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Varsity Seeks To Bridge Disruptive Innovation Space Among Students—-Prof. Clement Kolawole, Acting Vice-Chancellor,  Trinity University, Yaba, says  the institution is researching on ways to further bridge the gap in entrepreneurship skills in students.
Kolawole said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said that the institution, established in 2019, had identified a gap in the area of entrepreneurship, noting that there was a bridge between what the students learnt in the university and the skills demanded in the labour market.
“Here in our university, we believe that once you have a degree, you should be able to do something else, along with the  certificate.  That is part of our research activities.
“This is because we have researched on it and found out that such need must  be met and so we are leaving no stone unturned, to ensure that we prepare our students on that.
And in that regard, we are establishing a very strong entrepreneurship centre,  where our students can have hands-on  experience to add to the knowledge they have acquired in the university,” he said.
According to him, the institution has also identified relevant researchable issues in Lagos to embark on, in areas such as water, population, transportation and environment.
“As a new university, we are still growing.
“Nevertheless, we have identified relevant researchable issues currently. For  for example in Lagos; we talk about the problem of water; population and transportation. These are  real issues that are related to water and environment.
“In our Biotechnology  discipline, our colleagues are currently embarking on some research activities, some in collaboration with universities in Nigeria, others,  with universities outside the country and some with existing universities.
“Also in the area of international relations, we have established a relationship with German University, to take Nigeria -German relationship to higher level.
“This will enable us to bring them here once in a year,  to speak to us on the new phase of that relationship and the challenges that are involved, being a research potential area for us,” Kolawole said.
He noted that recently, vice chancellors of universities in Lagos met at the University of Lagos to rub minds and see how to foster work relationship in the area of research.
He added the group formed eventually  a body that would  working toward  identifying a common research interest in the state  and then pull resources together to that effect.
“The committee has  been set up, of which Trinity university is a member.
“Still on research, we are also brainstorming on what we can do with science at the elementary  and tertiary school level.
“There is a committee that is working to see how that can transcend to research that can be funded, so that we can go on with that in partnership with the Lagos State Government.
“All of us as individuals are also focusing on what we can do to advance our scholarship,” Kolawole said.
Still on research activities of the institution, Kolawole disclosed that there was an ongoing research programme for TETFund on ‘Nigeria’s contributions to SDG, of which he is a member.
He stated that  such research project could not  be carried out in the institution being  a private university, but however appealed to the government to amend the law, whereby private universities could also  benefit from TETFUND.
According to him, TETFUND, should be of benefit to everybody globally, so, if the law can be amended and private  universities benefit also from it, many researches can be funded, thereby using it  to advance national development.

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Education

Why We Reject IPPIS, GIFMIS – ASUU

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ASUU

Why We Reject IPPIS, GIFMISASUU—-The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has explained why it rejected two payment platforms of the federal government and insisted on University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), it created as alternative.

ASUU had rejected the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), a platform the Federal Government uses to pay no fewer than 789,000 of its workers in various sectors of the economy. ASUU members are also currently on the platform.

The union had also rejected Government Integrated Financial Management and Information System (GIFMIS), the platform the federal government recently approved that ASUU payment should transit to, with effect from November

In an exclusive interview the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, the ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said that the union’s stance is in line with the autonomy of the nation’s tertiary institutions.

According to him UTAS conforms with the statutory provision that the university’s finances should be managed by its Governing Council.

“ASUU’s position is that the finances of the university should be managed by the Governing Council. That’s what the law says. It does not says by the Accountant General’s office.

”Every year, the governing council directs the Vice Chancellor to defend its budget at the National Assembly.When the budget is approved including salary, remuneration, overhead, it will go to the President for assent and it becomes a law.

”That money should be released to the Governing council to pay its staff members. That is the autonomy of the university we are talking about, as stipulated in the law,” he said

Osodeke stressed that the universities should be given autonomy, to be able to plan for its staff members’ recruitment and how to pay their salaries.

He recalled that the Union rejected IPPIS because its implementation does not only erodes university’s autonomy but meddles with its internal affairs and violates Section 24A of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act 2003.

Osodeke also faulted the recent guidelines by the federal government detailing the process for the formal exit of Federal Tertiary Institutions (FTIs) from IPPIS.

In a circular issued on Oct. 8, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, said the payroll for FTIs in the month of October 2024 will still be processed on the IPPIS platform.

She added that, starting from November, the payrolls will be processed by the institutions themselves and then be checked by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation’s (OAGF)’s IPPIS department.

According to her, the payment will be made through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform.

Osodeke, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the directives, stating that the AGF was playing games with the union.

