Events that shaped Nigerian campuses in 2012. AS 2012 came to a blissful end on Monday, it was imperative to take stock of issues and events that shaped various campuses of Nigeria’s higher institutions, while projecting on the way forward.
Budgetary allocation
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 unveiled budget 2012 before a joint session of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives). Put at N4.749 trillion, education seconded defence with an allocation of N400.15bn, 8.43 per cent of the total budget
On Wednesday, October 11, while addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, announced the N4.92 trillion budget for the 2013 fiscal year. Similar to the 2012 budget, N426.53 billion, 8.7 per cent, was earmarked for the education sector.
This attracted criticisms from stakeholders who opined that such amount is a far cry from the 26 per cent recommended by UNESCO for any country which intends to record rapid growth and development.
Spill over of ASUU 2011 strike
Poor budgetary allocation; delay of presidential assent to the bill increasing the retirement age of academic staff of universities from 65 to 70 years; call for more university autonomy, amongst other issues, led the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call its members across federal and state universities for a total and indefinite strike on midnight of Sunday, December 4, 2011.
According to the the ASUU President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, the Federal Government’s failure to honour the agreement it signed with ASUU in 2009 led to the 59-day strike, which was eventually called-off on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.
Coincidentally, as the ASUU strike held sway, the nation was thrown to pandemonium by the January 1, 2012, announcement by the Federal Government to totally remove oil subsidy, which led to increase in fuel pump price
the aftermath of the strike action was the steep rise in the prices of educational materials and services across primary, secondary and tertiary levels of learning.