BREAKING!! Nigerian Government Declares Date For Reopening Of All Universities

On January 18, the National Universities Commission (NUC) ordered university vice-chancellors to resume their academic activities.

This is in compliance with the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force Directive (PTF).

The order was contained in a statement signed on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, by NUC Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration), Chris Maiyaki.

Maiyaki urged universities to protect lives by strictly adhering to the current safety protocols and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines that have been severely communicated through NUC circulars to the Nigerian University System.

It should be added that universities must under no circumstances breach the full duration of the semester system, in compliance with the NUC-approved Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS), as well as other existing quality assurance standards and guidelines on the resumption of academic activities,” the statement noted.”

After the Academic Workers Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a strike, Nigerian public universities have been closed since March 2020.

A lockout to contain the spread of COVID-19 was also implemented.

On December 23, 2020, ASUU suspended the strike after their demands were met by the federal government, including paying lecturers their unpaid salaries using an older payment platform, GIFMIS, distinct from the controversial IPPIS.

However, the NUC instructed officers at Grade Level 12 and below to remain at home, as previously ordered by the federal government, for a five-week duration.