FG Approves N400bn for Universities

As part of efforts to transform the nation's universities to meet the
international standard, the federal government has earmarked the sum
of N400billion to be expended on infrastructure developmentfor public
universities within a period of four years.
A document to this effect will be made available today at the meeting
of the Presidential Committee on the Implementation of the NEEDS
Assessment inthe universities with representatives of the unions inthe
education sector.
The unions include Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities
(SSANU), National Associationof Academic Technologists (NAAT),
Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions
(NASU) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
SSANU president, Mr. Samson Ugwoke, who disclosed this while
addressing the National Executive Council (NEC) members at the weekend
inAbuja, also hinted that the NEEDS Assessment Implementation
Committee, chaired by the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, has
raised N100 billion from donor agencies to tackle the challenges
bedeviling the nation's universities in the year 2013.
He listed the intervention agencies to include the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the
Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) among others.
Ugwoke said the N100 billion would be shared among 61 universities in
various categories such as re-furbishing and renovation of lecture
theatres, re-furbishing and renovation of laboratory/library and the
renovation of hostels.
He specifically pointed out that N96 billion had already been released
to the affected universities noting that the intervention fund, aimed
at bailing out the education sector is different from the annual
budgetary allocation to the various universities across the country.
"Let me give you a tip on what the NEED Assessment Committee is doing.
The president has approved that within the next four years, N400
billion would be expended in infrastructure development of Nigeria
universities, to transform the universities to world class.
"N100 billion has been raised by Suswan Committee and 61 universities
have been penciled down as contained in the NEEDS Assessment
Committee. These 61 universities will share the N100 billion in
various categories which include re-furbishing and renovation of
lecture theatres and lecture halls, re-furbishing and renovation of
laboratory/library and the renovation of hostels.
"The second category is building of new hostels of international
standard, self-contain rooms, the latest model in the world. That is
the standard to be built in every university, and also the
state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, lecture theatres and halls.
"The committee is meeting again on Monday (today), when the document
will be out. This time around, it is not only by giving university
money, but it will be closely monitored by government to ensure that
the money is used to transform the universities, to bail universities
out of the present situation and develop them to an international
recognised university standard," Ugwoke stated.
Speaking further, he assured the non-teaching staffmembers that none
of them will be retrenched going by the NEEDS Assessment report.
He, however, warned that any attempt to lay off members of staff would
be resisted by the unions inthe sector.
The SSANU president said: "I can assure you that our members will
never be relegated, they will neverbe sacked or retrenched, there is
nothing like that in the terms of reference of the Presidential
Committee on the Implementation of NEEDS Assessment.
"We have three presidents against one in that committee and we are
doing our networking. Unless they want to close the universities, they
dare not try to retrench or touch our members. because when we go on
strike, it will be mother of all strikes, they know that. Not even
vice-chancellors will cross the gate of the universities."