TheNewsGuru

Tag: University

  • Recent universities ratings are fake – NUC

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has dismissed and described as fake recent ratings of Nigerian universities attributed to the commission.

    The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, made this known while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday after he appeared before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to defend the 2018 budget proposed by the commission.

    Professor Rasheed stated that the NUC has not rated tertiary institutions in the country for “many years,” describing recent ratings allegedly by the commission as fake.

    To this effect, the NUC has set up a committee to among other ends, come up with advice on the ranking of Nigerian universities.

    “This committee has started working and it is under the chairmanship of Prof. Peter Okebukola, former Executive Secretary of NUC; with Prof. Attahiru Jega, former Vice-Chancellor and former Chairman of INEC, among others, as members,” the NUC scribe stated.

    He went further to state that in the next six weeks, the NUC is expecting to receive the first report which, among other things, will help advise the commission on the best way to carry out proposed curricular review in the county and to advise on the ranking of universities.

    “We always wake up every morning and see on the social media that the NUC has ranked (universities). The NUC has not ranked any university in several years. We have not done it, but people just sit down to create it,” he said.

     

  • FG names ex-INEC boss, Jega into committee to review university system

    The Federal Government (FG) has named former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, as among members of a committee to review the university system in Nigeria.

    The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed, made this known in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Monday after he appeared before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to defend the 2018 budget proposed by the commission.

    He also revealed that a former Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola was appointed chairman of the committee.

    “The NUC has constituted a high-powered committee of very credible senior academics. Most of the members of this small committee are former vice chancellors; former executive secretaries of the NUC and some had held positions like pro-chancellor, chairman of INEC and minister of education.

    “We have given them a six-term reference to help us with repositioning Nigeria’s university system. One of the areas we want them to look at is the issue of post-graduate training and how to reform the training and produce good quality PhDs.

    “How do we get to see that serious post-graduate students complete their studies within the normal period of three years? It could be less or more than three years but three years is the normal period across the world.

    “This committee has started working and it is under the chairmanship of Prof. Peter Okebukola, former Executive Secretary of NUC; with Prof. Attahiru Jega, former Vice-Chancellor and former Chairman of INEC, among others, as members,” the NUC scribe stated.

    He went further to state that in the next six weeks, the NUC is expecting to receive the first report which, among other things, will help advise the commission on the best way to carry out proposed curricular review in the county and to advise on the ranking of universities.

     

  • JUST IN: JAMB, VCs peg university admission cut-off mark at 120

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board and Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, on Tuesday, pegged the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities at 120.

    JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, disclosed this at a combined policy meeting on admissions into universities, polytechnics and other higher institutions in Nigeria, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

     

    Read further details here…

  • Nigerian University student, Sandra Musujusu develops cure for breast cancer

    A female student of African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Sandra Musujusu has developed an alternative treatment for breast cancer.

    The breakthrough was made known in Abuja on Tuesday, June 11 when Dr Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi, the World Bank Director with his team visited the University as part of his assessment tour of the 10 African Centres of Excellence (ACE) centres.

    According to Tribune, Musujusu’s research which uses macromolecular science is aimed at developing bio-degradable polymer material which could be used as alternative for the treatment of breast cancer in the near future.

    Musujusu, a Sierra Leonean explained that her research focuses on triple negative breast cancer which is the aggressive sub-type of breast cancer that is common with women from African ancestry.

    “My research is actually centred on the development of bio-degradable polymers for treatment of breast cancer.

    “I will be focusing on triple negative breast cancer which is actually the aggressive sub-type of breast cancer that is common with women from African ancestry.”

    “I believe there is a bright future for Africa, and as a woman, there is much more we can do if we are empowered. This award given to me by PAMI has empowered me to face my studies with more confidence and actually contribute to the frontier of knowledge and move Africa forward.” She said.

    The African University of Science and Technology (AUST) is a university system concept developed by the Nelson Mandela Institution (NMI) aimed toward bringing the highest level of technical learning facilities to the continent of Africa.

