Metro
WAEC EduStat, Game-Changer for Educators, Students – HNO Areghan
By Eric Elezuo
The New Hall of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Yaba office was a beehive of activities Wednesday as the examination council released yet another classic with the launch of the Educational Statistics Platform, EduStat, a platform designed to ease access to quality data and insights in the educational sector as well as take the edge off the manual access to data by stakeholders, improve the quality of service delivery and generate more revenue for the Council.
Revealing the benefits of the platform before a large audience of staff, pressmen, stakeholders and technical experts, the Head of National Office, Mr. Patrick Ehidiamen Areghan, said that WAEC Nigeria leveraged on technology, detailed data analysis and insights, to establish itself as a leading light in the educational sector and a future brand by introducing the Educational Statistical Platform.
Areghan maintained that to keep abreast with a world that has become smarter and more instant, WAEC has gone a step further to ensure consistency towards harnessing statistical data analysis, collation, interpretation and presentation. He added that “Businesses and organizations alike need every edge and advantage they can get to improve service delivery, thanks to the rapidly changing markets, economic uncertainties, shifting political landscape, customer-focus, and even the global Pandemic, which have made statistical analysis more sought-after by researchers, for fact analysis and findings.”
Speaking on the mission objectives of the Council, Areghan reiterated that “The West African Examinations Council is committed to its mission of remaining Africa’s foremost examining body, providing qualitative and reliable educational assessment, encouraging academic and moral excellence, and promoting sustainable human resource development and international cooperation. In meeting the growing global demands for corporate organisations, sometimes, it takes just one individual to come up with an innovative approach that gives the organisation competitive edge. Still, more often than not, it requires the collaboration of various teams and the combination of many different data sources.”
Going down memory lane, Areghan noted that Edustat is the result of years of research, development, and collaboration that will not only revolutionize how data is accessed but also leverage WAEC’s comprehensive and reliable database of over 50 million candidates who have been tested over the years.
He stated other benefits to include revamping poor infrastructure and the manual process of assessing educational insights and statistics, and also access to a comprehensive interactive Web Report. It will also provide stakeholders, such as researchers, funding agencies, government institutions, school administrators and parents with a reliable platform that provides educational insights collected from multiple sources and delivered in simplified graphs, summaries, and dashboards which help them enhance their decisions.
He noted, “the platform offers detailed and smart statistical insights into education and assessment dynamics, using historical and current data to provide detailed intelligence for stakeholders across the globe, in a smart and easily accessible manner. One of the key features of this platform is its ability to analyze data in real-time. This means that educators can get immediate feedback on how their students are performing, enabling them to adjust their teaching strategies as needed. Additionally, the platform is designed to be user-friendly and customizable, allowing educators to tailor it to their specific needs and preferences.”
He added that the platform “seeks to change views about data analysis by providing users with easy-to-use tools to analyze and visualize data. It offers a wide range of features that will benefit our users. For Government agencies, it provides detailed statistics on student enrollment, graduation rates, and academic performance at various levels of government. This information will help policy makers make data-driven decisions about education policy, funding, and program design.
“We are optimistic that our new educational statistics platform will be a game-changer for educators and students,” the WAEC boss said, while promising to continue to dish out more technology-based access to data.
Presenting a demonstration on the usage of the platform, the technical partners, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, gave a detailed outlook of what to expect and how easy accessing the platform is.
Potential users are expected to log on to www.waec.edustat.ngto sign up, select parameters, select their preferred method of report generation (Summaries, Charts, Maps, Trends), make payments, download and use the content for personal / official purpose. For further enquires, users can send an email to support@edustat.ng.
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have uncovered an underground Boko Haram logistics storage facility stocked with medical supplies, fuel and other critical materials after overrunning several terrorist enclaves in the Timbuktu Triangle area of Borno State.
The discovery followed a series of coordinated, intelligence-led offensives conducted on Sunday across Chilaria, Garin Faruk and Abirma, during which the troops also repelled multiple drone attacks launched by the terrorists.
