The National Universities Commission (NUC) has directed vice-chancellors of universities to begin academic activities on January 18, following the directive of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) team on Covid-19.
Kemi Filani News recalls that Universities in Nigeria have been closed due to the strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as well as the Coronavirus pandemic. ASUU suspended its 9-month old strike on December 23, 2020, after the federal government met their demands, including paying the lecturers their outstanding salaries using an older payment platform, GIFMIS, different from the controversial IPPIS.
Following the approval given by the Presidential Task Force on COVID19, The NUC says universities can now resume academic activities. In a statement released, the deputy executive secretary (Administration) of the NUC, Chris Maiyaki, mandated administrators on Grade Level 12 and below to remain at home for a period of five weeks as earlier directed by the federal government.
He asked university authorities to safeguard lives by strictly adhering to the existing safety protocols and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines, which have been given severally to the Nigerian University System through NUC’s circulars.
“I am to add that universities on resumption of academic activities, must under no circumstance violate the full cycle of the semester system, consistent with the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) approved by the NUC, as well as other extant quality assurance standards and guidelines,” the statement added