FG’s N100bn Will Be Shared Among 61 Varsities - SSANU

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has said the N100 billion to be released by the federal government following the report of the Needs Assessment Committee will be shared among 61 universities in the country.

National President of SSANU Comrade Samson Ugwoke revealed this while addressing union members at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the University of Abuja at the weekend.

The union leader, who briefed members on activities of the Governor Gabriel Suswam-led Needs Assessment Implementation Committee also said in pursuance of its resolve to transform Nigerian universities to international standard within the next four years, the federal government had  approved a sum of N400 billion to be expended in infrastructural development of Nigeria universities and provision of basic needs.

He said the document to this effect was expected to be made available today at the meeting of the Presidential Committee on Implementation of the Needs Assessment in the universities with the leaders of the four university-based unions - SSANU, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Ugwoke said the N400 billion is different from the N100 billion the Suswam committee has raised from donor agencies and big companies to tackle the problems of Nigerian Universities in the year 2013.

He said, “Let me give you a tip on what the NEED Assessment Committee is doing. The President has approved that within the next four years, N400 billion would be expended in infrastructural development of Nigeria Universities, to transform the universities to international standard.

“N100 billion has been raised by Suswam Committee, he has done that already. 61 universities have been pencilled down as contained in the NEEDS Assessment Committee. These 61 universities will share the N100 billion in various categories which include refurbishing and renovation of lecture theatres and lecture halls, refurbishing and renovation of laboratory/library and the renovation of hostels.

“The second category is building of new hostels of international standard, self-contain room, the latest model in the world. That is the standard to be build in every university, and also the state of the earth laboratories as well as classrooms, lecture theatres and the halls.” 

The SSANU president pointed out that the money has been shared among the universities. He also said out of the N100 billion, N96 billion has been sent to universities.

He added: “The committee is meeting again on Monday, and by Monday, the document will be out. This time around, it is not only by giving university money, but it will be monitored to ensure that the money is used to transform the universities, to bail universities out of the present situation and developed to an international recognised university standard.”