The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, has challenged the Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, to consolidate its academic gains, deepen research and innovation, and strengthen its contribution to the socio-economic development of the state.

Nwagor spoke on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during an official visit to the university, where he met with the Vice-Chancellor, Principal Officers, Provosts of Colleges, Heads of Campuses, Deans of Faculties and Directors at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room in the Dr Nyesom Ezenwo Wike Senate Building.

The commissioner said the state government remained committed to education as a key driver of human capital development, economic transformation and sustainable development, stressing that government’s investments in infrastructure, staff development and digital learning must be matched by sound institutional systems and measurable results.

He urged the university to pay greater attention to accreditation performance, research output, internally generated revenue, student outcomes and graduate employability, describing the indicators as critical to sustaining institutional growth and competitiveness.

Nwagor also called on RSU to accelerate its digital transformation, establish research and innovation hubs capable of addressing real-world challenges, maintain its infrastructure and seek sustainable funding through grants, endowments, alumni contributions and strategic partnerships with industry.

According to him, government and the university have complementary responsibilities, with government expected to meet its statutory obligations while the institution improves internal efficiency and explores legitimate opportunities for external partnerships.

He expressed confidence that RSU could become a globally recognised African university if it sustained its commitment to excellence, innovation, accountability and measurable impact.

The commissioner was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Mina Tele-Ikuru, and some directors.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, commended the Rivers State Government for its continued support and interventions in the university.

He specifically acknowledged last year’s budgetary intervention for accreditation, funding approved for the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Film Festival scheduled for November 2026, and the implementation of the new minimum wage for university staff.

Zeb-Obipi said the interventions had helped the institution sustain academic standards and improve staff welfare, but appealed for additional government support to address critical challenges confronting the university.

He identified shortages of teaching and non-teaching staff as a major concern, particularly ahead of forthcoming accreditation exercises, while also drawing attention to deficiencies in classrooms, libraries, equipment and office accommodation.

The Vice-Chancellor further raised concern over the acute shortage of accommodation for staff and students, urging government to intervene in the interest of their welfare, security and academic performance.

He appealed for approval to recruit additional personnel, retain retired academics on contract and engage sabbatical and adjunct lecturers to strengthen the university’s human-resource capacity.

Zeb-Obipi also sought financial assistance for the National Universities Commission (NUC) and professional accreditation exercises scheduled for October, stressing that successful accreditation was essential to the university’s continued academic development and competitiveness nationally and internationally.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Governing Council and Management to working with the state government to strengthen RSU and position it as a leading centre of knowledge, research and innovation.

The Vice-Chancellor congratulated Nwagor on his appointment as Commissioner for Education and expressed optimism that his background as a professional teacher would translate into positive reforms in the state’s education sector.

The Federal Government has announced that only textbooks approved under a new National Textbook Ranking System (NTRS) will be permitted for use in public primary, junior and senior secondary schools nationwide from the 2026/2027 academic session.

Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the policy, which takes effect in September 2026, is aimed at improving learning outcomes by ensuring that only high-quality, curriculum-compliant instructional materials are deployed in classrooms across the country.

The reform, approved by the Federal Government, introduces what the minister described as a transparent, merit-based national framework for evaluating, ranking and approving textbooks, replacing the existing system in which licensing by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) was sufficient for classroom use.

A statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, and posted on its verified X handle, quoted Alausa as saying that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and seeks to eliminate substandard textbooks while restoring confidence in Nigeria’s education system.

Under the new regime, only textbooks that have obtained NERDC licensing will proceed to a second stage of national assessment and ranking. To qualify for approval, each title must score at least 70 per cent and satisfy prescribed academic, pedagogical, technical and quality assurance standards.

The minister disclosed that a National Textbook Ranking and Selection Committee, comprising representatives of key education agencies and subject experts, has been constituted to undertake the evaluation process in collaboration with NERDC before recommendations are forwarded for ministerial approval.

According to him, only the highest-ranked textbooks will be approved for use, with each subject limited to between six and 10 titles, depending on curriculum requirements.

Alausa also announced a reduction in the cost of textbook assessment and ranking to ease the burden on publishers and authors. Assessment fees have been cut from ₦2,000 to ₦1,500 per page, while ranking fees have been reduced from ₦1 million to ₦750,000 per title. Publishers who had earlier paid the old rates will receive refunds of the excess payments.

He said approved textbooks would remain valid for a minimum of three years to provide stability and consistency in curriculum implementation.

The minister warned that from September 2026, schools must use only textbooks approved under the National Textbook Ranking System, stressing that the use of unapproved materials would attract sanctions, including the blacklisting of erring authors, publishers and schools.

He added that the implementation of the policy would be monitored by NERDC and other relevant regulatory agencies.

The Federal Government maintained that the initiative would guarantee Nigerian learners access to quality instructional materials, strengthen curriculum delivery and improve educational standards across the country’s public school system.

