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WAEC, NECO Still on Indefinite Postponement, Schools Remain Closed, Says FG
The Federal Government has maintained that West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) are still on indefinite postponement due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Both examination bodies had earlier announced the postponement of their exams.
The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, made the stance of the government known at the daily Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja on Tuesday.
“We have announced that WAEC and NECO for the year have been postponed. This postponement is indefinite at the moment,” he said.
Both examinations were slated for May and June 2020.
The government had on March 19 ordered the immediate closure of all tertiary, secondary and primary schools as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 virus.
As of Wednesday morning, Nigeria has recorded 782 cases of the disease, of which 197 have been treated and discharged and 25 deaths recorded.
Nwajiuba said the Federal Government is working on options for schools to reopen.
He noted that nobody can reopen schools until all efforts have been coordinated by the government.
“We will also be looking at what we will do for schools to reopen. As you recall, we asked that schools be vacated in the last part of March 2020 as soon as this pandemic broke out.
“The lockdown in various parts of the country will definitely affect whether students and teachers come to school or not.
“So nobody can reopen schools until we have coordinated all efforts,” he said.
He further explained that some provisions have been made for students to learn online.
“We have made provisions available online. The Directorate of Information and Communication Technology has opened a portal.
“In conjunction with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the coordinating agency will anchor an alliance with State Universal Basic Education Boards in all the states so that they can key into our design,” he said.
Mr Nwajiuba said 15 states had already commenced electronic learning for pupils on their local television and radio channels following the stay-at-home orders of the federal and some state governments.
He appealed to parents to cooperate with the government to ensure that their children were made available to learn at the designated hours and channels.
“About 15 states have already commenced learning via different channels that are available in their states, mostly local TV and radio.
“All the programmes they are running are approved by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Commission. Some of those states are Anambra, Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Edo, and Ogun. There are different education programmes for different times,” he said.
The minister said the biggest challenge of the government is how to reach pupils who are living in rural communities without devices to learn.
“Our biggest challenge is how to reach children who do not have devices. Because they do not have that is why we are pressing with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and NTA as the last end to dial.
“We already have programmes running along those lines with adult education, we just want to instill some of that and make it available for primary and secondary school students,” he said.
Premium Times
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has expressed deep shock and sadness over the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by terrorists.
This was released through his official X page on Monday.
Criticizing the military hierarchy for failing to provide a clear explanation of the incident, he noted that initial official statements had reportedly denied the circumstances surrounding the general’s death.
He further described the tragedy as “unequivocally a failure of political leadership.”
Atiku accused President Bola Tinubu of prioritizing political battles over his responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
He called Gen. Musa’s death, along with those of the troops under his command, “one death too many” and warned of the dangers of a resurgent terrorist threat.
He as well urged citizens and military personnel to remain resilient, saying, “Even this season shall pass away.”
In addition, he also directed a pointed message to the President, stating that the security of Nigerians is the government’s foremost responsibility.
“You must live up to it or be humble enough to admit incompetence and either ask for help or resign,” he added.
He suggested that, if he were President, he would order the military to occupy Borno State or any other areas under siege by bandits or armed groups until they are cleared, emphasizing the need to protect those risking their lives for national security.
He extended his condolences to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the family of the deceased, and all Nigerians, expressing hope that the nation would soon overcome this dark period.
The Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup dream suffered a major blow on Sunday as DR Congo advanced to the intercontinental playoff following a dramatic penalty shootout at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying ended in heartbreaking fashion, marking the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.
The match ended 1–1 after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, sending the high-stakes encounter to penalties.
Nigeria initially went ahead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute, but DR Congo equalised in the 32nd minute through M. Elia.
The tension continued into the penalty shootout.
Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missed early chances, while Nwabali denied DR Congo’s first penalty.
Akor Adams kept the Super Eagles alive, but DR Congo struck back through Sadique and later scored the decisive fourth penalty, leaving Nigeria trailing 4–3 in the shootout.
The victory sets up DR Congo for a chance to secure one of the final World Cup tickets to the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Nigeria’s defeat marked the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.
Both teams had earned their places in the final after dramatic semi-finals.
Nigeria had booked their place in the final with a dramatic 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon in Thursday’s semi-final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
DR Congo also advanced with a 1–0 victory over Cameroon at the Al Barid Stadium the same evening.
The Leopards now await their intercontinental playoff opponent, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup, while the Super Eagles’ campaign comes to an agonising end in Rabat.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, its suspended National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose.
Their expulsion was announced on Saturday at the party’s National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
