The Nation Newspaper

Tag: tertiary institutions

  • ‘Varsities should adopt competence-based education’

    ‘Varsities should adopt competence-based education’

    By Mercy Abooluwa Oke

    Tertiary institutions in Africa must strengthen their role in closing the continent’s persistent knowledge and research gap, and adopt a competence-based and practical education approach to align graduates with labour market demands, Prof.  Clement Dzidonu, President of the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), has said.

    He stated this at the university’s 21st graduation ceremony, where he also congratulated the 1,094 new students matriculated into the institution.

    This is as he urged Africa’s youth to embrace innovation and research-driven education.

    Dzidonu emphasised that the global talent economy is still largely dominated by Asia and other regions, but Africa—with its rapidly growing youth population—must position itself as a strong contributor by building capacity and fostering innovation.

    Research indicates that the number of graduates from African universities is expected to reach 1.9 million annually by 2030, yet many economies still face a significant skills deficit.

    He stated: “In more than two decades, we have been fostering a culture of innovation at AIT, preparing our students for critical roles in the emerging economies of Africa.”

    Read Also: NASENI launches InnovateNaija Nigeria’s biggest innovation challenge to empower youths

    The ceremony celebrated the graduation of 505 students across Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programmes. A major highlight was the 13th consecutive year of PhD graduations, with AIT surpassing 80 doctoral graduates to date.  Many of these alumni have attained professorial ranks within three years, reinforcing AIT’s role in producing world-class researchers and innovators.

    Distinguished academics, including Professor Emeritus Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, speaking on behalf of Emeritus Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, praised AIT’s dedication to talent development and academic excellence.

    Ranked as Ghana’s top private university by the Ghana Tertiary Awards, AIT has consistently won the Best Technology University in Ghana award for four consecutive years. It has also been recognised internationally as Ghana’s Best Technology-Focused University by Global Business Insight (UK).

    AIT is fully accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and offers both campus-based and Open University programmes. The institute collaborates with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for undergraduate programmes and with the Open University of Malaysia for postgraduate and doctoral programmes.

  • ASUU, CONUA, NANS backfreezing of new public tertiary institutions

    ASUU, CONUA, NANS backfreezing of new public tertiary institutions

    Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Congress of University Academics (CONUA) and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), have lauded the announcement of seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. They assert that the freeze would enable the government to channel resources into upgrading facilities, hiring qualified members of staff and expanding the capacity of existing institutions, Bola Olajuwon, Assistant Editor, Damola Kola-Dare and Victoria Amadi report

    Despite their disagreements, the members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) agreed that the Federal and state governments must stop the proliferation of public tertiary institutions. They also accepted the need to fix the ones already in existence and fund them adequately.

    They had contended that public tertiary institutions face various challenges, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits and brain drain. But, despite these challenges, new universities have been established in recent years, expanding access to higher education.

    The need for moratorium on new tertiary institutions

    The country has 72 federal universities, 42 federal polytechnics, and 28 federal colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private tertiary institutions, as well as specialised schools such as colleges of agriculture, health sciences and nursing. The tertiary unions had asserted that the institutions are poorly funded and students were not applying to attend them.

    It was, therefore, not surprising that their members supported the idea when the Federal Government imposed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, citing the proliferation of under-utilised institutions, overstretched resources, and a drop in academic quality.

    The decision was approved at last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The decision followed a presentation made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

    But, FEC, however, approved nine new private universities despite the freeze.

    Alausa told State House correspondents after the meeting that the challenge in Nigeria’s tertiary education system was no longer access, but inefficient duplication, poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing and dwindling enrolment in many existing institutions.

    “Several federal universities operate far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students. In one northern university, there are 1,200 staff serving fewer than 800 students. This is a waste of government’s resources,” he stated.

    According to him, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board last year, with 34 recording zero applications. He added that from the 295 polytechnics nationwide, many had fewer than 99 applicants. Also, 219 colleges of education also posted poor enrolment figures, including 64 with no applications at all.

    The minister warned that unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions risked producing ill-prepared graduates, eroding the value of Nigerian degrees internationally and worsening unemployment.

    Alausa also announced that the moratorium would enable the government to channel resources into upgrading facilities, hiring qualified staff and expanding the capacity of existing institutions.

    “If we want to improve quality and not be a laughing stock globally, the pragmatic step is to pause the establishment of new federal institutions,” he said.

    He explained that the approved nine universities were private institutions, whose applications had been pending for up to six years and had undergone full evaluation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    “When we assumed office, there were 551 applications for private universities. Many had been stuck due to inefficiencies at the NUC. We deactivated over 350 dormant applications and set new, stricter guidelines. Of the 79 active cases, nine met the criteria and were approved,” Alausa said.

    Is freezing a bow to tertiary institutions’ unions?

    One of the issues earlier raised by the ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, was the proliferation of universities, poor welfare of lecturers and renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement among others.

