News
Revitalising Nigerian Universities For Export
According to the World Bank, there is a direct correlation between sustainable development and poverty reduction; however, it has also been established that education and knowledge capacity building are the key accelerators of sustainable development. In spite of the abundance of verifiable global evidences trumpeting the power of education, we have been plagued by visionless leaders at the national stage since 1999, whose short sightedness has dislocated our educational system. As a consequence, only the rich in Nigeria can truly afford quality basic education in the country, and saleable tertiary education abroad. I believe in this country, even with our religious and tribal fault lines, I keep faith with the promise in a statement Prof. Pat Utomi made a few years ago, that, “our future is so bright that one might need sun glasses to look at it”. I believe that inherent in the conundrum of the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ ( ASUU) struggle is the seed for a thriving world-class tertiary ecosystem. But that is only if our leaders rouse themselves from their political doldrums.
The position of the Federal Government, as espoused by the Minister of State for Labour, Bar. Festus Kyamo, (SAN), that there is no money to meet the demand of ASUU, is not only lame and unfortunate, it is also a confirmation of the lack of capacity for vision, and the ability to think outside the box.
The unfounded assertion of the present administration, especially those who ought to know, smacks of pure ignorance of available data and their implications. For instance, recent data from the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives revealed that more than 11000 nurses have departed the shores of this country since 2019. This data maybe interpreted as brain drain at an unprecedented level, but what if it is viewed as human capital export instead? Can you imagine how much diaspora remittance has emanated from these nurses? The data highlights something very significant, that even with a broken tertiary education sector; we are still able to churn out nurses able to pass qualifying exams to work internationally.
The same applies to Nigerian trained doctors who are now like hotcakes in the global market. Currently, our doctors are being recruited by firms from the United Kingdom, UK, United States of America, USA, Canada and Saudi Arabia. In fact, a doctor friend of mine; a lecturer in one of our state universities, confided in me that she and many of her colleagues regularly receive invitations for job openings by foreign recruiters.
Now is this brain drain, or human capital export? It depends on your perspective. But you must remember that inflows from diaspora remittance before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was already competing with our annual national budget. For instance, in 2020, diaspora remittance stood at $23.45 billion. The implication is that most families in the country are able to meet their daily needs because of a family member working abroad. If these are established facts, how is it that we approach the funding of education with the mindset of expenditure, rather than investment?
How can we say we have no money to meet ASUU’s public universities revitalisation fund, when available data from the CBN show that between 2010 and 2020 Nigerians spent a whopping $28.65 billion in foreign universities as tuition. In the current exchange rate, it translates to about N11.62 trillion. Also, recent data from the CBN reveal that between January and May of this year alone, Nigerians have spent $378.77 million on foreign universities. Our appetite for foreign education ranked us as the country with the highest number of students abroad in Africa, with an estimated 76,338 students in 2018 according to United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is indeed a hard sell for the FG to tell Nigerians there is no money for ASUU, when it can afford to use Chinese loans to build rail lines to the Niger Republic. Granted, Nigeria may not be as rich as it was when I was a little boy, when a certain head of state was heard saying, ‘we have so much money that we don’t know what to do with it”. However, we are being inebriated by various cancers, including, corruption, outright thievery, incompetence, lack of vision and patriotism.
ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated the situation very succinctly in his response to FG’s claim of paucity of funds, when he said, “the major reason given by the Federal Government for the miserly offer; paucity of revenue, is not tenable. This is because of several reasons, chief of which, is poor management of the economy. This has given rise to leakages in the revenue of governments at all levels.”
“There is wasteful spending, misappropriation of funds, and outright stealing of our collective patrimony. ASUU believes that if the leakages in the management of the country’s resources are stopped, there will be more than enough to meet the nation’s revenue and expenditure targets without borrowing and plunging the country into a debt crisis as is the case now.”
Even though I align myself with the Professor in most part, I have a contrary view regarding the issue of loan for our universities.
In my opinion, if the loan will not be eaten by monkeys, swallowed by snakes, or consumed by termites, then the Federal Government should borrow for the improvement of university infrastructure, and the enhancement of learning environment. The goal should be return on investment, in terms of improved global ranking for our universities; human capital export, and the associated diaspora remittance; global knowledge centres capable of attracting foreign direct investment; attraction of both foreign faculty, and foreign students; and the development of home grown solutions for national challenges. Currently, and thankfully, the 2021 – 2027 Strategic Plan on ranking, and the 2019 – 2023 Blue Print on the Rapid Revitalisation of University Education in Nigeria implemented by the National University Commission is already bearing fruit. The latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) indicates a marked improvement with the University of Ibadan (UI), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) appearing in top positions.
