The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, clarified on Tuesday that the Federal Government has no intention of divesting universities to private investors.
The clarification was provided by the Minister during the
Second Quarterly Engagement of the Ministry with heads of units and chief
executive officers of parastatals and agencies under its purview, held on
Tuesday.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has expressed
concerns regarding the Federal Government’s alleged intentions to transfer
federal universities to private investors through public-private partnerships.
”There is no plan to sell off universities to investors,” he
said, noting that the policy of the government allowed for transnational
education.
He mentioned that transnational education is a strategy
employed by the government to enhance tertiary education through the
involvement of foreign investors in our educational system.
“Some people are carrying information that the Federal
Government is selling off to private investors its universities. This is an
absolute lie and completely false.
“This government believes in our public institutions.
However, as we all know this government has reforms that this country needs.
“The private sector will play a major role in the provision
of tertiary education, as there are more private universities in Nigeria than
public universities combined.
“What this government has done is to open up the tertiary
education level, in particular the universities, for global competitiveness,”
he said.
The minister emphasized the imperative to facilitate the
entry of international university operators into our nation. These entities
should be permitted to establish independent institutions or forge
collaborative partnerships with our local universities.
He clarified that this was not In any way an attempt to
market its institutions, emphasizing that guidelines on transnational education
had already been established.
The nation should draw inspiration from the practices of
other countries in order to capitalize on the benefits of transnational
education, as suggested by the esteemed individual.
“In other parts of the world, like Asia, they have benefited
immensely from having international institutions in those countries.
“They have taken standards to those countries and also for
the exchange and bringing money to those countries,” he said.
In addition, he mentioned that the meeting with the heads of
government agencies and parastatals was conducted to assess the current status,
identify any obstacles, and reinforce our dedication to improving the
educational landscape of the nation.