Guests on Standpoint, a programme on Emirate Radio 98.5 FM anchored by Bukola Omoshewo, have called on parents to play a more active role in verifying educational institutions before enrolling their children, following concerns over an institution allegedly affiliated with an American university.
The discussion was prompted by a recent operation by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), during which more than 100 students were reportedly found in an apartment in Lagos linked to the institution.
Contributors urged parents to conduct proper background checks on schools and called on the government to strengthen the inspection and accreditation of educational institutions to prevent unqualified operators from deceiving students and families.
The programme also examined issues surrounding the 2026 national budget. Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, Comrade Sakariyau Abiodun Yitta, described the delay in the budget’s consideration midway through the year as unacceptable.
Yitta criticised what he described as inadequate transparency and limited stakeholder participation in governance, stressing that the national budget remains a vital tool for economic development and effective public administration.
Also speaking, journalist and community advocate Comrade Haruna welcomed efforts to improve transparency in the operations of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). He expressed hope that ongoing investigations would strengthen accountability and support initiatives such as the Safe Schools Project. He also called for a more independent National Assembly to ensure greater transparency in budgetary processes.
On security, a caller appealed to the Kwara State Government to intensify efforts to secure the release of victims abducted in Woro, who have reportedly remained in captivity for more than five months. The caller also commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing a military base in Omu-Aran, Ifelodun Local Government Area, while urging authorities to sustain efforts against insecurity.
Public affairs analyst Comrade Abubakar-Sidiq Abdulwahab-Zarumi also called for increased security presence in the Oko-Olowo axis, describing it as an area vulnerable to criminal activities.
The contributors concluded by urging stronger government accountability, improved regulation of educational institutions, greater transparency in governance and sustained security measures to boost public confidence and national development.
