NUC approves reopening of Nigerian universities Jan 18 | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
8th January 2021
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the reopening of universities for academic activities as from January 18, 2021.
This comes after a 9-month strike by lecturers and the extended reopening of schools to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
An NUC statement on Friday signed by Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration), Chris Maiyaki, directed the university authorities to however, comply with all existing health and safety regulations as provided by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
The statement urged universities to safeguard lives by strictly adhering to the extant safety protocols and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines communicated severally to the Nigerian University System through NUC’s circulars.
Maiyaki further explained 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.”
However, the Commission urged officers on Grade Level 12 and below to remain at home for a five-week period, as in compliance with the federal government earlier directives.
Due to the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU, public universities in the country had been under lock and key since March 2020.
Also academic activities were further grounded as a result of the Federal Government-imposed lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
The ASUU strike was eventually suspended on December 23, 2020, after the Federal Government agreed to meet the aggrieved lecturers’ demands, including paying their outstanding salaries using an older payment platform, GIFMIS, instead of the controversial IPPIS.