By Godfrey AKON
The National Universities Commission, NUC, has approved the upgrade of Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorordu and Adeniran Ogunsonya College of Education Ijanikin, to universities.
While presenting approval letters of the institutions to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu, in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof Adamu Rasheed, said the two new universities bring the total number of universities in the country to 205; 57 state, 49 federal and 99 private.
The approvals which come exactly 39 years after the establishment of the Lagos State University, Ojo, upgrade Lagos State Polytechnic to Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Ikorudu, while Adeniran Ogunsonya College of Education, Ijanikin, was converted to Lagos State University of Education, Ijanikin with a campus in Epe.
Rasheed said despite the number of universities, Nigeria needs more universities, adding that the overall university population in the country is just over 2 million, which represents just about 1 per cent of the population of Nigeria.
He added that the Lagos state university of Education, Ijanikin, is the 56th state university and the 204 university in the country, and will be the second university of education in the country after Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State.
The NUC boss also noted that Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Ikorodu, is the 57th state university and the 205th university in the country while assuring that copies of the approval letters will be sent to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, and the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, for recognition.
He described Sanwo-Olu as a very focused administrator who has impressed the academic community with his doggedness and leadership, adding that his interventions in education in the last three years have been very clear.
“Lagos has become the headquarters of education in Nigeria. For us at the university system we will continue to refer to you as a reference point for the support of state universities. Lagos state is the largest, most cosmopolitan and has the concentration of the most educated people in West Africa,” he said.
Rasheed called on universities to pay attention to quality as producing half-baked graduates does not help the university system and the country at large.
Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-olu, who noted that about 39 years ago NUC gave Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande, license to set up Lagos State University, said every year, Lagos still finds it difficult to meet the needs of teeming youths seeking university education.
The governor said government came into agreement to convert two institutions into universities, after consultation with various stakeholders, stressing that approvals sought were about the future of the people of the state and the belief of the youth of the state on the government to do the right thing.
He said Lagos sits in a very unique position as the centre of education, commerce among others, adding that what government intends to do is to give everyone opportunity to be somebody in the future.
