The Committee of Vice-Chancellors, headed by Prof. Lilian Salami, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, has submitted a comprehensive report outlining the challenges faced by universities in Nigeria to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
During the presentation held at the Federal Ministry of Education Secretariat in Abuja, the committee had the opportunity to address several critical challenges that both public and private universities in the country grapple with.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the State Minister of Education, and David Adejo, the Permanent Secretary.
VCs highlight university challenges
In her remarks, Professor Salami expressed her gratitude to the minister and congratulated him on becoming the first serving Vice-Chancellor to hold the position of Minister of Education.
She highlighted various issues affecting universities, including issues related to funding, staff recruitment, university autonomy, conflicts between university laws and other legislation, and ongoing labor disputes with university-based unions.
The committee’s report, titled “Challenges, Opportunities, and Sustainable Models for Nigerian Federal Universities,” was presented as part of their contribution to addressing the challenges confronting both public and private universities.
Professor Salami also extended an invitation to the minister and his team to attend the upcoming diamond jubilee celebration of the committee, scheduled for October 9th to 11th, 2023, in Abuja.
In response, Minister Tahir Mamman assured the delegation of the President’s commitment to revitalizing the nation’s education sector.
He emphasized a business-like approach to governance and mentioned that his ministers would undergo quarterly performance reviews.
The ministry, under his leadership, will tackle structural issues from primary to tertiary education and collaborate with all stakeholders to bring about positive change.
A key focus will be aligning educational outcomes with national productivity, promoting research, innovation, and entrepreneurship among graduates to reduce reliance on white-collar jobs.
