ASUU strike: Jonathan approves N400bn for the infrastructural development of Nigerian universities

The end to the present strike by the Academic
Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may be in sight as President Goodluck Jonathan has approved N400 billion for the infrastructural development of Nigerian universities.
The document to this effect is expected to be
made available today at the meeting of the
presidential committee on implementation of the
NEEDS assessment in the universities with the
leaders of the four university-based unions – the
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities
(SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of
Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU),the National Association of Academic
Technologists (NAAT) and the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU).
The President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke, made
the revelation while addressing his union
members at the SSANU National Executive
Committee (NEC) meeting held at the weekend at
the University of Abuja.Ugwoke, briefing the SSANU members on the activities of the NEEDS assesment implementation committee, led by Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. He noted that the fund was different from the N100 billion Governor Suswam had raised from donor
agencies and big companies to tackle the problems of Nigerian universities in 2013.
The labour leader said: "Let me give you a tip on
what the NEEDS assessment committee is doing.
The president has approved that within the next
four years; N400 billion would be expended in
infrastructural development of Nigerian
universities, to transform the universities to
international standard.
"N100 billion has already been raised by Suswam committee out of which 61 universities have been pencilled down, as contained in the NEEDS assessement committee. The N100 billion is expected to address needs of the universities in
the areas which include re-furbishing and
renovation of lecture theatres and lecture halls,
re-furbishing and renovation of laboratories/
libraries and the renovation of hostels.
"The second category is building of new hostels
of international standard, self-contained rooms,
the latest model in the world. That is the
standard to be built in every university, and also
the state-of-the-art laboratories as well as
classrooms, lecture theatres and the halls."
Ugwoke pointed out that the money had been
shared and out of the N100 billion, N96 billion
had been sent to universities.
He added: "The committee is meeting again on
Monday, and by Monday (today), the document
will be out. This time around, it is not only by
giving university money, but it will be monitored
to ensure that the money is used to transform the universities, to bail universities out of the
present situation and developed to an
international recognized university standard."
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