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Revitalising Nigerian Universities For Export

Published

4 years ago

August 22, 2022

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

News

NDLEA Intercepts Drugs Hidden In Winter Jackets, Cream At Lagos Airport

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.

The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.

In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.

The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.

“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.

“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”

In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.

A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.

“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.

In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.

“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.

In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.

Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.

In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.

In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.

In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.

In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.

In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.

The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.

The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.

News

RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.

Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.

He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.

“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.

In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.

He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.

Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.

He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.

In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.

In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.

News

Rivers Muslims Laud Fubara’s Dev Strides

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.

They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.

Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.

Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.

According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.

He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.

“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.

Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.

He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.

Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.

According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.

“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.

By: John Bibor