A lot of Nigerian University Dons have faulted the approval by the government of additional 4 (four) New private universities bringing the total to 79.
Some of the people interviewed by National Ambassador correspondents called on the National Universities commission and the Federal Government to rather than opening new universities, fund the existing 43 federal, 47 State Universities as well as federal and State Polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
According to them what the government should focus on going by the way things are in this country is qualitative education if we dream of raising the next generation leaders. The existing schools are more than enough for a country like Nigeria.
To them, the Government and the proprietors of the private universities should ensure the existing ones meet international standard, either by partnership or otherwise.
Mrs Jessy Blessing said that everything is centered on funding the existing universities stressing that there are enough universities in the country but what is needful is to equip them and not to approve new ones. Bring then to standard.
She calls on the Government and the owners of the existing Private Universities to put in more structures, proper staffing of these schools, restructuring the workings of the universities and make it stand the taste of time. She equally said that the Government should provide such learning materials such as computers, reference books and materials, world class libraries to boost the academic excellence of these universities.
“I believe that the most important decision of the Federal Government should be to force the private and state universities to step down on their school fees so that even the middle class can afford ”
“The Government and NUC should see to the smooth running of the existing universities and polytechnics with strong academic foundation through monitoring and evaluation, because some of them don’t have functional laboratories, standard libraries, enough/adequate classrooms, proper academic environments, social amenities. These anomalies should be addressed. Students welfare should also be taken into consideration. The Lecturers should be given their entitlements.
Miss Otelemate Telema, a student of Ken Saro-Wiwu Polytechnic. “I think when all these are properly taken care of, we will then be talking of having world class universities which we all shall be proud of”
“Actually, what we need in this country is how to achieve academic excellence in the existing universities than the mooshroom kind of universities scattered all over the country in the name of private schools.
“What should be done is for the NUC to monitor and regulate the existing private universities because Nigerians are no longer comfortable with opening of new ones rather Government should partner these proprietors to make the existing ones very functional. They should be thoroughly regulated after all they are not better than the Government owned universities. They are equally underfunded.
However, a lecturer in the Department of Political And Administrative Studies at the university of port Harcourt, Eddy Obuowani, says the goal of most private universities are not value oriented. But rather to make a profit.
” I don’t see anything wrong with the establishment of the university. But the quality of what comes out of that university is my concern. The type of research they come out with. People who established this university, what is the goal, profit making of course. You can trust in Nigeria, it is increase in school fee. And we are still creating university. Some of them are glorified secondary schools, they wouldn’t pass for anything” he stated.
It is better to rescue our education system which is heading towards quantitative inclination, the implication is pushing less qualifies graduates to the labour market and indirectly under developing the leaders of tomorrow. I think we have passed this stage. We should be focusing on quantitative and functional education.
