Nigeria Universities Updates

PROFESSOR Babs Aliyu Fafunwa, former Minister of Education seemed not satisfied with the state of Nigerian education as standard and quality keep falling.

Access to education, especially at tertiary levels has become so limited that parents now send their children to universities in Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo an other West African countries.

Poor funding, decay of infrastructure, lack of conducive learning and teaching environments, absence of good, well-stocked libraries, inadeanate online computer-driven libraries, laboratories without equipment, poor academic staffing, irrelevant curriculum have all combined to lower the standard of education in the country.

At an event in the University of Lagos in which the International School, University of Lagos, ISL, held its graduation and valedictory ceremony. Vanguard Education Weekly, caught up with Prof Fafunwa, who briefly bared his mind on the travails of our education system.

He believes that Nigeria’s education system should be reviewed so as to cope with the 21st Century challenges.

As at now, no Nigerian university is ranked among the first 1000 in the world. In previous years tertiary institutions like the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Lagos, were globally acclaimed. But not so today.

Excerpts of the brief interview with Prof. Fafunwa who has been on retirement can be read by clicking the link below:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/18/education-sector-needs-review-%E2%80%94-babs-fafunwa/

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Matriculation Board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, has said that the Federal Government plans to standardize the conduct of the post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria in Bwari, Abuja on Thursday that the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa‘i, had already promised that the exercise would soon be carried out.

“It is difficult for me to say categorically what is going to take place. I’m also aware of the pronouncements by the National Assembly on the issue,” he said.

Ojerinde said that although the federal lawmakers had decried the procedure being adopted for the conduct of the post-UTME, he stated that no law had been made to cancel it.

He said, “Personally, let me say, as an individual, I’m not against the conduct of post-UTME, but I’m against the procedure.

“I’m against the extortionist process of conducting the examination. I’m also not comfortable with the unstandardised nature of the examination.

“If somebody is doing post-UTME in Maiduguri, can we use the same procedure in Lagos? If you do it at the University of Lagos, can you use it in LASU? The method should be usable all over.”

NAN reports that JAMB is expected to hold a technical session between July 13 and 15 to consider the first batch of UTME candidates for admissions into tertiary institutions.

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The Federal Government has declared 180 as the cut-off mark for admission into all categories of tertiary institutions in the country for all candidates that sat for the first Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by JAMB.

Ruqqayatu Rufai, minister of education, disclosed the cut-off mark on Thursday at the first combined policy committee meeting on admission to degree awarding institutions.

“We have met with the vice chancellors, rectors and provosts and discussed the issue of the cut-off mark for this year’s UTME and then we agreed on 180 as cut-off mark since it is a unified examination we agreed that it is uniformed for polytechnics, colleges of education as well as universities”, she said. Meanwhile, the minister has directed JAMB to publish the list of candidates in educationally less developed states to facilitate the process of identification.

She reiterated the need by all the institutions to give special attention to candidates from the educationally less developed states according to their admission guidelines. In his address at the meeting, the chairman, governing board of JAMB, Sam Ukpabi, spoke in defence of the UTME when he maintained that the new matriculation examination has come to stay.

Ukpabi noted that UTME began on a strong footing on account of speedy release of just concluded results. He explained that the UTME was a product of the road map to education developed by the immediate past minister of education, Sam Egwu, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council.

The JAMB board chairman noted that the UTME was introduced with a view to addressing the challenges of limited space in the nation’s universities, saying “from all indications, the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination has come to stay”.

According to him, all tertiary institutions across the country are now poised to conduct admissions following the speedy release of the examination results, noting that six levels of admission would be conducted simultaneously.

He, however, appealed to all the institutions to adhere strictly to entry requirements as documented in the board’s brochure and comply strictly with admissions schedules expected to be released at the end of the meeting.

“Institutions should ensure compliance with approved admission guidelines, bearing in mind such criteria as merit, catchment areas, educationally less privileged states, quotas, carrying capacity and national cut off mark”, he said.

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The Minister of Education, Dr Sam Ominyi Egwu, has called on tertiary institutions in the country to initiate means of generating internal revenue to complement government’s efforts.

Dr Egwu, who spoke at the 26th convocation of Yaba College of Technology, last Friday, said the burden of funding education should not rest on government alone.

He charged academic institutions to engage in profitable ventures without compromising standards.
Hear him: “Education continues to be a priority in Government spending, however, the burden cannot rest on Government’s shoulders alone.

“Tertiary education institutions should therefore begin to look inwards to generate revenue through enterprise, and research and development to complement Government subvention.”
The Minister maintained that the present administration of President Yar’Adua remains unwavering in its resolve to catapult Nigeria to the world’s leading economies. He identified education as a veritable tool for the attainment of this lofty ambition.

