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Tinubu approves N70bn for TETFund mini-grid solar project

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a sum of ₦70 billion for the implementation of the Mini-Grid Solar Power Project under the 2025 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention cycle.

Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2025 TETFund National Town Hall Meeting, which brought together key stakeholders in the education sector, including top government officials, vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and representatives of academic unions.

Masari, a former governor of Katsina State and one-time Speaker of the House of Representatives, said the solar project is part of efforts to promote renewable and sustainable energy solutions in Nigerian tertiary institutions. He explained that twelve (12) institutions have been selected in the first phase of the project.

The benefiting institutions include the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State; Northwest University, Kano; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State; Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, Imo State; and Lagos State University, among others.

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According to Masari, the Town Hall Meeting was a major step towards strengthening transparency, inclusivity, and responsiveness in the nation’s tertiary education system.

He highlighted some of the milestones achieved by the Fund under President Tinubu’s administration, noting that over 3,332 scholars have benefited from TETFund’s master’s degree sponsorships, while 4,796 have been supported for PhD programmes under the local component of the TETFund Scholarship for Academic Staff.

“The Fund continues to support teaching practice, conference attendance, research, and development, thereby ensuring that Nigerian tertiary institutions are equipped with a highly trained and globally exposed academic workforce,” Masari said.

He added that the Board envisions Nigerian tertiary institutions that are globally competitive, research-oriented, and innovation-driven, producing graduates who are employable, entrepreneurial, and capable of solving national challenges.

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“To achieve this, we will continue to strengthen accountability and transparency frameworks, expand investments in alternative energy and digital learning platforms, promote advanced research in agriculture, health, and technology, and deepen collaboration with industries and international partners to drive research commercialization and sustainable impact,” he stated.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono commended President Tinubu for his strong support for tertiary education, especially through the recent increase in the education tax allocation from 2.5% to 3%. He noted that the increase has significantly boosted the Fund’s intervention capacity.

Echono also clarified that the Fund had temporarily suspended foreign training of scholars, except for specialized programmes, pending the introduction of a new policy framework. According to him, this decision followed the President’s directive to curb the trend of scholars absconding after completing government-sponsored studies abroad.

“Mr. President complained that so many of the people we send abroad for studies do not return, and he felt it was unfair,” Echono stated. “He has therefore instructed that measures be put in place,not to stop foreign training entirely,but to ensure that beneficiaries are properly bonded and return to contribute their knowledge to national development.”

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Also speaking at the event, the former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, cautioned against the proliferation of universities, which he described as “constituency projects.” He argued that many of these new institutions are primarily established to benefit from TETFund interventions, rather than to enhance access to quality education.

Osodeke urged the National Assembly to enact a law barring newly established universities and other tertiary institutions from accessing TETFund interventions until they have operated for at least five to ten years.

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Nigeria Customs Unveils Final List of Successful Applicants, Opens Portal for Next Stage

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially released the final list of successful candidates for its ongoing recruitment exercise, marking the commencement of the final stage of the employment process.

The Service directed all shortlisted candidates to immediately log in to the official recruitment portal to confirm their selection, complete the required documentation, and accept their provisional offers of appointment within the stipulated deadline.

According to the NCS, successful applicants can verify their status through the official recruitment portal, while notifications are also being sent to candidates via their registered email addresses and SMS.

As part of the final documentation process, candidates are required to upload a Medical Certificate of Fitness obtained from a government-approved hospital. They must also update their current state of residence and click the “Accept Offer” button on the portal.

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The Nigeria Customs Service warned that candidates who fail to complete these requirements within one week risk forfeiting their provisional appointments.

Following the successful completion of the online process, candidates will receive a Trainee Identification Number (TIN) ahead of the final documentation and training exercise. The dates, venues and other instructions for the next stage will be communicated through the Service’s official channels.

The Comptroller-General of Customs congratulated the successful candidates and urged them to demonstrate discipline, integrity and professionalism as they prepare to join the Service.

How to Check the Final List

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Candidates should:

Visit the official Nigeria Customs Service recruitment portal https://recruitment.customs.gov.ng
Log in with the email address and password used during registration.
Check their recruitment status.
Upload the required Medical Certificate of Fitness.
Update their profile and current state of residence.
Click “Accept Offer” and print the acknowledgement slip for future reference.

The Nigeria Customs Service reiterated that its recruitment exercise is free of charge and advised applicants to ignore fraudsters or individuals demanding payment in exchange for employment.

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Senate Denies Introducing Fresh Ban on Preaching in Commercial Vehicles

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The Senate has debunked claims that the proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act seeks to introduce a fresh ban on preaching or hawking in commercial vehicles.