Geoffrey Hinton, the Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist widely regarded as the “godfather of artificial intelligence,” has warned that increasingly sophisticated AI systems could soon outpace humanity’s ability to control them, raising the prospect of more rogue behaviour and damaging cyberattacks.

Speaking at the Ai4 conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Hinton said recent incidents in which advanced AI agents reportedly breached their testing environments underscore the growing risks posed by rapidly evolving artificial intelligence.
“What’s happening is these things are getting smarter,” Hinton said during a press briefing. “As they get smarter, we’re going to see more complex intentions and a greater ability to escape control.”

The former Google executive cautioned that relying on human intelligence alone would no longer be sufficient to contain future generations of AI.

“I don’t believe we’re going to be able to keep control of them simply by outthinking them so they can’t escape,” he said.

His remarks followed disclosures by leading AI developers, including OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta, that some of their most advanced AI models demonstrated unexpected behaviour by breaching controlled testing environments or attempting to access external systems.
Hinton described the developments as “somewhat scary,” warning that they could herald a new era of AI-powered cybercrime.

“I anticipate there will be lots of nasty cyberattacks,” he said during a panel discussion, while noting that the future remains uncertain. “The attacker only needs to be successful once, whereas the defender has to be successful every time.”

Adding to those concerns, Britain’s AI Security Institute recently reported that Anthropic’s most advanced AI model, without explicit prompting, used fabricated identities to deceive individuals and attempted to plant malicious code during testing.

Hinton, who has repeatedly cautioned about the existential risks posed by artificial intelligence, reiterated that there remains a significant possibility that the technology could eventually become a threat to humanity if left unchecked.
However, not all experts shared his outlook.

Speaking on the same panel, Fei-Fei Li, the renowned computer scientist often described as the “godmother of AI” and co-founder of World Labs, argued that neither alarmism nor blind optimism would help society navigate the technology’s future.

“Every tool is a double-edged sword,” Li said. “AI is a powerful technology and, if not developed and deployed responsibly, it can cause harm to our work and our lives.”

Hinton defended his repeated public warnings, arguing that society must confront the risks before they become unmanageable.

“There is a lot to be worried about, and unless we worry about it now, there could be serious problems,” he said, adding that companies investing heavily in AI have commercial incentives to downplay concerns over rogue systems and large-scale job losses.
Despite his concerns, Hinton acknowledged that predicting the trajectory of artificial intelligence remains highly uncertain.

“Nobody really knows what AI will be like in 10 years’ time,” he said. “A decade ago, very few people imagined we’d have chatbots capable of answering almost any question — while occasionally making things up.”

Also speaking at the conference, Ben Goertzel, founder and Chief Executive Officer of SingularityNET and a pioneer of the concept of artificial general intelligence, argued that recent incidents highlight the urgent need to embed ethical values into advanced AI systems.

According to Goertzel, current AI models are not inherently malicious but are fundamentally amoral, pursuing assigned objectives without understanding the ethical implications of their actions.

Hinton maintained that the long-term solution lies in designing AI systems that genuinely prioritise human welfare.

“We have to figure out how to make them benevolent and ensure they care about us more than they care about themselves,” he said. “We may still be able to achieve that because, for now, we remain in control.”

With reports from CNN

The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a suspected kidnapping syndicate operating in parts of the state, arresting five suspects during a coordinated operation in Oyigbo Local Government Area.
The command said the suspects were apprehended by operatives attached to the Oyigbo Divisional Police Station following intelligence-led operations aimed at curbing violent crimes across the state.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Police Public Relations Officer, Blessing Agabe, said the arrests were made in compliance with the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, to sustain aggressive operations against criminal elements.

The suspects were identified as Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.

According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects confessed to their involvement in kidnapping activities and admitted participating in several abductions in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities within the state.

“The Rivers State Police Command has recorded another significant operational success with the arrest of five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate during a coordinated operation in Oyigbo Local Government Area,” the statement said.

The command added that efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest other members of the criminal network still at large.

Commending the operatives for the breakthrough, Commissioner of Police Adepoju attributed the success to the operational directives and intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State.

The police commissioner warned that there would be no hiding place for kidnappers and other criminal elements, stressing that the command would continue to pursue and bring offenders to justice.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant and support security agencies with credible and timely information that would aid crime prevention and the arrest of criminals, assuring the public of the command’s resolve to safeguard lives and property across the state.

The member representing Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr Alex Egbona, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of veteran journalist and publisher of The Pillar Today, Mr Anietie Ben Akpan, describing his passing as a devastating loss to the media profession, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Cross River State and the Association of Niger Delta Online Publishers (ANDOP).

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Egbona said he found it difficult to accept the news of Akpan’s death, noting that the journalism profession still needed his wealth of experience and commitment.

