The National Universities Commission has announced that the Federal Government is working to reconstitute the governing councils of universities.
The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, has established a panel to develop the list, and the councils will be inaugurated once the list is complete.
According to The PUNCH, the NUC Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, made this announcement in response to the two-week ultimatum given by the Academic Staff Union of Universities to the government to reconstitute the governing councils of public universities.
“To reconstitute the councils of 61 universities is not a small feat. The government is working to ensure that people who are qualified and with the right pedigree are put in those councils so that they can deliver on Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We know ASUU is a body of academics and are concerned about the welfare of their members and the activities in universities but we want them to be patient with the government during this period.”
Speaking on the number of universities in the country, the NUC boss said the commission was committed to expanding access to higher education.
“And for this, the current 272 universities in the NUS are not sufficient to accommodate the ever-growing demand for university education by Nigerian youths. “Each year, Nigerian universities receive close to two million applications, only a small fraction of them are admitted.
“That is why there is a need for Nigeria to continue to increase access by establishing more universities to meet the demand for quality education in the country,” Maiyaki said.
Maiyaki emphasized that reconstituting the councils of 61 universities is a significant task and requires qualified individuals with the right credentials to deliver on the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also mentioned that the current 272 universities in Nigeria are insufficient to meet the growing demand for university education, and the country needs to establish more universities to meet this demand.
The NUC has identified strategic priorities, including curriculum development, quality assurance, research and innovation, infrastructure development, and internationalization, to boost the nation’s university system
Additionally, the NUC has developed guidelines for open and distance learning, transnational education, e-learning, and the establishment of private open universities to ensure quality and equity in university education.
