ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE COUNTRY – HOW WILL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ADEQUATELY FUND THEM WITH THE PRESENT ECONOMIC REALITIES?
May 24, 2021 | News
When the Nigerian Senate recently passed bills establishing two Federal Universities in Kogi State, which are the Federal University of Education, Ankpa, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba; I cannot help but wonder what is the rationale behind the rush to establish more Federal Universities across the country, especially with the harsh economic realities in the country?
-By Zik Gbemre
ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE COUNTRY – HOW WILL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ADEQUATELY FUND THEM WITH THE PRESENT ECONOMIC REALITIES?
With Federal Universities already being underfunded, then we should be concerned about the fate and prospects of these new Universities…
Under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, we have had more newly established Universities/Training/Learning Institutions, most of which are unevenly distributed across the country…
With an existing overloaded and over-bloated Executive Government and Civil Service Structure, both at the Federal and State levels of Government… how will the Federal Government of Nigeria adequately fund all these Federal Institutions of higher learning?…
What will Nigeria do with all the increased number of half-baked graduates that are unemployable? …
The Government and relevant authorities in the nation’s education sector should be focused on the ’quality’ of training and learning, and not the ‘quantity’ of the number of Universities/Higher Institutions of learning in the country…
When the Nigerian Senate recently passed bills establishing two Federal Universities in Kogi State, which are the Federal University of Education, Ankpa, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba; I cannot help but wonder what is the rationale behind the rush to establish more Federal Universities across the country, especially with the harsh economic realities in the country? What is the essence of having more Federal Universities here and there, when the existing ones are not being funded as they should? What should be more important- Having more Federal Universities that are not funded properly, or adequately funding the existing ones and upgrade them to meet up global standards like other top Universities across the globe?
Though, according to the Chairman of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Baba Kaita, he explained that the establishment of the Universities became imperative in view of the need to find solutions to the problems of education sector in the country. Kaita, represented by his deputy, Senator Betty Apiafi, stated that the Federal University of Education, Ankpa, would “provide and promote sound basic education training as a foundation for the development of Nigeria, taking into account indigenous culture and the need to enhance national unity.” Apiafi, in her second presentation to establish the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba, added further that “the institution would add value to agriculture. She said it would develop and offer academic and professional programs with an emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, developmental and productive skills in Agricultural Engineering, livestock, aquatic, horticulture and crop sciences and allied professional disciplines relating to agriculture.”
All well and good, especially on paper. But the question still remains: How will the Federal Government of Nigeria fund all these many universities and higher institutions? If there are no universities in Kogi State, why can't they establish only one standard university there? With Two universities, that means they will have two Vice-Chancellors (VCs), two Chancellors, and two Governing Councils with duplicated departments that are not well funded.
When we consider the fact that the existing Federal Universities are already underfunded, then we should be concerned about the fate and prospects of these new Universities. It is also disturbing to note how the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, has, without any regard or respect for the Federal Character principle or the people in the Southern parts of the country; been concentrating Nigerian Armed Forces Training/Learning/Degree-Awarding Institutions more in Northern Nigeria.
Under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, we now have the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB), a Nigerian Public tertiary institution located in Biu, Borno State, which was established in 2018; the renamed Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) which was upgraded to University status in 2018 by the Buhari administration, as Nigeria Airforce University; the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) also known as the Nigeria Air Force University, which is a military school approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run undergraduate and postgraduate courses in 2018/2019, located in Nigerian Airforce Base, Kawo, Kaduna State, Northern side of Nigeria. Then also in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of an Air Force University in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria, which would be renamed as the New Air Force University. This is different from the earlier established Air Force Special Operation Command in Bauchi.
With an existing overloaded and over-bloated Executive Government and Civil Service Structure, both at the Federal and State levels of Government, all of which have continued to daily, monthly, and yearly drain the nation’s treasuries in the name of recurrent expenditure; how on earth then will the Federal Government of Nigeria adequately fund all these Federal Institutions of higher learning? Not to mention the established obligations of the Government at all levels to also fund capital expenditure and infrastructural projects. All of this in the midst of lean resources/revenues, a rising debt profile, and a struggling productive economy. Will the Government continue to be borrowing money to pay salaries? How sustainable is that? Is that how other countries are managed? And Even if these higher Institutions are allowed to fund themselves, would that not lead to the gross extortions of prospective learners and exorbitantly high tuition fees beyond the reach of many Nigerian homes.
Another big issue is: Where will the graduates of all these Federal Universities work upon graduation? With the present unemployment crisis already in the labour market, where will the graduates fit in? Then again, it is one thing to establish Universities, it is another thing entirely for these Universities to be well-equipped with the right content and staff, that would be able to help in grooming quality graduates that are employable in the labour market. It is sad that today, we have many Nigerian graduates who best described as complete ‘educated-Illiterates’ who cannot defend the certificates/degrees they possess. In other words, what the Government and relevant authorities in the nation’s education sector should be looking out for, is the ’quality’ of training and learning, and not the ‘quantity’ of the number of Universities/Higher Institutions of learning.
The sad thing is that some certificated-uneducated elites will still praise and commend the Government of the day for losing focus and direction by doing what they are doing. All of which makes one wonder if these elites are really educated? In fact, there are just too many uneducated-certificated Nigerians branding themselves as educated people, especially within the government/public space. What will Nigeria do with all these half-baked graduates that are unemployable? How will the economy grow with such a quality labor force? You cannot develop an economy of a country like that.
