By: Fabian Apechihin

The Federal Government has begun shortlisting candidates for more than 2,000 civil service positions across ministries, departments, and agencies, following its January 2025 nationwide recruitment call.

The exercise, which covers key roles such as Administrative Officer, Programme Analyst, Education Officer, Dentist, Psychologist, Biomedical Engineer, and Foreign Affairs Officer, drew thousands of applicants. Heavy traffic on the application portal earlier in the year forced the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) to extend the submission deadline from March 10 to March 17.

FCSC Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Taiwo Hassan, confirmed that the process is progressing as plan

Hassan noted that only applicants who met all requirements and submitted complete applications have advanced to the CBT stage, stressing that the process is strictly merit-based.

One major change is that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will not serve as a test centre. Shortlisted candidates must instead choose from designated states listed on the portal.

While the number of shortlisted candidates has not been disclosed, earlier announcements put the total vacancies at 2,130. Some applicants have also been asked to log into their profiles and complete a confirmation form within 72 hours as part of verification and documentation.

The FCSC urged all applicants to regularly check their emails and follow instructions carefully to avoid missing out. The recruitment drive is part of the government’s push to bolster the civil service with qualified professionals in critical sectors.

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By: Fabian Apechihin

The United States has issued a strong condemnation of recent massacres targeting Christians in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa, describing the violence as “horrific” and pledging coordinated action with international partners.

The statement follows a series of deadly incidents, including the slaughter of 27 Christians in Bindi Ta-hoss, Nigeria, by suspected Islamist Fulani militants. Witnesses said many victims—women and children among them—were burned alive while sheltering in a church.

“I lost my wife and second daughter in the attack,” survivor Solomon Sunday told reporters. “They were burned alive.”

Just days earlier, on July 27, 49 Christians were hacked to death with machetes during prayers in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Authorities blamed the ISIS-linked Allied Democratic Forces. Across the region, groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa are accused of killing, displacing, and seizing land from Christian communities.

“The Trump administration condemns in the strongest terms this horrific violence against Christians,” the White House said, stressing that defending religious freedom is both a moral obligation and a U.S. foreign policy priority.

Human rights organisations have labelled the attacks a campaign of “ethno-religious cleansing.” John Eibner, president of Christian Solidarity International, noted that over 165 Christians have been killed in Nigeria’s Plateau State alone in the past four months. “People are being killed like chickens, and nothing is being done,” added local youth leader D’Young Mangut.

According to Open Doors, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined. Over the past decade, jihadist violence in sub-Saharan Africa has claimed about 150,000 lives and displaced more than 16 million Christians. In Plateau State, more than 64 communities have reportedly been seized by armed Fulani militants.

Religious leaders warn the violence is systematic. Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who lost 20 parishioners in a recent attack, accused militants of seeking to transform parts of Nigeria into an Islamic State. Families of victims say they are “tired of condolences” and demand tangible protection.

Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, called for urgent global attention: “For too long, nobody has been talking about the horrific wholesale slaughter of Christians. The Western world needs to wake up and be outraged.”

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, has commended the KU8+ Consortium for pioneering an initiative worthy of emulation by other universities in Nigeria.

Delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 3rd KU8+ Consortium International Conference at Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Ribadu noted that as Nigerian universities are facing growing challenges, such as limited financing and rapid technological changes, institutions need to rethink and expand their core values to meet current realities and societal expectations.

The NUC Executive Secretary, who was represented by former acting Vice-Chancellor of the University to Ibadan, Professor Adebola Babatunde Ekanola, commended the KU8+ for fostering local partnerships through resource pooling and shared expertise, stressing that such collaborations could produce graduates capable of transforming the nation’s economic landscape.

The NUC, he said, looked forward to learning from the outcomes of the consortium’s partnerships.

In her goodwill message, the Kwara State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening tertiary institutions through strategic investments and policy reform.

“The KU8+ Consortium is proof that collaboration breeds excellence. Kwara State Government, under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, continues to invest in education in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, she said.

The Chairman of the occasion and Pro-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali, OON, described the consortium’s emergence as proof of Kwara State’s growing role as a hub for human capital development.

In his opening address, the Chief Host and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole, SAN, emphasised that no university can thrive in isolation.

He added that national development depends on constructive collaboration in teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement, which he said is one of the motivating factors for the KU8+ Consortium.

The host of the 3rd KU8+ International Conference and Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Alade Jimoh, emphasised that innovation and sustainability remain central to the KU8+ Consortium’s mission, stressing that the conference theme aligns with KU8+’s vision to collaborate, innovate, and develop society.

The conference, which had the theme “Innovation and Sustainability of Higher Education in a Changing World,” had lead papers presented by Professor Olutayo C. Adesina, a Professor of History at the University of Ibadan, who is also a British Academy Global Professor of History at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and Professor Chinedum Peace Babalola, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Chrisland University, Abeokuta.

Professor Adesina’s paper titled “Mainstreaming the ‘Think and Do’ Initiative into Nigeria’s Higher Education in the 21st Century: Creating Structural Opportunities and Adding Value” challenged the KU8+ Consortium to focus more on being relevant on the local level before aspiring to regional level.

Professor Chinedum Peace Babalola, on her part, emphasised the importance of higher education institutions focusing on producing graduates with the abilities to solve societal challenges.

End