The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, and other stakeholders have convened a meeting with some Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities to resolve the six-month-old strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Prof. Rasheed said the commission is poised to promote dialogue and constructive engagement with key stakeholders as it oversees a crisis-free university system.
He stated this at the opening session of a five-day 2022 management retreat with Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities organised by the Commission in Abuja on Monday.
Rasheed said the retreat must identify and support ongoing efforts by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, the Federal Ministry of Education, and other stakeholders in ensuring stability and ending the ongoing strike.
“Our universities have been confronted with uncertainties due to the unfortunate strike, ASUU strike is in the six months and as vice-chancellors, we know the negative consequences of the prolonged closure of universities, we know what it means in terms of its effect on the economy of a nation, in terms of our institutional reputation and the future of our youths,” he said.
While noting that university education is fundamental to success and a nation’s economy, nations explore teaching, research, and community development in pursuit of their aspirations; he called on the vice-chancellors to ensure that universities fulfil their primary roles and mandates.
Rasheed, however, sympathised with the vice-chancellors, saying, “We know how difficult the task of being a VC is, nobody is happy with the VC of a university. Students are not happy that the VC cannot provide electricity; lecturers are also not happy because their pockets are low, and even the communities are not happy. The vice-chancellors face serious challenges and roadblocks to achieve the success of their mandates.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah Opiah, stated that part of the challenges created by COVID-19 was a paucity of funds, which added to the challenges faced by the ivory towers in terms of funding.
The Minister, however, called on the vice-chancellors to join hands with the federal government in repositioning the Nigerian university system.
