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‘Ghana reaping from Nigeria’s inadequate investment in education’

July 6, 2012 by John Alechenu, Abuja 3 Comments

Newly inaugurated President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Nasir Isa, has said universities in Ghana are currently reaping from Nigeria’s inadequate investment in education.

He cited the inadequate budgetary allocation to the education sector in Nigeria as a major hindrance to the growth of the sector. 

Isa said this when he led members of the ASUU executive on a courtesy call on the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in Abuja, on Thursday.

The ASUU boss noted that the government of Ghana had been dedicating 30 per cent of its annual budget to the education sector for the past 25 years and that what was happening now was a return on its investment.

He, however, expressed optimism that if the ongoing efforts by the Federal Government were sustained, it would set Nigeria’s education on the path of total recovery.

Isa said, “I believe that with the new outlook on the side of the government; if it is sustained we are not going to have any problem.

“And I believe that if we are able to continue in this line we should be able to address the problems in the education in Nigeria and also the problem of the country because the country will develop faster than it is now.

“Our union believes in dialogue, collective bargain and equity. We always look at things critically before we take a decision.

“Being a union of intellectuals it’s not always difficult for us to take decision but the only thing is that it may take time before we conclude our consultations.

“By the time we take a decision on a matter be rest assured that it is a decision that have taken all sides of the matter into consideration.”

The ASUU President said the body  has been able to contribute its quota to the development of education in the country.

He pledged to sustain and build upon the successes recorded by his predecessors especially in the area of developing a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of TetFund, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said the fund was ready to collaborate with the new leadership of the union especially in the area of capacity building for lecturers.

Yakubu said the fund had so far sponsored over 5,800 lecturers to undergo further training at home and abroad. Out of this number, he said 624 of these lecturers had completed their studies and returned to their duty posts