FG Launches Student Digital Skills Programme for North Central Zone
- The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagement held a digital acceleration event for North Central student leaders
- NELFUND MD Akintunde Sawyerr and the Minister of Education's representative were among senior officials who attended the North Central Zone engagement
- The programme targeted skills in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and digital entrepreneurship for Nigerian university student leaders
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Lafia, Nasarawa state - The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagement hosted the Renewed Hope Student Leaders Engagement and Digital Acceleration Programme for the North Central Zone, bringing together student union executives, government officials, and university administrators to advance digital skills and leadership capacity among Nigerian students.
Source: UGC
The event, held under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, drew senior representation from several federal institutions, including the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lafia, Prof. Muhammad Yisa Kida, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr Akintunde Sawyerr. The Minister of Education was represented by the Director of University Education, Dr Kareem Olawale Lateef, while the Minister of Youth Development sent his Working Chief of Staff, Muhammad Abdullah. Representatives of the Vice-Chancellors of the University of Abuja and Federal University Lokoja also attended, alongside Deans of Student Affairs from across the North Central zone.
Student bodies present included the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) national executives led by the Vice President National, the NANS Zone C Coordinator, the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) national executives, all Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) chairmen, and Student Union Government (SUG) presidents from the zone.
Source: UGC
Digital Skills at the Heart of the Programme
Addressing participants, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagement, Comrade Asefon Sunday Dayo, said the programme was designed to prepare students for a rapidly changing global economy. The speech pointed to artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity, software development, and digital marketing as fields creating new openings for young Nigerians, and called on students to position themselves as creators rather than seekers of opportunity.
"We want every Nigerian student to become a creator of opportunities, not just a seeker of opportunities," the address read.
The office also emphasised the broader responsibility of student leaders, urging them to promote integrity, encourage dialogue, and support peaceful coexistence within their institutions and communities, describing students as "active partners in nation-building today" rather than simply leaders of the future.
Government's Commitment to Students Reaffirmed
Comrade Dayo used the occasion to reaffirm the office's commitment to ongoing engagement with Nigerian students, saying the administration would continue to create platforms that empower students academically, economically, and socially.
The programme forms part of a wider series of zonal engagements under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which targets young Nigerians across the country's geopolitical zones.
Source: UGC
FG Launches 2026 National Laureate Programme
In another related development, the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee has announced the launch of the 2026 National Laureate Programme, a federal government scheme backed by a ₦365 million annual research prize fund to recognise outstanding academic work in Nigerian higher institutions.
The committee's spokesperson, Ita Ekpenyong, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja. National Laureate Programme celebrates academic excellence and rewards outstanding research across Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Source: Legit.ng
