Reps hold national summit on tertiary education next Tuesday

As part of the efforts to meet its legislative agenda commitments across all other priority areas, the House will convene a national summit on tertiary education reform on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House announced this in his address at the resumed plenary after three weeks of budget defence recess on Monday.

Gbajabiamila said the summit is an opportunity to begin the long overdue national conversation about the future of public tertiary education in Nigeria.

He said: “Scholars, tertiary education administrators, and local and international stakeholders have been invited to submit papers on the theme of the summit, “Reimagining Tertiary Education in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Solutions”, and other sub-themes provided in a call for memoranda.”

According to the speaker, the presentations and submissions will inform the policy recommendations of the summit and be published in a journal for policy action and academic reference.

“The most consequential decisions we make in government are those that will ensure the vast population of young people in our country are educated and adequately equipped to participate productively in the modern global economy.

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“To achieve this, we must ask and answer complex questions about the operating structure of our public tertiary institutions, sustainable funding, education quality and access.

“I urge all members of the House to participate in this crucial national conversation so that your experience, expertise and concerns inform the policy recommendations that emerge from the summit,” he stated.

Gbajabiamila also said members of the House were also working to ensure that, in line with the reforms of the 9th Assembly, they have a final appropriation bill (2023 budget) ready for presidential assent before the end of the year.

He said it is not an easy task to deliver an implementable budget at a time of significant financial limitations, especially ahead of a general election.

“The limited time available for budget consideration and the demands of the fast-approaching national elections further complicate the picture.

“However, I am confident that members of the House are alive to our responsibilities and will deliver our objectives in good time and to the benefit of our country,” Gbajabiamila added.