The  National Universi
ties Commission (NUC), has urged Nigerians not to give up on university education inspite of the challenges bedeviling the system.
NUC Executive Secretary Prof Julius Okojie made the appeal in Abuja on Thursday at the opening of a three-day capacity building workshop organised by NUC for journalists covering education beat.
“I assure you the future of Nigeria’s university system is bright, please don’t give up’’, he said.
He said although the sector was currently facing serious challenges, Nigerians should be resolute in their faith in the system, adding that such challenges were also creating room for improvement.
According to him, government is committed to ensuring an effective system in line with changing times and technology, remarking that  with the increasing number of universities, which currently stands at 129 with about two million students, “the challenges in the system have been more challenging.’’
Okojie urged the media to be more proactive in the discharge of its mandate of fair and balanced reportage.
“We are not training you to report on NUC alone, investigative reporting is what you must do, help us to also fish out illegal universities.’’
He said NUC was not opposed to media reports critical of the commission, adding that such reports sometimes helped to identify grey areas on which to make adjustments.
Okojie also condemned the growing number of fake journalists infiltrating the profession and called on the members to protect it.
In a goodwill message, former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mrs Oluremi Oyo, urged journalists to explore the many opportunities that abound in journalism.
Oyo urged participants to be versatile in the practice of journalism as it was a profession that afforded people the opportunity to expand their horizons.