The National Universities Commission (NUC) has said it will continue to encourage the establishment of more universities despite complaints by some Nigerians that the country has had more than enough of such tertiary institutions.
Mr. Chris Maiyaki, Acting Executive Secretary, said this on Friday in his lecture at the 22nd convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University, Okada, in Edo State.
According to Maiyaki, the establishment of more universities in Nigeria was necessary considering the size of the country’s population and its low literacy level.
He, however, said that what the commission would not do was to compromise the quality of university education in the country.
According to him, available statistics and studies show that Nigeria needs more universities to harness and unlock its potential.
“The commission, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, as a matter of deliberate policy, will encourage expansion of our universities and approve more,” he said.
Maiyaki, therefore, called on Nigerian universities to prioritise and improve on the capacity building of staff, as recent reports indicated a fallout in this aspect.
He also decried the state of facilities in Nigerian universities, calling for good governance and management culture in the administration of Universities’s resources.
To reposition Nigeria’s university system, the NUC chief advocated restoration of normalcy to the academic calendar by jettisoning unwarranted incessant industrial actions.
“There is also a need for the review of our curriculum, application of ICT, and massive expansion of facilities.
“Partnership and internationalisation are necessary too to join the global landscape of universities,” he said.
Earlier, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Ph.D., FAS, Vice-Chancellor, Igbinedion University Okada, said 55 out of the 855 graduates bagged first-class honours in their various disciplines.
Ezemonye, who recounted the success of the university in the last year, said all the courses by the institution were fully accredited by the NUC and the relevant regulatory councils.
The vice-chancellor noted that the institution was digitalised to enhance academic and administrative functions.
In the last year, Ezemonye said the school had secured an increase in the admission quota for various professional courses such as Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Nursing Sciences.
