The Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC),
Professor Julius Okojie, has disclosed that some Nigerian students
studying in foreign countries are seeking transfer to Nigerian
universities.
Okojie, who spoke during an interactive session with newsmen at the
weekend, in Abuja, said some parents and students had also realised that
some universities abroad which their children were attending were
substandard and that in some cases, they offered unapproved programmes.
He added that the request to transfer home was further heightened by the scarcity of the foreign exchange.
His words: “It is not only the cost of school fees alone, but also
the quality of the programmes. Some of these courses are not approved.
And some of them know that the institutions they are attending are not
approved.
“Yes, our children are coming back. Some of the private universities
they attend are not even approved, some of them in Ghana. Lots of
parents have been spending money on school fees. Parents have been
coming to me to ask for transfer for their children from all over the
world.
“And Nigerian students are falling victim of discrimination; there
was a case where a Nigerian student who was thrown from the seventh
floor. Even the laws are not friendly in some countries like South
Africa and India. The attraction of working outside the country by our
lecturers has reduced,” he said.
Okojie, however, urged tertiary institutions in the country to look inward in order to generate income.
“If we are waiting every year for government to fund universities, we
can’t get anywhere. There is the need to look inward. This would help
in our research work. We want to appeal to our people to help our
institutions; in United Kingdom and other developed nations, people
donate to their alma mater,” he said.
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