    The union warned the Federal Government against the proliferation of some universities in the country. It described some of the institutions, especially those being established by some state governments as “glorified secondary schools” as a result of lack of infrastructure and enabling environment for effective teaching and learning.

    Read Also: New NERC chairman insists DisCos, GenCos must comply with rules

    ASUU had often expressed worry that the intervention from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is now thinly spread on institutions that are not functioning optimally and also contended  that the existing institutions are bedeviled with infrastructure decay and deficit in addition to poor attention being paid to the welfare of lecturers.

    ‘Fed Govt has bitten up more than it can chew’

    Reacting, ASUU Chairperson, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof. Pius Bamidele, stressed that the Federal Government has bitten up more than it can chew, adding that the government was not yet there when talking about funding.

    Also, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Chairman, Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma Ofurum, noted that there are already enough universities in the country, citing insufficient funding and sub standardisation as the major challenges facing these institutions. He advocated the closure of sub-standard institutions, urging the government to re-deploy staff of those schools to places where they are needed.

    “Sometimes, the government doesn’t fund these institutions appropriately the way they’re supposed to be. When you go to these institutions, you will see that a number of them are sub-standard in terms of facility and infrastructure and manpower requirement is not sufficient.

    “Some of the heads in these schools put their people there to generate money from the budget and retire them the way they want. It is unwarranted. It is important they’re checkmated. If a university is not running of standard, they should close it. The government can only redeploy staff of those schools whose employment is confirmed,” he said.

    Dr. Isaac Udoh of Abia State University (ABSU) said: “ASUU is not bothered about whether we have a thousand universities. But, have you sufficiently taken care of the ones we have? Go to public universities and see.”

    CONUA to govts: address full spectrum of needs

    Congress of University Academics (CONUA) President Niyi Sunmonu, PhD, urged government to, during the seven‑year period, address the full-spectrum of needs, reflecting current realities in existing universities, vis-à-vis funding, staffing, infrastructure, research support and welfare.

    A seven‑year moratorium, by itself, is insufficient unless accompanied by a thorough viability evaluation of the newly created institutions, Sunmonu said.

    “In the April 2025 press engagement, CONUA cautioned against the proliferation of federal universities without prioritising the existing ones through proper funding, adequate staffing and commensurate remuneration to keep workers motivated,” the CONUA President said.

    It is the right step, says Adedimeji

    Vice Chancellor, African School of Economics (ASE), Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, said it is the right step in the right direction given that that about 40 or more universities, both public and private, have been established under the current administration to deepen access to education, stressing that it is time to ensure that quality isn’t compromised.

    He said: “I think it is a right step in the right direction. The debate has often oscillated between providing access and maintaining quality while striking a healthy balance. Given that about 40 or more universities, both public and private, have been established under this administration to deepen access, it is time to ensure that quality isn’t compromised.

    “It is a welcome development though the statement noted that those that meet the stringent conditions for approval within the period will still be considered. By and large, the step taken by the Federal Government is a laudable step.”

    NANS lauds govt

    National Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Samson Ajasa Adeyemi, noted that there are enough tertiary institutions in the country. Hence, he noted the new government policy is commendable.

    In a chat with The Nation, he stated that the seven-year ban is not even enough, stressing that the creation of institutions doesn’t in anyway have effect on admission quota.

    He said: “In Ogun State, there’s a local government, Odeda Local Government, which houses the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and the Federal College of Education Abeokuta (FCE) Osiele. These are two federal institutions in a single local government. Same thing with Ijebu North Local Government that houses Olabisi Onabanjo University and Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic.

    “If we are to look at it, you see that we have enough to the extent that we can have two tertiary institutions in a single local government in Nigeria. So, I believe we have enough. The major critical point we have to look at is the critical part of funding.”

    “Even the seven years is too small to me and to some of us. But, we believe that it is the right path that we can start from. At least, let’s start from there first. So, for the next seven years, all funds should go directly to the established ones and let’s see the changes. Let’s be able to analyse the impact. By then, we’ll be able to know if actually this policy is having effect or not. But, from all indications, we believe that there should be a lot of changes if the government is serious and ready to pay critical attention to it.

    “The minister said ‘quality of over quantity’ will be prioritised. This is the right time to go to pay attention to it.  Most of these schools truly are underutilised. How many researches have been conducted in these schools? How many innovations have been funded? Our universities should be tech hubs. So, to me and NANS, it is the right direction to go.”

  • Moratorium on establishment of tertiary institutions

    Moratorium on establishment of tertiary institutions

    Sir: A few days ago, the federal government announced that it has pressed the pause button on the bewildering speed at which tertiary educational institutions are being established for seven years. Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, explained that the action was informed by the fact that, unlike before now, the issue of access is not much of a challenge but rather the matter of building the capacities of the existing ones and making them much more efficient.

