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MEET Nigerian born Joshua Beckford, youngest person to attend Oxford University
Joshua Beckford gained worldwide recognition as the youngest person ever to study at Oxford University.
The youngster was admitted at age six (taking part in courses which were part of an online learning platform for gifted children) and gained distinctions in both Philosophy and History.
When Beckford’s father, Knox Daniel, wrote to Oxford University advocating for his son’s admission, it was a bold move to challenge the conventional age limits for a programme aimed at children aged eight to 13.
His record remains unmatched, with the next youngest Oxford student being at least two years older at the time of admission.
By 10 months old, Beckford could already identify letters and numbers. At age two and a half, he could read fluently using phonics and had begun learning Japanese and some Mandarin.
Aspiring to become a neurosurgeon, Beckford has already demonstrated remarkable medical knowledge.
Using the Microsoft Surgery Simulator, he has mastered complex surgical procedures, including cataract removal, hernia repair and leg fracture correction. His proficiency with surgical instruments showcases his extraordinary abilities beyond his years.
Beyond medicine, Beckford is multi-talented, excelling in art, Information Technology (IT), sports and foreign languages.
In 2017, Beckford was named Positive Role Model of the Year at the UK’s National Diversity Awards.
The Illumination Foundation of North Carolina also listed him among the Top 30 Most Extraordinary People worldwide who have made societal impact.
Beckford serves as an ambassador for the Boys Mentoring Advocacy Network (BMAN), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to mentoring young boys and adolescents in Africa. Within BMAN, he holds the role of Low-Income Families Education (L.I.F.E) Support Ambassador across six countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and the United Kingdom where he was born.
Joshua Beckford also serves as the face of the National Autistic Society’s Black and Minority (BME) campaign. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism himself, he helps to spread the campaign’s mission.
In 2019, Beckford and his father travelled to Nigeria to launch a live mentoring session, delivering a keynote speech at the University of Lagos before an audience of nearly 5,000 people. Their visit was to raise funds for building a secondary school in Kaduna State, providing education to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
According to a statement on UNILAG’s website, the proposed school was to include classrooms, an administrative block, a laboratory, an ICT Centre and an agriculture green garden and was to be named Joshua Beckford Community School.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A Lagos-based member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ushie Uguamaye, could have her service year extended by 30 days with half pay over her criticism of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
This is according to the NYSC Bye Laws (Revised 2011).
Recently, Uguamaye, known on TikTok as @talktoraye, shared a video in which she called out the Tinubu administration over the economic hardship faced by Nigerians since it was sworn in.
In another TikTok video, the young lady claimed that she was threatened on phone by an official of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the video criticising the President.
She also shared a screenshot of a message allegedly received from NYSC officials summoning her to report to the Eti-Osa Local Government office on Monday.
According to Uguamaye, she fears for her life because she has also been receiving threats from anonymous persons after her video went viral.
The first video shared by Uguamaye may have contravened the NYSC Bye-Laws (Revised 2011), the section which says corps members are “not be rude to constituted authority” during primary assignments.
It reads: “Any member who is rude to constituted authority shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and, if found guilty, be liable to extension of service for a period not less than thirty (30) days with half pay.”
Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the NYSC, Caroline Embu, was not available to give comment on the corps member’s TikTok video.
By Gloria Ikibah
As part of its contribution in strengthening governance in Africa, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has marked the successful completion of the fourth edition of its AIG Public Leaders Programme, an executive training initiative for government officials.
The programme, which was in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, is aimed at equipping public servants with the skills to drive effective governance.
At the graduation ceremony held in Abuja, participants from Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda were celebrated for completing the rigorous training, aimed at enhancing public service performance across the continent.
Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), in his keynote address, described the graduates’ mandate in bold terms.
Osinbajo urged participants to leverage their training to dismantle systemic barriers and reimagine equitable service delivery
He said: “You are Public Service Scientists. Just as technologists invent groundbreaking tools, you must create systems that ensure health, safety, education, and opportunity reach every citizen—not as a privilege, but as a promise”.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, commended the Foundation’s role in reshaping governance.
“The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has shown commitment to building a public sector that prioritises citizens. This programme equips leaders with world-class skills to drive innovation and align with our vision of an efficient, ethical, and citizen-centric workforce”, she said.
As part of the programme, participants developed and began implementing reform projects to tackle systemic challenges within their Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), driving improvements in public service delivery.
Chairman of the Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, stressed the urgency of transforming Africa.
“Our challenge is not merely about accelerating processes; it is about catching up. Catching up demands more than intelligence—it requires a transformative mindset and a willingness to break new ground. This programme equips public servants to tackle systemic bottlenecks while promoting collective action—the power of us—to drive impactful change across the continent”, he asserted.
Dignitaries in attendance included the President of the Senate, represented by Senator Gershom Bassey; representatives of the Governors of Delta and Kano States; representatives of the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Heads of Service of Ekiti and Nasarawa States.
Graduating participants will join a growing network of alumni who have been trained since 2021.
The Foundation reiterared its committment to its mission of training 3,000 public sector leaders by 2030, equipping them with the skills needed to drive impactful reforms. Applications are now open for the fifth cohort of the programme.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Lagos State Government will seal and divert traffic for the emergency repairs of the Independence/Mekwen Bridge (inbound Marina/CMS route) for two months.
Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, the State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the emergency repair of the bridge is scheduled from Wednesday, March 19 19, to Monday, May 26, 2025.
He said during the repairs, the section of the road from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) through Bonny Camp Bridge down to Independence Bridge will be closed to vehicular movement.
“Similarly, the Bonny Camp Underpass Bridge service lane inbound Independence Bridge will not be available for motorists. However, the service lane from Ahmadu Bello Way to Ozumba Mbadiwe will be open to traffic,” the statement read.
Motorists heading to Victoria Island from Ahmadu Bello Way are advised to use Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street, and proceed to Falomo Roundabout, then link Obafemi Awolowo Road to access Ring Road to continue their journeys.
Motorists from Ahmadu Bello Way heading to 3rd Mainland Bridge should go through Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street, then link Alfred Rewane Road to Osborne Road, and connect to Ring Road to reach their destinations.
“Motorists heading to Inner Marina and CMS from Ahmadu Bello Way will be diverted to Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street to connect Falomo Roundabout, then link Obafemi Awolowo Road to access J.K. Randle Road/King George V Road to reach their desired destinations.”
According to the commissioner, motorists heading to Ahmadu Bello Way from Inner Marina/CMS will have through-traffic access.
Osiyemi reassured Lagosians that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will manage traffic flow along the aforementioned routes for the duration of the project
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