Niger varsity promotes 37 professors in 3 years

Niger state owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, has promoted 104 academic staff out of which 37 were elevated to the rank of professors, Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Mohammed Nasir Maiturare, has said.
Maiturare stated this at the weekend at the second combined convocation of 6,348 grandaunts of the University in Lapai.
“Promotions at IBBUL are up to date with no backlog. Over the last three years the Council has approved the promotion of 104 academic staff comprising 37 professors, senior lecturers and lecturer cadres. For the non-teaching staff, 558 staff comprising 197 senior and 361 junior staff were promoted during the same period,” he said.
The VC said that regular promotion of staff was essential for the institution to attract and retain high quality staff in the face of increasing competitive university landscape.
He explained that over 161 staff have also benefited from the TETFund grants for Academic Staff Training and Development (ASTD), adding that 92 academic staff were trained for PhD, while 69 other staff went for Masters degree training in the country and overseas.
While appealing to the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the students loan and scholarship bill aimed at increasing access into higher education by students without financial hindrances, Professor Maiturare said over 200 students were currently benefiting from the sponsorship and support of the university to complete their studies.
He however lamented the acute shortage of accommodation for both staff and students of the university, explaining that less than 20 per cent of students were not accommodated due to lack of adequate hostels while only 40 blocks of houses were available for over 1000 staff.
In a remark, Governor of Niger state and Visitor to the University, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, said his administration was going to establish special fund for state tertiary institutions.
He said functional education remained the main factor for a positive change in the development of the country, adding that it was time to stop paying lip service to the sustenance of the sector.
According to him, “we must move away from lip service and wishful thinking. We should take practical steps to reposition the education sector in the country and not necessarily developing too many conflicting and confusing national education policies”.