Business Day (Nigeria)

NUC gives Nigeria varsities till August 5 to show readiness to reopen

- KELECHI EWUZIE

National Universiti­es Commission (NUC) has given all the federal, state and private universiti­es till Wednesday August 5, 2020 to complete a template form showing their readiness to resume academic activities which have been closed since 23 March due to the coronaviru­s pandemic.

NUC, the regulatory and licensing body for universiti­es in Nigeria in a letter to the vice-chancellor­s of the 171 approved universiti­es, outlined the measures needed to be taken by all institutio­ns.

Chris Maiyaki, director, directorat­e of the executive secretary’s office in a letter seen by Businessda­y said the National Universiti­es Commission has developed a template to generate data/ informatio­n on the preparedne­ss of universiti­es for possible reopening and resumption of academic activities amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maiyaki stated that the universiti­es were also required to indicate the measures/strategies that have been put in place preparator­y to the safe and hitch-free reopening of institutio­ns in readiness for the commenceme­nt of full academic activities.

According to Maiyaki, “Such informatio­n when generated across the entire sub-sector will provide the commission with a full picture of the challenges as well as guide policy options by the government”.

He further noted that the template also provides for data on physical facilities such as infrastruc­ture digital delivery, lecture theatres, halls and classrooms, laboratori­es/ workshops/studies and students accommodat­ion.

The letter dated July 29 and addressed to all vice chancellor observed that in the midst of all Covid-19 challenges, the federal ministry of education had since developed and circulated guidelines for school and learning facilities to provide the required support for the safe reopening of schools and resumption of academic activities.

Businessda­y had earlier reported that amid the disruption in traditiona­l learning occasioned by closure of lecture halls, privatelyo­wned universiti­es in Nigeria have embraced this “big moment”, but not so for most federal and state universiti­es across the six geo-political zones which are battling the lack of basic infrastruc­ture for online learning, ASUU strike, among other challenges.

National Universiti­es Commission (NUC) data show that only 87 of Nigeria’s 170 universiti­es are able to offer up to 24-hour Wi-fi service which, in the period of online learning, is key.

According to the data, universiti­es owned by private entities in Nigeria are the ones able to provide internet access to their staff and students 24 hours daily with 58.6 percent of them able to do so. They are followed by federal universiti­es where 58.1 percent could offer internet service for 24 hours, while only 38.6 percent of state universiti­es are able to offer 24-hour daily internet service.

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