The Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said on Tuesday the 10th House would prioritise university autonomy for better performance.
He stated this during the public hearing on five bills seeking to establish Federal University of Solid Mineral Development Michika, Adamawa, in Abuja.
The speaker, who was represented at the hearing by a member representing Oredo Federal Constituency in Edo State, Esosa Iyawe, said the bills were also considering establishment of four other universities across the country.
He said: “The House will prioritise university autonomy as seen in other parts of the world to ensure that standards are elevated.”
Abbas said the lawmakers were not oblivious of the reservations by many Nigerians about establishing new universities, particularly because some of the existing ones were underperforming and did not meet global academic standards.
He, however, noted that the legislators must also respond to the growing population which had resulted in thousands of qualified young Nigerians unable to gain university admission.
“Establishing new universities is part of our response to that growing demand and the need to expand opportunities for young Nigerians.
“However, we recognize that this expansion must go hand-in-hand with the revival and strengthening of our current universities to improve quality and performance.
“To this end, we know that the National Universities Commission is actively working on reforms,” the speaker added.
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