NESG calls for increase in education Budget

…Says 26% allocation not enough
Barely three weeks in the nationwide strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), has called for increase in Education Budget.

According to the NESG Chief Executive Office, Mr. Olaoye Jaiyeola, the 26 per demand for budget in the education sector is not feasible.

Speaking during the Stakeholders’ Roundtable on University/Industry Linkages organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja on Friday Jaiyeola said that education should be the top most priority of every government.

While calling for increase in efficiency of universities, he said that it is only by doing so that the nation’s higher institutions can meet up with the global standard.

He also said that it was a misplaced of reasoning that vice-chancellors should be appointed among the indigents of a host community of institutions.

Similarly, the Director, Directorate of Research of Research, Innovation and Information Technology, Dr. Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, said the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was a fraud.

He clarified those students, who were posted to acquire work experience, ended up serving tea at conference rooms that participate in what would have given them experience in their course of study in the institutions.

Ramon-Yusuf disclosed that the gap between the university system and industries, informed the hosting of the roundtable to discuss measures that could curb the problems.

“People think universities are working in silos, but beyond research findings, very little is seen outside the system, that is why we called for this roundtable to examine ways, which there could be collaboration.

“To move the nation forward, there must be an involvement of the academia and the industries”, Ramon-Yususf said.

Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content and Development Board (NCDMB) Engr. Simbi Wabote, said there was the need for alignment of curriculum in the university system.

While advising universities to focus on the needs of the industries, he said the Research and Development Council was collaborating with universities to see how incentives could be attracted for institutions.

National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, in his remarks said the commission was working on eleven strategies in a blueprint that would bring collaborations between the university system and industries in the country.

Rasheed said 50 per cent of curriculum must contain local, national and international dimension in manpower deployment, stating that several meetings had been held in this respect.