    He put it lucidly thus: “What we are witnessing today is duplication of new tertiary institutions and a significant reduction in the carrying capacity of each institution and degradation of both physical infrastructure and manpower “. He said further: “If we do not decisively act, it will lead to marked decline in educational quality and undermine the international respect that Nigerian graduates command “.

    Before the federal authority also became neck deep in over proliferation of tertiary educational institutions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had stridently called on the federal and state governments to apply the break for the dangers the trend portends. However, believing that access was desirable then and that it could be pursued with moderation, some well-meaning Nigerians including yours sincerely supported further expansion. This was reinforced by the country’s huge population and our thirst for higher education which has accelerated our cross borders search for higher education at humongous costs.

    Since this policy has been pronounced, some commentators have seen it as another harsh policy coming from the Tinubu’s administration. However, methinks it is not for the following reasons parts of which have been mentioned by the minister.

    One, the break is desirable because the processes of establishing them have been over politicized. As the minister has revealed, more than 200 bills on creation of new tertiary institutions are pending in the National Assembly. Proposing a bill for the establishment of a tertiary educational institution seems perhaps, the easiest legislative duty today in Nigeria for a lawmaker.

    Every constituency if not ward wants a federal tertiary educational institution, As a result of this political pressure, the processes and criteria of establishing them have been abused and breached thereby leading to unnecessary duplication with all its adverse effects on resources allocation and utilization. We need to pause and relate the quest for access to the available resources so that we don’t slide irredeemably in quality

    Two, this moratorium will also give us the time to carry out the desirable reforms of the rots, structural deficiencies, funding and mismanagement that have bedevilled our tertiary institutions today.

    Read Also: Two Nigerian Referees for CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifiers

    For example, the minister cited the case of an institution in the North where the staff strength is 1,200 as against students’ population of about 800.  Indeed, it is not only in the North we have this trajectory; it abounds all over the country. In fact, many of the tertiary institutions especially polytechnics and colleges of education with low students enrolment but higher staff strength, still, against their need, have more non-academic staff on their nominal rolls than the much needed academic staff.

    In another example, an institution in the South with student population of about 300 and staff strength of about 800 allegedly has 26 chief accountants among other categories of accountant on the accountant cadre! It is of course sad to note that in both federal and state owned institutions, people are ironically employed into joblessness. In recruitment, conditions of service, scheme of service, merit and federal character principles have all been replaced with the whims and caprices of the political class, the traditional title holders and the bureaucratic job merchants.

    Third, we need this moratorium to enable us to convene stakeholders’ conferences to review and reset the criteria for the establishment of new tertiary institutions in the country in national interest. No doubt, we also need this conference to discuss international best practices on the matters of university autonomy, funding and personnel management and to prepare grounds to key into them.

    It is true that we are in a democracy. As such, the public can make demands on the National Assembly and the executive duly elected by it. However, for the sake of national development, equity, and fairness, it is imperative that policy makers and policy carriers always endeavour to balance national interest with political discretion in matters of public policy.

    •Dr. Ademola Adebisi, Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin Ondo State

  • Fed Govt freezes establishment of new tertiary institutions for seven years

    Fed Govt freezes establishment of new tertiary institutions for seven years

    A seven-year ban has been placed by the Federal Government on the establishment of new universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.

    Despite the restriction, it approved nine new universities.  

     Education Minister Maruf  Alausa told reporters after yesterday’s  FEC meeting that the ban was informed by the rising number of under-utilised tertiary institutions, overstretched resources and a drop in academic quality.

    Nigeria currently has 72 federal universities, 42, and 28 federal colleges of education, in addition to hundreds of state-owned and private tertiary institutions,  as well as specialised schools such as colleges of agriculture, health sciences, and nursing.

      Alausa explained that the challenge in the nation’s tertiary education system was no longer access but inefficient duplication, poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and dwindling enrolments. 

    He said: “Several federal universities operate far below capacity, with some having fewer than 2,000 students. In one northern university, 1,200 staff members are serving fewer than 800 students. This is a waste of government resources.” 

    Read Also: Revamped PHCs reducing burden on tertiary hospitals – Fidson boss

    According to him, 199 universities received fewer than 100 applications through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) last year, with 34 recording zero applications.

    Of the 295 polytechnics nationwide, many had fewer than 99 applicants. The  219 colleges of education also posted poor enrolment figures, including 64 with no applications. 

    Alausa warned that unchecked proliferation of poorly subscribed institutions could result in the country having ill-prepared graduates, erosion of the value of degrees internationally, and a worse unemployment rate.

    “If we want to improve quality and not be a laughing stock globally, the pragmatic step is to pause the establishment of new federal institutions,”  said the minister.

  • Fed Govt to streamline accreditation processes for tertiary institutions

    Fed Govt to streamline accreditation processes for tertiary institutions

    • NUC, professional bodies to conduct joint accreditations

    The Federal Government has said it is considering a plan to overhaul the accreditation process for tertiary institutions across the country.

