…Expresses concerns about the high level of graduate unemployment in Nigeria among whom some industries and employers described as unemployable…
…BUK ranked as fourth in Nigeria in recent global ranking coming after University of Ibadan, University of Lagos and Covenant University…
Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has redesigned its 30 per cent of the new Core Academic Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) for universities to boost skill acquisition of students and employability of graduates, its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sagir Adamu-Abbas has said.
He also said the university authority has introduced various measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on staff and ameliorate the impact of the recent registration fees hike on students.
The Vice-Chancellor spoke during a visit by a delegation of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) at the Main Campus of the University in Kano.
ECAN’s delegation from Abuja was led by the Chairman of the association, Chuks Ukwuatu, who commended the Vice Chancellor in ensuring the visibility of the University, especially as BUK was ranked as fourth in Nigeria in recent global ranking coming after University of Ibadan, University of Lagos and Covenant University.
The vice chancellor expressed concerns about the high level of graduate unemployment in Nigeria among whom some industries and employers described as “unemployable.”
He noted that to address the challenge, universities should redesign their curricula, saying the new core curriculum developed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for universities gives 30 per cent to institutions to design based on their peculiarities.
Adamu-Abbas added that apart from establishing Skill Acquisition Centre in the Students Welfare department, where students go to learn any trade, experts were also hired from outside Centres to train students on specific entrepreneurial skills not provided at the Centre.
The VC said: “Nigerian universities, not just BUK, have to redesign their curriculum. But I believe, you know that NUC has already commenced that and we have already keyed-in and we have already submitted our 30 per cent curriculum review to NUC.
“We factored industry and professional bodies in designing the 30% curriculum. That was what we did and submitted to NUC. When students graduate, they can easily fit into the industries or they can create something on their own.”
Recall that NUC, while launching the new curriculum recently announced that the Commission only developed 70 per cent of the CCMAS leaving 30 per cent for each university to develop in line with the peculiarities.
Speaking on the increase of registration fees, the Vice – Chancellor, lamented that the cost of running the institution was enormous, especially the high cost of provision of electricity, which he estimated about 75 million monthly.
He revealed that the bill for electricity was about N35 million monthly while the bill for purchase of diesel for generators was about 40 million.
The VC said the management was forced to increase the registration because it was practically impossible to provide social services to a student population around 45,000, including postgraduate and staff population of over 5,000, teaching and non-teaching.
He, however, said the increment was done in full consultation with staff unions including members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) among others and students.
He revealed that the University also introduced welfare packages for their staff such as non-interest loans from Microfinance banks payable within six months.
“Other incentives introduced to cushion the effect of the increase in fuel price that has caused the high price of commodities, were provision of foodstuffs, shuttle buses, bicycle loans for junior staff payable within nine months at a cheaper rate,” he said.
He also disclosed that the university equally introduced a kind of job scheme for students, whereby they were engaged to render some services to the university and they were paying N15,000 monthly
He said: “This does not affect their normal learning because it does not take much of their time as some were to clean some surroundings or render certain services within the university and got paid at the end of the month.”
According to him, at the initial stage when this was introduced, over 2,000 students applied, while 120 of them got the offer, disclosing that the number would be increased to 150 during the new recruitment that would be done immediately after the students resume on the campus.
The Nation