“GIFMIS is still an appendage of IPPIS. When you look at the circular, paragraph two says after universities have finished preparation, it will still come to OAGF IPPIS, for verification before it is paid by GIFMIS, which means nothing has changed.

”As at now, no university knows who is being paid what. IPPIS has been paying people who have been sacked, people who are non staff members and people who have left the university system.

“The Vice Chancellors cannot discipline any erring official.Even when you are being disciplined, the IPPIS or GIFMIS will still be paying your salary and that is what we are saying,” he said

Osodeke said the insinuation in certain quarters that ASUU was insisting on UTAS, its own developed solution, to shield lecturers teaching in more than one institution, was misconceived

According to him, the establishment Act of University permits lecturers to teach in two institutions, but with laid down guidelines

“As stipulates by the law, a lecturers can serve as adjunct in another university, they can also work as part time in another university.

”They can serve as visiting professor in another university and this is the practice all over the world.

”For example, if you have a Professor who is highly knowledgeable in a particular field working in one university and another university has no one to handle such programme, what will they do?.

‘”That university will approach the other and appeal to the lecturer to come and teach their students on part time basis, which might be once or two times in a month.

”The institution is not expected to pay full salary to the lecturer, but allowances for the part time job.That is what it is. It is in the law and it is all over.

Osodeke also explained that lecturers do go on sabbatical; meaning, a lecturer, who has taught for six years, could apply for one year leave to go to other university or institution to teach.

According to him, it is not a new development, but the only caveat is that the maximum number of university a lecturer can practice such is two.Teaching beyond two institutions is tantamount to breaking the law.

”It is a global standard and that is why we have visiting professors from London, Ghana, among others coming here to impact their knowledge.

”When you look at UTAS that we developed, any lecturer who has gone to sabbatical for more than the approved number, will be rejected automatically.

”Also, any lecturer who has not met the six years requirement for teaching and want to go on sabbatical leave would be rejected. All these have been built into the UTAS,” he said.

The ASUU President noted, that the lack of exchange of knowledge by lecturers from one institution to another was partly responsible for the low ranking of Nigerian universities in the global ranking assessment.

Osodeke also described as misleading, the claim by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) that UTAS had failed three integrity tests.

The ASUU President said UTAS is a credible and trusted payment platform that captures the inherent peculiarities in the country’s university system.

According to Osodeke, NITDA, in an earlier integrity test conducted on UTAS, had written a report scoring the platform, 97.3 per cent, but later recounted.

He insisted that in the tests conducted by the agency, IPPIS came a distant last to UTAS and wondered why the government insisted on using the IPPIS.

Osodeke said that ASUU’s planned strike notice over the payment platform and other issues was still standing but the union had only given the government space to conclude on the new renegotiation committee that was set up.

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Education

Senate Passes Bill To Initiate University of Applied Science Kachia, Kaduna

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Senate Passes Bill To Initiate University of Applied Science Kachia, Kaduna—-The Senate has  passed a bill  to establish a Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, Kaduna  State.

This followed the adoption of a report of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND on establishments of the university  at plenary on Tuesday.

The report was presented by the Chairman, Sen.Mohammed, Muntari (APC- Katsina).

Muntari in his presentation said  stakeholders at the public hearing on establishment of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia Kaduna State supported the passage of the bill.

He said the school would help provide scientific knowledge to the improvement and solution of environmental hazard and provide exposure on professional studies in technology.

“The hallmark of the proposed Federal University of Applied Sciences, is to produce graduates well equipped with practical and theoretical grounded knowledge in technology, applied science, commerce and management.

“This will reduce risks and challenge of productivity, data and information, cost benefits, marketing and security bedeviling humanity.

“The establishment of the Federal University will reduce the ills around national economy and de-escalating chances of entrenching heinous criminal activities being perpetrated by men of the underworld.

“The knowledge and skills that would be acquired by the graduates from the envisaged Act of the National Assembly will definitely go a long way in expanding and deepening the horizon of the graduates in information management.

“It will consequently improve national integration and general social progress of the multicultural, young people of this country with yearning and aspiration to acquire skills in information, economic and science management.

He urged the Senate to consider and approve the report for benefit of humanity in general and Nigeria as a nation.

Similarly, Senate also at plenary passed a bill to establish the Federal University of Technology Ilaro in Ogun State.

The passage followed adoption of report of committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND

In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio thanked the  lawmakers for their contributions in  ensuring  passage the bills.

He expressed believe  that if the two bills are signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, the institutions would add to the country’s knowledge, increase in food production and also help the nation to move forward positively.

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