NECA urges reforms to halt incessant strikes in nation’s education sector

MR Timothy Olawale, Director-General, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), has urged the Federal Government to start a reform of the nation’s education system to prevent incessant strikes.

Olawale made this called on Thursday while speaking on the suspension of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at a forum in Lagos.

He said that incessant strikes in the education system contributed to decreasing employability of the nation’s graduates, saying there is need to ensure students learn without any interruption and as a matter of urgency.

NAN reports that the ASUU embarked on industrial action on Nov. 4, 2018, for improved welfare of members. The strike was suspended on Feb. 7, 2019.

Olawale, also the Director-General of the umbrella body of the Organised Private Sector (OPS), said that if tertiary institutions are allowed to go on strike frequently, it will further deplete opportunities for graduates to get employed.

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According to him, it becomes almost impossible for students in tertiary institutions to have one academic session at a stretch without interruption.

He said that the three months’ strike had further cemented the perception that Nigerian students are unemployable due to the ceaseless interruptions of their academic activities.

“In the Human Development Index (HDI) ranking, Nigeria ranks 157th position of the 189 countries assessed in 2017.

“If we are desirous of improving our HDI ranking, we cannot continue to treat our education system with disdain,’’ he said.

The NECA boss said that human capital without the necessary competencies put the future of Nigerian businesses in a very delicate situation.

Olawale added that the country’s touted dysfunctional educational system had been adjudged as the reason expatriates took up jobs that should ordinarily be taken by Nigeria graduates.

“Scarce foreign exchange that should have been deployed to businesses are now being competed for by students in foreign institutions. National development will be mere lip service if we don’t address the rot in the education system.

Olawale, however, commended the government’s resolution of the ASUU strike but noted that it was worrisome that the incessant strikes had become a sort of annual tradition.

“Calling off the strike came as a huge relief and we commend ASUU and the Federal Government for going through the process of arriving at an agreement.

“We believe this is done in the interest of students and the nation at large,’’ Olawale said.