    The government described the current process as “fragmented, costly, and counterproductive”.

    The government said over 25 professional bodies currently conduct separate accreditation visits to universities, often charging institutions for logistics and stipends, thereby overburdening already stretched educational budgets.

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the government’s plan at a stakeholders’ meeting with professional regulatory bodies yesterday in Abuja.

    The minister emphasised the need to streamline accreditation under the statutory leadership of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and end what he called a “chaotic and exploitative system”.

    “Accreditation should not be turned into a business.

    “Universities should not bear the financial weight of a service that’s supposed to ensure quality,” he added.

    In a statement by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the minister stressed that Nigeria must adopt a unified and efficient system that maintains academic and professional standards while expanding access and reducing bureaucracy.

    Read Also: Tertiary institutions must drive rural transformation – UAES VC

    The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, shared her experience when she was coordinating multiple accreditation exercises. She described it as overwhelming and disruptive.

    “Institutions are under immense pressure, often resulting in artificial compliance to meet impossible expectations,” Prof. Ahmad said.

    The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, reaffirmed the ministry’s dedication to fostering collaboration among all stakeholders to advance the interests of the students and institutions.

    The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, called for legal and operational clarity.

    He cited the contradiction between academic and professional benchmarks.

    “Universities are being accredited by NUC and simultaneously disaccredited by professional bodies over conflicting requirements,” he said.

    Also, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, noted that many accrediting bodies have exploited legislative loopholes, resulting in duplication and inefficiency.

    “This abuse must stop. We need a rational, collaborative solution,” he added.

    At the end of the meeting, participants agreed to a set of unified resolutions, including accreditation to be conducted jointly by NUC and relevant professional bodies; all accreditations will be valid for five years; on-site visits must be completed within two to three days; professional bodies must fully fund their accreditation activities without charging universities; and these measures will apply uniformly across all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

  • Welfare of academic, non-academic staff of tertiary institutions a top priority – FG

    Welfare of academic, non-academic staff of tertiary institutions a top priority – FG

    The federal government on Tuesday said that the welfare of both academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions remained a top priority.

    The government said this was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Human Capital Development.

    Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, said this in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, on Tuesday.

    The statement was in response to the strike declared by branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the delay in payment of their June salary.

    The minister said that ASUU was not on strike, emphasising the government’s continued efforts to ensure industrial harmony in the nation’s federal tertiary institutions.

    Alausa noted that the current atmosphere of stability across tertiary institutions was the result of sustained dialogue, mutual respect, and genuine commitment by the present administration to address the demands of academic and non-academic staff unions.

    He said, “It is not by coincidence that Nigerian Public Tertiary Institutions have remained open and stable for the past two years, something that has not happened in several decades.

    “This is a reflection of our government’s unwavering commitment to maintaining cordial relationships with all stakeholders in the education sector. We are meeting demands in phases, and we are doing so respectfully and consistently.”

    He reassured that the government will not relent in improving working conditions and protecting the academic calendar.

    Read Also: UPDATED: FG pegs tertiary admission age at 16, sets new cut-off marks for 2025/2026 session

    “Our children are the heartbeat of the nation, and their uninterrupted education is non-negotiable. The Federal Government will continue to work closely with all unions in the education sector to ensure that the gates of our institutions remain open,” he added.

    The minister urged the public to disregard any misinformation suggesting that ASUU was on strike, reiterating that the current stability in the university system was a joint achievement that must be preserved.

  • Student loan: Allow students with loan applications to sit for exams, FG tells heads of tertiary institutions

    Student loan: Allow students with loan applications to sit for exams, FG tells heads of tertiary institutions

    The federal government has urged tertiary institutions to permit students who have applied for the student loan programme to sit for their examinations without any restrictions.

    The government also set up a high-level committee to streamline and standardise fee payment processes across the country’s tertiary institutions.

    It said the committee’s work is aimed at enhancing financial operations between Nigerian universities and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

    The panel is expected to standardise the nomenclature of the charges, timeline of when NELFUND would disburse institutional loans, and when universities and other institutions would announce disbursements.

    Briefing reporters in Abuja on Wednesday after meeting with NELFUND, Vice-Chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions accused of misappropriating student loan disbursements, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the panel has three weeks to submit its report.

    He dismissed as untrue allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) that N71.2 billion was unaccounted for by NELFUND.

    The minister said, “The current processes are working, but we are working to better the system we have now.

    “The aim is to serve both NELFUND and our citizens more efficiently, and align with the broader agenda of the current administration,” he said.

    Dr Alausa admitted that the removal of service charges by beneficiary institutions was responsible for allegations of loan deductions by students.

