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Funmi Ogundare
In an effort aimed at tackling Nigeria’s entrenched obsession with paper qualifications and the credibility of public examinations, the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN) will on November 27, convene its 2025 annual summit themed, ‘Nigeria’s Obsession with Paper Qualification and Integrity of Public Examinations: Is TVET the Way Forward?’
Now in its sixth edition, the summit, which will hold at the Julius Berger Auditorium, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, is expected to bring together leading voices in education policy, manufacturing and the technical sector to chart a pathway towards a skills-driven education system.
EWAN, in a statement, explained that the meeting aims to interrogate the country’s fixation on certificates and examine the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in addressing unemployment and the widening skills gap.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, will deliver the keynote address, where he is expected to outline the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen TVET and address lingering challenges undermining the conduct and integrity of public examinations.
A panel of heads of examination bodies, including the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede; Head of WAEC National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut; and Registrar/Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, will assess the minister’s presentation.
Other speakers include the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje; Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Ms. Morounke Azeez; and representatives of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
They will share perspectives on how TVET can help close the country’s skills gap and tackle unemployment.
UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, will host the event.
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, will also serve as the chief host, while former LASTVEB Executive Secretary and Chairman of the Yoruba Tennis Club, Chief Olawumi Gasper, is expected to chair the summit.
The summit will feature two panel sessions and the presentation of awards to distinguished contributors to the advancement of public education.
Emeritus Professor of History of Education and former Nigeria Representative to UNESCO, Michael Omolewa, will receive the Icon of Education Award.
Philanthropist and Chairman of the Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF), Sir Kesington Adebutu, will be honoured for decades of investment in educational development, while the Nigerian Breweries, Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, sponsors of the Maltina Teacher of the Year Award, and the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, Prof. Ademola Tayo, will also be recognised for their support to teachers, schools and EWAN’s work over the past decade.
The Chairperson of the Planning Committee, Mrs. Iyabo Lawal, noted that the meeting comes at a time when unemployment figures remain high and concerns over the relevance of graduates’ skills persist.
She stated that the association remains committed to bridging the gap between policymakers and the public.
“EWAN is not merely reporting developments but contributing to efforts to reposition the education sector,” she said, warning that the conduct of public examinations in 2025 revealed worrying trends that demand urgent intervention.
“Rising cases of examination malpractice are linked to the country’s emphasis on paper qualifications, pushing many to obtain certificates at all costs, with or without the requisite knowledge,” she said. “These are the issues we hope to interrogate with critical stakeholders at the summit.”
