The Executive Secretary of the National
Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, recently frowned
at the scholarship programme under which some state governments send
students for studies in higher institutions overseas. In his view, the
choice that some state governments make in sending scholarship
beneficiaries to Middle Eastern East European countries was harmful to
Nigeria's national interests. Professor Okojie's sweeping comments did
not portray him as a top official in charge of policy at the NUC with
adequate knowledge of the realities of higher education in Nigeria.
Professor Okojie accused Kano and Osun state governments of sponsoring students to "sub-standard" foreign universities. The NUC chief spoke in Abuja while delivering an address of welcome at a roundtable on cross-border higher education organized by NUC and the British Council. Okojie said the decision of the Kano state government to send about 70 percent of the students to Ukraine was not good as "they would export cultism from here". As serious as this allegation sounds, the NUC boss should have supported his claim with facts and figures to show that Kano or Osun states are breeding grounds for cultists, which, therefore, makes their travelling overseas for studies equal in effect to exporting cultism.
In his reaction to Okojie's remarks, Kano State Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Umar Garuna Doguwa, explained that the state government approached the department of higher education in the Federal Ministry of Education where it obtained a list of recognized universities in the world after which it also contacted regulatory bodies of the institutions in their respective home countries, to be sure they are accredited. According to Haruna Doguwa, Kano State government secured placement for students only in the accredited universities because the regulatory agency in Ukraine, for instance, guided them with a list of accredited universities. The Osun State Information Commissioner, Akinrogun Sunday Akere, also reacted to Professor Okojie's comments with clarifications similar to those advanced by the Kano State Commissioner for Higher Education. Both commissioners were united in their assertions that they do not have cultists among their students; and therefore cannot be accused for "exporting" cultism.
If the NUC chief had made the remarks under reference at a different forum, he could be given the benefit of the doubt and spared the culpability of being labelled as a politician rather than a professional regulator of tertiary education in Nigeria. Surprisingly, he spoke against overseas' training programme of some state governments at a meeting where the Deputy Director of the British Council declared that the United kingdom (UK) was ready to increase academic collaboration with Nigeria due to the very high demand for tertiary education in the country. Okojie's argument, therefore, seems to be canvassing support for the recruitment of Nigerian students for tertiary institutions in the UK. It remains to be seen if he would use his official capacity to impose such a dangerous policy.
As the Executive Secretary of the NUC, it is expected that Professor Okojie would be aware of the recently launched federal government's scholarship scheme for the overseas training of first class graduates from Nigerian universities. One hundred of them were shortlisted for the initial batch of the scheme. It therefore should not create worries if, like the federal government, committed state governments sponsor their brilliant students to reputable universities abroad for studies.
Granted that taking students abroad for studies might not necessarily lead them to acquiring qualitative education; it is can be validly argued that the same reasons that make Nigerians travel to India for medical treatment also prompt some state governments and parents to send their scholarship beneficiaries abroad for studies. Three factors are responsible for this unfortunate circumstance. Our universities have limited spaces to accommodate all the students that qualify for admission into universities in Nigeria.The deplorable state of infrastructure of Nigerian universities is another reason some give for sending students for training overseas.Similarly, the very unstable academic calendar of Nigerian universities makes students to unnecessarily spend longer time in school than the statutory period required for graduation.
These reasons combined together give rise to desperation and frustration among candidates and their parents; leading them consequently to looking outside for alternatives. Putting issues into context,there's no denying the fact that the state of universities (federal, state and private) in Nigeria is certainly not good enough.
However, even when the sponsorship for studies abroad by state governments appears justified to some extent of the argument, the criteria for selection and the courses which the students are being sponsored to read equally raise fundamental questions about the entire scholarship programme in such states. Why does any student need to be sponsored overseas with huge state resources to read courses like Hausa, History, Physical and Health Education (PHE), linguistics, and other courses in humanities? On the surface, it sounds unwise too, for a state like Kano, which has two state-owned universities, to send students as large as 501 overseas. With such a large contingent of students at a time, there is the question of whether or not the scheme is sustainable by the state government.
How fair were the criteria for selection to all qualified candidates? Were the students being asked to sign any bond before leaving for their studies? These questions and many others need to be addressed by concerned authorities with the overseas scholarship schemes of state governments.
In order to curb the trend from developing into a permanent feature, governments at all levels should demonstrate commitment to education at all levels in the country, particularly higher education. The reasons that encourage studies overseas should be properly addressed by government. The NUC should identify and publish list of all universities it considers to be sub-standard abroad so that graduates of such universities on their return to the country would not be recognized by the government for employment and academic purposes.
