Economic Recession: Seek alternative funding for varsities, NUC tells VCs

BENIN CITY-THE Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) has admonished Vice Chancellors of Universities to begin to see endowment funds as a serious matter so as to be able to fund their activities under the prevailing economic recession. Unilag Unilag “Our Vice Chancellors must begin to see fund raising and mobilization as an integral part of their jobs in response to the realities of today”, says the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abubakar Adamu. Speaking at a lecture titled, “Nigerian Universities, Thinking Outside the Box to Embrace Innovative and Positive Change”, in Honour of University of Benin (UNIBEN) staff, who were appointed as Heads of Federal and State Government Parastatals in the country, Adamu stressed the need for universities to seek for alternative means of funding in order not to ground the universities. According to him, “the critical thinking skills which universities are expected to instigate in their students constitute a critical component of the arsenal required if the Nigeria Universities system is to live up to expectations in leading the way in our quest for innovation and positive change. “Each academic programme in a university must pay attention to and incorporate within its curriculum; the commercial and industrial needs and focus of its discipline. Everybody must be creative and innovative and this will help in funding the universities and make it more self-sustaining.” Earlier, Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Faraday Orumwense noted that the university is a resource-based institution, noting that about 17 staff have been appointed into high level positions between 2015 and 2016. According to him, “we are proud today to say that some of our staff have been appointed as Ministers, Vice Chancellors, Registrar, Bursar, Provost, Rector and Permanent Secretaries in Federal government ministries”.