Education

Nigeria Plans To Release N30B Revitalisation Fund To Universities Next Week

Published

3 years ago

August 3, 2021

The Federal Government plans to release N30 billion as revitalisation fund to universities next week, according to the Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige.

The minister said that the money was paid in January and remain in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) pending the conclusion of the audit report of the Implementation Committee on the use of previous funds disbursement to universities by the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Ngige said that the monies will be paid to successful universities based on the evaluation report of the committee while those with shortcomings will be made to make up before accessing the fund.

The revitalisation fund is among seven key issues evaluated at a meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday.

A statement by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, said both parties at the meeting expressed satisfaction with the implementation stages of what Ngige termed “work in progress.”

The Minister said some of the items in the Memorandum of Action (MOA) were nearly done hundred percent within the timeline.

He explained the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was directed to expedite action on the integrity test on the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) which if successful, will eliminate the challenges posed by the peculiarities of the university system to the current payment platform.

“The report has been turned in, deliberated upon and both the Education Ministry and the NUC have promised to write to the Accountant General of the Federation next week for the release of the money to the NEEDS Special Account for onward disbursement to universities shortly,” Ngige said.

He further disclosed apart from the N40 billion Earned Allowance which the Federal Government has already paid, the Budget Office of the Federation showed evidence that N22 billion Earned Allowances for the year 2021 is already captured in the 2021 supplementary budget of the federation, and will soon be accessed.

“On the proliferation of State universities, a bill has been sent to the National Assembly by the NUC to strengthen its arms in terms of delisting universities where funding and other parameters are inadequate.

“This effort was commended as all the parties agreed that mushrooming and proliferation of state universities, some of which mock the ideals of an ivory tower, should stop.

“The inconsistencies in the IPPIS payment were also discussed. There was good interaction and documents were exchanged between IPPIS and ASUU. ASUU is to go back to its members so that we can have a proper update on the extent of the inconsistencies in payment.

“We expressed our displeasure that these things are happening – amputation of salaries, not-too-clear, foggy things happening over peoples monthly emoluments. So we have asked IPPIS and ASUU to work together over this,” the Minister said.

He also said that evidence was presented to show that promotion arrears have been paid to some universities while the Budget Office of the Federation and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation was asked to liaise with ASUU to sort out the rest, noting that the standing committee on the matter has been expended to include National Income Salaries and Wages Commission.

“A situation where a university professor is paid N107, 000 out of mistake or over deduction is unacceptable,” Ngige declared.

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Education

ECOWAS Donates $380 Million to Electrify Public Schools and Health Centres Across 18 African Countries

Published

6 days ago

September 27, 2024

Bassey Marshall

The Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS) has announced a donation of $380 million for public schools and health centres in 18 African countries.

The donation was announced by the Senior Adviser on the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project at the ECOWAS Commission, El hadji Sylla, during a stakeholders meeting in Abuja.

According to Sylla, with the move, the ECOWAS aims to promote a new innovative chain to electrify public schools.

Sylla, who stated the goals of the initiative funded by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund, and the Dutch government, revealed that the project will kick off from Nigeria and Benin.

He noted that the project covers 15 countries in the ECOWAS region.

According to Sylla “The cost of the project is $380m, and we want to promote a new innovative chain to electrify public institutions. Our target is to electrify schools and health centres to improve service delivery.

“We are piloting the project in Nigeria and the Benin Republic. The project covers 15 countries in the ECOWAS region and four countries in the Sahel region,” Sylla said.

“We are targeting schools and health centres to improve service delivery,” Sylla said, adding that the project is expected to be completed in five years across all participating countries, with the pilot phase in Nigeria and Benin to be executed within 18 months.

In Nigeria, the initiative will begin with electrification projects in selected schools and health centres in the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Nasarawa states,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who was represented at the meeting by Bem Ayangeaor, noted that electrification in Nigeria has seen significant growth.

He, however, attributed the growth to the grants and subsidies flowing into the sector.

“I do not doubt that the rural electrification space in Nigeria, thanks to grants and subsidies, has grown significantly and will soon reach a stage where public support leverages private sector financing at higher efficiencies than it is presently done.

“A stage where the private sector would be more excited in investing in the electrification space because of the benefits to be gained,” Adelabu said.

Education

Federal Government Approves 133% Allowance Boost for NYSC Members, Now ₦77,000

Published

1 week ago

September 26, 2024

Bassey Marshall

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced an increase in the monthly allowance of corps members in Nigeria.

The news was announced on Wednesday by the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Yusha’u Ahmed through the Acting Director of Information and Public Relations of the NYSC, Caroline Embu, following the federal government’s approval.

In a statement sighted by Investors King, the NYSC revealed that the monthly allowance of corps members has been increased to ₦77,000 after the recent increase in the national minimum wage.

This represents a 133.33 percent increase from the ₦33,000 previous monthly allowance.

According to Embu, the increase was in line with the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.

The service expects the increase to boost the morale of corps members and motivate them as they serve their motherland.

As detailed in the statement, the new allowance will take effect from July 2024.

The statement reads, “The Federal Government has approved the increase of corps members’ monthly allowance to N77,000 with effect from July 2024.

“This is in line with the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.

This was contained in a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, dated 25th September 2024 and signed by the Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta”.

“Before this, the Director General, NYSC Brigadier General YD Ahmed, had paid an advocacy visit to the Chairman in which he solicited for a robust welfare package for corps members.

“The NYSC boss is thankful to the Federal Government for the timely gesture and is optimistic that it will not only bring much-needed succour to the corps members but also boost their morale and motivate them to do even more, in their service to the nation.”

Education

15 Years on, FG Yet to Meet ASUU Demands as Union Plans Showdown

Published

1 week ago

September 25, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

After about fifteen years of meeting deadlocks in its negotiations with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared its readiness to down tools.

The Union has, however, issued a 14-day warning ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve some lingering issues dating as far back as 2009, or the union will embark on a fresh strike that would paralyze the nation’s university education sector.

The president of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed that the lecturers union is seeking the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021.

In a statement he issued on Wednesday, Osodeke explained that the union had given the Nigerian government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, September 23, 2024, during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the union.

He said the union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony and university education delay that arise from the government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to resolve the agelong crisis.

The ASUU president said the union is also demanding the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 strike action, and expressed frustration with the government’s lack of commitment and delay tactics.

According to him, the union is also demanding the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and the payment of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.

ASUU president pointed out that agitation for funding to revitalise public universities which is partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, adding that the payment of Earned Academic Allowances is also partly captured in the 2023 federal government budget.

While identifying proliferation of universities by federal and state governments, the implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities, the reversal of the illegal dissolution of governing councils, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for IPPIS as other demands of the union, Osodeke asked the Federal Government to be serious and sincere in its dealings with the union moving forward.