The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, will on Wednesday, October 23, join other key stakeholders in the power and education sectors to find a solution to the electricity crisis ocassioned by the recent hike in tariffs in the nation’s educational institutions.
They will lead this discussion at this year’s national education summit organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria(EWAN), a network of journalists across media organisations covering education beat and headquartered in Lagos, using the annual summit as an advocacy to drive positive change in the nation’s education sector and the economy by extension.
This year’s summit, which is the sixth edition and to be held at Prof Tolu Odugbemi Hall, Staff School, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, has “High Tariffs: Resolving Electricity Crisis in Nigeria’s Educational Institutions,” as theme.
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To join in the discussion at the pannel sessions include the acting executive secretary of the National Universities Commission( NUC), Dr Chris Maiyaki; Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Mr. Sanusi Garba; Executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFUND), Mr. Sonny Echono; Managing director of the National Education Loan Fund(NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr; National President of Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke; Chairman of Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities, Joshua Lidani; Executive secretary of NCCE,Prof Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle; Chairman, Forum of Teaching Hospitals’ CMDs/MDs, Prof Emem Bassey.
Other pannelists are Prof. Kabiru Adeyemo, who is the Vice-Chancellor of Lead City University, Ibadan and Chairman, Committee of Vice- Chancellors and Registrars of Universities;Chief Sunday Oduntan, the MD/CEO of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors; Otunba Yomi Otubela, the National President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS); Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, National President, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Comrade Shammah Kpanja, National President of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and so forth.
According to the secretary of the central organising committee of the Summit, Mrs Christiana Alabi-Akande, and the chairperson of the publicity subcommittee, Mrs Elizabeth Osayande, the minister of education will chair the event while power’s minister will give keynote lecture.
They noted that panel session would be held after the keynote lecture with leaders in various government agencies and unions serve as panelists.
They emphasised that the aim of the summit is to proffer a right direction to resolve the high electricity tariffs crisis in the nation’s educational institutions including teaching hospitals.
They said the current state where schools are thrown into darkness and activities paralyse due to their inability to meet up with the financial obligation on electricity supply would need to be addressed for the sake of meaningful development in the country.
