ABUJA – Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, has said universities in Nigeria lack universal appeal, a situation that has earned them poor rating globally.
He said unless conscious steps are taken by various university managements to re-invent the wheel through broadening their horizon, intellectually and helping to solve problems from a national dimension, favourable ranking will continue to elude them.
The NUC scribe made these remarks on Thursday in Abuja while granting approval for the establishment of Bayelsa Medical University (BMU), the third university in the state.
He said being the regulatory body that monitors all universities in Nigeria, he feels disappointed when universities management bicker over mundane issues as debating catchment areas where Vice Chancellors ought to come from or attachment of political sentiment to key appointments.
“Over the years, we have realized that we have to re-invent our universities, we have to open up our universities to different cultures, traditions and people that way we can be ranked higher.
“An idea university should be a situation where teachers and students can interact freely to expand knowledge, boost education and by extension helping to solve national problems.
“More often than not, ranking reputation is built when there is a general consensus that an institution is good and its living up to expectations.”
“What is unfortunate is that many of our universities are losing that character and appeal to be classified as one. We as regulators, are disappointed when we see people fighting over where the Vice Chancellor should come from, either from the host community or a particular tribe. These were alien to the system in the past, but it has become an ugly trend now,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, Bayelsa State government has received NUC’s approval to establish a specialized university in medical sciences.
The university, which is the third in the series in the state, was established to bridge the gap in educational reforms in the state.
According to Seriake Dickson, the state governor, he was at NUC to submit briefs of the new institution, he however seized the opportunity to advocate for higher tuition fees for students seeking tertiary education.
Buttressing his position, he said, sentiments about tuition fees have indirectly culminated in poor output in most universities, noting that if wealthy Nigerians can afford the luxury of sending their children and wards to schools outside the shores of the country, they should brace up to pay higher fees when quality education is provided.
“Nigerian universities cannot afford the luxury of being cheaper than nursery and primary schools, it is the fault of the leadership of the country. These are the same people who are sending their wards to school abroad and paying ten times higher, we mix politics with funding the universities, and the universities are dying.
“Our children go to Ghana, they pay fees in Ghana, we have established the University of Africa in Bayelsa. Let people from Africa come and acquire knowledge here and pay.
“We are here this afternoon, not only to thank you for the great work NUC is doing, but to present to you the essential document of the institution, with a formal request for your expeditious consideration.
“The medical university will be a fee paying university because Nigerians are traveling outside to acquire education,” he told the regulatory agency.
The post Why Nigerian Varsities Are Ranked Poorly —NUC Scribe appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
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Why Nigerian Varsities Are Ranked Poorly —NUC Scribe
Description : ABUJA – Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, has said universities in Nigeria lack u...
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