Support State-Owned Varsities To Deliver Quality Education, Pro-Chancellors Urge Govs

Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities on Thursday called on the State Governments across the country to support universities established by them to deliver quality education.

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of its 6th Biennial Conference held at Osun State University, Osogbo.

The communique signed by Yusuf Alli, SAN, the Chairman of the Committee, also decried proliferation of state universities while the existing ones were not adequately funded.

“In Nigeria, the establishment of state-owned universities has become a ‘constituency project.’ Every local government and state seeks to establish and own a university.

“The proliferation of state universities at the same time that the existing ones are not adequately funded run against the grain. State government should, therefore, support their institutions to deliver quality education.

“Adequate funding will facilitate and promote research development and position the university as the real engine for knowledge generation, innovation, and overall national development,” the communique partly read.

On the ongoing strike by Academic Staff of Universities, COPSUN called on the Federal Government to do more in reassuring lecturers of its commitment to fulfilling agreements voluntarily entered into.

COPSUN also called for strict regulation and control on the establishment of private universities in the country, saying about 99 private universities currently in operation have not added value to the enrolment of students or access to university education.