ASUU wondered why the government would push for the creation
of new universities while ignoring the existing ones currently in dilapidated
states.
The National Universities Commission, the regulatory body of
universities in Nigeria, puts the total number of federal universities at 49;
state-owned universities, 55, and private-owned universities, 99.
Though the NUC had earlier argued that the number of
universities and lecturers in the country might not be enough to cater for the
academic needs of Nigerians, ASUU told the government to focus on fixing the
existing universities and the entire university system.
An analysis conducted by our correspondent, however,
revealed that since the ninth National Assembly came into power in 2019, no
fewer than 186 bills had been initiated for the establishment of new
universities.
In 2019 for instance, a total of 48 bills were initiated for
the creation of new universities; there was a drop in 2020 when only 43 bills
for new universities were pushed. Further analysis of total bills passed in
2021, however, revealed that no fewer than 80 bills were pushed for the
establishment of new universities.
15 bills initiated in 2022
Notable among the bills are the bill for the establishment
of Federal University of Tourism, Wamba 2021; Federal University of
Entrepreneurship Onitsha, 2022; Federal University of Transport, Daura 2021;
University of Broadcast and Film studies, Jos; Nigerian Police University of
Information and Technology, Abeokuta among others.
In an interview with Journalist , ASUU National President,
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, wondered why the government would abandon existing
universities and lecturers while focusing on new establishments.
“These are some of the things we are fighting for. When you
go to Nigerian universities, you see dilapidated buildings; lecturers are not
even being treated well. Why create new universities when you cannot even take
care of the existing ones?
Reacting to the statistics of the NUC about the number of
lecturers available in Nigerian universities, Osodeke said, “We do not have up
to 100,000 lecturers in Nigerian universities, there is brain drain.
“Lecturers are leaving because of unfair treatment and they
will continue to leave until the government does the right thing by making sure
that adequate funds are released into the university system.”