Education
FG INVESTIGATIVE PANEL BEGINS WORK TO PROBE FAKE UNIVERSITIES SELLING CREDENTIALS TO NIGERIANS
As the investigative panel constituted by the Federal Government to probe fake universities selling credentials to Nigerians begins its work, critical stakeholders in the sector have called for a thorough job that must not spare anybody or organisation found culpable.
They have also charged the Prof. Jibrila Amin-led panel to see itself as being on a mission to redeem the image of the sector and take the assignment with all sense of seriousness.
The stakeholders include university lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, and the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN.
What ASUU wants;
The Lagos Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, said the academic union would want nothing but maximum sanction for anybody found culpable.
“What is there to expect from the probe of fake universities but maximum sanction for the criminality? The promoters of fake universities and their collaborators must not be spared. Those who patronise such fake institutions should also be sanctioned.
From head to toe, it is sheer criminality. “One can imagine the havoc such criminal act has wreaked on the society.
People giving out certificates they are not competent to give and people clutching and parading certificates they cannot defend. Some incompetent persons would have been occupying sensitive positions using such fake certificates to get there.
“This is to also advise members of the panel to take their assignment seriously. It is not just an assignment that members would just see as means of travelling up and down and earning money. The reputation of higher education is at stake. They must see their assignment as very important and must be accorded the seriousness it deserves,” he stated.
NANS speaks:
The President of NANS, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, said the student body expects a thorough job to be done. “We expect a thorough job to be done.
Doing so will save Nigerian students from the horror of spending time, energy, and resources to patronise worthless schools and be given worthless certificates.
“The panel must be thorough in their job, and as well get rid of promoters and collaborators within and outside the country promoting fake universities. They should all be exposed and duly punished. Nobody should be spared. We are for quality and affordable education for Nigerian youths,” he opined.
Parents’ expectation!
The National President of NAPTAN, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, said the report of the panel, at the end of the day, should be fruitful.
“There is a proliferation of such fake schools because of the way the government has relegated education to the background. Those who buy certificates from fake schools and the brains behind such schools should be exposed. “Some parents look down on our higher institutions here and some would inadvertantly fall into the trap of fake universities.
Our universities here only lack some facilities and we want the government to do the needful by providing those things. If the local institutions are well taken care of, there will be less pressure to patronise those fake foreign universities,” he said.
Recall that the FG, through the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, set up a 12-man committee headed by Prof. Amin to look into the incidence of fake foreign and local universities serving as degree mills. The committee, which has the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Dr. Chris Maiyaki as member, also has diplomats and security experts as members. It was given two months to complete its assignment and submit its report for appropriate action.
The investigative panel is to examine the veracity of the allegations of degree certificate racketeering within both foreign and local private universities in Nigeria; review the role of the ministry, its departments and agencies as well as officials (including identifying such officials) in facilitation of the recognition and procurement of the fake certificates in question and review existing policies and procedures related to accreditation and certification to identify weaknesses contributing to the issue.
Also, the committee is to examine the rules, procedures and processes for recognition and accreditation of foreign universities and programmes by the Federal Ministry of Education; establish if unapproved foreign institutions (Degree Mills) exist or not in Nigeria in whatever form with their identities and locations if any; make appropriate recommendations for review of any rules, procedures, processes to prevent reoccurrence and sanctions for identified erring officials; and make other recommendations that will strengthen the system of recognitions, accreditations and quality assurance of degrees in Nigeria.
The panel’s other terms of reference are to examine the extant rules, procedures and processes for granting of provisional licences to new universities by the National Universities Commission; examine the procedures and processes for periodic accreditation of programmes in the universities by the NUC and examine their effectiveness in quality assurance of the programmes and without prejudice to the periodic accreditation exercise of the NUC.
Education
1ST NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CONFERENCE ON UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ESSAY COMPETITION
Competition Overview:
The SDG Youth Essay Competition offers a grand prize of N1 million for the top three winners, along with free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– Open exclusively to undergraduates in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
2. Entry Guidelines:
– Topic:The Role of Students in Attainment of SDG4
– length: Essays should be 1500 words.
– Entry Period: Thursday, February 1, 2024 – Thursday, February 29, 2024
– Referencing: APA Style (6th Edition).
