Knocks, kudos on establishment of more universities
The Federal Government on November 2 announced the approval of the establishment of eight new private universities in the country saying it is based on the recommendation of the National Universities Commission (NUC). The Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Onwukah, while announcing the approval in Abuja after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting […]
The Federal Government on November 2 announced the approval of the establishment of eight new private universities in the country saying it is based on the recommendation of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Onwukah, while announcing the approval in Abuja after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said the universities were approved to give opportunity to the admission-seekers in the country.
He, however, noted that each of the universities was given a three-year provisional licence and would be mentored by an older university.
Last Monday, the NUC gave the Borno State government a letter of recognition to commence the running of the state’s university. Its academic session begins in January 2017.
Within a week, nine universities were approved, bringing the total number of universities in the country to 152. The federal universities are presently put at 40; state universities, 43; and private universities which are divided into faith-based and non-faith based numbering 69.
Quality and access, however, remain the two top challenges in the country’s university system.
The federal government has justified the proliferation of universities in the country as a means to address the challenges of quality, access and equity in the tertiary education system.
Many graduates, though, lack the necessary skills to survive in the job place. And this is attributed to the quality of training they receive just as the number of young people seeking admission into the universities keeps rising every year.
For example, in University of Ilorin, no fewer than 103,000 candidates applied to study in it for the 2015/2016 academic session but only 12,225 were admitted due to low capacity of the school.
At the moment, Nigeria’s population is put at 182 million. A closer look reveals that the growing number of universities has not significantly impacted on quality and many – employers and other stakeholders – question the capacity of the graduates produced by some of the universities.
Experts speak.
Improving on the quality of graduates requires deliberate and systematic investment in infrastructure and human capital of the universities, said Felix Adedayo, an education consultant and Chief Executive Officer of FAB, Abuja.
Adedayo said Nigeria does not need establishment of more private universities but quality education.
He claims that most of the private varsities we have now are just business centres and that the public universities are better than them.
“What we need is proper funding of the existing universities to enhance their carrying capacities. Establishing universities without adequate funding will not improve the quality of education.
“Our universities do not have funding for research works as we have in developed countries. In Germany, a PhD student gets 2,500 Euro as grant monthly to support his or her research work.With this the quality cannot be compromised,” Adedayo emphasised.
For access, questions are being asked among which is “how many average Nigerian families or students can afford the tuition fees at the private universities?”
He said illiteracy level is still high so the governments still need to fund education, adding that it cannot just be left to private hands.
“All the private university owners are there to make profit, they’re not about adding value to the students.
“l heard of a university in Abuja that accepts students without either English or Mathematics once they can pay their tuition fees,” he further said.
The answer is not about establishing more universities. Our graduates now are of low quality.
The Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof Michael Adikwu, told Daily Trust that the problem was not in creating more universities but in the quality of the universities.
He wondered if there are enough staff in the already existing universities.
“One of the years I was in Malabo, what they did was to start Masters and PhDs to have the number of staff they need. I think we should be talking about the older universities running post graduate to develop high capacity staff, if not in Nigeria then overseas,” he suggested.
The don said: “Even overseas, many of their curricula, we have not met them yet and those on ground what are the prospects of creating jobs for them.That is where we should be focusing on not just creating more universities.”
The Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, Dr. Joseph Wilson, said he believes that more universities would create more openings for intending students provided there would be funding.
“If there is good funding, you can get resource persons from anywhere in the world to come and teach. It won’t affect the quality and you can equip the university,” he said.
“There are institutions in the West that you find a professor who goes round institutions and they give the best of their input. That is what is happening; the older universities are servicing the new ones. You find professors and senior lecturers visiting in these universities and it is not affecting the quality because you get the best of hands,” he added.
He said in a situation where you have a university that could only take 20 people in mass communication and you have 200 qualified applicants. You take the 20 and throw out the rest, where would they go to?
“More universities are good and with proper funding, quality can never be a problem. You will get resource persons and the best facility; you and students will get the best,” he said.
Speaking on affordability, he said private universities have a way they are funded, through the cost of studying.
He said some universities with high cost have world class facilities and they can hire resource persons from anywhere. So, you have to look for one that you can afford, if the quality is there you will get it.
“I am an advocate of more universities, give it good funding and you get things going. I don’t see a problem with having four universities in each state since once they care for them, the quality will be there,”he said.