Zik Gbemre.
May 24, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
-By Zik Gbemre
ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE COUNTRY – HOW WILL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ADEQUATELY FUND THEM WITH THE PRESENT ECONOMIC REALITIES?
With Federal Universities already being underfunded, then we should be concerned about the fate and prospects of these new Universities…
Under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, we have had more newly established Universities/Training/Learning Institutions, most of which are unevenly distributed across the country…
With an existing overloaded and over-bloated Executive Government and Civil Service Structure, both at the Federal and State levels of Government… how will the Federal Government of Nigeria adequately fund all these Federal Institutions of higher learning?…
What will Nigeria do with all the increased number of half-baked graduates that are unemployable? …
The Government and relevant authorities in the nation’s education sector should be focused on the ’quality’ of training and learning, and not the ‘quantity’ of the number of Universities/Higher Institutions of learning in the country…
When the Nigerian Senate recently passed bills establishing two Federal Universities in Kogi State, which are the Federal University of Education, Ankpa, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba; I cannot help but wonder what is the rationale behind the rush to establish more Federal Universities across the country, especially with the harsh economic realities in the country? What is the essence of having more Federal Universities here and there, when the existing ones are not being funded as they should? What should be more important- Having more Federal Universities that are not funded properly, or adequately funding the existing ones and upgrade them to meet up global standards like other top Universities across the globe?
Though, according to the Chairman of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Baba Kaita, he explained that the establishment of the Universities became imperative in view of the need to find solutions to the problems of education sector in the country. Kaita, represented by his deputy, Senator Betty Apiafi, stated that the Federal University of Education, Ankpa, would “provide and promote sound basic education training as a foundation for the development of Nigeria, taking into account indigenous culture and the need to enhance national unity.” Apiafi, in her second presentation to establish the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba, added further that “the institution would add value to agriculture. She said it would develop and offer academic and professional programs with an emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, developmental and productive skills in Agricultural Engineering, livestock, aquatic, horticulture and crop sciences and allied professional disciplines relating to agriculture.”
All well and good, especially on paper. But the question still remains: How will the Federal Government of Nigeria fund all these many universities and higher institutions? If there are no universities in Kogi State, why can't they establish only one standard university there? With Two universities, that means they will have two Vice-Chancellors (VCs), two Chancellors, and two Governing Councils with duplicated departments that are not well funded.
When we consider the fact that the existing Federal Universities are already underfunded, then we should be concerned about the fate and prospects of these new Universities. It is also disturbing to note how the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, has, without any regard or respect for the Federal Character principle or the people in the Southern parts of the country; been concentrating Nigerian Armed Forces Training/Learning/Degree-Awarding Institutions more in Northern Nigeria.
Under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, we now have the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB), a Nigerian Public tertiary institution located in Biu, Borno State, which was established in 2018; the renamed Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) which was upgraded to University status in 2018 by the Buhari administration, as Nigeria Airforce University; the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) also known as the Nigeria Air Force University, which is a military school approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run undergraduate and postgraduate courses in 2018/2019, located in Nigerian Airforce Base, Kawo, Kaduna State, Northern side of Nigeria. Then also in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of an Air Force University in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria, which would be renamed as the New Air Force University. This is different from the earlier established Air Force Special Operation Command in Bauchi.
With an existing overloaded and over-bloated Executive Government and Civil Service Structure, both at the Federal and State levels of Government, all of which have continued to daily, monthly, and yearly drain the nation’s treasuries in the name of recurrent expenditure; how on earth then will the Federal Government of Nigeria adequately fund all these Federal Institutions of higher learning? Not to mention the established obligations of the Government at all levels to also fund capital expenditure and infrastructural projects. All of this in the midst of lean resources/revenues, a rising debt profile, and a struggling productive economy. Will the Government continue to be borrowing money to pay salaries? How sustainable is that? Is that how other countries are managed? And Even if these higher Institutions are allowed to fund themselves, would that not lead to the gross extortions of prospective learners and exorbitantly high tuition fees beyond the reach of many Nigerian homes.
Another big issue is: Where will the graduates of all these Federal Universities work upon graduation? With the present unemployment crisis already in the labour market, where will the graduates fit in? Then again, it is one thing to establish Universities, it is another thing entirely for these Universities to be well-equipped with the right content and staff, that would be able to help in grooming quality graduates that are employable in the labour market. It is sad that today, we have many Nigerian graduates who best described as complete ‘educated-Illiterates’ who cannot defend the certificates/degrees they possess. In other words, what the Government and relevant authorities in the nation’s education sector should be looking out for, is the ’quality’ of training and learning, and not the ‘quantity’ of the number of Universities/Higher Institutions of learning.
The sad thing is that some certificated-uneducated elites will still praise and commend the Government of the day for losing focus and direction by doing what they are doing. All of which makes one wonder if these elites are really educated? In fact, there are just too many uneducated-certificated Nigerians branding themselves as educated people, especially within the government/public space. What will Nigeria do with all these half-baked graduates that are unemployable? How will the economy grow with such a quality labor force? You cannot develop an economy of a country like that.
Zik Gbemre.
May 24, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes