The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, says there is nothing wrong with Nigerians seeking university education in other African nations and elsewhere.
He made the comment while fielding questions on a program on Channels Television. Reports suggest that about 75, 000 Nigerians are studying in these Ghana, Benin Republic, and Egypt but the minister, who spoke on Wednesday, said the development is not new.
“It is not a bad reputation in the sense that people going out to study is not a bad thing,” he said during the show. “The only thing you have to say is that our universities should try to attract students so that instead of money going out, money will come in.”
He dismissed claims that parents send their children to study in other African universities due to the instability of Nigeria’s educational system, saying the internationalisation of schools means people can study anywhere. “So, going out to study can never be a problem to anybody,” he opined.
The minister, who also spoke about the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, said the Federal Government has made an offer to the varsity teachers. “The agreement we reached or the position that I offered of government that I offered to is something government can pay if they say they will agree,” the education minister noted. According to him, the government has proposed a one-time package for the striking lecturers, explaining that it won’t be paid in installments.
