Some stakeholders in the education sector have stressed the need for the Federal Government to strengthen existing tertiary institutions to meet standards and produce wholesome graduates.
They made this known in separate interviews in Ibadan on Friday, while reacting to the just approved 20 private universities in the country.
Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, the Chairman, Education Management Board, Baptist Mission Schools of the Nigerian Baptist Convention said the approval given to the private universities by the Federal Executive Council “is not unexpected’’.
According to him, this is needed with the increasing number of applications at the Directorate for Establishment of Private Universities at the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“This makes the total number of private universities in Nigeria 99. This number appears too high if the number of existing universities both government and private to be 174.
“Here, it calls for some caution given the fact that many existing private universities in Nigeria are not operating at full capacities in terms of their admissions quotas by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
“The more reason why many public universities are still overstretched being the more preferred by many candidates and their parents.
“Notwithstanding, the approval given to the 20 universities came with a caveat, they are to be monitored for three years to ensure quality assurance and full growth.
“This, the NUC should ensure.”
Aremu said the increasing number of universities in Nigeria was also an indication of full deregulation of the university education sector in Nigeria.
“While there’s nothing wrong with this, efforts should be made to make conditions for establishment of more universities stringent to ensure quality assurance.
“This the Federal Government can do through the NUC.
“The oversight functions by the NUC should be more engaging and possibly to also address the question of tuition which is very prohibitive in some private universities in Nigeria,” he said.
Aremu further advised that the new universities just approved by the NUC should also be attached to the big universities for guidance and mentoring.
He said this was with a view to guiding them to develop and nurture sustainable appropriate university tradition and culture lacking in many private universities in Nigeria.
Also, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, the Chairman Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Ibadan chapter, said whilst the Federal Government has the power to approve new schools, efforts must be geared toward strengthening tertiary education.
He stressed the need for government agencies to have the wherewithal to insist on the standards that would be required “for us as a nation to produce the graduates that will fit into the industry at all levels.
“It is not just giving license but monitoring that those who claim they can run tertiary institutions and are running it well rather than just getting license for the sake of getting it without having structures on ground.
“We will keep our fingers crossed and see how ready those who have obtained the licenses.”
Akinwole said proliferation of tertiary institutions without adherence to standards and good structure was not a healthy development for the nation.
“It is like we are turning our education to cash and carry whereas education goes beyond buying and selling. It is a serious matter.
“The idea that it has to be expensive before it becomes good is a syndrome that is not for a nation that is gearing for development like ours.
“Government needs to strengthen the education sector and pay attention to welfare of the staff.
“As it is now, the government still owes four months salaries and allowances of academic staff members.
“Government needs to change its attitude toward education and make it a positive, especially the public education in this country.”
