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.
The Academic Board of Kogi State Polytechnic has approved the first semester results for the 2025/2026 academic session and withdrawn 229 students over poor academic performance.
The decision was taken at the Board’s meeting held on May 12, 2026, in Lokoja and chaired by the Rector, Professor Salihu Sanusi Avidime, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the acting Coordinator of Public Relations and Protocols, John Amos Onimisi.
The meeting had in attendance principal officers, deans, heads of departments and other members of the Academic Board, who deliberated on key academic issues affecting the institution.
Onimisi said the results were approved following a rigorous verification exercise conducted by the Academic Board Central Results Verification Committee.
He explained that the committee thoroughly reviewed and authenticated submissions from various departments to ensure accuracy, fairness and compliance with the polytechnic’s academic regulations.
“The committee’s report subsequently served as a critical guide in the Academic Board’s deliberations and final decisions on the results,” he stated.
The Rector was said to have commended members of the committee for their diligence, professionalism and commitment to maintaining academic standards in the institution.
The Board said the withdrawal of the 229 students is aimed at upholding academic excellence and preserving the integrity of certificates issued by the polytechnic.
It added that the decision is in line with existing academic regulations, and intended to promote discipline and encourage better academic performance among students.
Comedian and actor, Ayo Makun aka AY, has recounted the final moments of actor Alex Ekubo before his death on May 11, 2026.
Ekubo reportedly died from complications following liver failure, having been diagnosed with stage four liver cancer in 2024.
AY, who was reportedly present at the hospital, said Ekubo was smiling at the time of his death.
He described the loss as difficult to accept and reflected on their shared experiences in the film industry over the years.
The comedian stated that he witnessed the grief of family and friends at the hospital, expressing shock at the actor’s passing.
AY added that Ekubo would be remembered for his contributions beyond film and public recognition.
“Some losses do not feel real no matter how many times you try to process them. Still struggling with the reality that you are gone, Alex.
“From the laughter to the conversations, the random moments, the brotherhood, and all the memories we shared in this industry. This one hurts deeply.
“I was there. I saw you still smiling even in death. I saw the tears from friends and family. And honestly, a part of me is still in shock. Rest well my brother. You will be remembered beyond the lights, the cameras, and the fame,” AY wrote.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Monday, released the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cut-off marks approved by universities across Nigeria for the 2026 admission exercise.
The cut-off marks were announced following the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja.
According to the approved list, Pan-Atlantic University fixed the highest minimum cut-off mark at 220.
Several institutions, including the University of Benin, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Covenant University, Air Force Institute of Technology, and Obafemi Awolowo University, adopted 200 as their minimum benchmark.
JAMB stated that the approved figures represent the minimum thresholds for admission consideration.
The Board noted that institutions may still set higher requirements for competitive courses such as medicine, engineering, pharmacy, and law.
Below is the full list of universities and their approved minimum UTME scores for the 2026 admission exercise:
Pan-Atlantic University – 220
Air Force Institute of Technology – 200
Covenant University – 220
Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta – 200
Obafemi Awolowo University – 200
University of Benin – 200
University of Ibadan – 200
University of Lagos – 200
University of Nigeria, Nsukka – 200
Lagos State University of Science and Technology – 195
Lagos State University – 195
Lagos State University of Education – 185
Afe Babalola University – 180
Ahmadu Bello University – 180
Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun – 180
Nigeria Police Academy – 180
Nigerian University of Technology and Management – 180
Shanahan University – 180
University of Abuja (Yakubu Gowon University) – 180
University of Ilorin – 180
University of Jos – 170
Augustine University – 170
Babcock University – 170
Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia – 170
Federal University, Lafia – 170
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology – 170
Nasarawa State University – 170
BITS University, Bwari – 170
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University – 160
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University – 160
Admiralty University of Nigeria – 160
African Aviation and Aerospace University – 160
Ajayi Crowther University – 160
Al-Hikmah University – 160
Bamidele Olumilua University – 160
Bayero University, Kano – 160
Bells University of Technology – 160
Caleb University – 160
Chrisland University – 160
Dominion University – 160
Emmanuel Alayande University of Education – 160
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta – 160
Federal University of Education, Pankshin – 160
Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo – 160
Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti – 160
Federal University of Technology, Ikot-Abasi – 160
First Technical University – 160
Imo State University – 160
Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management – 160
Karl Kumm University – 160
Kwara State University – 160
Landmark University – 160
Lead City University – 160
Modibbo Adama University – 160
Nnamdi Azikiwe University – 160
Olabisi Onabanjo University – 160
Osun State University – 160
Plateau State University – 160
Redeemer’s University – 160
Summit University – 160
Tai Solarin University of Education – 160
Taraba State College of Nursing and Midwifery – 160
University of Ilesa – 160
AbdulRasaq Abubakar Toyin University – 150
Adamawa State University – 150
Adeleke University – 150
African School of Economics, Abuja – 150
