The National Universities Commission (NUC) has ordered Vice-Chancellors of Universities to begin academic activities on January 18, in line with the directive of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) team on Covid-19.
Universities in Nigeria have been shut down since Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on an indefinite strike.
ASUU called off its 9-month-old strike on December 23, 2020 after the Federal Government agreed to their demands which include payment of lecturers their outstanding salaries via an older payment platform, GIFMIS, which is different from IPPIS.
The NUC says after the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19’s approval, Universities can now commence academic activities. In a statement issued, the Commision’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration) of the NUC, Chris Maiyaki, directed officers on Grade Level 12 and below to stay at home for five weeks as the Federal Government directed earlier.
He appealed to university authorities to protect lives by adhering strictly to the safety protocols and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s guidelines, that have been communicated many times to the Nigerian University System via NUC’s circulars.
The statement added: “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.”