  • 90% of students in Benin Republic varsity are Nigerians – official

    90% of students in Benin Republic varsity are Nigerians – official

    President of the Houdegbe North American University, Republic of Benin, Dada Houdegbe, on Saturday announced that about 90 percent of its students were Nigerians.

    Houdegbe made the remark at the University’s award of degrees and conferment of honorary awards to its graduating students and other local and international personalities, NAN reports.

    “Three years ago, we graduated about 3,000 students from different areas of studies.

    “Today, the Houdegbe North American University is graduating about 2,000 students, as well as the conferment of Honorary Doctorate Degrees on deserving personalities.

    “Let me say that about 90 percent of students in our university are Nigerians, who are happy being our students,” he said.

    According to him, there is currently a growing interest of many young Nigerians in the courses being offered by the university, its affordability and good learning environment.

    The president said that the university was meant to build bridges across political, economic, linguistic and cultural divides in West Africa, in particular, and Africa, in general.

    Houdegbe commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his belief in the institution’s ideals, as well as the encouragement he had continued to give to the university.

  • JUST IN: NUC approves upgrade of MAPOLY, now Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology

    JUST IN: NUC approves upgrade of MAPOLY, now Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Monday upgraded the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, into Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUST).

    The Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, officially announced the take-off of the university in Abuja at the formal presentation of the school’s recognition letter to Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun.

    Rasheed said that the university would be recognised as the 45th State University in the country.

    According to him, the take-off of the university will mean that Ogun State will now have three state universities.

    “Ogun state is the intellectual capital of black Africa.

    “From the NUC records, Olabisi Onabanjo University and Tai Solarin University of Education are two state universities but the addition of the University of Science and Technology will make it three.

    “What this shows is that the governor is really doing well as he has the education of the state at heart.

    “Beginning from July 3, 2017, the Polytechnic has now been recognised as the 45th state university in Nigeria.”

    Rasheed also noted that the NUC did not just create the university for access alone but the integrity and sanctity of the degree in Nigeria university.

    He said an average graduate of Nigerian university with a very good average degree earned (2-2) in a good university in Nigeria and qualifies for any university in the world performs better.

    “Our qualities are of international standard, we have high standard in the quality of education in Nigeria.

    “We are still working to review our curriculum to make it more competitive and ensure that it is of international best standards to solve our problems.

    “We want to graduates students who are familiar with our culture, tradition, history, science; and we want those graduates to be citizens of the world who can fit in anywhere.

    “We want to assure Nigerians that the quality of our degree is quite okay and we are working to improve on it,” he said.

    He, however, called on other governors to take a cue from Ogun state governor and advance the course of the university system in the country.

    Gov. Ibikunle Amosun in his response said for any nation to get it right, the tertiary institutions must do well.

    Amosun said the upgrade of the Polytechnic to a university was done through the enabling law of the Ogun State House of Assembly.

    He added that the university would be a reference point as the government of the state was committed to leave no stone unturned to take the university to its greater height.

    He added that certain funds had been created for the funding of the university.

    “As we are upgrading the Polytechnic to a University, we are earlier in Kaduna today to establish a new Polytechnic because we don’t want the Polytechnic to die like that, so we are relocating the Polytechnic to Ipokia area of the state.

    “The university of science and technology will now be in Abeokuta.

    The governor said a technical committee had been brainstorming in the last six years on the way forward to bring this to fruition.

    He added that the university would also help to develop the human capital that would improve the industrial hub of the state.

    He, however, promised to provide science and technology solution to areas in health, security and environmental challenges bedeviling the country.

     

  • Money stopped my university education- Bisola Aiyeola

    Money stopped my university education- Bisola Aiyeola

    When Bisola Aiyeola of Big Brother Naija revealed that she didn’t attend a University, many of her fans found it difficult to believe. The multi- talented entertainer who once participated in Project Fame West Africa , said money hindered her , so she decided to focus on deploying her talent.

