ISSN 0795-3089 20 July, 2015 Vol. 10 No. 29 Dr. Nwaobiala Applauds he Permanent Secretary,JAMB on CBTaminations in Nigeria, which ac- TFederal Ministry of Educa- cording to him, had come to stay. tion (FME), Dr. MacJohn Nwa- obiala, has said that the Joint Dr. Nwaobiala noted that no Admissions and Matriculation socio-economic development Board (JAMB) had recorded could take place in any econo- ground-breaking achieve- my without a sound educational ments in using the Computer policy, adding that creating ac- Based Test (CBT) for candidates cess to qualitative education in in the 2015 Unified Tertiary Nigeria was of utmost impor- Matriculation Examination tance. He stated that Govern- (UTME), thereby developing ment would continue to im- an appropriate initiative that prove the competitiveness of met international standards. the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, with Announcing the Stakeholders’ a view to positioning them as approval of 180 as the mini- the heart of national productiv- mum score for admission into ity, innovation and enterprise. Universities and 150 for Poly- technics/Monotechnics and The Permanent Secretary re- Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala Colleges of Education (COEs) Permanent Secretary minded the Stakeholders that for the 2015/2016 academic ses- Federal Ministry of Education in line with the change mantra sion, on Tuesday, 14 July, 2015, of the present administration, at the Combined Policy Com- the FME had taken measures mittee Meeting on Admissions secretariat, Abuja, Dr. Nwaobiala, ex- to fashion out new policies into Degree, National Diploma, pressed delight at the bold steps taken that would address the chal- National Innovation Diploma by the Board in adopting the CBT. He lenges confronting the educa- (NID) and Nigeria Certificate observed that the mode had changed tion sector at all levels. While in Education, held at the NUC the face of the conduct of Public Ex- soliciting for their support in this edition... COURTESY CALL: UniAbuja Confers GRADUATION: NUS Can Now Admit PHOTOSPEAK: Engr. Ayere Bids Fare- with NUC on Way Forward. Pg. 3. Most Qualified Candidates - NUC Scribe. well to Wife. Pg. 6. Pg. 5. Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON Professor ‘Dibu Ojerinde Executive Secretary, NUC Registrar/CEO, JAMB and cooperation, he assured the would pursue a policy of non- way in consolidating the healthy Stakeholders that teaching/learn- discrimination between the Uni- relationship existing between the ing and research facilities would versities and the Polytechnics, Board and tertiary Institutions. be constantly upgraded and up- emphasising that playing by the dated to make them compete with rules would enhance the growth Professor Ojerinde reminded the similar institutions worldwide. and development of the nation. Institutions of the mandatory guidelines in admission, pegging Dr. Nwaobiala cautioned the Welcoming participants, the the criteria for Merit at 45 per- Stakeholders to adhere strict- Registrar/CEO of JAMB, Profes- cent, Catchment Area 35, and ly to the admissions guidelines sor ’Dibu Ojerinde, said that the Educationally Less Developed and fully utilise the admissions meeting was important because States (ELDS) at 20 percent, for quota approved for their institu- education provided appropriate Federal Government-owned In- tions so as to avoid doing a dis- skills that led to national devel- stitutions. For State-owned In- service to the Nigerian child. opment. He expressed the hope stitutions, Merit was pegged at He remarked that Government that the event would go a long 40 percent, Catchment Area 40, A cross section of stakeholders at the Combined Policy Committee Meeting on Admissions into Degree, National Diploma, National Innovation Diploma (NID) and Nigeria Certificate in Education. 2 Some stakeholders and guests at the Combined Policy Committee Meeting. and ELDS 40 percent. He noted Arabia. According to him, CBT the Board uploaded questions, that the successes recorded in the was held in 50 terminals in Ni- from its Headquarters to all the CBT mode had led to the phas- geria and three foreign countries. 50 terminals where the exami- ing out of the Paper Pencil Test nation was conducted, without (PPT), with effect from this aca- On the CBT innovation, Profes- any cost of transportation or se- demic year. He said that the tests sor Ojerinde noted that its reli- curity challenges, while candi- were held in 3,500 centres, both ability in rooting out malpractices dates got their results instantly. in Nigeria and six foreign coun- was evidenced by the outcome tries, namely, Cameroon, Benin of the testing. Other advantages, At the meeting were some Vice- Republic, Ghana, South Africa, he said, included the fact that Chancellors, Rectors and Prov- Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi osts of the respective Institutions. UniAbuja Confers with NUC on Way Forward he Executive Secretary, Na- Ttional Universities Commis- sion (NUC), Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, has charged the Vice-Chancellor of the Univer- sity of Abuja (UniAbuja) to find a way of resolving some of the challenges rocking the Institution. Professor Okojie made this ap- peal on Tuesday, 14 July, 2015, when the Vice-Chancellor and his team paid him a courtesy R-L: NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON and UniAbuja visit to confer with the Com- Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Adikwu. 