Source allafrica.com/DailyTtrust Newspaper
Professor Okojie accused Kano and Osun state governments of sponsoring students to "sub-standard" foreign universities. The NUC chief spoke in Abuja while delivering an address of welcome at a roundtable on cross-border higher education organized by NUC and the British Council. Okojie said the decision of the Kano state government to send about 70 percent of the students to Ukraine was not good as "they would export cultism from here". As serious as this allegation sounds, the NUC boss should have supported his claim with facts and figures to show that Kano or Osun states are breeding grounds for cultists, which, therefore, makes their travelling overseas for studies equal in effect to exporting cultism.
In his reaction to Okojie's remarks, Kano State Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Umar Garuna Doguwa, explained that the state government approached the department of higher education in the Federal Ministry of Education where it obtained a list of recognized universities in the world after which it also contacted regulatory bodies of the institutions in their respective home countries, to be sure they are accredited. According to Haruna Doguwa, Kano State government secured placement for students only in the accredited universities because the regulatory agency in Ukraine, for instance, guided them with a list of accredited universities. The Osun State Information Commissioner, Akinrogun Sunday Akere, also reacted to Professor Okojie's comments with clarifications similar to those advanced by the Kano State Commissioner for Higher Education. Both commissioners were united in their assertions that they do not have cultists among their students; and therefore cannot be accused for "exporting" cultism.
If the NUC chief had made the remarks under reference at a different forum, he could be given the benefit of the doubt and spared the culpability of being labelled as a politician rather than a professional regulator of tertiary education in Nigeria. Surprisingly, he spoke against overseas' training programme of some state governments at a meeting where the Deputy Director of the British Council declared that the United kingdom (UK) was ready to increase academic collaboration with Nigeria due to the very high demand for tertiary education in the country. Okojie's argument, therefore, seems to be canvassing support for the recruitment of Nigerian students for tertiary institutions in the UK. It remains to be seen if he would use his official capacity to impose such a dangerous policy.
As the Executive Secretary of the NUC, it is expected that Professor Okojie would be aware of the recently launched federal government's scholarship scheme for the overseas training of first class graduates from Nigerian universities. One hundred of them were shortlisted for the initial batch of the scheme. It therefore should not create worries if, like the federal government, committed state governments sponsor their brilliant students to reputable universities abroad for studies.
Granted that taking students abroad for studies might not necessarily lead them to acquiring qualitative education; it is can be validly argued that the same reasons that make Nigerians travel to India for medical treatment also prompt some state governments and parents to send their scholarship beneficiaries abroad for studies. Three factors are responsible for this unfortunate circumstance. Our universities have limited spaces to accommodate all the students that qualify for admission into universities in Nigeria.The deplorable state of infrastructure of Nigerian universities is another reason some give for sending students for training overseas.Similarly, the very unstable academic calendar of Nigerian universities makes students to unnecessarily spend longer time in school than the statutory period required for graduation.
These reasons combined together give rise to desperation and frustration among candidates and their parents; leading them consequently to looking outside for alternatives. Putting issues into context,there's no denying the fact that the state of universities (federal, state and private) in Nigeria is certainly not good enough.
However, even when the sponsorship for studies abroad by state governments appears justified to some extent of the argument, the criteria for selection and the courses which the students are being sponsored to read equally raise fundamental questions about the entire scholarship programme in such states. Why does any student need to be sponsored overseas with huge state resources to read courses like Hausa, History, Physical and Health Education (PHE), linguistics, and other courses in humanities? On the surface, it sounds unwise too, for a state like Kano, which has two state-owned universities, to send students as large as 501 overseas. With such a large contingent of students at a time, there is the question of whether or not the scheme is sustainable by the state government.
How fair were the criteria for selection to all qualified candidates? Were the students being asked to sign any bond before leaving for their studies? These questions and many others need to be addressed by concerned authorities with the overseas scholarship schemes of state governments.
In order to curb the trend from developing into a permanent feature, governments at all levels should demonstrate commitment to education at all levels in the country, particularly higher education. The reasons that encourage studies overseas should be properly addressed by government. The NUC should identify and publish list of all universities it considers to be sub-standard abroad so that graduates of such universities on their return to the country would not be recognized by the government for employment and academic purposes.
Source allafrica.com/DailyTtrust Newspaper
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