Press Releases

Fashola Calls For Curriculum Change For Nigerian Universities

Apr 23, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday called for a curriculum change for Nigerian universities in order to enhance the nurturing of the human resource needed to cope with current challenges.

Governor Fashola who said this when he played host to members of the Committee of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (CORNU) on a courtesy call at Lagos House, Ikeja contended that the present educational system has an adverse role to play in the unemployment that characterizes the Nigerian economy.

He added that “if we continue to produce graduates in accounting, law, sociology, banking and finance and other sectors are not growing, there would be unemployment”.

The Governor emphasized that what is needed is to structure the human resources production that comes from all universities to the areas of need of the country.

He added that it is the same curriculum that his uncles went to schools with that he still went through just as many who are junior to him in still went through same.

He asked rhetorically: “We have developed a large industry for cinema and film production. We have transport problems in major cities across the country, but how many Nigerian universities are offering public transport management courses.

How many of them are teaching petrol chemical extraction and production. How many are teaching power generation. How many are teaching oil refinery extraction that we have to ship God’s gift to us to other people to refine”.

He assured that if the issue of curriculum review is addressed, there are many lecturers who would be able to express themselves because they do currently not have the opportunity to teach what they are so passionate about.

Governor Fashola said the State is making use of many of them as consultants in many areas adding that development initiatives being seen by the public is not without the input of the academic community.

He said strikes and suspension of lectures should always be adopted with a measure of caution and as a last resort, adding that there is no part of the world that is immuned from poverty which is however in varying degrees.

Said he: “How many times have you heard of strikes in Ghana despite the fact that there is poverty in Ghana. Even the teacher in United Kingdom also wants more money. They don’t go on strike abandoning children. Without teachers I would not be here today”.

He said reflecting on the names of great men after whom the various universities have been named he is convinced that if the nation has produced such men it means there are still many great men within and among us, stressing that, “this country is not inferior to any country. A lot lies with us to take our rightful place as a people’’.

Governor Fashola said the credit for the wonderful strides recorded by the State does not belong to the Government alone but all Lagosians who have not only given the government the opportunity but stood by the commitment and promises it has made and also discharged their part by paying taxes and being law abiding.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Committee of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (CORNU) Dr Lawan Bukar Alhaji who led members who were in Lagos for the 46th business meeting said Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has demonstrated with the Lagos example that nothing is impossible in governance.

He said everyone has seen many of the innovations of the State government in the quest for mega city transformation of Lagos as well its improvement of the educational sector and good road networks.

Dr Lawan sought the assistance of the State in providing CORNU with land for building a state secretariat and an entrepreneurial centre to actualize its dream of youth empowerment.

Also while introducing themselves, some of the registrars drawn from various Universities across the country gave personal testimonies about the transformation of Lagos under the leadership of Governor Fashola.

The Governor was joined by Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan and some members of the State Executive Council to receive the registrars.