The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas, has promised that the 10th House will prioritize university autonomy for better performances.
Abbas emphasized the importance of university autonomy during a public hearing on five bills proposing the establishment of the Federal University of Solid Mineral Development in Michika, Adamawa, held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Rep. Esosa Iyawe, a member representing the Oredo Federal Constituency in Edo, who represented the speaker, stated that the bills also take into account the establishment of four additional universities across the nation.
He said: “The House will prioritize university autonomy as seen in other parts of the world to ensure that standards are elevated.”
Abbas acknowledged that lawmakers are aware of Nigerians’ concerns about establishing new universities, especially since some existing institutions are underperforming and fail to meet global academic standards.
He, however, noted that the legislators must also respond to the growing population, which had resulted in thousands of qualified young Nigerians being unable to gain university admission.
This, the speaker said, had become an issue as universities often reached their admission quotas, thus highlighting the urgent demand for higher education, which had continued to increase alongside the population.
He said: “Establishing new universities is part of our response to that growing demand and the need to expand opportunities for young Nigerians.
“However, we recognize that this expansion must go hand-in-hand with the revival and strengthening of our current universities to improve quality and performance.
“To this end, we know that the National Universities Commission is actively working on reforms.”
In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on University Education, Rep. Abubakar Fulata, said the public hearing, organized by his committee, was aimed at providing a unique opportunity for stakeholders.
According to him, their role is to contribute by applying their expertise and professionalism to further shape the provisions and features of the bills.
Fulata said: “In doing so, attention will focus on examining the feasibility or otherwise of these universities, assess their potential impacts on access to quality education, and identify opportunities for collaboration and resource optimization.”
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