The Federal Ministry of Education has directed 2 Pro-Chancellors to proceed on transfers, in what it described as a way of checking corruption in the system.
In a statement signed by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Boriowo Folasade, said the Minister, Tunji Alausa has always emphasized that the ongoing reforms are focused on creating a more conducive educational environment for Nigerian students, while safeguarding the high standards of the nation’s universities.
The 2 affected Pro-Chancellors are; Retired Colonel Abdulmuminu Aminu, current Pro-Chancellor of Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, who is to serve as Pro-Chancellor of Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, while His Excellency, Ali Abubakar Jatau, current Pro-Chancellor of Federal University Birnin Kebbi, will now move over as Pro-Chancellor of Federal University, Dutsin-Ma.
According to the statement, the transfers take immediate effect.
Meanwhile, The Ministry is reporting that all supplementary allowances due to Nigerian scholars on Bilateral Education Arrangement (BEA), have been paid up to December 2024, even though a cross section of the students oversea are denying the claim.
The BEA Programme, is a product of strong diplomatic relations and mutual cooperation, which enables Nigerian students to pursue academic studies in partner countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.
Through these agreements, host countries provide beneficiaries with free tuition, accommodation, and monthly stipends, while the Federal Government of Nigeria complements this support with take-off grants, monthly supplementation throughout the study period and return passage upon successful completion of their programmes.
However, the Ministry acknowledges that recent exchange rate fluctuations led to shortfalls in fund disbursement.
To address this, the Ministry confirmed that the Minister has formally requested additional funding to cover the differentials and ensure the full remittance of entitlements to all affected students.
In another statement, the Ministries of Education, and Health & Social Welfare have jointly confirmed that enrolment into Nursing programme has surpassed the initial set out target of 110,000 nursing students annually enrolled at the Nursing colleges to 115,000.
The statement signed by Education Ministry spokesperson, noted that Nigeria’s annual nursing enrollment has surged from 28,000, as it was on May 28, 2023, to an unprecedented 115,000 as a result of government’s initiative.
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The Education Minister in the statement reaffirmed government’s commitment in focusing on revitalizing the education and health sectors, with emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences.
ait.live investigation reveals that government is already counting the enrollment garnered as a result of a clearance from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, that holders of Senior Arabic and Islamic Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SAISSCE) can apply for admission into Nursing schools and colleges in the country.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