To achieve this feat, Egwu urged the Governing Councils of different tertiary institutions to acquaint themselves with the role of the education sector in the realization of Vision 20:2020.
He said: “The Federal Ministry of Education, in consultation with a broad spectrum of stakeholders has put in place a Roadmap, which encapsulates a 4-Point Agenda, to facilitate the attainment of this goal. The 4-Point Agenda focuses on Access, Quality, Assurance and Vocational Education Training and Funding, resource mobilization and utilization.”

The Minister promised that the government will continue positively to workers’ genuine demand for improved working conditions in the education sector. According to him: “Recently, the Federal Government approved the implementation of CONTISS 15 in the Federal Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.”

Egwu said also that plans were underway to enact a law that would ensure the running of B.Tech degree programmes in Nigerian polytechnics. He said the removal of the disparity between the polytechnics and the universities has become necessary in order to accelerate technological development.

While admitting that technology would elude any nation that fails to lay adequate technological foundation, he expressed government’s determination to develop the sector.
“The government recognizes the fact that no nation can develop without adequate technology, and as such, places much premium on science and technology.

The significance of technology in nation building is captured in the Roadmap for Nigeria’s Education sector. To encourage and accelerate technological development in the country, the removal of the disparity between the polytechnics and the universities, has become necessary as both sub-sectors have vital roles to play in uplifting Nigeria.

It is our expectation that the present government posture will be reflected in the 2010 budget”.
He commended Yabatech as the first higher institution in the country to establish an entrepreneurship development programme as a compulsory course for all students.

“This will, no doubt, give the institution’s graduates the enablement for self reliance through wealth creation upon graduation. All our tertiary institutions are hereby enjoined to step up their entrepreneurship programmes”, he said.

Egwu explained that Yabatech was selected as one of the first beneficiaries of the Special Intervention by the Education Trust Fund, a grant of N1.5b, and praised the institution for maintaining a peaceful learning environment over the years.

He congratulated the outgoing Rector, Mr Olubunmi Owoso, for his able leadership and the giant strides the college has achieved during his tenure. “He has certainly given a good account of himself and we are proud of him”, he added.

In his valedictory address, Mr. Owoso who is handing over the mantle of leadership to a new Rector tomorrow, said that the combined convocation ceremony for the three sessions produced 14,364 graduating students at the National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels.

“For the last 2007/2008 session, out of the 1140 Higher National Diploma graduating students, a total of 23 graduating students obtained distinction grade, 391 upper credit, 509 lower credit, and 217 pass grade. At the ND level, out of 1090 graduating students, 41 obtained distinction, 198 with upper credit, 448 passed with lower credit, and 353 others had pass grade”, he explained.

The Rector stated that over 60 programmes of the college have all been accredited, with other new courses introduced. Some of the new programmes include: HND Marketing, ND Banking and Finance, ND Mass Communication, HND Science Laboratory Technology (Environmental Biology and Toxiology option) among others.

He expressed appreciation for the support he received from the Honourable Minister of Education, the Executive secretary of the National Board for technical Education, Dr Nuru Yakubu, the British Council, World Banks, indigenous banks, among others.

The highlight of the occasion was the conferment of fellowship awards on notable personalities including, the Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, and the Executive Secretary of education Trust Fund, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. The National President, Yaba College of Technology Alumni Association, Chief Emma Unachukwu and the Pro-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Senator Olu Alabi were received the award.

Responding on behalf of the awardees, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ngozi Osarenren, who represented the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, assured that the awardees would be good ambassadors of the institution.
Activities marking the 26th convocation ceremony began on Wednesday, December 2, with a convocation lecture entitled: Synergy for Science and Technology Institutions- Towards an Innovative National Development.

The Guest Speaker, Professor Oye Ibidapo, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, highlighted the critical role of education in development, harping on the need to inculcate science, technology and innovation as the nucleus of national re-orientation and advancement.

He said: “Education is critical to the development of a nation. It is an antidote to poverty and ‘leveler’ in the emerging knowledge society-Nigeria’s prosperity depends solely on a well-educated citizenry. A key and perhaps central element in the National Vision and Goals Strategy, be it vision 2010; Millennium Development Goals, NEEDS, Vision 2020 and the 7-Point Agenda, is the need to strengthen education as a public good.”

According to him, the challenges of development in the country epitomized by corruption, poverty, disease and poor implementation of good policies can be surmounted if the citizenry is educated.
To take the country out of the poverty circle, he maintained that tertiary institutions are expected to be at the vanguard of the national rebirth.

His words: “The world has moved from commodity-based and military power ranking to knowledge economies society. Inherent in this paradigm shift is science, technology and innovation. Science must be at the heart of development. In enthroning science as the key to re-inventing a better society, colleges of technology and universities have an essential role to play in building the capacity for high quality education and training in agriculture, engineering and health”.

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