Education
Federal Gov’t ‘Suspends’ FUOYE VC Over Alleged Sexual Harassment
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) in Ekiti State, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by a senior female university official, Engr. Folasade Adebayo.
The suspension, which takes effect immediately, followed the intervention of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who reportedly expressed strong dissatisfaction with the initial recommendation of the university’s Governing Council Committee exonerating Prof. Fasina.
According to Sahara Reporters, sources disclosed that the committee had advised that Engr. Adebayo apologise to the Vice-Chancellor, allegedly ignoring her claims of sexual misconduct.
“The minister was very angry with the decision of the council,” a source familiar with the matter said. “He was unhappy that the council tried to sweep the sexual harassment complaint under the carpet and rather told the complainant to apologise. He called the Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), to register his displeasure.”
Prompted by the minister’s concern, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba convened an emergency virtual meeting of the university’s Governing Council at 2:00 PM on Monday, April 14. During the meeting, the Council resolved to remove Prof. Fasina from office, albeit under the guise of accumulated leave rather than outright suspension.
According to sources, Prof. Fasina pleaded with the Council to allow him to proceed on his accrued annual and research leave instead of facing direct suspension.
“You know, as a Vice-Chancellor, if you wish to end your tenure early, especially within six months to the end of your term, you are permitted to proceed on your accumulated leave,” the source explained. “Although Fasina’s tenure is due to end in August, the Council has now asked him to proceed on that leave effective immediately.”
Confirming the development, the university’s Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mufutau A. Ibrahim, issued a press statement on Monday stating, “The Governing Council of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) at its 7th Emergency Meeting held online on Monday, 14th April, 2025, considered the request of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, to proceed on his accumulated Annual and Research Leave and approved six (6) months, being 126 working days out of his total entitlements of 228 days with effect from today, Monday, 14th April, 2025.”
In the interim, the Council has appointed Professor Samuel Olubunmi Shittu, a Professor of Soil Science and the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university for the next six months.
“In addition, the Governing Council appointed Prof. Olubunmi S. Shittu, the incumbent Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, who is also the most senior of the three (3) Deputy Vice-Chancellors, as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University for a period of six (6) months with effect from today, Monday, 14th April, 2025,” the statement read.
-Leadership
Education
NFVCB Boss Urges Stronger Distribution Channels As Coal City Film Festival 2026 Opens In Enugu
The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr Shaibu Husseini, has called for stronger distribution frameworks within Nigeria’s film industry to ensure that locally produced content achieves global visibility.
Dr Husseini made this call while delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2026 edition of the Coal City Film Festival, held in Enugu.
Welcoming participants to the festival, Dr Husseini expressed his personal delight at hosting the event in Enugu, his birth state, noting the city’s rich cultural heritage and longstanding contributions to Nigeria’s creative landscape.
He commended the festival organisers, particularly the Festival Director, Uche Agbo, for their resilience and commitment in sustaining the initiative.
According to him, the Coal City Film Festival has grown into a significant cultural platform and a must-attend cinematic event in South East Nigeria.
Speaking on the festival’s theme, “Local Stories, Global Screens,” Dr Husseini emphasised the importance of authenticity in storytelling. He noted that films rooted in local realities, languages, and cultural truths often resonate more strongly with global audiences.
He cited notable Nigerian productions such as “King of Boys” by Kemi Adetiba, “The Wedding Party” by Mo Abudu, “Anikulapo” by Kunle Afolayan, “Black Book” by Editi Effiong, and “Lionheart” by Genevieve Nnaji as examples of culturally grounded stories that have gained international recognition on platforms such as Netflix and at global film festivals.
While acknowledging the growth in film production across Nigeria, the NFVCB boss identified distribution as a major bottleneck in the industry. He observed that many high-quality films struggle to reach audiences both locally and internationally due to limited distribution channels.
