The federal government has been asked to do all it can to ensure that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) gets the desired salaries, money for research, teaching, equipment and facilities to ensure that strikes are avoided.
A former Head of Department of Political Science, Dillard University, New Orleans, USA, Prof Nchor B. Okorn, made the recommendation in his presentation on the “Role of Education and Impact on National Development in Nigeria” at the first Sam Momah Annual Lecture series recently in Abuja.
Prof Okorn said the cost of strike and school closure was in the long run bad for school standard, quality production, and that it increased cost to the government and was bad for the industries seeking to hire graduates.
While noting that the government should invest in library development and general academic infrastructure, the don said educational investment in critical thinking, logical analytic science education and teacher-based education at university level would produce a new generation of leaders who were result-oriented managers.
He, however, said Nigeria must invest in human capital development by increasing educational budget and expanding educational programmes formally and informally.
He further said apprenticeship in electrical, mechanical, carpentry, medical, technical education, general education programmes and many other informal technical training in business and ICT should be created for human development.
The 2021 lecture tagged: “The Emerging Economies and The Nigerian Conundrum”, was held in honour of a former Minister of Science and Technology and author of 13 books, Maj Gen Samuel Ifeanyichukwu Moma
