ADO-EKITI – The National Universities Commission (NUC) says stiffer sanctions are underway for any university that fails to meet the required standard.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, gave the warning in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday at the opening of the 29th Conference of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
He said such new sanctions would shift from mere blacklisting to denial of course accreditation and withdrawal of recognition.
According to him, the new order will also affect institutions owned by states and the Federal Government.
Okojie said the need to sanitise the university system without bias had become necessary if it must remain relevant to the development of the nation.
The NUC boss charged each university to run only courses where it has comparative advantage and capable of solving the challenges of the 21st Century.
He said officials of the inspectorate division of the commission would intensify their assessment visits to all universities to determine their standards and their abilities to deliver on courses they advertise.
Chief Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), the host of the five-day conference, urged the NUC to review the laws which established the commission in order to ensure effective control of universities.
Babalola said the new NUC law must empower it not only to close down erring universities but also empower it to confiscate their properties.
Afe Babalola also urged the Federal Government to urgently convey an education summit to address the problems hindering provision of quality education.
He also called for curriculum autonomy which would make each university run causes according to its ability to fund them.
Also speaking, Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, who was the Special Guest of Honour, called for synergy between all tiers of government and proprietors of universities.
Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, who declared the conference open, urged universities to prioritise the acquisition of knowledge so as to make them real centres of excellence.
Earlier, Prof. Joseph Ajienka , the Chairman of the Conference of Vice-Chancellors, had appealed to the Federal Government to focus on the development of the education sector in its transformation agenda. (NAN)
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