The 9th substantive Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, has assumed office, with the commitment to reform law governing the commission.
Ribadu stated this while speaking in Abuja on Monday when he officially took over from the immediate-past acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Dr. Chris Maiyaki.
He promised to work diligently with the management and staff of the commission to improve productivity by prioritising the training and welfare of staff.
“I ask each and every one of you to join me on this journey of building a commission that is even more robust, efficient, effective, and responsive to the needs of our various stakeholders.
“On my part, I will prioritise your training and welfare. This is because of my belief that investing in your professional development and well-being will yield maximum productivity.
“In the coming weeks and months, I will be working closely with the management team to develop a comprehensive strategy for the commission,” he said.
Ribadu also pledged to increase access to university education, noting that access had been a challenge, as two million candidates register for JAMB but only 500,000 get admitted into tertiary institutions annually.
“Access to university education still remains a challenge. About 2 million candidates sit for the JAMB examinations annually, but only about half a million are admitted.
“Not all those who sit for the exams will have passed. Assuming a pass rate of 50 per cent, we say about 1 million candidates are qualified.
“But out of that number, only about half a million are admitted into universities. Of course, a small percentage go to polytechnics and colleges of education. So, there is still a gap in the admission of candidates.
“We hope to increase access by expanding existing infrastructure and resources in public universities, e- and distance education, as well as private sector growth, enhancing funding, and external support channels,” he added.
The outgone Executive Secretary of the NUC, Chris Maiyaki, described Ribadu’s appointment as timely, given the Nigerian University System’s need for decisive and innovative leadership to tackle its challenges.
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Maiyaki called for a review of the enabling laws of the commission to allow for effective delivery of its mandate.
“Many of the enabling laws of the commission are outdated and in need of legal reform. These are obstinate laws that limit the ability of an institution to adapt to new trends.
“In the case of the NUC, our outdated laws impede the commission’s capacity to control the proliferation and activities of illegal degrees, unauthorised or unapproved degree-awarding institutions.”
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