… Seeks implemenation of UNESCO 26% funding
Registrar of the Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto has disclosed that one of the most challenges being faced by Universities in the country is underfunding.
Speaking on the title, Professionalism and the Challenges of University Administration in Nigeria, the Registrar and Guest lecturer, Mallam Belko Nurudeen Abubakar from the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto said the resources that are being channeled to the Universities are quite inadequate to cater for their ever increasing administrative responsibilities.
Belko, at the 5th annual Registry lecture at the Federal University of Technology, (FUT), Minna blamed the low level recruitment and brain drain in Universities on underfunding.
According to him “underfunding makes it difficult to implement many administrative policies geared towards promoting learning. The issue of underfunding of Nigerian Universities has been a serious bone of contention between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and this has led to many strikes”.
Furthermore, he said the implications of underfunding on Nigeria’s educational system has no doubt resulted in the brain drain syndrome confronting our Universities.
Belko also said “underfunding has also led to weak institutional capacity, under staffing, corruption, inadequate and deteriorating infrastructure, brain drain, poor working conditions, national strikes, societal intolerance, exploitation and so on”.
He however said “there is the need to increase funding of Nigerian Universities substantially which can be done through the implementation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommended 26 percent funding of education in the country.”
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abdullahi Bala who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Emmanuel Udenzi said modern Registry has a higher and more innovative demand on the abilities and competence of its staff, adding that “a typical Registry staff is the perfect administrator, Secretary and organizer that all arms of the University depend on to function effectively and efficiently”.
