The need to harmonize requirements for the Position of Vice-Chancellorship in the public and private Universities and Improving University Welfare package in Nigeria has been stressed
Professor Mohammed Yelwa of
Department of Economics University of Abuja made this known in an interview with journalists in Minna, saying the process of appointing Vice-Chancellors continues to generate avoidable tension and legal battles in the country.
Professor Yelwa explained that the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in Nigerian universities has, in recent years, been a source of avoidable disputes, crises, and prolonged litigations if requirements were properly harmonized.
He maintained that the major source of conflict is the lack of uniformity in requirements-particularly the controversial clause ten years of professorial experience, sighting inconsistency, that has created loopholes for manipulation in some institutions while unjustly disqualifying competent candidates in others.
According to the university don, “it is imperative that the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), develops clear, uniform, and binding guidelines to harmonize the criteria for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in both public and private universities’.
“Such harmonization should take into cognizance the peculiarities of the Nigerian university system while aligning with global best practices”
“It is time for the Federal Ministry of Education, working with the National Universities Commission (NUC), to develop clear, harmonized guidelines for appointing Vice-Chancellors across both public and private universities.”he added.
Professor Mohammed Yelwa hinted that the current disparities in interpretation and application of the ten-year professorial experience requirement have created fertile grounds for acrimony and institutional instability in the country.
He added that in some cases, otherwise qualified and competent candidates have been unjustly disqualified, while in others, the rules have been bent to favor certain interests.
The Professor stated that to address these recurring issues, the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, and other relevant laws should be reviewed to eliminate ambiguities in order to enhance peace in the system.
“This will not only ensure fairness, transparency, and meritocracy in the selection process but also strengthen the integrity of university governance in Nigeria”.
Yelwa insisted that harmonizing the requirements will go a long way in reducing conflicts, restoring trust in the system, and enabling universities to focus on their core mandate of teaching, research, and community service without the distractions of prolonged leadership tussles.
He emphasized that the “search clause” in the Act should only apply to universities less than 20 years old. adding that the institution with more than two decades of history should have produced enough professors qualified for Vice-Chancellorship without external search committees.
The professor of Economics appealed to the Federal Government to immediately release all withheld salaries and review the welfare of university workers nationwide.
He noted that inflation has affected the purchasing value and raal cost for their earnings, stressing that the current salaries can no longer sustain the academia, hence the need for quick reviews.
“In the past, Nigerian professors had easier access to international research grants, but such opportunities have become scarce and
therefore urge the Federal Government, and particularly TETFund, to create structured grant schemes for our doctoral students to access post-doctoral training opportunities as is the practice in advanced countries. This investment in capacity building will strengthen our research output, global competitiveness, and national development.”
Professor Yelwa reiterated that the future of Nigerian higher education depends on decisive action; both to harmonise leadership appointments and to restore dignity to the academic profession.
