Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu and the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah today received briefings from Chief Executives of some Parastatals in the Ministry, noting their mandates, organization structure, achievements and challenges.
The Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, Professor Dibu Ojerinde and the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro took their turns to brief the Ministers and the Permanent Secretary, Dr (Mrs) Folasade Yemi-Esan.
The meeting was aimed at acquainting the Ministers about the operations of the parastatals. This is even as they
Minister promised to carefully study the briefing documents submitted by the Agencies.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor
Julius Okojie had briefed the Ministers about the Commission from its formation to the present day, saying that the Commission has grown from strength to strength over the years.
According to him, the thrust of the Commission’s
activities is to improve Access and Quality of University Education in Nigeria, stressing that the Commission has continued to maintain high standard on the issue of accreditation of Universities and their courses.
Till date the number of accredited Universities he said
stands at 141, comprising: 40 Federal, 40 State and 61
private Universities, adding that Nigerian Universities
now rank very high among international community system.
Similarly, the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde
said that the Board has continued to improve on its
services thereby easing the conduct of the Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME) and speedy release of
result of the examination which is now completely
computerized.
According to him, about 600 Centres have been identified for the 2016 exercise including special Centres for the
physically challenged and candidates in the Diaspora
Professor Ojerinde, however expressed worries over the
discriminatory cut- off marks of 180 and 150 respectively
adopted each year by the policy Committee in favour of
Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, stressing that
the practice defeats the aim of the Unified Tertiary
Matriculations Examination.
The Executive Secretary of TETFUND, Professor,
Suleiman Bogoro said that the Fund has become a brand for many African Countries, noting that five countries have now established similar Fund modeled after the Nigerian
experience.
Professor Bogoro reiterated the strategic importance of the Fund which he noted has also been widely acknowledged to be the messiah of the Education system especially since the time it was dedicated to service of tertiary institutions alone.
He emphasized that special attention was being
accorded capacity building for staff in the various institutions and exhibited photographs of infrastructure developed the Agency.
AGIDIKE ABDUL ONU
For Director of Press
