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VERY soon, at the click of the mouse button, university administrators, students, parents and others will be able to access a vast amount of information about students, programmes, accreditation status, researches, professors, and facilities in public and private universities in Nigeria thanks to the online accreditation portal of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

However, vice-chancellors, directors of academic planning, and ICT directors of some of the universities are calling on the Federal Government to improve electrical power supply which has the potential to undermine the uploading process.

Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa’i and the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Julius Okojie both said at the launch of the portal at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) penultimate Friday that the project has the potential of improving the world ranking of Nigerian universities because of greater visibility, check multiple employment of lecturers by different universities, check over enrolment of students and provide platform for comparison.

The portal will also generate accreditation reports for the teams; can be used for certificate verification, and provide details of accreditation requirements.

Already, over 38 universities have entered their staff and students’ records into the portal, which is a project of the National Universities Commission Database (NUCDB) created in conjunction with GUCCI CHIS Nigeria Ltd as technical partners.

With the portal, Okojie said NUC will be able to regulate the university system more effectively as the agency will be alerted when programmes are due for accreditation. He is also confident that it will check if accreditation teams work according to the rules.

He added that the database will improve the quality of research output from the Nigerian University System as it will encourage cross-disciplinary research.

“We want the Minister of Education to sit in her office and know the number of professors, the number of students. If we have such database you will be amazed the number of professors you can collaborate with on research,” he said.

In her speech, Prof Rufa’i said the project would put Nigerian ivory towers on the world map and urged university administrations to cooperate to make it work.

She said: We must stop lamenting that Nigerian universities are poorly rated on the African continent in particular and the world in general and start doing something about it. We know that the poor rating is not due to a lack of the required intellectual capacity, but basically due to poor management of the resources in our institutions. One of the results of this is low visibility of the institutions. This Portal is therefore a bold step towards building world class universities in Nigeria.

“I understand that the NUC-Online Programme Accreditation Portal offers a unified system in the management of Nigerian universities for enhanced academic structure and visibility. With deliverables such as the automation of database of all universities in Nigeria with link to the National Universities Commission (NUC), the management of our University System is certainly not to be the same again.

“I appeal to all our universities and stakeholders to embrace this laudable initiative, which has opened up new frontiers of engagement for the benefit of all stakeholders in the university education sub-sector and the general public. They should also upgrade their system in order to enjoy the full benefits of the Portal and co-operate, fully, with NUC so as to make its oversight function less onerous to make it a success.”

To cooperate with the NUC, university administrators urged the Federal government to improve power supply, while they want the technical partners to improve the ease at which universities can upload the required information onto the portal.

Speaking at a one-day workshop on online universities programme accreditation that held after the inauguration, many of the administrators also raised their concerns about format of arranging the information, uploading files and other issues with the NUC Deputy Director of Undergraduate and Institutional Accreditation, Dr Noel Saliu, and the CEO of GUCCI CHIS, Hon Paul Adingwupu.

Osayi Ogboro, Planning Officer at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) said power supply must be addressed since it can affect the data uploading process. He also said universities will need help in upgrading their ICT infrastructure.

“It is a good idea but they sill have a lot of work in fine tuning it to meet university needs. The challenges that we will face include the power supply. Right now it is very erratic. If light goes and you are in the middle of uploading a file, there will be problem. Also universities need to develop their ICT infrastructure,” he said.

Similarly, Director of Quality Assurance and Productivity at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA), Prof Adai Ibrahim said NUC needs to provide technical support for the universities to improve their ICT facilities and be able to check false data inputs

“There should be technical support people from the NUC side so that when wrong data is sent to them they should be able to identify it online. Universities need to improve their information infrastructure to send and access information. If I am trying to send data and the internet is not reliable, it will cause delays,” he said.

On his part, Adingwupu assured the university representatives that their concerns about the functioning of the portal will be addressed. He added that there are plans to helpassist universities acquire the requisite ICT infrastructure.

The Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi has signed a pact with Flying Dove Consultants on entrepreneurship training.

In line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed recently at the polytechnic, Flying Dove Consultants will deliver counseling, technical and vocational skills training and youth development programmes to students of the polytechnic.

Speaking during the signing, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr Shuaibu Musa said the firm has come to the institution at a time of need, especially now that the Federal Government has introduced entrepreneurship courses in all tertiary institutions as a policy for technological development.

The Rector assured the firm of the polytechnic’s readiness to implement the programmes with a view to assisting the students become self-employed after graduation.

Earlier in her address, the Director, Flying Dove Consultants, Alhaja Oriyomi Shekirat, said the firm has four units including the Community College, Cooperate College, Collegial College and the Consultancy Unit that focus on the training of youths for skill acquisition.

Director, Academic Planning of the polytechnic, Dr Samuel Sule, said the pact has added to the number of partnerships the institution has entered with other training centres at home and abroad.

The Co-ordinator of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre of the polytechnic, Dr Habila Zuya, said Entrepreneurship should not be viewed from the academic perspective alone but from the benefits derivable after graduation.

“One can be unemployed if he lacks skills but with the skills already in place, one can be employed or become employable.”

•19 ‘miracle exam centres’ axed

The Lagos State government has sacked one of its teachers for complicity in examination malpractice during the last school year.

This is coming at a time the state also recorded improved performance in the May/June 2012 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Education Commissioner Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye said at a meeting with principals last Wednesday that Lagos State recorded 59.4 per cent pass in the examination – compared to the national average of 38.83.

Warning teachers to desist from colluding with candidates and parents to perpetrate examination fraud, Mrs Oladunjoye said the state will not hesitate to punish those of its workers found guilty.

She added that 19 private secondary schools that have served as miracle centres have been barred from conducting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for some years, and assured principals that once the state starts conducting the pre-screening tests, public school pupils will be unable to register with private secondary schools as candidates for the same examination.

“We have sanctioned 19 schools that served as miracle centres. They are not writing the WAEC examination for a long time to come. Interestingly, some of our colleagues collude with them and I think we lost a teacher because of that. I sent a teacher out of the system. If parents and teachers don’t collude with them, miracle centres will not thrive. The earlier we start telling the children to do the right thing the better. If they must repeat, let them repeat. It will be a big lesson to them,” she said.

Oladunjoye and the Tutor-Generals/Permanent Secretaries (TG/PS) of the Education Districts in the state addressed an array of issues during the meeting which was held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa – including consolidating on the improved performance, infrastructure, discipline, furniture, recruitment of teachers and security.

Speaking on the 2012 WASSCE, the commissioner said Governor Babatunde Fashola was impressed with the improved performance though the 59.4 per cent represents the performance of both public and private schools in the state. However, she charged the principals to do all in their power to further improve the results, warning them that she would pay unscheduled visits to schools.

“With 59.4 per cent, we were seventh in the federation in the WASSCE and we can become better. States like Anambra and Abia had better results but Lagos deserves to be the first because we are doing much more,” she said.

To deliver better results in the 2013 WASSCE, TG/PS District V, Mrs Mary Iji told the principals to pay attention to the conduct of the MOCK SSCE examinations usually conducted in the second term for SS3 pupils ahead of the real examination. She said if well conducted, the performance would be a true reflection of the real examination.

“If the invigilation is not done right, you will not get the real result. As principals, you have to make sure you monitor the examination. In a situation where 10 pupils are sharing one question paper, you already know they will spy,” she said.

Speaking on Saturday extra lessons organised to prepare finalists for the WASSCE, TG/PS Education District I, Mrs Victoria Peregrino urged the teachers to pay the price for good performance.

“It is better we deny ourselves of certain things now so our children will have a better future…so we will be sure we have produced sound doctors that will take care of us when we are old,” she said.

19 ‘miracle exam centres’ axed

The Principal of Peacock College United Kingdom, Professor Zenon Adamek, says offering the right mix of education is a panacea to leadership crisis plaguing countries of the world. He also notes that a Nigerian-owned company can deliver high standard of service. He bares his thoughts:

Peacock College is a Nigerian-owned, new tertiary institution in the UK, are you particularly targeting the Nigerian market as you begin operations?

For the very beginning, Nigeria will be our first target and that is what we keep in mind. It is a Nigerian business so the priorities are for Nigerians. For the benefit of the Nigerian market, we have reduced our prices just to cover the cost of operation.

Can you give us a comprehensive list of your educational services and products?

It is difficult for me as many courses we offer are tailor made to suit our customers’ need. As I have mentioned already we specialise in business management in all sectors of economy, including the oil and gas industries, communication, aviation, travel and tourism. You name the program you need to develop and we will do it. List of our standard courses and services are listed on our website.

What efforts are you making to pitch your products and services to the vast Nigerian market?

We are in constant contact with the group head office in Nigeria, the Peacock Group of Companies. We employ Nigerians as well; we read Nigerian newspapers, listen to economic and political news and we are always on top of what is happening in Nigeria. With all this, we prepare our offer according to what we think will suit Nigerian market and Nigerian businesses.

What role would Peacock College play in moulding future leaders in the various professions? Organisations today are increasingly discussing the framework of professional values, ethics and attitudes for exercising professional judgment and acting in an ethical manner, which is in the best interests of society and the profession.

One of our courses – Corporate Ethics and Governance is suitable for every manager, leader or professional. This training program enables managers gain an understanding on corporate ethics, social and professional responsibility to reflect a transparent organisational culture. There is no future for leadership without understanding the social and professional responsibilities. And that is what we would like to bring to professionals.

What is the college’s role in an increasingly globalised, knowledge-based and sophisticated world?

One of the distinguishing features of global organisations is to effectively manage global operations in a consistent manner but at the same time allow flexibility at the country level to effectively compete.. As the Peacock College is located in one of the biggest and most developed city in the world, our role is to bring the up to date information and training sufficient to operate in business changing environment. It is nearly four weeks since news broke of the Peacock College UK scholarship.

Can you give a detailed description of the scholarship package?

There will be an iPad for each of the participants, stationery and all training materials printed or stored on USB drive. We have made an effort to arrange a light Nigerian lunch and refreshments during the course days. We will also arrange a visit to various companies or the London Stock Exchange. There will be a group photograph taken and certificate issued to each of the participants. We will also arrange transport from airport to hotel.

The Federal Government has been urged to stop lavishing billions of naira on sports and music at the expense of education.

A scholar, Dr Zafaran Adeniyi said unfilled vacancies in the academic sector are due to ‘I-don’t-care’ attitude of government to academic excellence and intellectual development.

Dr Adeniyi, the Director (Admin) Vanguards Academy located at Odosengolu, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, made this assertion during a press briefing to commemorate the school’s 10th anniversary.

He claimed that budgetary allocation to entertain guests atAso Rock is far more than allocation for infrastructural development in most federal universities.

“The same thing goes for state higher institutions. The sum total of the security votes of Nigerian governors is enough to expand existing universities to cater for the increasing number of university applicants. Expenditure on foreign trips of the President and the governors is more than enough to provide textbooks for Nigerian students in secondary schools.

The leakage in government is just too much,” he lamented.

This, he noted, is why the country is breeding militancy in the Delta, kidnappers in the east, and robbers in the west and bombers in the north.

Adeniyi lamented that the objective of the secondary education to prepare the youths for useful living within the society and at the higher levels is going down the drain.

He said: “Secondary education is expected to inculcate the value system of the new social order, both intellectual and social; and develop human skill.

An appraisal of this aim painfully returns a nation in wilderness without a clue of its bearing. Nigeria compass (education) remains largely faulty and ominously unreliable.

This is not out of quality manpower but essentially for unstable policies that are as divergent and numerous as their initiators. It is also a product of endemic corruption that this country notoriously glorifies.”