3 L-R: UniAbuja Dean, Post-graduate School, Professor E. J. C. Nwana; NUC Scribe, Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON; UniAbuja Registrar, Mrs. R. H. Swanta, and the Institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Adikwu. mission on the way forward. ment to seek the help of a consult- graduate School and to avoid long ant or a proper physical planner and unnecessary breaks. Moreo- The NUC Scribe advised the Man- to help it redesign the University. ver, he asked the Management agement of the Institution to re- to carry out both staff and stu- brand the face of the University, Professor Okojie charged the dent audit, train the staff on bet- as most structures in the Univer- Vice-Chancellor and his team ter management and secretarial sity had been made an object of to address the challenges arising skills, especially in the areas of ridicule, adding that some of the from the issues of delay in the minute writing and documenta- structures were not worthy of be- issuance of certificates, applica- tion. So as to avoid confusion and ing parts of an institution in the tion of double standards, denial lapses such as double standards. nation’s capital. He told the Vice- of some MSc. certificates, wrong- Chancellor to access the Universi- ful dismissal, among others, as Responding, the Vice-Chancellor ty’s special intervention fund with they were capable of tarnishing of the University, Professor Mi- the Tertiary Education Trust Fund the image of the Institution. He chael U. Adikwu, said that, on the (TETFund) to enable it rebrand urged the University’s Manage- issue of certificates, the Senate of the face of the Institution. He also ment to be serious about its Post- the University was working tire- implored the Institution’s Manage- lessly to resolve the challenges, Some NUC Management Staff at the meeting. 4 particularly those relating to dou- abroad so as to avoid forgery ing hard to tackle the challenges ble academic standards and other and such other malpractices. in a judicious manner, without be- malpractices. He revealed that the ing unfair to any staff or student. University was collaborating with Professor Adikwu also assured the Independent Corrupt Prac- the NUC Scribe that all the issues Other members of the Vice- tices and Other Related Offences raised were being vigorously ad- Chancellor’s team included the Commission (ICPC) on these is- dressed and that the University’s Registrar, Mrs. R. H. Swanta, sues, resulting, for instance, in Disciplinary Committee was work- and the Dean, Post-graduate the decision to print certificates School, Professor E. J. C. Nwana. NUS Can Now Admit Most Qualified Candidates - NUC Scribe he Executive Secretary, Na- Professor Okojie observed that ac- Ttional Universities Com- cess had been a major challenge mission (NUC), Professor Julius in the nation’s education sector. A. Okojie, OON, has disclosed He said that the number of stu- that “the Nigerian University dents who sought admission into System (NUS) now has the ca- Nigerian universities outnum- pacity to admit most of the bered the available spaces in the qualified candidates seeking uni- existing universities. He noted, versity education in Nigeria.” however, that the situation was changing fast, as access had been Speaking as a Special Guest of increased with the recent creation Honour at the graduation cere- of more universities. He added mony of Cherryfield College, Jik- that with 147 universities, the woyi, FCT, held on 11 July, 2015, NUS had promoted and ensured Professor Okojie, represented by quality and as well increased effi- NUC-Chief Academic Standards ciency in the system by producing Officer, Dr. (Mrs.) Victoria Pil- Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON globally-competitive, entrepre- Executive Secretary, NUC lar, said that the NUS had a total neurial and self-reliant graduates. of 86 government-owned uni- versities, divided into 46 federal uating students to make informed The NUC Scribe told the gathering universities, including the Na- choices, regarding any univer- that Nigeria now had stronger in- tional Open University of Nigeria sity they wanted to enrol in. He stitutions of higher learning, add- (NOUN), with over 62 Study Cen- urged them to strive hard to pass ing that the Government also had, tres, located all over the country, their O’level examinations, study through the Tertiary Education and 40 state-owned universities. hard for the Unified Tertiary Ma- Trust Fund (TETFund), increased triculation Examination (UTME) funding for infrastructure, teach- The Executive Secretary added and post-UTME screening tests, ing, research and staff develop- that there were 61 private univer- which would qualify them for ad- ment.