Management of universities
This is one question which most people in Nigerians are asking and are totally concerned about, do the Nigeria educational sector needs more Universities or generally, tertiary institutions?
The simple truth is that there are more reasons, among several argue against establishing more universities – even if there is space scarcity. These Universities are not necessarily to be placed in order of importance, finance, academic staff and the crying need to re-examine the way in which these Universities are run. Permit me to say, that Nigerian Universities have turned to family and friend business, where any new lecturer must have tiers with a top professional in that institution.
Have you thought about the national open university nigeria noun? have you ever thought how this University will help build Nigeria into a better place for our youths?
As at the moment of penning down this article, nothing less than twelve federal universities (again names withheld for security and law reasons) are currently without Vice- Chancellors, VCs; either because the Vice Chancellor are on suspension or had been dismissed under circumstances which have left the teaching staff divided and these VC most times come in collision with the state Government, imagine Osun State owing teachers for nine months and you expect the VC to do absolutely nothing about this?
Counting these Universities without VC, you'll notice that another ten or so are on the brink of such disruptions to academic pursuits in the universities, and we expect academic excellence in a country of despair in her educational sector?
The alarming truth is that the development would not have been alarming if 2015 is an exceptional year in that regard. But, it is not.
This might seems like twenty years ago when Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, OFR, completed two tenures as VC of the University of Ibadan. Today, a VC lasting four years on the seat is rarity, and it's really scarly to note that the place of Vice Chancellor in Varsities have turned to a political seat, where all sorts of things are happening and thugs are been used in election, the school administration is divided and everything is falling apart.
Sincerely speaking, we do not need more universities in Nigeria, be it Federal Universities, State Universities or even private Universities.
The truth is that all we need is to to take care of the ones we already have. Upgrade the entire university system including the infrastructures and lecturers so that we can be turning out employable graduate. There is no where in the world that we must all be universities or Polytechnic graduates. In the case of Nigeria, most of us are even half-baked graduates.
