After about ten months of inactivity in Nigeria’s universities and other tertiary institutions, there are strong indications that academic work will resume across the country, Blueprint has gathered.
Activities were disrupted towards the end of March in 2020 as the university teachers in government-owned institutions commenced a nationwide indefinite strike to press home certain unmet demands by the federal government.
The university teachers embarked on strike following the union’s disagreement with the federal government over the funding of the universities and implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
They contended that the federal government’s decision was a negation of the university autonomy.
Not long after the industrial face-off began, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nation like the rest of the world, thus necessitating complete lockdown of the economy for about six months.
Consequent upon this, the federal government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC) directed all universities in the country to suspend academic activities.
The directive was issued by the NUC in a circular signed by its deputy executive secretary administration, Chris Maiyaki.
Although the lockdown was partially eased around October, only the private varsities reopened for academic activities.
Their counterparts in the public varsities, who were at the vanguard of the strike, still carried on with the industrial action as several peace meetings by major stakeholders, including Speaker House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila failed.
Peace deal/resumption plan
However, a peace deal was reached late December with ASUU agreeing to conditionally call off the industrial dispute.
And following this, a new lease of life is on the horizon in the universities, with their authorities announcing resumption dates.
At the University of Ilorin for instance, the managementannounced that the institution would resume full academic activities for the Rain semester Monday, January 11, 2021.
Blueprint gathered that, in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol, lectures would be conducted via virtual method, as students await further details.
It specifically said the decision was in line with the NUC directives.
Similarly, theSenate of Bayero University Kano (BUK) also approved the cancellation of 2019-2020 academic sessions.
In a circular issued by the Senate, new academic session for undergraduate students would begin Monday, January 18, 2021 as the first semester, while the second semester starts Monday, May 3, 2021.
For the postgraduate students, the Senate slated Monday, January 18 as the resumption date for the first semester while the second semester starts Tuesday, June 1.
And from the University of Benin in Benin City, Edo state, all returning students (old and new) were also directed to resume for 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic sessions January 30, 2021.
This was contained in a circular issued Monday by the institution’s public relations officer, Ms Benedicta Ehanire, at the end of a meeting of the University’s Senate.
We are ready- ASUU
Meanwhile, the Unilorin chapter of ASUU Tuesday assured of the union’s readiness to return to the classroom.
The branch chairman, Dr Saliu Ajao, said this while speaking with journalists in Ilorin.
He said the resumption followed the recent suspension of the nine-month-old national strike by the union.
Ajao commended the students of the institution and their parents for their patience and understanding while the industrial dispute lasted.
The ASUU leader said the union had to embark on the strike to press home its demands on various issues, whose implementation would complement the progress of the nation’s educational system.
Like their colleagues in other institution, he said the Unilorin teachers had returned to their desks and were fully ready to resume teaching, conducting research and engaging in community services.
“The lecturers are prepared to cover as much ground as possible and within the shortest possible time,” he said.
Ajao added that the union had issued a directive to lecturers with outstanding scripts to mark, to do so without further delay, since the concerned lecturers were also bound to attend statutory meetings and also discharge other responsibilities.
He advised students to do some brushing up and get prepared to return to the classrooms, laboratories and libraries, as soon as the federal government issued the enabling directive on the re-opening of universities for academic activities.
He said it was quite unfortunate that all the conditions, which the government initially did not like, were eventually accepted several months after they were first highlighted by ASUU.
The union leader further said the success of the group in always securing its demands each time it went on strike was built around the deep intellect of members, who always considered all options before pursuing the best of all.
“The honesty, discipline, civility and sincerity of the ASUU leadership are some of the ingredients of the union’s successes,” he said.
Ajao added that the union was always open to dialogue and engagement with the authorities, pointing out that ASUU would always offer its best opinions on every situation without fear or favour.
Lagos, Nasarawa, Enugu, Bauchi set
Meanwhile, some state governments have also announced various resumption dates for schools within their domains.
As at Tuesday, Lagos, Nasarawa, Enugu and Bauchi states have all declared January 18 as resumption date for the new term.
