Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday inaugurated a special post-graduate scholarship scheme for all university graduates with a first class degree.

Inaugurating a 10-man steering committee for the take off of the scheme, at the State House, Abuja, Jonathan decried the dearth of qualified academic staff in the tertiary institutions.

He said that 60 per cent of lecturers in the 124 universities across the country had no Doctorate Degree, noting that the situation “is embarrassing and un-acceptable’’.

“The information I got from the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) is that about 60 per cent of our academic staff in our universities don’t have PhD. that is quite embarrassing, I belief the Professors here will also feel bad.

‘’We have 124 universities, Federal, States and private and that is not good enough.

‘`I will set up an inter-ministerial department to work with some of you in the academics to come up with policies for robust training so that young men and women who are interested in academics could go anywhere in the world, that over the years we must bridge that gap.’’

The President said the initiative, which he conceived while as Governor, was aimed at building human resources for sustainable development and national transformation.

He said the committee would commence the programme by selecting 100 beneficiaries on merit for post graduate scholarship in science and engineering courses in the best institutions in the world.

“Every year, we should tap from among our best brains, selecting our best brains, we are starting with 100 because we have not made adequate arrangement for funding but the number will increase when we make budgetary allocation for it in 2013.

“We select our best brain in the area of science, engineering and some areas of economics and expose them to the best facilities available in the world.

“The ministry of education and this committee will have to travel to these universities to negotiate for positions in the top 25 universities in the world.

“The idea is for you to benefit you must have a first class. It is based purely on merit, no quota. We are giving opportunity for best brains.’’

President said the beneficiaries of the scheme would, on completion of their studies, be mandated to work for the country for a period of five years as lecturers or researchers before they could be allowed to go in to their chosen careers.

Jonathan tasked members of the committee to ensure transparency and merit in the choice of the prospective candidates.

Responding, the committee’s Chairman, Prof Julius Okojie, thanked the President for the appointment and assured him that they would deliver on their mandate.

Other members of the committee include the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, Dr Jamaila Shuara and Mrs Iddatu Abdullahi of the Federal Schorlarship Board.

The rest are Professors Musa Alabe, Mohammed Sule , Mohammed Onogu, Olurotimi Tayo, William Okowa and Ikenna Onyibe.

The Deputy Director, Tertiary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, will serve as Secretary.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/jonathan-inaugurates-scholarship-scheme-for-first-class-graduates/

Actually why not?
It's a very good opportunity. Not all the first class dudes will take it, but a lot will.

But why is it that only sciences and engineering the only fields included? Are the Arts and social sciences first class graduate not needed in Nigeria?

Its a start. Science and engineering suffers most from the brain drain. Arts and social sciences still have a reasonable staffing complement in higher institutions.

kai, I dont agree that this thing should be based on 1st class! It should be based on passing of an exam by anybody who is interested in lecturing, the exam should be uniform for all candidates across the country, whoever passed gets the schorlaship.

cogitoErgo: kai, I dont agree that this thing should be based on 1st class! It should be based on passing of an exam by anybody who is interested in lecturing, the exam should be uniform for all candidates across the country, whoever passed gets the schorlaship.

Lai-lai i no aggree wt u.....choosing only first class is d best coz if it is xam something som pple will surely gt d questions b4 d xam thereby disqualifyin those dt even perform better wif there brain.

yemmy_ma: But why is it that only sciences and engineering the only fields included? Are the Arts and social sciences first class graduate not needed in Nigeria?

Sciences ar needed most for a developing country

cogitoErgo: kai, I dont agree that this thing should be based on 1st class! It should be based on passing of an exam by anybody who is interested in lecturing, the exam should be uniform for all candidates across the country, whoever passed gets the schorlaship.

Hi,

The likes of PTDF and co already employ your well-thought-out strategy. But you know, naija universities need more high flyers to teach university students in order to stimulate many top and hardworking graduates to pursue a lifetime career in research/lecturing. I think this is the unmentioned angle the FG is viewing things from.

By the way, these high flyers can get scholarships to study at the most high ranking universities across the world without the help of the FG. I cannot begin to mention the number of top naija Engineering/Science graduates who got excellent scholarships to study at the very top research universities across the globe. These graduates got no help from their departments and the FG. Street smart first class graduates know how to heap top scholarships if that is what they want. I am sure the FG would not offer a stipend of more than $23K-$32K per annum, which is what any competitive university in the US pays its PhD students. If fact, schools like Yale and Stanford pay close to $37K, and there are other universities that pay around this same amount. Why then would an informed student, who can get this stipend, go ahead and sign a bond that will restrict him/her? Perhaps the answer is 'because of patriotism'.

The FG is just trying to do attache and will force recipients of this new scholarship to sign a bond that will compel them to come back and lecture in Naija even though they have better offers elsewhere. I know people that have rejected such department/government/university funded scholarships because, according to them, they wanted their professional freedom.

Your strategy sounds very right. Reducing the grade requirement and subjecting everyone to the same selection test will help those who would otherwise never dream of such a fully funded scholarship opportunity. Not all less-than-first-class degree holders would fail tests written with first class graduates. So, if the playing field can be made uniform, people with lower grades will also benefit from FG's assistance.

On the whole sha, the FG should allow all students apply independently to the world's top universities and then fund those students who are able to get admitted into programs that interest the FG. This sounds like a level playing field to me. The very best universities don't admit anybody into their research programs. There must be indications that you can pass PhD course work and progress in your research. These schools are crazily selective.