This is the first time since the inception of the ranking in 2003 that UI is appearing in the 800 – 901 band. Last week, the latest Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subject (GRAS) was released showing more positive results for Nigeria; with FUNAAB in the 201 – 300 band in Veterinary Sciences, while OAU appeared in the 201 – 300 band in Dentistry and Oral Sciences, and the University of Nigeria Nsuka appeared in the 401 – 500 band in Psychology.The argument is clear, tertiary education in Nigeria is not dead. But we can do better. While the vision for global ranking is clear, and on course, other deliverables must be clearly articulated and accelerated. The issue of funding tertiary education must be put in the front burner. The current administration should follow the advice of ASUU and fully deploy revenue from the increased telecommunication tax of 12.5 per cent to tertiary education. As usual, all we need to do well as a country is at our disposal, but we are our own nemesis. Nevertheless, I have hope that the current ASUU strike would not be suspended but be brought to an end for good, which is ASUU’s desire, as well as the parents’ and students’.
By: Raphael Pepple
Nigerians were among more than 140 residents injured after Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles at the United Arab Emirates, at the weekend.
This raised fresh fears for thousands of Nigerians living and working in the Gulf nation.
The UAE Ministry of Defence disclosed last Saturday that its air defence systems intercepted several missiles and drones fired from Iran, describing the attack as a major escalation in the ongoing regional tensions.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the ministry said its air defence units engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones during the latest assault on March 14.
It added that the attacks left six people dead and 141 others injured, including foreign nationals.
“The UAE air defence systems on March 14 engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 UAVs launched from Iran,” the ministry stated.
“Since the onset of this blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,600 UAVs launched from Iran,” UAE added.
According to the ministry, those killed in the attacks included citizens of the UAE as well as foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
“Although the authorities did not specify the exact locations where the casualties occurred, the ministry said the injured victims were from several countries, including Nigeria.
Others affected include residents from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The list also included Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.
The Tide reports that this development has sparked concern among Nigerian communities in the UAE, where thousands of citizens live and work in sectors such as construction, hospitality, logistics and trade.
Data from Nigeria’s diaspora commission shows that the UAE remains one of the largest destinations for Nigerian migrants in the Middle East, particularly in the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
The Nigerian government had in recent years raised concerns over the safety and welfare of its citizens in the country following diplomatic tensions and visa restrictions affecting Nigerians.
Saturday’s attacks have now heightened anxieties within the diaspora community, especially as the Gulf region faces growing military confrontations.
In its statement, the UAE Ministry of Defence said the country remained fully prepared to confront any threats to its security.
“The Ministry of Defence remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine state security in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguards its national interests and capabilities,” the ministry said.
In a separate update, the ministry noted that its defence systems were still actively intercepting missiles and drones.
“UAE air defences are dealing with Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” it said.
Regional media reports indicate that the attacks form part of a wider escalation of hostilities between Iran and Western-backed forces in the Middle East.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran has continued sustained missile and drone strikes across the Gulf despite protests from neighbouring states.
The strikes were said to be in retaliation for military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iranian positions in the region.
Tehran targeted several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, late on Friday and into Saturday.
The attacks also caused infrastructural damage in parts of the UAE.
Meanwhile, Iran’s elite military wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that US interests in the UAE would remain legitimate targets.
Iranian state media reported that the group issued the warning after US forces attacked Iranian-controlled islands.
The IRGC specifically mentioned ports, docks and military installations linked to the United States as potential targets.
It also urged residents in the UAE to evacuate areas around ports and military facilities to avoid civilian casualties.
Security analysts say the growing exchange of threats and strike across the Gulf could destabilise the region’s economic and aviation activities if the conflict escalates further.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the five new commissioners sworn-in last Wednesday to put in their best for the development of the State.
Fubara gave the charge during the swearing-in of the commissioners at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
This followed the successful screening of the five commissioners by the Rivers State House of Assembly, last Tuesday.
The five commissioners are Tonye Bellgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Mr. Lekue Kenneth, and Sir Amairigha Edward Hart.
The Tide reports that the governor had sent nine commissioner-nominees to the Assembly for screening, but the Assembly confirmed only five nominees and rejected the nomination of four over various allegations.
Those rejected by the Assembly are Prof. Dantonye Alasia, Mrs. Charity Demua, Mr. Tamuno Williams, and Otonye Amachree.
The governor congratulated the new commissioners on their appointment, noting that their thorough screening by the Rivers State House of Assembly was a proof of their capabilities.
He urged them to deploy their wealth of experience in various fields and put the State on a fast lane of development.
“Ordinarily, I am supposed to charge you on your responsibilities and how to operate. But that has been taken care of by the screening at the Assembly.
“I believe that going through one of the most rigorous screenings, it is enough to say that for those of you who succeeded, you are fit and ready to deliver to our dear State.
“So there is no further charge. The screening was the charge, so I wish you the best as I don’t expect anything less than the best from you,” Fubara said.
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar, Cross River State.
The Director of Naval Information, Capt Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement released in Abuja, yesterday.
Folorunsho said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He said the action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
According to him, an Anti–Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he said.
Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining, was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, in another operation, intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority area in Calabar, Cross River State.
He said the interception was based on credible intelligence on suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team, according to him, swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.
“On sighting the naval patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, after which the area was cordoned off and the illegally siphoned products secured,” he said.
Folorunsho said further inspection led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which had been evacuated to the naval base for further necessary action in line with extant regulations.
He noted that the successes aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Folorunsho reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through intensified surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.
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