Oluwanifemi Ojo
The white paper report of visitation panels to 42 higher institutions was formally released by the Federal Government just days before the end of President Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s (retd.) administration.
According to The PUNCH, one of the requests made by the Academic Staff Union of Universities during their strike in 2022 was the publication of the white paper report.
As part of their mandate, the visitation panels were tasked with assessing the performance of each institution across various areas such as governance, academic standards, quality assurance, financial management, staff-management relations, as well as the state of infrastructure and instructional materials.
In particular, the panels were specifically instructed to scrutinize the financial management practices of the institutions, ensuring adherence to procurement laws. They were also entrusted with investigating the utilization of funds, including special grants and loans allocated for specific projects, among other important aspects.
Until now, the government had failed to make the report available to the public, causing frustration among stakeholders and raising questions about transparency and accountability.
According to The Punch, the white paper reports of 42 higher education institutions were officially unveiled to the public by the outgoing Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
Adamu emphasized the crucial role that the recommendations outlined in these reports would play in ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the institutions.
In his words, “I must emphasize that the production of these white papers has demanded significant resources and unwavering effort from the Federal Government.
“The Federal Government has entrusted you with this crucial task, and failure to execute it faithfully will not be taken lightly.”
The release of the white paper report is expected to shed light on the state of higher education in Nigeria and provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of these institutions. It is also anticipated to serve as a basis for future reforms and improvements in the country’s higher education system.
As President Buhari’s regime nears its end, the publication of this long-awaited report marks a significant step towards addressing the concerns of both ASUU and the wider public. It remains to be seen how the findings and recommendations contained within the report will be implemented and whether they will have a lasting impact on the Nigerian education sector.
