Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, has recorded its highest number of First-Class graduates since inception, with 185 students attaining the top academic honour in the 2025 graduating set.

Also in a major development for Nigeria’s private education sector, the Vice – Chancellor, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele announced that Redeemer’s University has been selected by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) as one of the only eight private universities in the country approved to train government-sponsored postgraduate students.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, made this know yesterday during a press briefing to mark the university’s 17th convocation ceremony and 20th anniversary celebration.

Akindele described the milestone as “a reflection of the institution’ s commitment to academic excellence and character development,” adding that the 2025 convocation represents a season of “double honour” for the faith-based institution.

According to him, “We are not only graduating from another distinguished class, the indomitable Set of 2025, but we are also celebrating 20 years of Redeemer’s University. Indeed, this is a season of double honour,” he said.

“This is a remarkable feat, especially considering that there are 168 private universities in Nigeria as at today.

The Vice-Chancellor noted: “It affirms the credibility and standard of our postgraduate programmes,” the Vice-Chancellor stated. A total of 1,341 students are graduating this year, comprising 1,003 undergraduates and 338 postgraduates.”

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Among them, Mr. Joel Durugbo, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, emerged as the overall best graduating student with a perfect 5.0 CGPA, another first in the university’s history.

Akindele also highlighted the institution’s growing international profile, noting that Redeemer’s University ranked number two in Nigeria in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and emerged No. 1 in several Sustainable Development Goals categories.

The university’s African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), led by Professor Christian Happi, has also continued to earn global acclaim.

Happi was recently listed among TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 for his pioneering work in genomics and public health.

“These milestones confirm Redeemer’s University as a place where faith, knowledge, and innovation converge for global impact,” Akindele said.

The Vice-Chancellor recounted highlights of the university’s 20th anniversary, including new infrastructure projects commissioned by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the university’s Visitor, and Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye.

Among the commissioned projects were the Faculty of Law building, the Josephus Institute of Earth Sciences, and the Redeemer’s University Staff School.

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Pastor Adeboye also performed the sod-turning of a proposed 10,000-seater university chapel auditorium.

Three prominent Nigerians, Evangelist Omolewa Yetunde Ahmed, Evangelist Mike Bamiloye, and Mr. Kola Adesina, are to receive honorary doctorate degrees during the convocation ceremonies later this week.

Akindele concluded the briefing with optimism about the university’s future.

“As we celebrate 20 years of God’s faithfulness and the release of the Indomitable Set, I declare that the best days of Redeemer’s University are still ahead,” he noted.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on Tuesday swore in three members following their victory in the August 16, 2025, bye-elections.

The three new lawmakers are among the five elected to fill the vacant seats following the death of four members and the choice of Dennis Idahosa as the running mate of Senator Monday Okpebholo in the 2024 Edo governorship.

Recall that the Green Chamber lost four members due to illness in 2024, including Ekene Adams (Kaduna), Isa Dogonyaro (Jigawa) and Olaide Akinremi (Oyo), while Oriyomi Onanuga died in 2025.

In August, the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted bye-elections in the respective states to fill the vacant seats.

While the All Progressives Congress won four out of the five vacant seats, the Peoples Democratic Party won one seat.

Those sworn in on Tuesday are Omosede Igbinedion (Ovia South/Ovia West/Ovia North-East Federal Constituency, Edo State), Joseph Bagudu (Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Kaduna State) and Mukhtar Rabiu of Garki/Babura Federal Constituency, Jigawa State.

No reason was given for the absence of Elegbeji Ayola, who won the Sagamu/Ikenne/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State seat and Oyekunle Sunday, who won the Ibadan North seat.

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Of the five, Mr Sunday is the only lawmaker produced by the PDP.

After weeks of legislative lull, the Senate will on Tuesday reconvene plenary with a packed agenda led by long-delayed security and electoral reform debates—issues Nigerians have anxiously awaited action on.

The upper chamber had earlier shifted its resumption from September 23 to October 7, 2025, extending its annual recess by two weeks and halting deliberations on several key national priorities.

Among the bills and motions now awaiting urgent attention are the proposed National Security Summit, Electoral Act amendments, Constitution Alteration Bill (2025), and the National Assembly Budget and Research Office Bill—a 20-year-old proposal aimed at strengthening fiscal oversight through independent budget analysis.

In an internal memo signed by Chinedu Akubueze, Chief of Staff to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the leadership said, “This is to respectfully inform Distinguished Senators that the resumption of plenary sitting of the Senate, earlier scheduled for Tuesday, September 23, 2025, has been shifted to Tuesday, October 7, 2025. Any inconvenience this short notice may cause is deeply regretted.”

Although no formal reason was given, insiders told The PUNCH the postponement was to allow lawmakers to participate fully in activities marking the October 1 Independence Day celebrations.

The delay, however, has fueled public unease as critical national debates remain stalled—particularly the Security Summit expected to chart a new strategy against rising insecurity nationwide.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who chairs the 20-member ad hoc committee on the summit, had earlier promised a new, grassroots-driven approach to security policymaking.

