Lawmakers in the House of Representatives gear up to hold Summit on Tertiary Education Reforms in November, as Speaker describes proposed event as opportunity to begin the long overdue national conversation about the future of public tertiary education in Nigeria
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says the Green Chamber is set to convene a National Summit on Tertiary Education Reforms from Tuesday 22nd to Wednesday, 23rd November 2022.
He also disclosed that the House would keep to the December deadline for passage of the Appropriation Bill as presented by President Muhammadu Buhari. Gbajabiamila stated this in his remarks during Monday’s plenary session following their resumption after a one-month break to enable lawmakers hold Budget Defence Sessions.
“The Committees of the House have been working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill, ensuring the final budget serves the needs of the Nigerian people and meets the development objectives of our communities across the country. Legislators are also working to ensure that, in line with the reforms of the 9th Assembly, we have a final bill ready for presidential assent before the end of the year.
It is not an easy task to deliver an implementable budget at a time of significant financial limitations. The limited time available for budget consideration and the demands of the fast-approaching national elections further complicate the picture. However, I am confident that members of the House are alive to our responsibilities and will deliver our objectives in good time and to the benefit of our country,” he noted.
He went on to assure Nigerians of its efforts to bring positive changes in the education sector.
“The House continues to work to meet our legislative agenda commitments across all other priority areas. As part of that effort, the House will convene a National Summit on Tertiary Education Reform on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 22nd and 23rd of November 2022. The Summit is an opportunity to begin the long overdue national conversation about the future of public tertiary education in Nigeria.
Scholars, tertiary education administrators, and local and international stakeholders have been invited to submit papers on the theme of the Summit, ‘Reimagining Tertiary Education in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Solutions,’ and other sub-themes provided in a call for memoranda. The presentations and submissions will inform the policy recommendations of the Summit and be published in a Journal for policy action and academic reference. So far, public interest, both within and outside Nigeria, has been impressive.
The most consequential decisions we make in government are those that will ensure the vast population of young people in our country are educated and adequately equipped to participate productively in the modern global economy. To achieve this, we must ask and answer complex questions about the operating structure of our public tertiary institutions, sustainable funding, education quality and access. I urge all members of the House to participate in this crucial national conversation so that your experience, expertise and concerns inform the policy recommendations that emerge from the Summit,” he noted.
