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The end to the present strike by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) may be in sight as President
Goodluck Jonathan has approved N400
billion for the infrastructural development
of Nigerian universities.

The document to this effect is expected to
be made available today at the meeting of
the presidential committee on
implementation of the NEEDS assessment in
the universities with the leaders of the
four university-based unions - the Senior
Staff Association of Nigerian Universities
(SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of
Educational and Associated Institutions
(NASU), the National Association of
Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the
Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU).

The President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke,
made the revelation while addressing his
union members at the SSANU National
Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at
the weekend at the University of Abuja.

Ugwoke, briefing the SSANU members on
the activities of the NEEDS assessment
implementation committee, led by Benue
State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. He noted
that the fund was different from the N100
billion Governor Suswam had raised from
donor agencies and big companies to
tackle the problems of Nigerian universities
in 2013.

The labour leader said: "Let me give you a
tip on what the NEEDS assessment
committee is doing. The president has
approved that within the next four years;
N400 billion would be expended in
infrastructural development of Nigerian
universities, to transform the universities
to international standard.

"N100 billion has already been raised by
Suswam committee out of which 61
universities have been penciled down, as
contained in the NEEDS assessment
committee. The N100 billion is expected to
address needs of the universities in the
areas which include re-furbishing and
renovation of lecture theatres and lecture
halls, re-furbishing and renovation of
laboratories/libraries and the renovation
of hostels.

"The second category is building of new
hostels of international standard, self-
contained rooms, the latest model in the
world. That is the standard to be built in
every university, and also the state-of-the-
art laboratories as well as classrooms,
lecture theatres and the halls."
Ugwoke pointed out that the money had
been shared and out of the N100 billion,
N96 billion had been sent to universities.
He added: "The committee is meeting again
on Monday, and by Monday (today), the
document will be out. This time around, it is
not only by giving university money, but it
will be monitored to ensure that the money
is used to transform the universities, to bail
universities out of the present situation
and developed to an international
recognized university standard."

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