Lecturers condemn poor leadership in the education sector

As Nigeria marks the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration on May 29, some lecturers and students have complained bitterly about the incompetence of the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education.

In 2023, the federal government declared May 29 as a public holiday to mark the presidential inauguration and it was the day of the inauguration of the Tinubu government.

May 29, also known as Democracy Day, is a national public holiday in Nigeria commemorating the restoration of democracy in 1999, celebrated on June 12.

Analyzing the attitude of the education sector over the past year, Professor Francis Egbokhare, a prolific scholar at the University of Ibadan, said the government has devolved leadership in the education sector to a low standard.

“It appears that a top man in government has delegated responsibilities to lower levels that are not aligned with their overall goals, requiring drastic action. Institutions operate on the principle of refinancing, without a sense of coherence; everything is distorted. If this happens, public universities could cease to exist within the next three years due to compromise, overwork, and unsupervised parallel classes.

“There is a breakdown in the mentality of Nigerian intellectuals and strong leadership is needed to restore order. Some policies have been reversed, such as IPPIS, which is good, and the government has started paying for the last strike, but the effects of the no-work policy have caused more damage to the system,” he said.

He said the composition of the recently established Governing Boards of some universities showed that the ministry did not understand what could be obtained in the sector, claiming that student loans also started at the wrong rate before a few tweaks were made.

“There seems to be no oversight in the education sector. It took over a year to establish governing boards, which was a dangerous oversight. This delay deprived universities of their administrative capacity. No matter how conscientious the Minister of Education is, he is unable to effectively control and regulate local affairs. This created a significant gap in university administration.

“The regulations regarding the formation of councils in these schools were not followed, and the composition of the councils was not impressive, which indicated the need for amendments. If the machinery of governance is not well oiled, failures will continue to occur, as we have seen with councils. Student loans were also mismanaged and needed correction. There seems to be a problem with ability, motivation, or perhaps laziness, which indicates that something is not working well.

Egbokhare also said the government must address trade union issues and create a strategy to meet their needs.

“Cooperation between trade unions and the government is not working well and something must be done to prevent another strike. The government must strategically respond to trade union demands rather than ignore them. Failure to respond to calls and letters will lead to a deterioration of the situation of universities, similar to public primary schools.”

National President of the Association of Academic Staff of Universities, prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, explained that the list of the Governing Council was drawn up in haste and many of the appointees were not from any university system.

Osodeke added that ASUU had reviewed the list and many of the appointees were political officers without relevant experience and qualifications.

“Some could no longer win any elections or hold significant positions. There is one person whose background is particularly disturbing; he is a former prisoner. How can an ex-convict be appointed as the chancellor of a university in a country like Nigeria?

“Some nominees were chosen based on sentiment and have no significant track record or experience in bureaucracy or business. Stakeholders, including academics, the union and the university community, must be involved in the review process. Otherwise, these appointees will view their positions as political offices and look for ways to profit from them. Our union conducts thorough checks on these people,” he said.

A postgraduate student at the University of Ibadan who spoke to The PUNCH, Olatunji Emmanuel, lamented that despite the budget increase, the education budget remained well below the UNESCO recommendation of 26 per cent of the national education budget, saying it had no impact on resources, infrastructure and quality of education.

“Kidnapping students and attacks on schools pose a serious threat to the accessibility and security of education.

“The electricity supply in educational institutions is unstable, affecting students’ ability to read, charge devices and conduct practical classes. Additionally, high electricity tariffs at institutions can lead to tuition increases as schools may spread the costs among students to meet payment obligations, further increasing financial pressure on students.

“Additionally, the increase in fuel prices significantly increased transport costs, and many students decided to go trekking. This physical exertion often exhausts students, making it difficult for them to concentrate and effectively absorb information in class.”

A 300-degree student of Library and Information Science at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State in Oluwafemi Oluwanishola explained that the economic downturn has led to an increase in tuition fees, transportation and living costs, making it difficult for many parents to pay school fees.

He revealed that this led to the resignation of some students.

However, both Oluwanisola and Emmanuel praised the student loan initiative.