By Gabriella Ogbu<\/p>\n
The Nigerian Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN) has called for an immediate cessation of strike actions in the nation’s universities. This resolution followed extensive deliberations at COPSUN’s 7th biennial summit, highlighting the pressing need to address the disruptions caused by strikes and enhance the stability and quality of higher education in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
The recent protests by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have underscored long-standing grievances. These groups demanded the release of withheld salaries and the implementation of agreements made with the federal government in 2009. ASUU chapters staged rallies over two weeks, while SSANU conducted nationwide demonstrations on July 9, 2024, threatening to strike if their demands were not met.<\/p>\n
In response, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, Chairman of the National Planning Committee, signed a communiqu\u00e9 advocating against strike actions due to their detrimental effects on the stability and standards of education. “Labor union strike action should be discouraged as much as possible due to the attendant consequences on stability, quality, and standards,” the communiqu\u00e9 stated. It urged university administrations to use resources wisely to maximize their impact and called for pro-chancellors to engage actively in trade disputes and conflict resolution.<\/p>\n
The communiqu\u00e9 also emphasized the importance of university autonomy for national growth and global competitiveness. “University Autonomy is not merely a goal but a necessity for the advancement of education and society in Nigeria,” it stated. Autonomy would enable institutions to operate free from bureaucratic constraints, fostering innovation and better serving students.<\/p>\n
Recalling the Tinubu administration’s commitment to granting full autonomy to federal government-owned institutions, the communiqu\u00e9 highlighted the benefits of autonomous institutions in generating diverse funding sources and enhancing their financial stability. The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had noted during the 2023 Nigeria Annual Education Conference that increased autonomy would empower colleges to manage their finances more effectively.<\/p>\n
COPSUN also called for the establishment of robust, independent Governing Councils with the authority to make key decisions on university governance. “Government should establish strong and independent University Governing Councils with the authority to make key decisions on university governance,” the communiqu\u00e9 stated. Strengthening alumni associations and fostering partnerships between universities and their host communities were also recommended to prepare students for life after graduation.<\/p>\n
The communiqu\u00e9 further stressed the need for universities to adhere to international standards in infrastructure, research, and facilities. It called for stringent measures against exam misconduct, certificate fraud, and other corrupt practices. Establishing consulting units to raise additional funds and promoting university staff capacity building were also highlighted as essential steps for enhancing efficiency and innovation.<\/p>\n
To attract global students, universities should offer cutting-edge curricula and collaborate with private organizations to improve funding and financial stability. “Universities ought to provide fresh, cutting-edge curricula that will draw in students from around the world,” the communiqu\u00e9 noted.<\/p>\n
The pro-chancellors reiterated the importance of using alternative dispute resolution methods and interactive consultations to settle disputes with labor unions, advocating for proactive engagement in resolving trade disputes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Gabriella Ogbu The Nigerian Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN) has called for an immediate cessation of strike actions in the nation’s universities. This resolution followed extensive deliberations at COPSUN’s 7th biennial summit, highlighting the pressing need to address the disruptions caused by strikes and enhance the stability and quality of higher education […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39215"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39216,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39215\/revisions\/39216"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}