Chris Maiyaki, the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), defended the Federal Government’s decision to approve additional universities in Nigeria. Maiyaki emphasized that with the increasing demand for university Education among Nigerian youth, the existing 272 public and Private Universities are inadequate. ASUU members have been outspoken against the increasing number of universities in Nigeria, arguing that the Federal Government’s approval of new universities is problematic due to the lack of adequate funding for existing ones.
Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of ASUU, addressed the issue by requesting a revision of the Legislation governing the NUC in order to effectively regulate the proliferation of universities in Nigeria. Osodeke pointed out that the increase in the number of universities was a major factor behind the strike incidents in 2020 and 2022. The union has continued to insist on the full implementation of the 2020 ASUU-FGN Memorandum of Action (MoA), emphasizing the necessity of reviewing the NUC Act to effectively curb the careless and excessive proliferation of universities.
Osodeke emphasized the importance of quality over quantity in universities.
In the previous legislative session, a collaborative effort between ASUU and NUC led to the submission of a proposed bill to the National Assembly. Unfortunately, the bill ultimately failed to progress any further. Instead of backing ASUU’s call for sufficient funding for public universities, every Senator is quietly working towards building a university in their constituency projects. Meanwhile, State University visitors, unable to locate universities, are forming multiple universities solely for political advantages. The increase in establishing new universities has caused a strain on the intervention funds of TETFund, as they are being redirected against the Fund’s regulations.
ASUU is committed to using all legal avenues to prevent politicians from continuously creating new crisis centres disguised as universities for underprivileged students. Osodeke emphasized the importance of quality over quantity in universities, urging the President Tinubu-led administration to prioritize empowering existing universities to excel globally instead of creating more that may not meet international standards. However, the NUC Executive Secretary defended the necessity of creating additional universities in Nigeria to accommodate the increasing number of applicants, particularly the younger generation.
The Commission has completed guidelines for Transnational Education (TNE).
Inadequacy of current 272 universities in Nigeria to meet increasing demand for Higher Education among youth was emphasized by him. Maiyaki pointed out that Nigeria’s university enrollment of two million people is only one percent when compared to the populations of India, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, the United States, and Russia. This percentage is unsatisfactory, according to Maiyaki. Out of a total of two million Nigerians enrolled in education, only around one percent are attending universities. In comparison, other countries have a much higher percentage, with some having 25 to 30 percent of their population in university.
Hence, NUC will keep approving more universities until the overwhelming number of Nigerian youths seeking higher education reach a level of satisfaction. He stated that NUC has completed guidelines for Transnational Education (TNE) as a step towards enhancing education quality in Nigeria. This move allows foreign educational institutions to be involved in Nigeria’s university education sector. He mentioned that the Commission’s new standards were meant to lead the way for a future in which Nigerian Universities would excel in teaching, learning, and research quality like never before.
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Maiyaki outlined the key focus areas of the Commission, including improving curriculum, ensuring quality, promoting research and innovation, enhancing infrastructure, increasing IT access, and expanding international collaboration to enhance the Nigerian University System’s impact on national development. He expressed NUC’s unwavering dedication to revitalizing the Nigerian University System, ensuring its success on a global scale. In order to foster collaboration with the business sector and advance the integration of Technology in education, the NUC conducted a thorough evaluation of university curriculum, transitioning from the BMAS to the CCMAS. This shift aligns with Nigeria’s goal of becoming a knowledge-based Economy influenced by the 4IR and the demand for 21st-century skills. The updated CCMAS now includes a wider range of academic fields, expanding from 14 to 17 disciplines.