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JUST IN: FG opposes N/Assembly’s proposals for 200 new varsities

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The federal government has expressed opposition to the proposals by the National Assembly for creation of nearly 200 new universities in the country.

It said with almost 200 bills in the National Assembly for establishment of new universities, there is a growing concern that the system is becoming overwhelmed.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stated this in Abuja yesterday during the third edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing.

The country currently has 278 universities, 64 of which are federal; 67, state; and 147, private.

The government had, last month, announced a one-year moratorium on the establishment of new private universities “to enhance the quality and sustainability of private universities, ensuring that only institutions with the necessary financial and academic capacity are granted licenses.”

The minister yesterday emphasised that strengthening the capacities of the existing universities is more important than establishing new ones.

He said: “They (lawmakers) are passing a lot of bills. Today, I can tell you that there are almost 200 bills in the National Assembly. We can’t continue like this.

Even though we have a lot of them, the capacity for a university to admit is not there. What we need to do now is to rebuild the capacities so that we can offer more viable courses to our citizens.

“We need to stop this (the 200 bills for new universities) from happening. There is so much pressure on the president. We have to, at least, be sensitive to it as well.

“I understand the sentiment of our legislators. They want to show that they are working. We know they are working. But then, we have enough assets, we have enough opportunities out there for students to go to universities.

“What we now need to do is to begin to mobilise more resources to develop infrastructures, build engineering workshops, build laboratories in these universities, recruit international standard teachers, so that we can begin to get these universities to develop, to deliver high quality of education that will be known for as a country.

“Today, if you care to know, we have 64 federal universities, 67 state universities and 147 private universities.

If you look at the entire enrolment together, the private universities account for just 7.5% of total undergraduate enrolment.

I will tell you the meaning of the number. The total number of undergraduate enrolments today is just about 875,000, which is, at least, fairly low.

“We have universities with less than 1,000 undergraduate students, and there is this intense demand for more universities to be opened. We have to stop that.”

however, it is not only the legislators that are obsessed with pushing for the establishing of universities as constituency project or for status symbol.

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BREAKING: Two-Storey Building Collapses in Ajuwon, Residents Feared Trapped

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A two-storey residential building has collapsed along Baale Road (also referred to as Baale Street) near Ajuwon Bus Stop in Ajuwon/Akute, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Monday, 27 July 2026, leaving several occupants feared trapped under the rubble.

The incident, which occurred in the Lagos-Ogun border community, triggered panic among residents and passers-by as the structure gave way unexpectedly. Crowds quickly gathered at the scene while waiting for emergency responders. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes of people attempting to dig through the debris by hand.

According to one eyewitness identified as Anthony, only a single male occupant managed to escape before the building became completely inaccessible. The survivor reportedly told those at the scene that his wife and children remained trapped inside.

Preliminary reports indicate that at least three people — including a grandmother, her toddler grandchild, and another man — have been rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital. Several others are still feared trapped. The exact number of people affected, including any injuries or fatalities, has not been officially confirmed by authorities at the time of reporting.

The Executive Chairman of Ifo Local Government, Hon. Idris Kusimo, has arrived at the scene and is coordinating with residents and responders. Rescue operations involving locals and emergency personnel are ongoing.

Urgent Appeal
An urgent call has gone out to the Ogun State Government, Ogun State Emergency Management Agency, relevant state fire and rescue services, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and all other emergency responders to immediately mobilise fully equipped teams to the location to rescue those still trapped beneath the debris.

Further updates will follow as official information becomes available. Residents in the area are advised to stay clear of the site to allow unhindered access for rescue teams.

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TCN Foils Theft Attempt, Recovers Tower Members at Bauchi Substation

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, foiled an attempted theft at its 330/132kV transmission substation in Bauchi on Friday, July 24, 2026, at about 9:34pm.

Security personnel at the substation intercepted suspected vandals attempting to remove critical tower members. The suspects fled the scene on sighting the guards.

An inspection of the area led to the recovery of 12 transmission tower angle irons, one heavy-duty metal measuring scale, and a white pickup truck believed to have been used for the operation.

The recovered items and the vehicle have been handed over to the Railway Division Police Station, Bauchi, for further investigation.

No equipment was carted away and no injuries were recorded during the incident.

TCN commends the prompt response of its security team, whose vigilance prevented the theft of or damage to critical transmission infrastructure.

TCN reiterates the need for host communities to report suspicious activities around power installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.

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ISWAP Finance Chief Surrender To Nigeria Military

The senior operative surrendered to troops of 3 Battalion under 24 Task Force Brigade at about 06:45 WAT on 25 July along the Ladari-Jegarawa-Tunokalia axis of the Gamboru-Wulgo Main Supply Route. He arrived with two male children, voluntarily laying down his arms before the troops.

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Credit: Operation HADIN KAI

Military authorities confirmed on Monday a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) finance operative, has surrendered to Operation HADIN KAI in Nigeria’s North-East.

Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operates HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement, emphasising that the surrender followed coordinated land and air offensives that have intensified pressure on terrorist enclaves, contributing to a growing wave of defections.

The senior operative surrendered to troops of 3 Battalion under 24 Task Force Brigade at about 06:45 WAT on 25 July along the Ladari-Jegarawa-Tunokalia axis of the Gamboru-Wulgo Main Supply Route.

He arrived with two male children, voluntarily laying down his arms before the troops.

Preliminary profiling by the Theatre Command identified the individual as the chief finance operative of the ISWAP enclave at Jubillaram, where he reportedly managed the terrorist group’s financial activities and logistics support.

Military authorities further disclosed that about 46 terrorists and their family members have voluntarily surrendered in recent days, suggesting that the combination of kinetic operations and intelligence-led campaigns is steadily weakening ISWAP’s cohesion and sustainment capabilities.

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