Constitute Varsity Councils - FG orders minister

Adamu damu - Minister for Education

The Federal Government has directed the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, as a matter of urgency, to inaugurate the approved governing councils of federal universities to hasten academic and social development in the institutions.

Daily Sun learnt that President Muhammadu Buhari had, last month, approved the governing councils of no fewer than 24 federal universities. The minister, during the inauguration of the governing councils of the University of Port Harcourt and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in Abuja, announced that the councils would be inaugurated before the end of February.

However, the President, who spoke through the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Rasheed Abubakar, at the 21st convocation of the University of Abuja at the weekend, expressed disappointment over the inability of education managers to rescue the sector from the doldrums.

He directed the relevant government agencies to carry out review of Nigerian universities’ curricula so as to accommodate items that would unearth the solutions to the socio-economic and food challenges in the world.

The President reminded the gathering that the ability of Nigeria to overcome its present challenges of development and emerge as an economic force in Africa and the world no longer depended on petroleum resources as was the case in the past but on the ability to develop its human capital.

He said: “Consequently, in the bid to promote graduates who will be relevant to national needs and aspirations, as well as the internationally competitive, I have directed NUC to embark on a comprehensive review of the curriculum of Nigerian universities before the end of the year.”

Government’s expectation, according to the President, was the development of a curriculum that would produce quality research and stimulate innovation in Nigerian universities.

A total of 13,670 graduates were awarded certificates during the convocation. Out of this figure, six were awarded first class degrees, 644 received second class upper degrees, 6,187 second class lower, 5,830 third class and 441 had pass grades.

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, Chief Michael Okibe Onoja and a German, Prof. Peter Proksch, were awarded honorary degrees for distinguishing themselves in their various fields of endeavour and for their contributions to the institution.