Obasanjo tasks W/African varsities on peace curriculum

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has asked West African universities to take leadership in the quest of delivering a curriculum and research methodologies that fosters a culture of peace and human security.
He also charged the varsities to ensure that their graduates are of good quality as to be promoters of the culture of peace and human security in Africa.
Obasanjo made the remarks at the 3rd Annual conference of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU) in Abuja.
The former president was represented by former National Universities Commsiion (NUC) Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola.
The conference with the theme: “Turbulence in Tertiary Education in West Africa: Quality, Mentorship and Access” was hosted by the Nigerian Turkish Nile University (NTNU).
He said peace in Africa and the world was getting increasingly compromised through violent extremism to which the universities should rise stoutly to defend and find solution.
Obasanjo explained that developing a curriculum that would address the challenge of insecurity will demand that experts in the field come together and do a NEEDs analysis, examine the current challenges facing security in Africa, West Africa and then see the methodologists that will be applied to ensure that the problem is tackled from different perspectives.
In his address, former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega noted that the flop of policy in West Africa was responsible for the turbulence in higher education.
Jega also disclosed that under the Structural Adjustment Programme, (SAP) higher education was thrown into turbulence, adding that the field was literally crowded by the good, bad and ugly and as a result having effect on its quality.
While urging that the turbulence facing universities in Africa should be taken care of in order not to undermine its role in national development, he called on the administrators to form curricular, promote good governance as well as seek good dialogue with the government to address the issue.