According to the upper chamber, preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles have been offences under Nigerian law since the FRSC Establishment Act was enacted in 2007.

The Senate explained that the provision, previously listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the Act, was only renumbered as Item 49 in the ongoing amendment process.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Office of the Senate Leader, the chamber stressed that the amendment does not seek to prohibit street preaching or restrict religious activities in public places.

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It said the amendment is about the safety of commuters and other road users and is not intended to undermine any religious activity in the public space.

The Senate also dismissed reports alleging that Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele sponsored the amendment bill.

It clarified that the bill originated from the House of Representatives and is before the Senate as a concurrence bill in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The upper chamber noted that the legislative process is still ongoing and urged Nigerians with concerns to make their views known through the appropriate legislative channels before the bill is passed.

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The Senate reiterated its commitment to transparency and public participation, adding that the proposed amendment is aimed at strengthening road safety measures and protecting commuters across the country.

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Stolen BVAS, PVCs Will Be Replaced, Osun Election Safe – INEC

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Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the reported attack on one of its Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection centres in Osun will not deter it from conducting a free, fair and credible governorship election in the state.

Chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Dayo Oketola, gave the assurance in an interview with journalists on Monday in Abuja.

Some suspected hoodlums had, on Sunday, stormed an INEC PVC collection centre located at Oyinlola DC School, Ward 2, Okuku, attacking staff members on duty and carting away electoral materials, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and PVCs.

Mr Oketola, however, said that the incident had been formally reported to the police, adding that they had already commenced an investigation into the incident.

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“The Osun incident has been reported to the police. As we speak, it is already public knowledge that the police have started an investigation,” Mr Oketola said.

He expressed confidence in the police to apprehend the suspects and recover the stolen commission assets.

“As a commission, we trust that the police will be diligent in their investigation, track those suspects, get them arrested and ensure they face the wrath of the law.

“We also trust that they’ll be able to recover our devices, including the BVAS that were reportedly carted away,” he added.

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Mr Oketola maintained that, in spite of the attack, INEC’s operational preparations for the upcoming election remained firmly on track.

“It is a matter already under investigation, I cannot actually comment too much on it.

“But I know that that cannot distract INEC from carrying out the activities preceding the Osun governorship election.

“INEC cannot be distracted. We will conduct a free and fair election in Osun. That incident cannot distract us.

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“The election will go on as planned, and we expect it to be free, fair and credible at the end of the day,” he said.

He disclosed that, as part of preparations, the commission was embarking on a pre-assessment tour of the state to evaluate operational readiness and engage key local stakeholders.

Mr Oketola also stated that a total of 4,427 BVAS devices had been configured for the governorship election, including 664 backup units, which could take care of any incident before and during the election.

He also said that INEC had established 97 Super Registration Area Centres (Super RACs) and 105 Registration Area Centres across all the local government areas in the state, which would be fully activated on the night before the election.

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“Whatever was carted away will be replaced. Out of the 4,427 BVAS, we have 664 prepared as backups. There is no way whatever happened can disrupt our plans for the election,” he assured.

The chief press secretary described the stealing of PVCs as an exercise in futility, given the strict biometric verification required by the BVAS technology.

“Nobody can use another person’s PVC to vote in an election in Nigeria again. The era of ghost voters is gone. With BVAS, you must tender your PVC and undergo biometric authentication.

“The technology has been tightened in such a manner that nobody can use another person’s identity to vote any longer in Nigeria.

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“That has been proven in previous elections, particularly those that were conducted under the leadership of Prof. Amupitan,” Mr Oketola said.

He assured registered Nigerians that the necessary administrative measures would also be taken by the commission to ensure that no voter would be disenfranchised in the state as a result of the incident.

“Once a voter’s name is already on the voters’ register, and somehow, your PVC happens to be among those that have been reportedly stolen, I want to believe you can’t be disenfranchised from exercising your right or participating in the election, come Aug. 15.

“Whatever the commission will do to solve that problem will be done. I know the commission will leave no stone unturned to ensure that no registered voter in Osun is disenfranchised on election day,” he said.

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Mr Oketola, while assuring voters of their safety during the election, called on all stakeholders to collaborate with the commission to protect the nation’s electoral assets and ensure a peaceful voting environment.

“While the security agencies will provide adequate security to protect people and election materials, we also need all key stakeholders to be vigilant.

“The people, community leaders and traditional rulers, security agencies, religious organisations, political actors; all of us must work together to ensure that the Osun election is not just successful, but conducted in an atmosphere that gives people the confidence to come out and exercise their franchise,” Mr Oketola said.

(NAN)

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