    He stated, “The differences that students are saying from when NELFUND pays the universities and the refund they give back to the student is the service charge. The university takes out its service charge, and that’s what is accountable for those differences.

    “We’re working to better streamline those processes and come up with more standardised guidelines to address those issues.”

    He described allegations of loan misappropriation by tertiary institutions as “communication problems.”

    Alausa revealed that one of the major decisions reached during the meeting was the formation of a committee comprising representatives from NELFUND, the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and key university officials.

    He explained that while the actual fee amounts might differ by institution, all universities would be required to adopt uniform terminology to ensure transparency.

    The minister said, “The committee will determine and publish standard timelines for when NELFUND will disburse funds and when universities must notify students.”

    Read Also: NELFUND warns tertiary institutions against illegal charges on student Loan

    Responding to questions about discrepancies between student fees and what NELFUND pays, Alausa attributed the differences to varying service charges by institutions.

    He said the committee would create a clear framework for fee components to eliminate confusion and ensure accurate disbursements.

    Alausa added: “Universities will disclose service charges upfront to avoid misunderstandings in refunded amounts.”

    The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to a holistic and student-focused approach to managing educational funding.

    The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad; Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr and heads of beneficiary tertiary institutions. 

  • Fed Govt reverses 18-year admission age for tertiary institutions

    Fed Govt reverses 18-year admission age for tertiary institutions

    • Ban on certificates obtained from Benin Republic, Togo remains
    • Education to be 80% practical, says minister

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has reversed the decision of his predecessor, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on the 18-years admission benchmark into tertiary institutions.

    Mamman had pegged the 18-year admission benchmark into tertiary institutions during the 2024 Policy Meeting on admissions organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    The decision was met with stiff rejection from vice chancellors, rectors, provosts and other heads of tertiary institutions.

    Alausa announced the new age benchmark during his inaugural media briefing yesterday in Abuja.

    The minister explained that what led to that initial decision was the way the National Policy on Education was designed.

    He said: “We will not be going forward with the 18-year admission benchmark. We will go with 16 years and we are going to meet with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and others on that.

    “There will also be exceptions for the gifted students. Eighteen years is not part of our policy again.”

    Commenting on the withdrawal of certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo, Alausa said the policy would remain in place to help Nigeria in eliminating fake certificates from the system.

    The minister said the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration was giving priority attention to out-of-school children menace.

    He assured fellow Nigerians that various solutions would be considered to reduce their numbers.

    Alausa said the ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to provide conditional cash transfers as incentives for students to increase school enrollment.

    The minister also announced that the Federal Government would introduce nutritional programmes to support students’ health, thereby enhancing human capital development.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Nasiru Sani-Gwarzo, formally welcomed the minister and the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad, to their offices yesterday.

    Read Also: FG shuts down IPPIS for tertiary institutions

     Also, Dr. Alausa has said the country’s education system will shift to an 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theoretical model.

    The minister noted that practical education would help address unemployment by preparing students with skills directly relevant to the job market.

    He said the Federal Government planned to collaborate with the private sector to train students and help them realise their potential.

    Alausa also said universities of agriculture would get Federal Government’s support to implement mechanised farming to improve food security.

    “We will focus on technical and vocational education (TVET), using federal technical colleges and national entrepreneurship institutions to create practical opportunities for students.

    “All specialised universities will be required to have mechanised farms, and we will provide financial incentives to support this,” he said.

    Addressing frequent strikes in tertiary institutions, Alausa assured unions of a “new beginning”, pledging a supportive environment to prevent prolonged school closures due to labour actions.

    “This is a new beginning for ASUU, NASU, SSANU, ASUP, COEASU, and others,” he said.

    He urged the unions to give the government a chance to meet its commitments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Alausa also promised to modernise the education system to meet 21st-century demands with a focus on STEM and medical sciences to bolster workforce development.

  • Legislating entry age for admission into tertiary institutions

    Legislating entry age for admission into tertiary institutions

    With the nation’s legal system failing to make specific provisions on the age limit for admission into higher education in the country, except the National Policy on Education, the recent pronouncement to increase the age to 18 years has not gone down well with many Nigerians. Even though the 18-year limit has been shifted to 2025, there is a need for the National Assembly to begin a legislative process that will either legalise the 18-year limit or leave it at 16, TONY AKOWE reports

    The announcement by the Minister of Education, Prof. Mamman Tahir, that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institution in the country should be pegged at 18 years has continued to generate controversy across the country. While monitoring the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in April, the minister had decried the rate of underage entry into universities, saying there is a plan to review and peg the minimum entry age into tertiary institutions at 18 years.

    The minister’s arguments

    The minister said: “We noticed that the age of those who have applied to go to the university, some of them are really too young. We are going to look at it because they are too young to understand what a university education is all about. That’s the stage when students migrate from a controlled environment, where they are in charge of their own affairs. So, if they are too young, they won’t be able to manage properly. That accounts for some of the problems we are seeing in the universities. We are going to look at that. Eighteen years is the entry age for university, but you will see students who are 15 and 16 going to the examination. It is not good for us. Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards or children too much.”