The lawmaker recalled his longstanding relationship with the late journalist, dating back to his days as a correspondent of The Guardian newspaper in Calabar, where he distinguished himself through professionalism and dedication to the craft.

Egbona disclosed that only a few weeks ago he was informed about Akpan’s deteriorating health and the urgent need for financial assistance to enable him undergo critical medical procedures.

According to him, he responded immediately by providing support and also contacted the deceased’s representative in the National Assembly in a bid to mobilise further assistance.

“I did not only assist, I was in a hurry to send the financial assistance. I also reached out to his representative in the National Assembly, who is a close friend. I wanted Anietie to live and continue doing his good works for humanity,” he said.

The federal lawmaker said he was, however, left heartbroken by the news of Akpan’s death.

“Two days ago, I got the shocking news that he had passed on. At first, I did not believe it was true. That news made me really sad. He was a good journalist and had paid his dues. This is a huge loss to the NUJ family and to the Association of Niger Delta Online Publishers, which he belonged to,” Egbona stated.

He extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, praying for divine strength and comfort as they come to terms with the painful loss.

“My heart is with his family. I pray that they find comfort in God’s arms and receive the grace to bear this painful loss. I also want them to know that they will not walk alone during this difficult time,” he added.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, revealing that 1,200,514 candidates obtained the minimum requirement of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, for admission into tertiary institutions.

The figure represents 61.54 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination and reflects a marginal decline of 1.42 percentage points compared to the 2025 performance.

Announcing the results in Lagos on Wednesday, the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, disclosed that 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination conducted across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea.

According to him, 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, irrespective of whether they passed English Language and Mathematics.

Of the candidates who met the benchmark of five credits, including English and Mathematics, 558,883 (28.65 per cent) were male, while 641,631 (32.89 per cent) were female. Overall, 953,459 males and 997,267 females sat the examination.

Dangut said 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent of those who sat the examination, have had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 116,031 candidates (5.95 per cent) are still being processed.

He also disclosed that 1,213 candidates with special needs registered for the examination, including 137 visually impaired candidates, 491 with hearing impairment, 55 who were spastic or mentally challenged, and 41 physically challenged candidates.

On examination malpractice, the WAEC boss said the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent, had been withheld over alleged involvement in examination malpractice. He noted that the figure represents an improvement over the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025.

Dangut attributed persistent malpractice to the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls despite existing restrictions, as well as organised cheating in some schools. He added that supervisors and invigilators found to have aided malpractice had been apprehended and would be sanctioned through the respective State Ministries of Education.

Highlighting improvements introduced by the Council, Dangut said the 2026 examination marked the second edition of the Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates. He listed innovations such as the Digital Examiner Marking System (DEMS), the serialisation of question papers to curb malpractice, and a new online portal that enables candidates to generate electronic PINs for result checking.

The examination was conducted between April 24 and June 19, 2026, with 102,708 examiners engaged across 88 marking centres nationwide.

He, however, warned that results of candidates sponsored by state governments indebted to WAEC would remain withheld until the outstanding financial obligations are settled.

Candidates can access their results within 12 hours through the WAEC result-checking portal, while certificates will be available for collection within 90 days.

President Bola Tinubu has approved a new salary structure for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, granting pay increases ranging from 30 to 80 per cent in a move aimed at strengthening troop welfare and boosting morale in the fight against insecurity.

The salary review, which takes effect from September 1, 2026, will benefit about 250,000 military personnel across the Army, Navy and Air Force, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Under the new structure, officers above the rank of Colonel, including Brigadier-Generals, Major-Generals, Lieutenant-Generals and Generals, will receive a 30 per cent salary increase. Officers from the rank of Colonel down to Warrant Officer are to enjoy a 50 per cent increase, while personnel from Private to Staff Sergeant will receive the highest adjustment of 80 per cent.

The salary review will increase the Armed Forces’ annual wage bill from N660 billion to N924 billion.

The Presidency said the decision reflects Tinubu’s recognition of the sacrifices made by military personnel in confronting terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security challenges across the country.

“The men and women who help to keep us safe in our homes must be supported and appreciated in the course of their duties to our nation,” the President said.

Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of military personnel, stressing that efforts would also continue to modernise the Armed Forces through the provision of advanced weapons systems, equipment and technology needed to enhance operational effectiveness.

“Our administration believes that no nation can achieve greatness without security. We therefore remain resolute in mobilising all military and law enforcement assets to eliminate security threats and protect the lives and property of all Nigerians,” he said.

The President urged members of the Armed Forces to regard the salary increase as a demonstration of the nation’s appreciation for their service and dedication.

“I urge our servicemen to take our gesture as a sign of our deep appreciation of the services they render to our fatherland. Together we shall prevail over the enemies intent on destroying the fabric of our nation,” he added.

The salary adjustment is one of the administration’s latest measures aimed at enhancing the welfare of security personnel amid sustained military operations against criminal and insurgent groups across the country.