VC supports creation of more Universities in Nigeria

Thursday, February 17, 2011. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor David I. Ker,OON has lent his support to the creation of more universities in Nigeria, saying that “it is a surer way to open the space for our teeming youths who desire and deserve higher education”.

Professor Ker who was the Guest Lecturer at the second edition of the Adamu Baikie Annual Lecture Series in honour of Professor Adamu Baikie,CON at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi pointed out that there were two schools of thought regarding the establishment of more universities.

One school the Vice Chancellor noted were those who argue that rather than open more universities, efforts should be geared towards consolidating on the existing ones, increasing their capacity and thus improving on their infrastructure and facilities.

The other school were those who argue that the demand for access is high and Nigeria could indeed do with more Universities. According to Professor Ker, “The Federal Government appears to have bought this latter point and literally splashed nine new Universities of its own with a promise to establish three more.”

He posited that those who argue for consolidation have good case, but the problem of access to University education will not be addressed by concentrating on existing Universities.

Professor Ker who had served two terms as Vice-Chancellor of Benue State University remarked that when the Federal Government in 1975 established the Universities at Ilorin, Port-Harcourt, Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri and Calabar there were arguments against them.

Speaking on the topic: “Leadership and Management of State Universities in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects, Prof. Ker identified three major challenges facing the management of State universities in Nigeria to include: staffing, finance, and politics in that order. Other challenges include: students unrest, examination malpractice, cultism as “ challenges that we have come to accept as part and parcel of growing up as a leader of an academic institution in Nigeria”.

Professor Ker advocated an aggressive staff development strategy that sees the long term goal of investing in human capital as the panacea to the staffing problem recalling that between 2000 to date the Benue State University have produced at least 100 Ph.Ds in the various programmes with eighty percent retention rate.

Professor Ker called on proprietors of universities not to see the establishment of universities as simply meant to make political statement.  A University, the Guest Lecturer noted “must be backed by concrete measures that ensure its continuity. Financial commitment cannot be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency and our Governors who commit themselves to building a University need to realize that this is a timeless project that must be nurtured to get better and better.”

The Annual Lecture Series in honour of Professor Adamu Baikie is an initiative of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Keffi Chapter as a mark of honour to Prof. Baikie, CON, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University according to the Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Shamsudeen O. O. Amali, OFR in his opening remarks.

Professor Amali lauded Professor Adamu Baike as the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Nasarawa State University who for almost eight years had laid a solid foundation for the University for which his successors were striving very had to build on.