    Speaking at a Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) 2024 policy meeting, the minister again restated his earlier position for an increase in the age limit from 16 to 18, but was greeted by boos and jeers. But that has not stopped the announcement which is, however, yet to be built into the national policy on education. Rather than take off in the 2024 admission exercise, the only concession given by the minister is the commencement of the process during the 2025 admission.

    2019 National Policy on Education and age limit

    A study by The Nation revealed that the 2019 National Policy on Education pegs the minimum age for admission into tertiary institution at 16. The policy states that “candidates must be at least 16 years old by October of the admission year to be eligible for admission into a university. Candidates who are below 16 years old by October of the admission year will not be considered for admission”. This policy is to be enforced by JAMB, which is responsible for conducting entrance examinations for Nigerian universities, even though some universities may have additional requirements, which is higher, including being admitted to certain courses. It, however, makes provisions that candidates with exceptional abilities or talents may be considered for admission at a younger age.

    In addition to the National Policy on Education, the JAMB Establishment Act (2018) empowers the board to set minimum admission standards, including age requirements. But the Federal Government’s policy on education, which emphasises access and equity, potentially conflicts with the age limit requirement. However, both the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education Board (NBTE) guidelines for university and polytechnic admission did not specify a minimum age limit for admission.

    The lawmakers’ intervention

    The Nation learnt that in 2021, the Senate said it would amend the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Establishment Act to limit the age of a candidate sitting for the UTME to 16 years and above. The argument then came when a 15-year-old boy was denied admission on the ground that he was underaged inspite of his exceptional performance in the UTME. The Senate said then that specifying the age limit would prevent underage students from participating in the examination, to gain admission into tertiary institutions.

    Even though the 9th Senate is yet to amend the JAMB Establishment Act to provide for the age limit, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Senator Muntari Dandutse, supports the proposal by the minister. He, however, said that the Senate will come up with a robust legislation to support the new age limit. Dandutse said though age should not be a barrier to admission into tertiary institutions, the age limit of 18 years as proposed by the minister is sacrosanct. He said: “With what is happening, we are going to amend it and make it robust. Specifically, everybody should have access to education, your age, if is 40 or 50 or 60 years, doesn’t mean you cannot enter the university.

    Also, Senator Sunday Karimi, who also threw his weight behind the new proposal by the minister, said: “Age should not be a barrier but you cannot be 12, 13, 14 years and enter into the university. Before you can enter primary school, you have to be six years. Before you can enter secondary school, you have to be 12 years. So, before you can enter the university, you have to be 18 years.”

    The Nation tried to get the views of the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies, Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa), but he failed to answer his call and did not respond to an SMS sent to his phone line at the time of filing this report.

    ASUU, NASU support 18 years’ proppsal

    But the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) supports the move by the minister and the JAMB to increase the minimum age requirement from 16 to 18 years. The union argued that the current minimum requirement is too low and can lead to underprepared students entering the university system. The union argued that students who enter university at 16 may not have the necessary emotional, social and academic maturity to handle the demands of university education. ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, described the proposition by the Federal Government as a welcome development. He was quoted as saying, “we are in full support. It is the right thing. What the minister said is the correct thing. The issue of age benchmark is not a new thing. It’s just that regulators have not been doing their work. In those days, you could not go to primary school, if you were not six years old. Then you spend six years and finish at age 12; and then  by the time you get to secondary school, you spend six years and then you graduate by 18.”

    The union also believed that the policy of allowing the minimum age of 16 may lead to a decrease in academic standards and quality of education, adding that focus should be on improving the quality of secondary education rather than rushing students into university.

    Also, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) supports increasing the limit to 18. Its General Secretary, Comrade Peter Adeyemi, described 18 years as the age of maturity”, saying “to be a university student, you need some level of maturity and ability to understand life. I think 18 years is okay, if only they will adhere to it”.

    More arguments

    Some critics have argued that the 16-year age limit is too low for admission into tertiary institution in view of independent nature associated with such students. Those opposed to the need to increase the age limit have also argued that the age limit promotes access to education and should not be increased.

    A former university lecturer and former Secretary of ASUU and current Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, believes that every society must make room for gifted children. Ihonvbere who headed the House Committee on Basic Education in the 9th House of Representatives told The Nation that while there is no definite legal system in place moderating when a child can enter the higher institution, the National Assembly may take a second look at existing laws as a way of addressing the confusion.

