- The minister of education, Adamu Adamu, expresses concerns about the low number of candidates seeking admission into 104 government colleges across the country
- He says a directive has been given to leave the portal for registration for the 2018 National Common Entrance Examination open until April 13
- Adamu states that Taraba, Kebbi and Zamfara states have the lowest number of candidates who registered for the entrance examination
The minister of education, Adamu Adamu, has disclosed that only 28 candidates from Zamfara state registered for the 2018 National Common Entrance Examination.
Adamu made the disclosure on Wednesday, April 4, when expressing concerns by the federal government about the low number of candidates seeking admission into its 104 colleges across the country, who registered for the 2018 National Common Entrance Examination, The Punch reports.
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The minister, in a statement released in Abuja by the spokesperson of the ministry of education, Priscillia Ihuoma, appealed with state governments, heads of schools and interest groups to persuade school-age children in the areas with low registration to register for the examination.
Adamu stated that a directive had been given to leave the portal open for registration until April 13, 2018.
Citing a report of a stakeholders’ meeting held recently, the minister listed Taraba, Kebbi and Zamfara states as having the lowest number of candidates who registered for the entrance examination. He said while Taraba had 95 candidates, Kebbi had 50.
“Ahead of the 2018 National Common Entrance Examination for admission of candidates into the 104 Federal Government colleges on Saturday, April 14, the minister has expressed worry over low registration for the examination so far," the minister said.
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“According to him, the report of a meeting of major stakeholders in the education sector said candidates registered in 2018 stood at 71,294 as against 80,421 that wrote the examination in 2017.
“The report further shows three states with the highest number of pupils registered so far are: Lagos with 24,465 candidates, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with 7,699 and Rivers State with 4,810 candidates respectively. On the other hand, three states with extreme low registration are: Zamfara with only 28 candidates, Kebbi, 50 and Taraba, 95 candidates respectively.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Kaduna state chapter, at the Wednesday, February 21, plenary session of the Nigerian Senate raised a petition against the state government over their unpaid salary arrears.
The petition was raised by Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central senatorial district.
The Kaduna state government under the administration of Nasir El-Rufai has been in a battle with the state NUT for a while.
Trouble started between the governor and the state teachers when the governor announced the termination of the appointments of 22,000 teachers who failed a competency test.
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Source: Naija.ng