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“No amount of investment in infrastructure will yield meaningful results without peace and stability,” Bamidele said at the committee’s inaugural meeting in June.

Also pending is the Constitution Alteration Bill (SB. 855) sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), which seeks to amend sections of the 1999 Constitution widely criticised as inadequate for Nigeria’s evolving democracy.

Senate President Akpabio has often touted the chamber’s productivity, boasting in June that the 10th Senate had already considered 844 pieces of legislation—including 26 executive bills—with another 499 awaiting second reading.

“It is a record that has not been held by any Nigerian Senate in two years,” he said at the Democracy Day joint session attended by President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Yet critics argue that frequent adjournments and prolonged recesses have stalled momentum on the most pressing national challenges—security breakdown, electoral credibility, and economic recovery—raising doubts about the Senate’s capacity to match its rhetoric with action.

The Vice Chancellor of Atiba University, Oyo, Professor Sunday Okeniyi, has enjoined the newly employed staff of the institution to develop the spirit of teamwork, respect, and discipline, which are the hallmarks of every successful institution.

Okeniyi disclosed this during the orientation programme for the newly employed staff of the institution.

While welcoming the newly employed staff, he also congratulated them on their successful appointment into the fast-rising institution. “Your joining us today is not by chance, but by merit, commitment, and the will of God. Atiba University is a citadel of learning and character formation, envisioned to nurture and produce men and women of excellence, integrity, and service. By becoming part of this family, you are now co-builders of this noble vision.”

The V-C said the orientation programme was a deliberate initiative of the management to formally integrate the new staff into the University system. “It is designed to give you a clear understanding of our mission, vision, core values, rules, and operational culture. Our goal is not just for you to work here, but for you to thrive, contribute meaningfully, and leave an indelible mark on the growth and transformation of this University.”

He explained that the university places a premium on academic excellence, innovative research, moral uprightness, and community development. These values define the identity and are the standards the staff must all uphold in their respective assignments—whether as academic staff shaping young minds or as non-teaching staff providing essential support services that make our work possible.

While admitting much needed to be done, Okeniyi said the institution has recorded remarkable progress within a short time. “The future we envision—a future of global competitiveness, leadership in innovation and knowledge, and impact within and beyond Nigeria—requires the collective commitment of every member of staff. That includes you. Your dedication, creativity, and professionalism are needed to propel us forward,” he said.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections in Nigeria, Peter Obi, has revealed to his supporters that he will no longer be a party to the new coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), offering reasons for doing so and announcing his next party.

Obi said that he was not going to continue with the coalition because the party failed to zone its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections to the South.…click link for full details here

Sarah Mullally has been appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, making history as the first woman to hold this esteemed position within the Church of England and the global Anglican community, marking a significant milestone in the church’s nearly 500-year history.

The vacancy arose following the resignation of Justin Welby in November, after an investigation that revealed he had not adequately reported, investigated, or contained an individual who, for decades, operated evangelical summer camps and subjected young boys to various forms of abuse, including sexual, physical, and psychological maltreatment.

An investigative report released by the church identified John Smyth as “arguably the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England.”

Women were permitted to become bishops in the Church of England starting in 2014.

At the age of 63, Mullally has consistently broken barriers throughout her career. In 2018, she became the first female Bishop of London, which is the church’s third most senior clerical position.

Before her ordination in 2001, she had a distinguished career in nursing and, at the age of 37, became the youngest individual appointed as England’s Chief Nursing Officer.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is formally nominated by the British monarch, who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister, who, in turn, relies on the recommendations of a Church of England commission. Mullally is scheduled to be installed as the 106th Archbishop during a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.

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It is worth noting that Britain is perceived as a more secular nation in comparison to the United States, both in terms of individuals identifying as having no religion and the rates of regular church attendance.

Nevertheless, the Church of England maintains a substantial symbolic presence within national identity and values. The Archbishop of Canterbury, for instance, plays a pivotal role in significant state events, including coronations, royal weddings, and funerals.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Mullally’s appointment. “The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life,” Starmer said in a statement. “I wish her every success and look forward to working together.”

“The Church of England is of profound importance to this country,” he said. “Its churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the fabric of our communities.”

In her first address since being named archbishop — carried by the state broadcaster on Friday — Mullally spoke about major domestic and global issues. She condemned Thursday’s Yom Kippur attack on a synagogue in Manchester, which left two people dead, and said the church had a duty to stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in “all its forms.”

She also highlighted extreme poverty; the “ever worsening climate crisis”; solidarity with “our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters”; and the “horrors of war” for people in the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Turning to the church’s own failings, Mullally stressed the importance of preventing abuse and responding more effectively when concerns are raised.

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She also noted the historic nature of her appointment.

“Some will be asking what it means for a woman to lead the Church of England and to take on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s global role in the Anglican Communion,” she said.

“I intend to be a shepherd who enables everyone’s ministry and vocation to flourish,” she continued, adding, “I give thanks for all the men and women, lay and ordained deacons, priests and bishops who have paid the paved the way for this moment and to all the women that have gone before me.”