The Deputy Executive Secretary (Academic), National Universities Commission Dr. Biodun Noel Saliu, has warned on the consequence of continued impoverishment of Nigerian Universities which is reaching an alarming situation as evident in inadequate funding, infrastructural deficit, staffing deficit including the brain-drain syndrome, insecurity, governance and administration malaise among several others.
In a critical x-ray of the Nigerian University System and its many challenges; the way forward, the Technocrat cum Researcher called for improved budgetary allocation and releases to Public Universities as well as improved subventions for Private Universities by their owners.
This was part of the panaceas he advanced for the many challenges facing the Nigerian University System at the "7th Annual Registry Lecture of Elizade University.”
He is worried at the indiscriminate interference by some Visitors in the administrative operations of their Universities without recourse to the respective University Law, a scenario mostly common with Private and State Universities with equal manifestation in the dissolution of governing councils by new administrations both at the State and Federal levels.
He also spoke of the need for timely curriculum re-engineering and review, as well as the timely review of quality assurance instruments by the NUC.
He noted that the increasing demand for university education in Nigeria has continued to make a mince-meat of government efforts at providing access to university education while assuring that the NUC will continue to assist Private and Public universities to improve their carrying capacities to be able to admit more students.
According to Dr Saliu, the proliferation of illegal degree-awarding institutions and its menace has remained a “thorn in the flesh” of NUC despite the war against these degree mills by the Commission, pleading with the public to help expose their activities and locations.
Chairman of the 7th Annual Lecture, former Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Adebisi Balogun, described the good governance structure, which Elizade University has put in place as formidable and balanced.
He said Nigerian Universities must of necessity embrace the major offspring of the digital world, which are "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) as well as Emotional Intelligence and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Prof. Kayode Ijadunola, said Elizade University will continue to put in the front burner, critical thinking, innovation and research.
Registrar of Elizade University, Mr. Omololu Adegbenro noted that the Annual Registry Lecture aims at achieving a versatile University system with global best practices on a sustainable basis.
Williams Olufunmi, Head, Public Relations.
10 June, 2024.