    He said: “I think that every society must make allowance for gifted children, those who have unusual capacity to run through a system and produce results and abide by the rules to meet expectations. Those type of children should be allowed to thrive as a way of inspiring others. But I believe that once a child has gone through basic education and written the relevant examination and get admitted, he should be allowed to go on. I have no objection to that to students gaining admission at 16. I understand the issue of maturity and of being guided properly. However, it is the duty of the school to make arrangements for such exceptional children. It is just like you have slow learners where children of 12, 13, 15 ages cannot write their names. You don’t throw them out, but make special arrangements for them. So, we must make that kind of arrangement. They might just be the geniuses we are looking for in society to make the difference. So, you don’t discourage them”. Ihonvbare is also not against making regulations on the minimum age for entering into tertiary institution, but argued that such regulations must recognise excellence.

    Read Also: Shut down tertiary institutions operating below standard, Afe Babalola urges govt

    He said: “For me, why there should be a regulation for minimum age for going into the higher institutions, there should also be an exception to say where there are proven cases of exceptional brilliance and performance following the rule as laid down, such children should be allowed.”

    Asked whether there are existing laws guiding entry into tertiary institutions, he said: “There is a rule, which says you come in at a certain age,  spend a certain period of time and move to the next level. But it does not say specifically that a child must be at a certain age go into higher institution. Maybe, we should take a second look at it so that we can specify it and make some exceptions.  In those days, there were students who got double promotion. There were those who did so well that they jumped one class and did very well. My younger brother didn’t go through primary six. In primary five, he was so good that he wrote the common entrance examination, passed and went straight to secondary school. He did not have a primary six certificate today. He wrote his school certificate exams, did very well and went to the university and got a Master’s degree, branched into computer engineering and is doing very well. So, imagine such a child had been stunted. But we still need to take a look at the rules so that there will be no confusion.”

    Solutions

    Investigations  by The Nation revealed that presently, the age limit set by JAMB for those writing the UTME is 16 and being an examination body that conducts entrance examination for admission into tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria, it is expected that it provides the baseline for such age criteria.

    Whatever the decision, it is a fact that there is need to review the National Policy on Education and the JAMB Establishment Act to consider raising the minimum age limit to 18 years after a stakeholders engagement that should agree on such increase. In doing this, there is the urgent need for JAMB, NUC, NBTE and other regulatory bodies to harmonise their guidelines to ensure consistency in admission requirements, while stakeholders should engage in dialogue to address concerns and find a balance between access and academic preparedness.

    Aside opposing the plan by the ministry and JAMB to increase the age limit, stakeholders should begin to engage the regulatory bodies and the ministry towards finding a solution that balances access to education with academic preparedness.

  • Obstacles to seamless growth of tertiary institutions

    Obstacles to seamless growth of tertiary institutions

    Incredible as it may sound, the various Nigerian governments constitute the greatest obstacles to seamless and rational development of tertiary institutions in Nigeria especially in recent times. The University of Ibadan was established by the British colonial government after careful study, analysis and funding options and the country’s needs at the same time. This was also the time the British government established the university of the West Indies, upgraded the Makerere College which had been offering some form of technical education since 1922 to students in East Africa to a university college in Uganda.

    Contemporaneously, the British government founded the University College of the Gold Coast in Legon on the same principles. They were all to operate as colleges of the University College, London which moderated examination papers and the degrees awarded after three years post-Advanced Level of London or Cambridge universities as the case may be. The university colleges did not offer specialized degree courses but general degrees in Arts, the Sciences but by 1949, a few of them, namely Ibadan, Kingston and Makerere offered courses in medicine.

    Students from the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and the Gambia came to Ibadan to study medicine while students from all the West Indian islands went to Mona (Kingston, Jamaica) and those from Uganda, Kenya and the then Tanganyika (now Tanzania after unification with Zanzibar) went to Makerere to study medicine. This careful planning ensured that the quality of the degrees offered was at par with those of London and their products could work in any country of the Commonwealth and even in the USA after fulfilling local conditions. Critics have justifiably said the curriculum  in these university colleges was too narrow and in some cases unrelated to local environment but nobody could say the quality of the teaching  and research were inferior to any offered in the Western world. The teachers and technicians and even librarians came from the advanced world of the white commonwealth. The few Africans who taught in these institutions were educated in British universities and rarely in American universities whose quality of education was usually thought not to be as good as those in Britain.

    Nigerians were proud to have gone through the portals of the University of Ibadan and their products provided the bulk of the civil servants on which the politicians relied in the transition period from colonial administration to independence administration.

    After independence in 1960, the new rulers of Nigeria began to criticize the colonial structure and limited academic offerings at Ibadan where the Social Sciences except Economics were not taught. Business Administration, Law, Architecture, Engineering, Accounting, Insurance and other modern disciplines were not on offering. Under this general criticism  of existing universities  in Nigeria, the Eastern Nigerian government  inspired by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and others largely educated in American universities, established along the land lease basis of  some state-owned American universities, the University of Nigeria at Nsukka, emphasising the all-round nature of universities in the USA with emphasis on agriculture, engineering, architecture, business, the social sciences, education with emphasis on sports medicine and physical education.

