Reps Resume Plenary, To Hold Summit On Tertiary Education Reform

House of Representatives has concluded plans to convene a National Summit on Tertiary Education Reform. The summit is expected to hold on Tuesday, 22nd and Wednesday, 23rd November, 2022.

The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabimila, while welcoming his colleagues back to plenary yesterday after the budget defence exercise, said the summit, which aimed at meeting the legislative agenda of the House, was an opportunity to begin the long overdue national conversation about the future of public tertiary education in Nigeria.

The House had adjourned plenary for four weeks to concentrate on the defence of the 2022 budget implementation and 2023 budget proposal by the MDAs.

At the resumption of plenary yesterday, the speaker said, “Scholars, tertiary education administrators, and local and international stakeholders have been invited to submit papers on the theme of the Summit, “Reimagining Tertiary Education in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Solutions”, and other sub-themes provided in a call for memoranda. The presentations and submissions would inform the policy recommendations of the summit and be published in a journal for policy action and academic reference. So far public interest both within and outside Nigeria has been impressive.

“The most consequential decisions we make in government are those that will ensure the vast population of young people in our country are educated and adequately equipped to participate productively in the modern global economy. To achieve this, we must ask and answer complex questions about the operating structure of our public tertiary institutions, sustainable funding, education quality and access. I urge all members of the House to participate in this crucial national conversation so that your experience, expertise and concerns inform the policy recommendations that emerge from the Summit.”

While speaking in the 2023 budget proposal, the speaker said “Committees of the House have been working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill, ensuring the final budget serves the needs of the Nigerian people and meets the development objectives of our communities across the country.

He added that the House was also working to ensure that, in line with the reforms of the 9th Assembly, the final bill will be ready for presidential assent before the end of the year.

“It is not an easy task to deliver an implementable budget at a time of significant financial limitations. The limited time available for budget consideration and the demands of the fast-approaching national elections further complicate the picture. However, I am confident that members of the House are alive to our responsibilities and will deliver our objectives in good time and to the benefit of our country,” he said.