THE Federal Government has charged Nigerian universities on the need to align educational outcomes with national productivity.
Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, SAN, who gave this charge, insisted that the key focus should be on research innovation and entrepreneurship among graduates to reduce dependence on white-collar jobs.
Mamman, spoke when he received a delegation of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) led by the acting executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, Mr Chris Maiyaki, who paid him a visit in Abuja.
He said there was a need for the overhauling of Nigeria’s higher education system to put the universities and other tertiary institutions at par with others around the globe.
“Higher education is an education designed to produce manpower for the social, economic and technological development of the country.
“It is, however, unfortunate that our higher education sub-sector is plagued with many challenges such as inadequate funding, corruption, inadequate infrastructural facilities, shortage of academic staff, strike actions, braindrain, poor research, weak governance, insecurity, among others.
“You will agree with me that the higher education landscape in Nigeria requires a total overhaul so that it can effectively put Nigeria universities and other levels of tertiary institutions at par with others around the globe,” he said.
The minister stated the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to improving the country’s educational system.
He noted that President Tinubu’s approach to governance is very business-like and that all his ministers will be subjected to quarterly performance reviews.
“The ministry under my watch will address the fundamental structural issues from primary to tertiary education and work with all stakeholders to ensure that the sector is turned around,” he said.
In his remark, the minister of State for Education, Dr Yusut Tanko Sununu highlighted the security issue in Nigerian universities and referring to the recent kidnapping of students at Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State.
He expressed the commitment of the government to adequately address security challenges that are impacting negatively on education in the country
Earlier, chairman of the Committee, Professor Lilian Salami, conveyed her appreciation for allowing the delegation to officially congratulate him on his appointment as the first vice chancellor to become a minister of Education in the country.
She, however, pointed out some key challenges faced by universities to include funding, recruitment of staff, universities autonomy, aspects of university laws that are in conflict with other laws and unending industrial disputes with university-based unions.
Salami presented the committee’s study report on ‘Opportunities and Sustainable Models for Nigerian Federal Universities’ as their input to finding lasting solutions to the challenges facing public and private universities in Nigeria.
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