside.

Recall that there have been consistent reports of frightening security challenges in the region, caused by the nefarious activities of gunmen who for a very long time have kidnapped, raped, maimed, and even killed their victims around the FUTO, Ihiagwa, Obinze, Avu, and Oforola axis- all in Owerri West Local Government Area.

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