Stakeholders in the Nigerian University System (NUS) and UNESCO on Monday began discussion at a three-day workshop on modalities for adoption of Gender and Transformative Leadership (GTL) as a course in Nigerian universities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the workshop, organised by the National Universities Commission and UNESCO, is entitled “Workshop on Development of Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) for Gender and Transformative Leadership (GTL) as General Studies (GST) Course for Nigerian Universities”.
In his opening speech, NUC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, said that the essence of the workshop was to sensitise stakeholders, harvest inputs from them and educate youths on attitude to gender issues.
Represented by Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, the NUC Deputy Executive Secretary, OKojie said that GTL aimed to eliminate gender barriers in the society.
He added that the workshop was also designed to train the trainers that would achieve the GTL.
“What we strive to achieve is to sensitise the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow to know that next person in equally as important.
`The female gender is not given its right of place and so to begin to sensitise them at that level is important.
“Some of the cultural barriers placed on a particular gender could be detrimental to the growth of society.
“In terms of leadership, we are trying to see how we can transform the thinking of the young person.
“We feel it should go beyond the university system to the polytechnics and colleges of education; if you limit to a particular setting, it will not achieve its objective.’’
According to him, GTL is going through a process that all curriculums go through.
He said that the workshop was the last step in the process as GTL would subsequently be brought to the management of the commission for ratification.
Okojie said that it might not be feasible for every university to readily adopt GTL as some credit units would be taken from some other courses.
“So, for it to start, it has to be with a new set of university students; we expect that fully by 2017amd 2018 everything will be in place,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the UNESCO Regional Director in Abuja, Dr Benoit Sossou, said that GTL curriculum had been developed and contextualised for Nigeria in 2014 by 40 experts.
Sossou said that at the end of the workshop, it was expected that GTL would be introduced to all Gender and Development lecturers in Nigerian universities and adopted as a course.
“It is hoped that with the introduction of these modules, higher education institutions in Nigeria would broaden their gender spectrum and understanding.
“It is hoped that it will contribute to the bridging of the gender gaps in Nigeria and help the country to achieve SDG-5 on gender equality and empower all women and girls,’’
In her remark, Hajia Binta Garba, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Higher Education and TETFund said GTL, would address gender issues in the Nigerian society.
She said that contrary to insinuations, the Senate did not throw away the Gender Bill but there were areas that needed to be fine-tuned.
“When we talk about fine-tuning, I refer to our two major religions; when we talk about giving the woman equal inheritance-Biblically and Quranically, it has been taken care of.
“When we look at gender equality, men are running away from it but when you say gender parity; it has 60 to 40 acceptance.
“When you bring gender studies to the school, I do not think the universities have a problem with that because parents now send all genders to school,’’ she said.
She commended NUC and UNESCO for trying to bring about social equality and gender balance in society through higher institutions, adding that nobody should feel undermined because of gender.