The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has said the establishment of universities without a template for funding is one of the factors responsible for the falling standard of tertiary education in the country.
He stated this while delivering a paper at the 14th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture, tagged “State of tertiary education in Nigeria: Identifying historical issues and misconceptions, contemplating solutions”, organised by the National Association of Seadogs in Benin on Saturday.
The ASUU president also noted that the method of appointment and recruitment into state-owned universities by the government has also contributed to the problem.
Osedeke said, “One of the major problems facing the tertiary institution is the establishment of universities without template for funding. The method of appointment and recruitment into state-owned universities by the government has also been a problem.
“For the Nigerian universities to conform to international standards and be able to source students and lecturers from the world, there has to be a paradigm shift, in terms of funding, governance and interference from powerful political groups, and vested interest.”
Earlier in his opening remark, the National President of NAS, Abiola Owoaje, said the annual lecture has become a rallying point for deep introspection on national and international topical issues.
He said, “This intellectual platform keeps evolving as a versatile crucible for cerebral and stimulating discourses geared towards expanding the frontiers of knowledge and interrogating complex socio-political and economic formulas while championing informed, radical and bold solutions for the good of the community of humanity.”
In his welcome address, the chairman on the occasion, Prof. Temi Akporhonor, said addressing issues affecting tertiary education is a welcome development, especially at this time in the nation’s history.