– Font: Times New Roman, 12-point font size.
– Documentation: Typed in 1.5 line spacing, MS Word format only.
– Plagiarism: Only original content is accepted; plagiarized entries will be disqualified.
Benefits:
– Prizes:
– 1st Prize: N500,000
– 2nd Prize: N300,000
– 3rd Prize: N200,000
– Winners will also receive free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Required Documents:
– Student’s Institution ID Card
– Copy of Student’s Admission Letter
– One recent passport-size photograph
– WhatsApp telephone number and email address
Application Procedure:
– All entries and submissions (essay and required documents) should be scanned and sent to nigeriaessay@sdgyouth.org before the deadline.
For Further Inquiries:
– Call: 08068931151, 08133846739, 07067772964
– Email: nigeriaessay@sdgyouth.org
Deadline: February 29th, 2024
Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to achieving SDG4 and win exciting prizes. Submit your entry and required documents before the deadline. For any inquiries, feel free to contact them via phone or email.
Competition Overview:
The National Essay Competition invites undergraduate law students to showcase their expertise and contribute to the discourse on AI, privacy, and data protection. In addition to cash prizes, participants have the chance to intern with Pentagon Partners, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– The competition is open to 400-level and 500-level undergraduate law students in Nigerian universities.
2. Essay Requirements:
– Length: Essays should not exceed 1500 words.
– Format: Double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font.
– References: OSCOLA format for citations with 10pt font size for footnotes and endnotes.
– Submission Format: Essays must be submitted in PDF format.
– Entrant Details: Include full names, school, level, phone number, and email address in both the body of the email and on the last page of the essay.
– Single Entry: Each entrant is allowed only one submission.
– Originality: Plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.
Competition Benefits and Timeline:
1. Prizes:
– Winner: N200,000
– 1st Runner Up: N150,000
– 2nd Runner Up: N100,000
2. Internship Opportunity:
– In addition to cash prizes, winners have the exclusive opportunity to intern with Pentagon Partners, enhancing their career prospects.
Application Procedure:
– Interested participants should submit their essays to essay@pentagonpartnerslp.com during the submission period.
– The subject of the email should be the Essay topic
For additional information and updates, visit www.pentagonpartnerslp.com.
Deadline: March 22nd, 2024
Don’t miss this chance to showcase your legal expertise, contribute to important discussions on AI and law, and vie for enticing cash prizes. Pentagon Partners looks forward to receiving your submissions.
Purpose:
Inaugurated in 2020, the CDEC is part of SystemSpecs’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment to promoting capacity development in the Nigerian ICT industry. By encouraging young Nigerians to tackle everyday issues, the competition contributes to intellectual growth and societal progress.
Topic:
The theme for the 2024 competition is “Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology.” Participants are tasked with exploring strategies to safeguard children in an increasingly digital world.
Eligibility:
– Open to primary and secondary school students in Nigeria aged 9 to 16.
– Junior category (ages 9 to 12) essays must not exceed 1,000 words.
– Senior category (ages 13 to 16) essays must not exceed 1,500 words.
Prizes:
– Winners will receive generous rewards, including a high-capacity laptop, premium headphones, a portable laptop stand, a smart wristwatch, and one year of internet data, among other items.
– Consolation prizes will be awarded to other participants.
Application Process:
– Interested candidates should access the application page
– Essays must be written in English and reflect original thought.
– Each participant is limited to one entry.
– Entries must be endorsed by an accredited school official, parent, or legal guardian.
– Deadline for submissions is April 12, 2024.
Submission Guidelines:
– All submissions must be in PDF format and include the student’s name, home and school addresses, email address, and contact phone number.
– Double entries will result in automatic disqualification.
– Submissions must be received by March 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
Notification of Winners:
– Successful students and schools will be contacted in the second quarter of the year.
– Updates on winners will be announced on @nercng social media platforms.
The SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition offers a unique opportunity for Nigerian students to demonstrate their creativity and problem-solving skills. By addressing the theme of online child protection, participants contribute to building a safer and more secure digital environment for all. We encourage eligible students to seize this opportunity and showcase their talent and ingenuity.
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