{"id":8165,"date":"2013-08-11T19:45:02","date_gmt":"2013-08-11T19:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/association-of-vcs-call-for-establishment-of-ministry-of-higher\/"},"modified":"2013-08-11T20:16:12","modified_gmt":"2013-08-11T20:16:12","slug":"association-of-vcs-call-for-establishment-of-ministry-of-higher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/association-of-vcs-call-for-establishment-of-ministry-of-higher\/","title":{"rendered":"Association of VC\u2019s call for establishment of Ministry of Higher Education In Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Citizens Platform<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities have called for the establishment of a Ministry of Higher Education in the country.<\/p>\n
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Minister-of-Education-Prof.-Ruqayyatu-Rufa\u2019i<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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The group made this known on Sunday through the Secretary-General of the association, Prof. Michael Faborode. Faborode who said the call was part of the resolutions at its conference on \u201cConsultative Higher Education Policy Dialogue\u2019\u2019, held in Abuja recently believed the proposed ministry would give the needed attention to the challenges facing the sector.<\/div>\n
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In his words \u201cAt that particular conference we said there is need for a ministry of higher education to look at problems of higher education different from what it has always been.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMinistry of Education is so large, that we can divide it to tertiary education and other levels of education, Universal Basic Education (UBE) secondary education, there is enough challenges there, everywhere needs attention.<\/div>\n
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\u201cBut for a country to have left the gains of modern development, a knowledge society, you need higher education to deliver that.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI think the National Economic Team has looked at it and supported such an initiative; it will now go to Federal Executive Council.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAnd I think it should be approved because that is the way forward for countries that are moving properly on the ladder,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/div>\n
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Faborode while stressing the importance of higher education to any nation said education is the driver of growth and development as it engenders the creation of knowledge and innovation which are vital in steering sustainable development<\/div>\n
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This according to him includes reduction of poverty, improve global health and enhancing national and global prosperity and competiveness. He said the higher education institutions in Nigeria had increased from seven in 1962 to 323 in 2012 and the universities from five to 124, this growth had not led to the realisation of the objectives of the institutions.<\/div>\n
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Faborode also highlighted the major challenges confronting higher education in nIgeria which includes constant restiveness, including violent confrontations, which characterised relations between students and the host communities of their institutions leading to civil unrest and disruptions to the academic calendar, challenges of weak governance structure and processes in the Nigerian higher education sector, disruptions of academic calendar owing to the constant bickering between the Academic Staff Union and university management and government.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis has stunted the culture of robust debate and collaborative engagement between government, university management and staff for a common vision and progress,\u2019\u2019he added.<\/div>\n
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Faborode said that Nigeria needs to holistically plan the growth of its higher education system.<\/div>\n
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