The Secretary General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Professor Yakubu Ochefu has said Nigerian universities are still battling with the problems of poor funding, inadequate manpower and infrastructural decay despite efforts by various stakeholders to improve their status.
Ochefu, who is a professor of African Economic History and Development Studies at Benue State University, said this while delivering the 81st Interdisciplinary Research Discourse of the Postgraduate College, University of Ibadan on Tuesday.
The lecture was attended by the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, Provost Postgraduate College, Professor Ayodeji Ogunjuyigbe and other principal officers of the university.
Ochefu, while speaking on the topic, “Rethinking the Philosophy of University Education in Nigeria in the Era of Education 4.0” identified shrinking government funding for education, poor quantity and quality of teaching and no- teaching staff and poor remuneration of university workers as the major problems confronting universities in the country.
Other problems identified by the don include demoralised workers (teaching and non-teaching) with consequences on student outcomes and experiences, infrastructural deficit and decay, inadequate funding of research initiatives and curriculum inadequacies leading to students abandoning their programme.
Ochefu said that the governments, agencies, academics, regulatory agencies, the media and other stakeholders must rise to save the situation, adding that all the stakeholders must wake up to their responsibilities to ensure that the situation changes for the better.
Ochefu said “Key Challenges: Shrinking government funding on education (in real terms), poor quantity and quality of teaching and no- teaching staff, poor remuneration of university workers.
“Demoralised workers (teaching and non-teaching) with consequences on student outcomes and experiences, Infrastructural deficit and decay, inadequate funding of research initiatives, curriculum inadequacies leading to students abandoning their programme, and others looking for alternatives.
“We must challenge ourselves to constructively disrupt the current scheme of things if we are to reorient and reposition our universities to take a leading role in a fourth industrial revolution and a knowledge-driven Nigeria.
“As academic leaders, we must continue to encourage and push our political leaders to improve investments in our universities. Develop innovative curricula that are polymath and problem-solving-based and relevant to the current and future needs of the labour market and the promotion of research and scholarship.
