The National Universities Commission (NUC) has given the approval for Vice-Chancellors of Universities to commence academic activities in their various institutions on January 18.
The approval was in compliance with the directive of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. According to the commission, the new directive became a necessary sequel to several enquires on the full import of the commission’s previous letter with Ref. No. NUC/ES/138/Vol.63/151 and dated December 23, 2020, on the issue. It, however, advised university authorities to safeguard lives by strictly adhering to the extant safety protocols and guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, which have been communicated severally to them through NUC circulars.
The commission added that “universities on the resumption of academic activities must under no circumstance violate the full cycle of the semester system, consistent with the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards approved by the NUC, as well as other extant quality assurance standards and guidelines.”
It would be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had been on strike for about 10 months which was suspended on December 23, 2020 during a press conference addressed by ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, at the University of Abuja.