The Federal Government on Friday inaugurated the University Needs Implementation Committee headed by Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.
The committee is to put in place appropriate requirements for learning in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, said during the inauguration of the committee in Abuja that the major needs of all federal universities were identified by an assessment committee earlier set up to “assess and prioritise the needs of universities.”
According to him, the report submitted by the Needs Assessment Committee mandates the inaugurated committee “to interface with all agencies providing funding support to the universities with the aim of appropriately channelling support to identified priorities,”
The Federal Government had set up the NAC to revitalise the physical infrastructure in the universities, with the aim of enhancing the Internally Generated Revenue base of the universities.
But the non-implementation of the report has pitted the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union and other trade unions in the nation’s universities against the government.
Anyim said the committee’s terms of reference included, “Simulating private sector investment into the public universities, monitoring progress of the projects implementation and produce quarterly reports for submission to the Federal Government and, intervention in any other matter that may be necessary to achieve the purpose of the Needs assessment.”
