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FG explores private sector partnership to fund tertiary education
The Federal Government is exploring the option of private sector partnership to fund tertiary education, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has said.
Such arrangement has become a necessity in view of the current reality that the government cannot sustain the funding of the institutions alone, according to the minister.
Ngige gave this indication in an interview he granted Arise News Channel Sunday night.
He said in keeping with economic realities, the government had decided to seek alternative funding sources from the private sector to meet the requirements of public tertiary education.
He said, “The Federal Government alone cannot sustain the tertiary education or even the education system in Nigeria. Do not also forget that education is on the concurrent list,” he said.
The minister also faulted the funding options recommended by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, saying they were not implementable.
“We agreed with ASUU to put up a NEEDS assessment committee, which they are members. That committee has come up with suggestions on possible sources of funding the universities but when they were presented to government, they were found not to be implementable.”
Ngige said one of the recommended sources of funding universities, as recommended by ASUU, was the Value Added Tax (VAT) but explained that 85 per cent of the revenue would go to the states, leaving only 15 per cent for the Federal Government.
The minister said ASUU also suggested stamp duty proceeds should be used to fund the universities, adding that the proposal isn’t feasible as only the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) can collect stamp duty.
“So, these two funding sources suggested by ASUU could not be pushed through by the ministry. So, the NEEDS committee is now working on another validation of other sources, targeting the private sector,” he said.
He appealed to ASUU to accept the Federal Government’s offer and call off its eight-month industrial action.
Ngige said the Federal Government had met almost all the demands made by the union.
“I feel that even this offer is one of the best they have ever got since I started conciliation with them. I do not see why they should not accept it. Everything they asked for has been granted. I don’t think they should say the offer is not good.
“But I told them before they left that asking the nation and the students to wait from Friday to Friday is unfair; they should come back to us by Tuesday. They have done that before when we negotiated with the Senate president. The offer was made on a Thursday and they came back to us on a Tuesday.
“So, that’s what I expect them to do this time around. If they do so, the nation will appreciate them and regard them as patriotic citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I expect them to get back to me much earlier than Friday.”
Ngige explained that part of the proposals made to ASUU is that the Federal Government was ready to provide N40 billion for payment of earned allowances to all university workers and N25 billion as revitalisation fund to improve infrastructure.
He said government had asked ASUU as an alternative to accepting the provision of N35 billion as earned allowances and so as to raise the money for revitalisation fund to N30 billion.
The minister also said that the government had agreed to pay striking lecturers the withheld salaries for February to June.
He, however, added that the problem was how the payment would be done since the affected lecturers were not registered on the IPPIS.
Ngige said the government agreed that the lecturers be paid using the old method.
On the evaluation of the ASUU’s alternative payment platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), Ngige said the software was undergoing integrity test at the Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
“I am not a scientist; I am not a guru. I will only rely on what experts in the Nigeria Information and Technology Development Agency tell me and the same way they will write to ASUU, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation. We have an AGF who does not speak with the media and a minister of finance that is very busy with managing the country’s economy and talking to our creditors and bilateral partners. So, as a conciliator, it is me that will say what the situation is with government,” Ngige said.
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Recruitment of next phase of federal fire service personnel begins
Recruitment of next phase of federal fire service personnel begins
The Civil Defence Correctional Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has announced the commencement of the next phase of ITs 2023/2024 recruitment into the Federal Fire Service (FFS).
The Secretary to the Board, Ja’afaru Ahmed, disclosed this in a statement made available to the media on Saturday.
“The Civil Defence Correctional Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) wishes to inform the general public that the next phase of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) Recruitment Exercise will commence on the 15th of September, 2024 as shortlisted candidates will be sent invitation letters detailing where they are to appear for physical screening, certificate verification as well as aptitude test through the phone numbers and email addresses they provided during the process of registration.
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“The Board wishes to state that every process of this exercise does not attract any form of payment,” the statement said.
The Board had earlier promised to conclude the recruitment process before the end of September 2024.
Daily Trust gathered that around 2500 personnel would be recruited after the completion of the recruitment process.
Recruitment of next phase of federal fire service personnel begins
News
Dangote fuel supply forces Scotland refinery to announce shutdown date
Dangote fuel supply forces Scotland refinery to announce shutdown date
Grangemouth, Scotland’s only oil refinery, is to close in 2025 with the loss of 400 jobs, operator Petroineos has said, according to Reuters, as part of plans to turn the 100-year-old plant into a fuels import terminal.
Petroineos said last November it was preparing to shut down Grangemouth, Britain’s oldest refinery. Production will cease in the second quarter of next year, subject to an employee consultation, a company spokesperson said.
The decision was criticised by trade unions and politicians.
“It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos have confirmed their previous decision to close Grangemouth oil refinery,” UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said.
The site will become an import and distribution terminal for finished fuels, which will cut the number of employees at the site from 475 to around 75 over the next two years.
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Petroineos is a joint venture between PetroChina International London (PCIL) and INEOS Group, a British chemicals firm founded by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The company cited economic difficulties as the reason for the closure, stating that the company had invested $1.2 billion since 2011, and returned losses in excess of $775 million over the same period.
“Grangemouth is increasingly unable to compete with bigger, more modern and efficient sites in the Middle East, Asia and Africa” where Dangote Refinery just opened.
Due to its size and configuration, Grangemouth incurs high levels of capital expenditure each year just to maintain its licence to operate,” the company said.
It said the plant is currently losing around $500,000 per day, and expects to see a $200 million loss for 2024.
Petroineos’s plans for Grangemouth had been opposed by trade unions and local politicians and there were campaigns to extend production until a low-carbon alternative for its long-term future could be secured.
Dangote fuel supply forces Scotland refinery to announce shutdown date
News
JUST IN: Tinubu returns to Abuja today after China, UK trips
JUST IN: Tinubu returns to Abuja today after China, UK trips
President Bola Tinubu is set to return to Abuja on Sunday after concluding his official trip to China and a brief stopover in the United Kingdom.
Tinubu departed Abuja for Beijing on August 29. His visit commenced on September 2 with a meeting at the Great Hall of the People, where he was warmly received by President Xi Jinping.
A 21-gun salute and an honor guard marked his arrival in China, highlighting the significance of the visit.
According to a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Tinubu engaged in a series of bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. During these discussions, both countries signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
These agreements covered various areas, including a cooperation plan to further the Belt and Road Initiative, peaceful applications of nuclear energy, and development initiatives related to human resources.
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One of the MoUs emphasized media exchange and cooperation between China’s media outlets and the Nigerian Television Authority. Another key agreement was signed with the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the construction of the Lagos Green Rail Line, a 68-kilometer project that will connect the Lekki Free Zone to Marina, interfacing with the existing Blue Line.
Additionally, an agreement for a $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project in Kogi State was reached between Nigeria’s Chart and Capstone Integrated Limited and China’s Sinomach-He.
During his stay in China, President Tinubu also visited prominent companies, including Huawei and CHEC, before attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit. At the summit, representing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as chairman, he delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of multilateralism and global cooperation for peace.
In his final engagement in China, Tinubu met with representatives of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (China chapter) to discuss the ongoing reforms in Nigeria. He expressed hope that these changes would pave the way for improved infrastructure, consistent power supply, and enhanced education, akin to what is seen in China.
After leaving Beijing, President Tinubu headed to London for a brief visit. There, he met with King Charles III to discuss pressing issues, including climate change.
President Tinubu’s return to Abuja is eagerly anticipated as he concludes this important diplomatic mission.
JUST IN: Tinubu returns to Abuja today after China, UK trips
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