While receiving the reports on behalf of the President, the Minister congratulated the Chairmen of the visitation panels and their wonderful team members for the great job done and implored them to continue to make themselves available for service to the nation which is a hallmark of every patriot.
He further stated that their patriotic zeal was evident by their inputs into the painstaking deliberations through dialogue and how those inputs have now formed the basis of the white paper report.
He expressed gladness at the prompt completion of the onerous assignment despite the obstacles they faced along the way and promised that the Ministry shall act on those aspects required of them in the final white paper. He assured members of the various committees that all efforts would be made to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the reports to prevent a waste of time and resources. He informed the gathering that the draft White Paper would be submitted to Mr. President whose prerogative it was to subsequently issue a Federal Government official White Paper after the report undergo the required internal processes.
The Minister expressed optimism that the recommendations of the report which were well articulated and if accepted by Government and properly implemented by the relevant stakeholders, the nation’s tertiary institutions would improve immensely in the areas of governance, quality assurance, management of finances, cordial relationship between management and other stakeholders, condition of physical infrastructures, quality of instruction as well as competencies of graduates.
He commended the efforts and commitment of the officials and staff of the Federal Ministry of Education and tertiary education regulatory agencies such as the NUC, National Board for Technical Education (NCCE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) for their commitment into the exercise to make it a success.
It would be recalled that Mr. President approved the constitution of the White Paper Drafting Committees for the visitation reports, on 13th January, 2022 and inaugurated a 21-member White Paper Drafting Committee on 21st March, 2022 with the following terms of reference:
i. To review the reports of the panels with particular emphasis on the observations, findings and recommendations and
ii. To articulate government’s position and decisions with respect to all matters raised/considered in the report.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Mr. David Adejo thanked the various panels for a job well done, describing the assignment as another demonstration of Government’s commitment to restoring order and stability to the Nigerian University System (NUS), which was one of the burning issues that led to the current strike in Nigerian universities.
He expressed optimism that the report would receive accelerated attention of Mr. President as the Visitor to the institutions. The Minister reiterated that the Federal Government was curious to see academic activities restored in the universities.
Meanwhile the reports of team one for the Universities Panel comprising University of Ibadan (UI), Abubakar Tafewa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe (FUG) and University of Jos (UNIJOS), was headed by Prof. Nimi Briggs; team two, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Joseph Tarka University of Agriculture, Markurdi and Federal University Lafia (FUL), Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i.
Team three comprises of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Usmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUS); Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and Federal University Lokoja (FULOKOJA), chaired by Barr. Ene Emordi; Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Federal University Kashere, Gombe (FUG), chaired by Engr. Ebele Okeke; team five, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja, Federal University Wukari (FUW), chaired by Ms. Amma Pepple.
Team six has University of Benin (UNIBEN), Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUA), Umudike and Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, chaired by Prof. Baffa Lamidi; team seven, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Moddibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) Yola, Federal University Dustse (FUD) and Federal University, Gashua, Yobe State, chaired by Alhaji Bello Isa Sani.
Team eight included; University of Calabar (UNICAL), Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI) and Federal University, Birnin-Kebbi, headed by Prof Taiwo Fofan; team nine, Federal University Gusau, Zamafara, University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University NAU Awka, chaired by Prof. Michael Faborode.
While the last on the list was team ten; National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN) Aba, National Arabic Language Village, (NALV), Ngalato, Nigerian French Language Village (NFLV) Badagry, National Mathematical Centre (NMC) Abuja and Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), chaired by Prof Gambo Laraba Abdullahi.
Similarly the reports for the six teams of the polytechnics and colleges of education panels were also submitted by their chairmen.
At the event were the Executive Secretaries of NUC, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, mni, MFR, FNAL; Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Architect Sonny Echono; National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris M. Bugaje; National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Okwelle; as well as the Chairmen and Secretaries of the Presidential Visitation.