The Federal Government of Nigeria has directed all Tertiary Institutions in the country to resume Academic Session by organising online teaching for Students.
It should be noted that all Institutions have been shut for almost 2 weeks now to prevent the spread of Coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The Minister in a teleconference meeting which lasted four and half hours with the Vice Chancellors and other heads of tertiary institutions from his home in Abuja, maintained that the Federal Government, cannot afford to shut schools for a long time, and hence gave the directive during the open talk with the 237 Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts on how to reopen using virtual learning.
The minister of Education also expressed fear, as he is unsure of how soon the Coronavirus pandemic will end, and hence directed all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to activate virtual learning environment to enable students continue their studies through digital devices. He also noted that, although the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on strike, government will do its best to resolve the labour crisis.
He also stated that- the meeting is also a means to find solutions to the challenges posed to the nation’s school calendar by Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). In agreement with the new directive, most Vice Chancellors of private universities who were at the meeting embraced the idea and expressed readiness to reopen because they claimed that they have top grade virtual learning system.
Those physically present with the minister were the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed; the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Dr. Masa’udu Adamu Kazaure; the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi; and the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede among others.
How achievable is this ??? considering the fact that most of the public universities are poorly funded,inadequate infrastructure, and Electricity issue………sighs