Dr. Husseini therefore urged film festivals across the country to evolve beyond networking platforms into active marketplaces where filmmakers can secure distribution deals. He stressed that festivals must attract distributors, exhibitors, streaming platforms, and marketers to create tangible opportunities for filmmakers.
“Film festivals must become gateways to distribution where filmmakers leave not just with applause, but with real opportunities,” he said.
Reaffirming the Board’s commitment to industry development, Dr. Husseini stated that the NFVCB has continued to reposition itself as a partner in progress by engaging stakeholders, improving classification processes, and promoting a balance between creative freedom and social responsibility.
However, he raised concerns over increasing non-compliance with regulatory requirements, noting that some filmmakers bypass the Board by releasing unclassified films or operating without proper licensing.
He reiterated that all films and video works must be submitted to the NFVCB for classification and registration before being released on any platform, including digital platforms such as YouTube.
“This is a legal obligation, and the Board will not hesitate to take decisive action against defaulters,” he warned, adding that regulation is essential for protecting the industry, audiences, and national values.
Looking ahead, Dr. Husseini assured stakeholders of the Board’s continued collaboration with filmmakers and festival organisers to build a structured, sustainable, and globally competitive Nigerian film industry.
He concluded by commending the organisers of the Coal City Film Festival for their vision and contribution to Nigeria’s cultural economy, urging filmmakers to continue telling authentic stories that can resonate across global screens.
-Leadership
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate implementation of a newly approved salary structure for university lecturers nationwide.
ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, made this known on Thursday while delivering a speech at a public lecture held at Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli Campus, in Bauchi.
“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the Federal Government to begin the payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” he said.
The ASUU president noted that the demand forms part of broader efforts to improve the welfare of university lecturers and address long-standing concerns about poor remuneration, which he said has contributed to brain drain and declining standards in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Analysts at Afrinvest West Africa have warned that Nigeria’s inflation trajectory may reverse its recent disinflation trend, with headline inflation projected to climb to about 16 per cent in the near term, driven by the ripple effects of the escalating Middle East crisis on energy and domestic prices.
This is as they stressed that without swift policy responses, rising energy costs could deepen cost-of-living pressures and erode recent gains in price stability.
However, the analysts noted that the decline was weaker than expected, largely due to a resurgence in food inflation, which rose by 3.2 percentage points year-on-year to 12.1 per cent, offsetting gains in core inflation, which declined by 1.8 percentage points to 15.9 per cent.
On a month-on-month basis, inflationary pressures showed renewed volatility, with headline inflation rising by 2.0 per cent in February, a sharp reversal from the deflationary reading of negative 2.9 per cent recorded in January.
Despite this, analysts cautioned that underlying price pressures remain elevated, particularly from persistently high food costs and structural bottlenecks across the economy.
Looking ahead, Afrinvest highlighted that developments in the Middle East pose significant upside risks to inflation. According to the firm, crude oil prices have surged to about $105 per barrel from $72.69 at the end of February, triggering a sharp increase in domestic energy costs.
The report noted that the spike has already translated into higher retail prices of petroleum products, with petrol rising to about N1,350 per litre, diesel to N1,650 per litre, and cooking gas to N1,400 per kilogram in several states.
“These increases are expected to cascade across transportation, logistics, healthcare and food prices,” the analysts said, adding that existing structural challenges such as inadequate power supply, poor road infrastructure and insecurity could further amplify inflationary pressures.
In its baseline scenario, Afrinvest projected that the pass-through effect of the energy shock could drive headline inflation up by about 150 basis points to 16.6 per cent year-on-year, while month-on-month inflation could spike to 5.2 per cent.
The firm warned that a prolonged crisis could derail the Federal Government’s target of reducing average inflation to 16.5 per cent in 2026 from 23.3 per cent recorded in 2025.
To mitigate the impact on households, Afrinvest urged the government to implement targeted interventions, including the rollout of affordable mass transit systems, healthcare subsidies for low-income earners, and the temporary suspension of tariffs and related charges on food imports and other essential commodities.
-Leadership
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