The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has called on the FCT College of Education (COE), Zuba, to adopt a curriculum that balances global compliance with local relevance. The Minister made this appeal during the combined 3rd Convocation Ceremony of the College, where 6,068 students graduated.

Her Special Adviser on Media, Austine Elemue, in a statement quoted her to have emphasized the importance of aligning the curriculum with the demands of a changing world to produce globally competitive graduates who are equipped to address local challenges.
She charged the graduates to apply their knowledge and skills towards national development.

Acknowledging the infrastructural challenges in the education sector, the Minister noted that the FCT Administration has invested over ₦13 billion in school renovations and remains committed to upgrading critical infrastructure. She assured that the Administration would continue to support initiatives aimed at excellence and sustainable growth in education.

“The College must lead in research and community service while embracing ICT-based teaching technologies to remain impactful and relevant in modern education,” she stated.
Mahmoud called on the College to continue to adjust to the everchanging demands of modern day world by repositioning itself through training and retraining of staff, especially in the area of the use of ICT based technologies in teaching, so as to encourage impactful education that would bring about sustainable development.

She said, “this College should be the vanguard of research and community service in line with their tripartite mandate.

“Our College, as citadel of learning, should take the lead in championing demand-driven research that would serve the society in making human lives better and enriched”.

The minister commended the College for the industrial peace between the staff and student unions, while hoping that it will continue so as to ensure that the territory has a stable higher education sector that positively contributes to national and global competiveness.

Mahmoud assured that the current FCT Administration would give maximum support, within the available resources, to every planned and sincere effort that is geared towards excellence.
The Provost of the College, Dr. Sule Mundi, highlighted the achievements of the graduates, which included 4,625 from the NCE regular program and 1,443 from the part-time program. He appealed for increased funding to enable the College to introduce technical programs like automobile technology and electrical engineering to meet market demands and enhance self-reliance among graduates.
Mundi, therefore, appealed to the Administration for adequate funding to enable the College expands its programmes by introducing the technical component such as automobile technology, building, electrical and electronics.

He stressed that the importance of such courses cannot be over emphasised, especially as such categories of teachers are looking at the basic and post basic level in addition to the fact that they provided a platform for self-reliance.

He, however, thanked the FCT Minister for his timely intervention on issues that border on the continued growth and development of the College.

While welcoming guests to the occasion, the FCT Education Mandate Secretary, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, noted that the convocation ceremony was a fulfilment of FCT Administrator’s determination to place the College on a high platform in the comity of colleges of education globally.
The ceremony featured fellowship awards and certificates of excellence for top-performing students.

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately intervene and stop the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from demolishing the homes of economically vulnerable residents in Abuja.

In a statement from Abuja, Frank accused Wike of using demolitions as a ploy for land grabbing, alleging that Wike allocates revoked plots to his associates and personally benefits from this practice.
Frank expressed concern that the minister’s actions damage the reputation of Tinubu’s administration, branding Wike’s demolitions as “ill-timed” and self-serving.
Frank further alleged that Wike has taken more aggressive action than any past FCT minister, reportedly revoking land to distribute it to close allies and influential figures.
He claimed Wike advised affected residents to pursue legal action, while allegedly having influence over the judiciary.
Additionally, Frank asserted that Wike is using land sales to fund political conflicts outside the FCT, including with Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Frank warned Tinubu that failure to address Wike’s actions could damage the administration’s credibility and urged the President to act decisively by relieving Wike of his role.
He noted that Wike’s methods, similar to those used in Rivers State, are unwelcome in the FCT and called for swift action to prevent further harm to the government’s image and FCT residents.

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has described the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a cornerstone of national integration and development since its inception in 1973.

Mahmoud spoke during the NYSC pre-mobilization workshop held in the nation’s capital, Abuja, stressing that the programme was designed to foster unity among young Nigerians.

Special Advisa on Media the Minister, Austine Elemue in a statement on Tuesday quoted the minister, who was the Chief Host of the event to have noted that the theme of the workshop, “Strengthening the NYSC mobilization process for effective service delivery” resonates deeply with the aspirations of the national vision.

Mahmoud charged stakeholders to play critical role in shaping the experiences of young Nigerian graduates, ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and mindset to contribute positively to the society.
“We are in a dynamic world where the needs of our communities are evolving rapidly.

“Therefore, our prospective corps members must be prepared to meet these challenges with creativity, resilience, and spirit of innovation.

“This workshop is an opportunity to share best practices, explore new ideas, and collaborate on strategies that will enhance the effectiveness of the NYSC programme”.

The minister used the occasion to commend the leadership of the NYSC for their unwavering commitment to improving the quality of service rendered by corps members.

“Your dedication to training and preparing our youth for the responsibilities they will undertake is commendable. By investing in their development, we are investing in the future of Nigeria,” she stressed.

While welcoming participants to the occasion, the NYSC Director General, Brig Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, noted that over the years, the NYSC programme has been the vanguard of nation building, fostering unity among the different nationalities as well as playing critical role in national development.

According to him, “the imprints of the scheme is all over the landscape of our nation from the mega cities to the very rural communities of Nigeria.”

Ahmed emphasised that the mobilization process is a very critical component of the service year that deserved all seriousness, adding that the place of effective service delivery in a successful mobilization process cannot be overemphasized.

The Director General, pledged that the management remains committed in ensuring that the right things are done at all times from the beginning to the end of the mobilization process 

.