The Ekiti State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the quality of teaching and learning as public and private schools across the state prepare to resume for the first term of the 2026/2027 academic session.

Schools in the state are expected to reopen on Monday, September 14, 2026, with the government urging education stakeholders to ensure a smooth commencement of academic activities and strict adherence to the approved school calendar.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Olabimpe Aderiye, gave the assurance in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, saying the state government would continue to implement policies and programmes aimed at strengthening the education sector.

According to her, the first term of the 2026/2027 academic session will run for 13 weeks, beginning on Monday, September 14, and ending on Friday, December 11, 2026.

Aderiye urged school administrators, teachers, parents and guardians to take note of the academic calendar and ensure full compliance to prevent disruptions to teaching and learning.

She said academic activities would commence immediately upon resumption to protect the integrity of the approved calendar.

“Academic activities will commence immediately to safeguard the integrity of the academic calendar. The state government is committed to quality service delivery in the education sector,” the commissioner said.

She added that the government would continue to support initiatives aimed at improving students’ academic performance in both local and national examinations.

Aderiye said the administration remained focused on creating an environment that would support effective teaching and learning while encouraging stakeholders in the sector to play their respective roles in achieving better educational outcomes.

The commissioner also called on parents and guardians to adequately prepare their children and wards for the new academic session, stressing the importance of punctuality and readiness for school activities from the first day of resumption.

She encouraged all stakeholders to work together with the government to ensure that students receive the necessary support to excel throughout the academic year.

The announcement comes as schools across Ekiti State make preparations for the commencement of the new session, with attention expected to focus on effective classroom teaching, students’ academic performance and compliance with the state’s education policies.

The state government said its continued interventions in the education sector were part of efforts to enhance learning outcomes and ensure that students are better prepared for examinations and future educational opportunities.

With schools scheduled to resume on September 14, parents, teachers and school administrators are expected to make the necessary arrangements ahead of the new term.

Members of the University of Benin chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have resolved to continue their indefinite strike over what they described as the incomplete payment of their August 2026 salaries.

The decision was reached on Friday during an ASUU congress held after the university management failed to provide the union with details of the amount already paid, the outstanding balance and when the remaining salaries would be settled.

The lecturers had commenced the strike on Wednesday following allegations that they received only half of their August salaries.

The congress resolution was contained in a communique signed by the branch Chairman and Secretary, Enaruna Edosa and Lucky Aimiyekagbon, respectively.

According to the communique, the branch chairman briefed members on the latest development concerning the alleged underpayment, noting that the university administration had made a part payment.

However, the union said it was unable to establish the exact amount paid or outstanding because the requested details were not provided by the university’s Bursar.

The communique stated that the chairman informed the congress that he had requested the information but had yet to receive the necessary details from the university administration.

After deliberations, the congress resolved that the withdrawal of services would continue until all outstanding salaries were fully paid.

“Consequent upon the fact that salaries up to August 2026 have not been fully paid, and information on the specific details as regards what was paid, what was outstanding, and when it would be paid were not readily available, there was no need in the first instance to have called Congress for a meeting.

“As a result, the withdrawal of service continues until the outstanding salaries are fully paid,” the union said.

The motion for adjournment was moved by Comrade Praise Adeosun and seconded by Comrade J. Otakefe.

The development means academic activities at the University of Benin may remain disrupted as the lecturers maintain their position pending the full resolution of the salary issue.

UNIBEN Management Denies Half-Salary Payment

However, the university management has rejected the allegation that academic staff were paid half salaries for August 2026.

The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehannire, described the claim as untrue in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Ehannire said the Federal Government had paid the salaries of all categories of staff at the university up to August 2026.

“It is not true that academic staff of the institution were paid half salary in August, 2026,” the management stated, adding that salaries for all categories of staff had been paid up to the month under review.

The conflicting positions between the university management and the lecturers have left the salary dispute unresolved, with ASUU insisting that its members’ outstanding payments must be fully settled before they return to work.

The Federal Government has clarified that King’s College, Lagos, has neither been sold nor privatised, stressing that the 117-year-old institution remains publicly owned.

The clarification followed concerns surrounding the ownership and management of the prestigious secondary school after the Federal Government entered into a Public-Private Partnership concession arrangement involving the King’s College Old Boys’ Association.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, explained that the concession does not amount to a transfer of ownership of the institution.

Alausa made the clarification in a statement issued on Friday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.

According to the minister, the legal title to King’s College remains vested in the Federal Government, while the PPP arrangement is intended to support the development and management of the institution.

He stressed that the concession should not be interpreted as privatisation or outright sale of the school.

The development comes amid public interest in the future of King’s College, one of Nigeria’s oldest and most prominent secondary schools, established in 1909.

The Federal Government’s clarification is expected to address concerns among students, parents, alumni and other stakeholders who had raised questions about the implications of the concession agreement for the institution’s ownership and continued public status.

The ministry maintained that the government remains committed to preserving the institution’s status while exploring partnerships that could improve its infrastructure, facilities and overall educational standards.

The King’s College Old Boys’ Association, through the PPP arrangement, is expected to play a role in supporting the institution’s development without acquiring the government’s legal ownership of the school.

The Federal Government therefore urged stakeholders to distinguish between a concession for improved management and development and the outright sale or privatisation of a public institution.