9 September 2008
The disclosure by the National Universities Commission[NUC] that some 33 universities yet to be given licenses to operate are doing so already, should be cause for concern for government and other stakeholders.
The so-called universities go by names that are simply ludicrous, they expose utter lack of seriousness and the nefarious ends for which they were established. Take for instance -Atlantic Intercontinental University, Okija; Atlanta University, Ayingba and National University of Nigeria, Nasarawa. Others include Tiu University, UK; Houdegbe North American University; and Volta University, Volta Region, Ghana. The list goes on.
It is easy to see why all sorts of "universities" are being floated everywhere. The past 8 years saw the number of approved universities quadruple from the original 27 federal universities to the current figure of 95. They include some 35 state universities and about the same number of private universities. The expansion of universities was aimed at meeting the ambitions of the ever increasing number of Nigerians seeking admissions into the universities. For many years now, a little over a million candidates write the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Examination {JAMB} and out of the over 40% of the candidates that score the mandatory 200 pass mark, hardly do all the universities taken together, admit up to 200,000 candidates. The University of Abuja, Abuja was able to admit only 3000 out of the over 200,000 candidates that made it their first choice. Naturally, the situation has given rise to desperate parents employing all kinds of under hand ploys, including bribery to ensure their children get admission. Those who can afford it, send their children to Europe, the US and Asia. Other less endowed send their own to Ghana and other West African countries.
It is hardly surprising therefore that some among us would see it as an opportunity to make a quick kill by exploiting unsuspecting but vulnerable and desperate young men and women seeking knowledge. There is no doubt that the [NUC] has a huge problem to grapple with. It is just as well that it has been able to identify these 33 universities, there could be others still out there extorting money and deceiving the public. We advise that it should publish the names of government approved universities as a way of sensitizing and educating the general public to be able to know those they should subscribe to. This is necessary because many private universities have taken off and many people are still not yet familiar with them.
The real challenge actually lies in ensuring that candidates who have the requisite qualifications are able to secure admission. Unless it is able to do this, it will be impossible to stop people desperate for knowledge falling prey to counterfeit universities. A way out is to expand facilities in existing universities without jeopardizing quality and standards. Of course, we are not oblivious of the inadequate and deplorable facilities existing in the universities today and some would say expansion would further stretch them to the limit. Still, government could begin with a few old universities with capacity to handle such expansions. Additionally, it could re-think the ban placed on off campus education, a practice whereby older universities established campuses across the country. While it lasted a sizable number of Nigerians were able to earn a degree. The NUC can always ensure standards are maintained through its accreditation exercise. A corollary to this is the opportunity offered by the Open University for Nigerians to acquire education. It is the government's duty, through the NUC to sensitize the public on its benefits.
The creation of a huge number of private universities has thrown up the challenges of quality and maintenance of standards. In the face of demands for university placements there will be the temptation to approve licenses for more. That would be counter productive, because existing ones are operating on a shoe string. The policy has created this rush for all comers to own universities, so much so that they are willing to operate clandestinely with little or no thoughts for laid down rules.
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