In a significant step towards advancing academic excellence in Nigeria’s higher education, the Association of African Universities (AAU) West Africa Office, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the National Universities Commission (NUC) have jointly launched the Framework of Action for Accelerating Academic Excellence (FAAAE). This strategic plan was introduced during a virtual seminar, which brought together Vice-Chancellors, VICBHE Module 7 participants, and various stakeholders from the education sector.
Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola, the AAU Ambassador for Higher Education for West Africa and former NUC Executive Secretary, emphasized the crucial role of academic excellence in driving national and regional development. He called for sustainable funding for higher education institutions and prudent utilization of available resources by educational authorities. The seminar also acknowledged the commendable efforts of AAU in the past two years under the leadership of Professor Olusola Oyewole, the Secretary-General.
During the event, various leaders and stakeholders, Professor Saeed Bakri Osman, President of AAU, Christopher Maiyaki, Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, and Professor Is-haq Oloyede, Registrar of JAMB, deliberated on barriers to academic excellence. They proposed comprehensive and sustainable strategies to overcome these obstacles and promote academic advancement.
Moreover, the seminar served as a follow-up to the Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors, and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP) held in Windhoek, Namibia, reaffirming the commitment to elevate university education in the region. Participants lauded the contributions of the immediate-past Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, and acknowledged the progress made by Professor Is-haq Oloyede in enhancing access to quality higher education in Nigeria through JAMB’s initiatives. Notably, the stakeholders recognized the steady improvements in Nigerian universities’ global rankings but acknowledged that challenges in funding management persist.
With collective efforts to enhance resource allocation and improve the welfare of higher education staff, the stakeholders are confident that Nigeria’s journey towards academic excellence will gain momentum.
Source: THE NATION NEWSPAPER
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