The National Universities Commission (NUC) has urged stakeholders in education to be more committed to finding lasting solutions to the various challenges in the sector.
The commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Mafiana said that the sector’s challenges were persisting because stakeholders were not doing enough to ameliorate the problems.
“There is not much anyone can achieve if we all as stakeholders fail to do what is expected of us in our little corners.
“Education remains the driving force of every country’s economy and so, we must all do something by way of contributing what we can to improve what is on ground.
“We all want a perfect education sector but this cannot just come cheap.
“We must all learn to sacrifice something because government alone cannot do it all,’’ he said.
Mafiana added that the major challenge facing the sector was that stakeholders did not want to pay for education.
The don said that the country could only get it right if the stakeholders learn to do what was right.
“There are many things the stakeholders could do to also help the system to recover from where it is.
“As stakeholders too, they are supposed to find out what comes in and how it is spent.
“They should also find out how they can contribute to the growth of the institutions, especially the universities,’’ Mafiana told NAN.
“It is usually not as easy as many people will like to come out and talk about the sector.
“What they should ask themselves is what have they been able to contribute to the sector? They should consider the children and do what is right.’’
He emphasised the need for stakeholders to consider sharing the cost of qualitative education which, he noted, could not come free.
He added that it was only when this was achieved that stakeholders could ask questions and demand for explanations.
Mafiana restated the need for industries to also contribute to the sector by patronising the universities.
He said that it was through sponsorships for research, overseas training for lecturers and strengthening the bond between “town and gown’’ that the universities would remain relevant.