    The eloquent mother of one made this known in an interview. According to her:” I wrote Jamb and I was jammed. It’s not like I did not try. I tried so many schools all over the country. It’s not that I wasn’t passing the exams; it was a problem of not getting funds.

    “I did not have money to pay for certain things. I was even duped when I tried to enter LASU. That pulled me back and all this just made me discouraged. I also tried National Open University (NOUN) and you know it is very easy to get into NOUN, and at certain times you needed to pay certain fees. Believe me; it was difficult to raise N15, 000 at that time. I just decided that all of my energy let me use it into using my talent to feed myself.”

  • Kwara Govt approves naming of state varsity after Saraki

    The Kwara State Government has named the state university (Kwara State University, KWASU) after the late strongman of Kwara politics, Olusola Saraki.

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, made the announcement in Ilorin at the inauguration of the Sola Saraki Educational Foundation.

    Ahmed, who declared that the Kwara State University, KWASU, would henceforth be called Sola Saraki University, explained that renaming the university was a better way of immortalising the late politician.

    He said the late Waziri of Ilorin, had immense love for education as evident in his contributions to the building of several primary and secondary schools across the state.

    The governor called on individuals and corporate bodies to invest in education as a way of securing the future of the children and donated N15 million for the takeoff of the foundation.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Sola Saraki was the father of Bukola Saraki, Nigeria’s Senate president.‎

    Born on May 13, 1933 in Ilorin, Kwara State, he was until his death regarded as the “strongman of Kwara politics”.

    He first ran in the 1964 parliamentary election for Ilorin as an independent candidate, but lost.

    After the election, he returned to medical practice in Lagos, only returning to party-politics in 1978/79.

    In 1977, Mr. Saraki was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly that produced the 1979 constitution.

    Sakari died on Wednesday 14th November 2012 in Lagos at the age of 79 after a battle with cancer.

  • VC orders herdsmen to vacate Unilorin land

    Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, the Vice–Chancellor(V-C), University of Ilorin (Unilorin), on Tuesday gave herdsmen encroaching on the institution’s land a seven-day ultimatum to quit.

    The Vice-Chancellor gave the ultimatum at a meeting he held with the representatives of the herdsmen and other stakeholders on the campus.

    He said that their presence there was a violation of the laws governing the university.

    “Your activities are affecting our research works. Plants grown for research works are being destroyed, slowing down the pace of research work.

    “We must ensure we do not hinder and frustrate each other, as we are members of the same society,” Ambali said.

    Ambali said that the meeting was called because the institution believed in dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts.

    “People are building permanent structures on our land. When we went round, we counted about 16 structures.

    “We want to use these plots for the purpose for which the university was established, hence, the need for this meeting.”

    The V-C said that the university had reached agreements with some foreign collaborators to develop the land for research purposes.

    Ambali said that the illegal activities of the herdsmen on the campus would affect the over 30,000 students of the university.

    He advised the herdsmen to cooperate with the institution to achieve its mission.

    The vice-chancellor told them that one of the reasons for establishing the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was to cater for the needs of the herdsmen, not to be a source of conflicts in the communities.

    Earlier, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, Prof. Adedayo Abdulkareem, noted that several university farms were being destroyed by the grazing cattle.

    He said that the unlawful encroachment on the institution’s landed property was worrisome to the university administration.

    Abdulkareem condemned the use of chemicals by the herdsmen for illegal fishing in the institution’s waters.

    The DVC described this as a dangerous development that could lead to water poisoning, as the university relied on the water for treatment and supply to the campus.

    Some of the herdsmen on the occasion thanked Ambali for the matured way he handled the situation.

    They promised to assist in arresting any of their members trespassing on the university’s land.

    They acknowledged the destruction of farms, assuring that they would leave whenever the institution wanted them to leave.

    Alhaji Baba Bello, the Daudu of Fufu, warned the herdsmen against building permanent structures on the university land, and decried the destruction of farms by the nomads.