NIGERIA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IS UNDER PRESSURE – FUNAI VC
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba said the Nigeria University system is seriously under pressure.
The Professor of Agricultural Economics made this known when members of a United States-based Christian group visited him on Friday, 21st April, 2016.
“The Nigeria University system is under pressure. Our nation veered off academically from the 70’s, a consequence of military era”, he explained.
Welcoming the team to the University, Prof. Nwajiuba who was visibly excited for the visit thanked them for their thoughtfulness in pledging to collaborate with the University, noting that the doubt about the quality of Nigerian graduates has made it more imperative for diaspora collaboration.
VC, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba (1st L) welcoming the group to the University
“The doubt about the quality of our graduates in terms of their inability to speak good English, read and write appropriately has made us to start a Language Enhancement Programme (LEP) to train our students to be different
“I believe it is the first of its kind in Nigerian Universities
“We have also started retraining our staff and changing the endemic culture of taking without giving among our staff and it is bearing fruit
“We established a Centre for Internationalization to drive our partnership with Nigerian academics in diaspora in other to make this University different”, the Vice Chancellor stated.
VC, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba speaking during the meeting
The Vice Chancellor further added that it was his vision to establish a Diaspora village in the Southeast zone of Nigeria where Nigerian academics in the diaspora could congregate to compare notes with their local peers, and called on Nigerian academics abroad to think home not just through their finances but also their intellectual works.
Earlier, the group through Apostle O.C. Obikaram said they were interested in riding the society of poverty through the provision of empowerment schemes in different parts of the world.
“Our goal as Christians is to take the church to the outside world. We have done this for over 13 years, trying to reduce the suffering of people in different parts of the world
“We believe that when people’s academics, spiritual and social life are properly harnessed and combined, it will lead to a better society”, he explained.
Appreciating the developmental strides of the Vice Chancellor, another member of the group, Joe Agumadu advised: “Keep doing what you are doing because the news is already going outside the country”, and prayed that God should sustain the solid works of the Vice Chancellor as he strives to make the University great.
A member of the group, Joe Agumadu speaking during the meeting
“We are behind you. Whatever you desire, God will give you the grace to accomplish it for this University”, he stressed.
The group was led to the University by the Anglican Bishop of Ikwo Diocese, Rt. Rev. Ken C. Ifemene.
VC, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba (c) and some members of the University Management in a group photograph with the Dallas-based group after the visit