The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Uba Sani, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
According to Sani, the operation, carried out under Operation Desert Sanity, resulted in the destruction of several terrorist camps and significantly degraded the logistical and operational capabilities of Boko Haram and ISWAP elements operating in the axis.
“Troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI, have recorded further operational successes in the ongoing Operation DESERT SANITY, destroying multiple terrorist camps, recovering arms and equipment, and repelling coordinated attacks by the insurgents in the Timbuktu Triangle,” the statement said.
It added that on Sunday, January 18, 2026, troops advanced from their harbour areas and conducted deliberate, intelligence-driven operations against identified terrorist enclaves in Chilaria, Garin Faruk and Abirma.
Sani explained that the operation was supported by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, which provided persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage throughout the advance.
He said during the clearance operations, “troops recovered several items of military significance, including Baofeng radios, phones, five AK-47 magazines, several rounds of 7.62 × 39mm special ammunition and 7.62mm NATO belted ammunition.”
Others include “several Boko Haram/ISWAP flags, links of 12.7 × 108 mm ammunition, diesel powered grinding machines, large quantity of medical supplies, several bags of grains, pick-up truck, underground logistics storage and petroleum and oil lubricant dump, which all further degraded the operational and logistical capability of the terrorists.”
He said the “recoveries further degraded the operational and logistical capacity of the terrorists,”.
However, Sani revealed that at about midday, the advancing troops came under armed drone attacks launched by the terrorists.
“Despite this, the troops maintained momentum and continued the offensives. A second drone attack attempted in the evening was also decisively repelled, forcing the terrorists to withdraw and reaffirming the troops’ dominance of the area,” he said.
Sani added that despite sustained engagements, troop morale remains high and fighting efficiency continues to be maintained.
“The general security situation in the area is assessed as calm but unpredictable, with troops remaining vigilant and at a high state of readiness,” he stated.
He concluded that the military high command has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the operations, stressing that troops remain resolute in their mission to eliminate terrorist threats, protect civilians and restore lasting peace and stability to the North-East.
The Punch
Metro
FRSC Confirms No Lives Lost in Apapa Fuel Tanker Crash, Advises Residents Against Scooping Fuel
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed a minor lone crash involving a NIPCO truck that occurred in the early hours of Monday on Liverpool Bridge, outward Apapa, saying that no casualties were recorded.
The incident, according to the Public Education Officer, SRC, Damilola Jayeola, occurred at about 0817hrs and was promptly reported and responded to by FRSC operatives. Three adult males were involved in the crash, with no injury or fatality recorded.
Preliminary findings attributed the crash to speeding and reckless driving, despite the road being smooth at the time of the incident.
FRSC operatives, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the Federal Fire Service, are on ground managing traffic and securing the scene to prevent secondary incidents.
The Lagos State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Kehinde G. Hamzat, has advised members of the public to desist from scooping the spilled fuel and urged motorists to strictly adhere to speed limits and drive responsibly, particularly on bridges and other high-risk corridors, to prevent avoidable crashes.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described the scooping of fuel by residents at the Apapa Bridge as a “suicide mission,” warning that the Lagos State Government will intensify enforcement to prevent actions capable of triggering mass casualties.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Monday at the signing of the 2026 Appropriation Bill at the Lagos House, Ikeja, shortly after reports emerged of residents rushing to scoop spilled fuel from a tanker incident at Apapa.
He expressed disappointment at the conduct, stressing that such behaviour places lives at grave risk.
The governor commended the swift intervention of Lagos first responders and the police, who cordoned off the area and brought the situation under control before any explosion or disaster could occur.
He cautioned residents to desist from reckless acts, noting that the State would “leave no stone unturned” in safeguarding lives and property.
Linking the incident to broader issues of indiscipline, Sanwo-Olu said the government would enforce tougher penalties against environmental and safety violations, including indiscriminate dumping of refuse on road medians.
He disclosed that the 2026 budget makes provisions to strengthen the capacity of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and private sector participants, with plans to expand compactor truck fleets and deploy additional equipment.
“We have instructed LAWMA not only to apprehend offenders but also to ensure they are charged for environmental violations,” the governor said.
