Four-year courses must end in four years, Alausa tells varsities
The Federal Government has said four-year degree programmes must be completed in four years, as it moves to prevent strikes in tertiary institutions. Read More: https://punchng.com/four-year-courses-must-end-in-four-years-alausa-tells-varsities/
The Federal Government has mandated that four-year degree programmes must be completed within four years, as part of efforts to prevent strikes and improve academic calendars across tertiary institutions. Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa made the announcement in Abuja, unveiling agreements between the government and unions in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The agreements are a direct fulfillment of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise to ensure students complete degree courses within the prescribed timeframe. Alausa emphasized that the government is committed to ending recurring disputes over unfulfilled agreements that have disrupted academic schedules and delayed student progress.
To achieve this, the government plans to expand the Implementation and Monitoring Committee, which currently focuses on the Academic Staff Union of Universities, into a single platform for monitoring agreements with all academic and non-academic unions. The expanded committee will include relevant unions and stakeholders, and its primary role will be to track agreed milestones, assess progress, resolve implementation challenges, and ensure accountability through periodic reports.
Alausa urged union leaders to channel complaints through the committee, emphasizing the importance of constructive dialogue and mutual respect to resolve differences. The agreements also contain a provision for review every three years, allowing for discussions on emerging concerns and mutually agreed adjustments. Both the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union reported significant progress in implementing the agreements, with the latter achieving over 70% implementation.
Alausa called on both parties to maintain dialogue and avoid actions that could disrupt academic activities, while the Federal Government Negotiation Team's Chairman, Yayale Ahmed, cautioned against threats of indefinite strikes and highlighted the need for the government's commitment to implementation and the unions' patience.
Written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
