Osodeke Gives Reasons For Decline In Tertiary Education Standard In Nigeria

Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has given the establishment of universities without a funding plan as one of the factors responsible for the declining standard of tertiary education in Nigeria.

Osodeke said this while delivering a paper tagged “State of tertiary education in Nigeria: Identifying historical issues and misconceptions, contemplating solutions”, at the 14th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture, organised by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) in Benin on Saturday.

The Union's President also stated the method of appointment and recruitment into state-owned universities by the government as another factor that contributes to the problem.

“One of the major problems facing the tertiary institution is the establishment of universities without a template for funding. The method of appointment and recruitment into state-owned universities by the government has also been a problem.

“For the Nigerian universities to conform to international standards and be able to source students and lecturers from the world, there has to be a paradigm shift, in terms of funding, governance and interference from powerful political groups, and vested interest,” Osodeke said.

In his opening remark given earlier, the National President of NAS, Abiola Owoaje, said the annual lecture has become an avenue for deep reflection on national and international issues.

“This intellectual platform keeps evolving as a versatile crucible for cerebral and stimulating discourses geared towards expanding the frontiers of knowledge and interrogating complex socio-political and economic formulas while championing informed, radical and bold solutions for the good of the community of humanity," Owoaje said.

The Chairman of the Lecture, Prof. Temi Akporhonor, in his welcome address, said looking into the problems affecting tertiary education is a welcome development, especially at this point in the history of Nigeria