Education
ASUU Faults Approval Of Additional 20 New Universities
In separate interviews in Benin, the stakeholders said there was nothing to justify the approval when the existing universities were neither adequately funded nor properly monitored to ensure compliance, with appropriate guidelines.
Some Stakeholders in University education in Nigeria, on Thursday, warned against the proliferation of universities in the country, following Wednesday’s approval of 20 new private universities by the Federal Executive Council.
In separate interviews in Benin, the stakeholders said there was nothing to justify the approval when the existing universities were neither adequately funded nor properly monitored to ensure compliance, with appropriate guidelines.
The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Benin chapter, Prof. Monday Omoregie, said that he had begun to see the approval of more universities as political patronage, despite warnings, to the relevant authorities, on the inherent danger.
Omoregie said expanding the existing universities would perform the functions the new ones were established to do.
According to him, education remains the vibrant instrument for development, hence the need for the government to do the needful in ensuring that the schools are run the way they are supposed to.
“Education is a social service, but these private universities are established by investors, who believe in profit-making.
“The guideline is that private universities must be run for 15 years before any plan of making profit, but which university can do that?” he asked, saying that within a year of establishment, many proprietors would begin to crave gain.
Speaking in a similar vein, Prof. Monday Igbafen, Chairman of ASUU, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, said that the establishment of more universities, without proper recourse to the challenges facing the existing ones, was what the union had been trying to criticise.
“How do you justify the existence of additional universities, when there is this cry that even the private universities that are running now lack proper monitoring, to see if they comply with the NUC guidelines and what is required to run a university.
“They are all just centres of where they collect people’s money. That is why most of us are getting worried about the education system in the country”, he said.
When told that the approval might be to expand access to university education, Igbafen said that if properly funded, one university in the country might take half of the population of prospective university students.
“ABU (Ahmadu Bello University) can cater for almost half the population of students we admit in this country, but there is nothing on ground to sustain an ideal university.
“When you carry out an objective assessment of these universities, you discover that they are not really universities; they are just there to divert our attention where the rich ones can send their children, whereas they will not be properly trained in terms of developing minds.
“It is all about just dishing out degrees; not necessarily interested in the content and quality of the product. It is just about giving out first class and what is important is to get money. I think it is necessary for the government to reflect on some of all these decisions that they have taken.
“If we have to advance the course of our educational development in this country, it is not through proliferation of both private and public universities,” he said.
The Kano State Government has directed all private and voluntary schools in the state to strictly adhere to the 2024/25 school calendar issued by the Ministry of Education.
The Director of Special Duties, Ministry of Education, Mustapha Yahya, made this known in a statement on Thursday and obtained by PUNCH.
“All primary and post-primary schools in Kano state must close on Friday, February 28, 2025, and reopen on Sunday, April 6, 2025,” it reads.
The statement further warned that any school that fails to comply will face penalties. “Schools that fail to comply with this directive will face appropriate sanctions,” it stated.
He said the directive aligns with the state government’s policy under Governor Abba Yusuf to enhance teaching and learning while ensuring balanced and sustainable school operations.
“This measure is to ensure improved teaching and learning while promoting balanced and sustainable growth in schools across the state,” the statement added.
The Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to providing high-quality education and enforcing adherence to the approved calendar.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa yesterday disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to a university.
He broke the good news to the management, staff and students of the 78-year-old institution during a working visit to YABATECH.
His words: “The rector said some minutes ago that the management, staff and students of the college have been praying and fasting that it be converted to a university. Somehow, you have kind of ambush me, but I must let you know that when I discussed the issue with President Bola Tinubu, he did not waste time in giving approval. I am just waiting for the memo and other necessary protocols from the appropriate quarters.
“This school is a legacy and with over 200 staff members holding doctorate degrees in various fields, it is more than ready and fit to become a university. All the credit about this should go to the President, who loves education and is concerned about giving the best to the youths, who are our future leaders.”
The education minister Alausa went round the institution to commission and inspect some ongoing projects, expressed satisfaction with the maintenance culture of the management that has kept the facilities in good shape despite their age.
He commended YABATECH management for pursuing excellence, adding, “we need innovation and investments in technology for development and I can assure you that the federal government will back you up.”
Alausa observed that one of the reasons the Tinubu administration is focusing on technical and vocational education as well as entrepreneurship is to stem the “Japa Syndrome” among the youths.
Said he: “We are not taking the issue of Artificial Intelligence, robotics, coding and others with levity. We know that if our youths are good at those things, they can be in Nigeria and be working for firms in many parts of the world and they will be earning foreign exchange. That will help stem this “Japa syndrome” of a thing, where people would travel abroad to do menial jobs.”
The minister said that for over three decades, Nigeria abandoned technical and vocational education and focused on producing graduates, who are always after white collar jobs and that now, the focus has changed.
“In Europe and other places, the focus has been on incorporating TVET to become a core aspect of their education system and that is what we are doing now. We need education that would aid manufacturing and technological innovations and that will also lead to a robust private sector which will drive societal growth and development, ” Alausa stated.
In his remarks, the Rector, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, said with over 200 PhD holders in its services, YABATECH was more than qualified to become a university.
He added: “While we are praying that we become a university, we don’t want to become just one of those universities. We want to be a university of Technical and Vocational Education that would bring innovation and also solve societal problems and challenges and contribute greatly to the advancement of our country. We have the manpower and we just need the support of the government in this regard,” the rector noted.
He highlighted various achievements recorded under his administration and vowed that the management would not relent in raising the stakes higher.
The Chairman, Governing Council, Prof. Funso Afolabi, lauded the education minister for the visit and appealed to him in supporting their demands.
“The bill that would state the change in status of YABATECH and the new name it would bear is expected to be sent to the National Assembly for passage and presidential assent,” Afolabi stated.
Federal Government has made a U-turn on the proposed scrapping of the Junior and senior secondary school system replacing it with 12 years compulsory education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja, on Friday, that policy is at the proposal level and final decision has not been taken on the matter.
It was reported on Friday that the National Council of Education (NCE) has approved the scrapping of senior secondary system of education.
More details later..
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