The National Universities Commission, NUC, has called on African universities to recognize the value of forging partnerships with institutions worldwide to address constraints and provide students with skills needed for employment.
Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Mr. Chris Maiyaki, gave the advice, weekend, in Abuja at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Forum for Innovation in African Universities, FIAU, with the theme: “Strengthening Africa’s Higher Education in a post-COVID-19 world.”
Maiyaki said by embracing international collaborations, the universities can tap into a wealth of expertise, resources, and opportunities for their students and faculties.
While noting that there was a challenge of resource constraint faced by universities across Africa, he said to address the situation, the institutions require strategic partnerships.
“Collaboration with governments, private sector entities, philanthropic organizations, and international development agencies is crucial in pooling resources, sharing expertise, and creating sustainable funding models,” he said.
The NUC boss noted that the commission championed the development of guidelines for the implementation of Transnational Education, TNE, in Nigeria for the purpose of partnering with other institutions abroad.
“TNE presents a wide range of opportunities such as increasing access to higher education for our youth and promoting strategic alliances between countries and regions. These partnerships must, however, be built on mutual respect, shared objectives, and a commitment to nurturing talent and promoting global citizenship,” he said.
Maiyaki, who stressed the need to integrate technology into the delivery of university education to ensure its resilience in a post-COVID-19 world, said by harnessing the power of innovation, the institutions can foster sustainable university-industry partnerships that transcend traditional boundaries.
“These partnerships will allow us to align our curricula with the evolving needs of the job market, creating graduates who are not only well-versed in theory but also possess the practical skills demanded by employers.
“Furthermore, collaboration with industries will enable our universities to conduct impactful research that addresses real-world challenges that continue to impact mankind, so as to secure tangible socio-economic development.
He charged university academia with a collective responsibility to address the challenges before it and forge a path toward a stronger and more resilient future for higher education in Africa.
Also speaking, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. David Adejo, said there was a great prospect for African universities to make progress in the post-covid-19 era.
Adejo said Africa was fortunate because predictions about the severity of the pandemic in the continent did come true, however, the continent has not been able to properly deal with the socio-economic impact of the pandemic.
According to him, the initiative for establishing FIAU in 2019 was a direct response to the adverse effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the educational sector in Africa.
