”The 2015 Policy Meeting which usually comes up with the cut-off point has been fixed for 14th July, 2015. ”This meeting defines the criteria for the year’s admissions into higher institutions,’’ it said. The statement said that the cut-off points are arrived at after extensive deliberations with vice-chancellors of universities, provosts of colleges of education, rectors of polytechnics, monotechnics as well as innovative enterprise institutions and other stakeholders.

In order to address the challenges being faced caring for the older people in the society, the Federal Government yesterday launched a Benchmark Statement and Minimum Academic Standards for the studies of older persons, Applied Gerontology in Nigeria Universities.

A member of the Committee of Experts of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Danlami Basharu, has blamed the declining rate of educating children with disabilities on ignorant parents who see these children as burdens that need to be hidden. Speaking to Vanguard at the recently held International Conference on Disabilities, Basharu, who is the Director, Anglo Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind, said with the availability of inclusive schools, there are better opportunities of educating children with disabilities so as to give them better chances of survival and independence.

We offer no simple solution to the complex problem of unsafe schools which is rooted in ideological, policy and other contextual factors. The obnoxious and warped ideologies of jihadist groups which abhor schooling, especially of girls and women cannot be demolished by a few trite statements of condemnation. The pervasive use of the Internet has opened a new vista of cyber-bullying by school mates which has led to the death of many youngsters. We can however suggest minimum standards for safe schools to which we implore all African governments and others outside the region, as well as proprietors of schools, to uphold.

The car industry uses materials such as iron, aluminium, copper, steel, plastic steel, glass, rubber, petroleum products etc., to build cars. Most of the weight of vehicles comes from steel. According to a report in Financial Week, ‘in 2007, the average car contained about 1,090kg of steel, and the average pickup truck or SUV used nearly 1,360kg of steel. Most cars now weigh around 1,360kg, and most SUVs weigh around 1,810kg. Apart from the cost, weight of vehicles and the problems associated with it, the fact is that Nigeria is still struggling with its steel manufacturing plant and is not yet producing iron and aluminium in large quantities, hence, the need for viable alternatives.