Prof. Duro Ajeyalemi, the Registrar/CEO, Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB), says the Liberian Government’s request for 6,000 Nigerian teachers is in order and an offer to help.
Ajeyalemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that Nigeria had more than enough professionally qualified teachers to send to Liberia to strengthen its educational system.
Liberian President, George Weah, made the request for 6,000 Nigerian teachers to make up for the shortage of good teachers in the country’s educational system during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari early March.
The Federal Government has yet to respond to the request.
“ Nigeria has thousands of graduates that are professionally qualified and some that are not professionally qualified that are not employed.
“ Nigeria has been sending teachers to many African countries. The move will help the Nigerian economy because the teachers will remit some money home. Its a good inter-country cooperation,” Ajeyalemi said.
Ajeyalemi, a professor of technical education at the University of Lagos, said if the teachers were sent to Liberia, it would not create manpower shortage in Nigeria.
“Rather, it will create opportunities for the unemployed teachers.
“ There will be no manpower shortage if the teachers go to Liberia. There are so many graduates from the colleges of education and universities that are not engaged.
“ The last time I assisted Lagos State Government to recruit 5,000 teachers when we advertised, 23,000 qualified people responded and we had to weed out some to get the number needed,” the don said.
“ The manpower is there. The objection of the Nigerian Union of Teachers to the request is not in order because the move will help professional teachers who are not engaged to be better engaged.”
Ajeyalemi said if the federal government approved the request, the teachers could stay for an initial period of two years since it would on contract and could be renewable.
“ We can return the ones that had served and allow a new set to go to Liberia,” Ajeyalemi said. (NAN)
