Insecurity driving Nigerian students abroad - UNIJOS VC

Professor Ishaya Tanko, the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, decried the detrimental implications of the country's insecurity on Wednesday, stating that the situation was forcing Nigerian students away.

Tanko, the University's 10th substantive Vice-Chancellor, addressed at his inauguration and installation on Wednesday at the institution's Senate Chambers.

"The reality of the Nigerian university system has now declined and is not satisfying the cardinal challenges of higher education of knowledge generation, transmission, dissemination, and application included in their tripartite function of research, teaching, and community engagement," he stated.

"In addition, the country's current insecurity has posed major hurdles, with academic, social, and commercial activities all but halted."

"As a result, the number of Nigerian students going overseas for higher education has increased significantly." Since 2011, the number of Nigerian students attending Ghanaian universities has nearly equaled the student population of four Nigerian universities."

The university, according to the new Vice-Chancellor, is viewed as a fundamental engine of societal progress and development.

He said the University of Jos, which began as a campus of the University of Ibadan in 1971 and became a full-fledged university in 1976, has expanded to 15 faculties and a college with a total undergraduate enrollment of 45,287 students.

He stated it was unacceptable that the university could only handle 5,000 students, noting that this was significantly less than the acknowledged international requirement of at least 40% of a university's entire population.

"My aim is to continue to key in with the university's fundamental mission, which is to cultivate a world-class institution with excellence and innovation with local, national, and worldwide impact," the incoming Vice-Chancellor said. 

For example, the University of Jos, as a bastion of learning, is located in Jos, where there has been a lot of crises and instability, and we have a research center that is designed to eliminate that.

"Why aren't we doing it?" The university also includes a food security center of excellence. Nigerians should be proud that the University of Jos will be able to sustain the country in terms of food security in the next years. We would carry all stakeholders along under my leadership to ensure the seamless operation of the University."

Professor Gray Ejikeme, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, who handed over to Tanko earlier, said he came on board when the University was facing many challenges, but that God saw him through to the end.

Ejikeme also stated that throughout his four-month term as interim vice-chancellor, he did not engage in any recruitment efforts and thanked everyone who helped make his four-month tenure a success.