The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has said that it welcomes the decision of three trade unions – the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) – to embark on solidarity strike actions to compel the Federal Government to honour agreements signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

First of all, I want to express my appreciation to ‘Seun for this message which came through my email box. He is the first commentator since this series started who has got a good grasp of what this focus on universities is all about. It is meant to be an interactive medium. Granted, I started it all by persuading VANGUARD that this is an abiding issue which requires everlasting attention by all stakeholders – which means virtually all adult Nigerians. Certainly, if you are not a student, you are a parent or grandparent or Uncle or Aunt of a university student. Perhaps you are a lecturer or the relative of a lecturer. One way or another our fates individually and as a nation are inextricably linked with the quality of our universities. It is not a personal crusade; it is a national endeavour which I have simply chosen to place on the national agenda for as long as we exist.

The Federal Polytechnic Oko has over the years been labeled with various appalling names, ranging from a glorified secondary school, occult school, infrastructural decay institution and school where its students can not speak simple English beside vernacular and Igbo. However, in this interview with journalists, the Rector, Professor Godwin Onu disclosed what led to the turn around of the rot in the system.

The pace of innovation has grown faster than previously imagined. With human manual effort giving way to more advanced and precise technologies, the future of commerce, science, banking, telecommunications, entertainment, education and even government will be driven by digital technologies.

THE Federal Government has been urged to drive the education sector by focusing on either primary, secondary or tertiary education and allowing private sector to do the rest.