T22

tanimola22:

Hi,

The likes of PTDF and co already employ your well-thought-out strategy. But you know, naija universities need more high flyers to teach university students in order to stimulate many top and hardworking graduates to pursue a lifetime career in research/lecturing. I think this is the unmentioned angle the FG is viewing things from.

[b]By the way, these high flyers can get scholarships to study at the most high ranking universities across the world without the help of the FG. I cannot begin to mention the number of top naija Engineering/Science graduates who got excellent scholarships to study at the very top research universities across the globe. [/b]These graduates got no help from their departments and the FG. Street smart first class graduates know how to heap top scholarships if that is what they want. I am sure the FG would not offer a stipend of more than $23K-$32K per annum, which is what any competitive university in the US pays its PhD students. If fact, schools like Yale and Stanford pay close to $37K, and there are other universities that pay around this same amount. Why then would an informed student, who can get this stipend, go ahead and sign a bond that will restrict him/her? Perhaps the answer is 'because of patriotism'.

The FG is just trying to do attache and will force recipients of this new scholarship to sign a bond that will compel them to come back and lecture in Naija even though they have better offers elsewhere. I know people that have rejected such department/government/university funded scholarships because, according to them, they wanted their professional freedom.

Your strategy sounds very right. Reducing the grade requirement and subjecting everyone to the same selection test will help those who would otherwise never dream of such a fully funded scholarship opportunity. Not all less-than-first-class degree holders would fail tests written with first class graduates. So, if the playing field can be made uniform, people with lower grades will also benefit from FG's assistance.

On the whole sha, the FG should allow all students apply independently to the world's top universities and then fund those students who are able to get admitted into programs that interest the FG. This sounds like a level playing field to me. The very best universities don't admit anybody into their research programs. There must be indications that you can pass PhD course work and progress in your research. These schools are crazily selective.

T22

@ T22, I especially approve of those highlighted in your explanation.

The Federal government is just misplacing priorities at this time. I don't think this is the way to improve the standard of our education.

You and I and other Nigerians everywhere know we can write a thousand pages of ways to bring back those glorious days when schooling in Nigeria was a thing of pride and not just a phase that has to be fulfilled righteously.

But what i don't know is how our presidential advisers keep coming up with fire brigade approach to issues that need a complete re-engineering. I hope it does not get to a stage where all our PhDs cannot catch up with the other serious countries of this world.

yemmy_ma: Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday inaugurated a special post-graduate scholarship scheme for all university graduates with a first class degree.

Inaugurating a 10-man steering committee for the take off of the scheme, at the State House, Abuja, Jonathan decried the dearth of qualified academic staff in the tertiary institutions.

He said that 60 per cent of lecturers in the 124 universities across the country had no Doctorate Degree, noting that the situation “is embarrassing and un-acceptable’’.

“The information I got from the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) is that about 60 per cent of our academic staff in our universities don’t have PhD. that is quite embarrassing, I belief the Professors here will also feel bad.

‘’We have 124 universities, Federal, States and private and that is not good enough.

‘`I will set up an inter-ministerial department to work with some of you in the academics to come up with policies for robust training so that young men and women who are interested in academics could go anywhere in the world, that over the years we must bridge that gap.’’

The President said the initiative, which he conceived while as Governor, was aimed at building human resources for sustainable development and national transformation.

He said the committee would commence the programme by selecting 100 beneficiaries on merit for post graduate scholarship in science and engineering courses in the best institutions in the world.

“Every year, we should tap from among our best brains, selecting our best brains, we are starting with 100 because we have not made adequate arrangement for funding but the number will increase when we make budgetary allocation for it in 2013.

“We select our best brain in the area of science, engineering and some areas of economics and expose them to the best facilities available in the world.

“The ministry of education and this committee will have to travel to these universities to negotiate for positions in the top 25 universities in the world.

“The idea is for you to benefit you must have a first class. It is based purely on merit, no quota. We are giving opportunity for best brains.’’

President said the beneficiaries of the scheme would, on completion of their studies, be mandated to work for the country for a period of five years as lecturers or researchers before they could be allowed to go in to their chosen careers.

Jonathan tasked members of the committee to ensure transparency and merit in the choice of the prospective candidates.

Responding, the committee’s Chairman, Prof Julius Okojie, thanked the President for the appointment and assured him that they would deliver on their mandate.

Other members of the committee include the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, Dr Jamaila Shuara and Mrs Iddatu Abdullahi of the Federal Schorlarship Board.

The rest are Professors Musa Alabe, Mohammed Sule , Mohammed Onogu, Olurotimi Tayo, William Okowa and Ikenna Onyibe.

The Deputy Director, Tertiary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, will serve as Secretary.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/jonathan-inaugurates-scholarship-scheme-for-first-class-graduates/

A very good initiative but i hope it wont be like those promises made before that were sparingly or never fulfilled, like the 1700 buses, which the ones released out of all never did precipitated the whole of the FCT. What we want is 'we have' and not 'we will'.
Btw, why is it that our president keeps setting up committees on matters(on ground and arising)?


P.S Am sowi for the digression.

nitrogen:

A very good initiative but i hope it wont be like those promises made before that were sparingly or never fulfilled, like the 1700 buses, which the ones released out of all never did precipitated the whole of the FCT. What we want is 'we have' and not 'we will'.
Btw, why is it that our president keeps setting up committees on matters(on ground and arising)?


P.S Am sowi for the digression.

Of course, it is a digression but seeing promises/news like this from our government gives one a lot to think about like the issue you have just raised. Maybe we should give them a benefit of doubt on this one.