    Admission did not place too much emphasis on the restrictive Advanced Level passes of the London or Cambridge universities overseas examination. The school leaving certificate was adjudged good enough for a four year degree course instead of the three-year course duration at Ibadan. Even though the elite looked at this experiment as watering down higher education in Nigeria, the university stuck to its guns. The Americanism at Nsukka was later watered down by the influx of Igbo academics who went to Nsukka because of the civil disturbances and the civil war which lasted from 1966 to 1970. In 1962, the western and northern regional governments followed suit by establishing their own universities in Zaria and Ife in a competitive spirit which characterised politics of the first years of regional governments in Nigeria from 1951 to 1966. The two institutions tried to combine what was good in the British and American traditions but they remained largely tied to the British educational tradition.  The federal authorities were not going to allow itself to be run out of competition in the educational sector and it therefore established the University of Lagos combining business oriented courses of medicine, engineering, marine biology, architecture with the traditional arts, social sciences and the physical sciences.

    Read Also: NASS to remove tertiary institutions from IPPIS – Speaker

    The point I want to make is that the first five universities in Nigeria were established after very careful planning.

    Since that time, not much planning went into the establishment of universities in Nigeria. After the civil war of 1967 to 1970 and the stupendous rise in petroleum dollars accruing to the Nigerian exchequer especially following the rise in prices after the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, Nigeria felt confident enough to decide that the five existing universities were grossly inadequate and went ahead to establish regionally located universities and to take over the existing universities in Ibadan, Lagos, Ile-Ife, Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and University of Nigeria in Nsukka. These new universities were located in Sokoto, Maiduguri, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Benin (taking over the existing state university) Yola, Bayero College Kano and Jos. Later, Makurdi , Abeokuta, Akure, Bauchi and Owerri were established as special universities of agriculture and engineering. The point that needs be made is the politics of establishment and location of universities without paying much attention to funding, equipment and staffing. The domination of politics in the establishment of universities was carried to an extreme point when President Goodluck Jonathan suddenly in an after-dinner speech decreed the establishment of universities in all federal states where there were no universities ushering the sudden establishment of 11 federal universities in some places that had no infrastructure on the basis that universities were part of what was called “democratic dividends”. Since then, politics seems to play more part in the establishment of universities than rational planning and the wherewithal to fund these universities.

    Some state governments that have not even succeeded in running good secondary schools have now joined in the mad rush to establish not one but two or three universities without having the financial resources to run them. The university idea has gone to the dogs with the indiscriminate establishment of universities which exist only in name but not in truth and in deed as my old secondary school anthem taught us. The National Universities Commission (NUC) which was established to monitor the rational growth of universities has been emasculated and reduced to a rubber stamping body of yes-men! To make matters worse, private individuals under the illusion that there is money to be made have joined in the rush to establish universities. Religious bodies have not allowed itself to be left behind; in fact, many beat individual businesses to it and established well organised universities which have been found good enough to beat the government universities except in the high level of fees which they naturally charged the students in their institutions.

    The establishment of universities in Nigeria has been reduced to absurdity. Any powerful politician can use the establishment of universities in their constituency as bargaining chips. Universities of Medicine, Air Force, Navy, Petroleum, Transport, Police, Army universities are widely located in isolated places of the birth of major political and military officers with hardly any planning apart from who to ennoble as vice chancellors. My hope is that water will soon find its own level and these unplanned universities will in future collapse like a pack of cards when students refuse to enrol in them as a result of employers shunning their products.

    No one is opposed to the establishment of universities because the present ones do not have the absorptive capacity to take the students who want to have the benefit of higher education. But what is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

     The funding and staffing of these so-called universities leave much to be desired. If we have the correct statistics on our population, employment capacity and other data, one will be able to know the number and what kind of universities we need and can afford. If we are going to educate our young people for global employment places, then we must ensure that are graduates are of great quality and consequently of the desirable type. On the basis of our population which is estimated at over 200 million which are probably over estimated, our 170 plus universities of different hues, colour and quality is not too many but they must be quality universities. America has over 4,000 universities with five of them adjudged to be out of the best ten. Britain has 160 with a national population about a quarter of ours. Canada with less than 40 million people has just over 100 universities but we cannot compare our GDP with those of Canada, the UK and the USA. India about 1113 universities, 43796 colleges, 43796 so called stand-alone colleges producing different kinds of graduates but the product of its highly rated engineering colleges are attracting attention all over the world.  Perhaps we will get there but not through mushroom universities just established to meet the yearning of young people with no eye on end products. If we are to produce those who will put Nigeria on the world level, we have to pay more attention to our universities and the way we establish them without planning because it will be a scenario of garbage in garbage out! It is not the number or quantity that matters but quality and there is little quality in our existing mushroom universities.