Also, the Ekiti state government warned private school proprietors against contravening the January 18 resumption date for the second term academic activities.
However, the Yobe state COVID-19 committee, headed by Deputy Governor Idi Barde Gubana Tuesday directed schools to delay their resumption until his committee announced an approved date for resumption.
Lagos
The Lagos state government, through a statement by Head Public Affairs of the state Ministry of Education, Mr Kayode Abayomi, noted that the new date was announced by Commissioner for Education Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo.
The statement reads: “The Lagos State Government has announced that public and private schools below tertiary level in Lagos State should be reopened for the second term 2020/21 academic session from Monday, January 18, 2021.
“The Commissioner for Education, who revealed this today, stated that this is in line with the Federal Government’s directive coupled with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Nasarawa
Similarly, Nasarawa state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Hajiya Fatu Jimaita Sabo, said schools in the state would open January 18.
In a statement, Sabo said: “The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Nasarawa State wishes to inform members of the public, particularly parents, guardians, students, pupils, chief evaluation officers, principals, head teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector that based on the outcome of consultations with the state Ministry of Health, all public and private schools in the state will now re-open on Monday, 18th January 2021 to commence the first term of the 2020/2021 academic session.
“This arrangement supersedes earlier communication on the matter, all concerned are therefore, required to strictly adhere, please.”
Enugu
In a similar vein, the Enugu state Commissioner for Education Prof. Uche Eze, said the date was reached Tuesday at a meeting between the ministry and major stakeholders in the sector.
Eze urged schools to ensure full compliance with the NCDC guidelines for the containment of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), noting that “the Ministry of Education will engage in constant monitoring of compliance when schools resume.”
“It was also decided that to help engage the students/pupils, all tertiary institutions, Basic and Post Basic schools are advised to activate their e-learning programmes,” Eze added in a statement.
Bauchi
And from Bauchi came a report that all schools, including higher institutions of learning in the state, would reopen January 18, as against January 4 earlier announced.
Commissioner for Education in the state, Dr. Aliyu Tilde said boarding students will report Sunday, January 17.
Ekiti
In a similar move, Ekiti state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Bimpe Aderiye, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, said the announcement for schools across the state to resume for second term academic activities Jan. 18 stands, warning that it would be enforced.
Reactions
Meanwhile, there are divergent views over decision by the government to reopen schools, with parents and private school owners expressing different reactions.
A Lagos-based parent, Mr Ayo Kuti said the whatsapp message he received from his kids’ school, Chrisland Schools in Opebi area of Lagos, informing parents of the decision to commence online teaching to their children.
Describing the measure as temporary, the school explained that the measure was a temporary one, saying they will continue to monitor the situation and directives of government just as the school has staggered the resumption dates for the students depending on their age grades.
Kuti said the disruptions was taking its toll on kids and parents, and therefore challenged the federal government to find lasting measures to address the issue surrounding the pandemic.
He said: “We must not adopt a copy and paste attitude by always looking up to the Western world in order to find solutions to our peculiar challenges, we live in the tropical region of the world and we must take that into consideration whenever we’re taking decisions regarding this Covid-19 pandemic.”
He said keeping the children at home isn’t a cheering experience for parents.
Whilst some parents urged government to put in place measures to curtail the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the country, others maintained that they might likely disallow their kids from returning to the classrooms to protect them from contacting the disease.
Also speaking, two parents, Mr Abel Orukpe and Mr Kola Azeez said urgent steps should be taken to bring down the increasing rate of infections, noting that the children cannot afford to miss the New Year academic programme like what happened in 2020.
But, Chairman Staddon Schools in Akute in Ogun state, Mr Ogunlolu, who spoke to Blueprint on the phone however said school owners should exercise patience with the government as the decisions taken were both in the interest of stakeholders in the education sector and the country at large.
He said: “We look up to government to take concrete steps to address the burgeoning challenges and proffer implementable solutions to tackle them. We must be patient and have confidence in the ability and processes government is taking to curb the pandemic”
