The Federal Ministry of Education has issued fresh directives for the safe reopening of universities for academic activities.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the National Universities Commission on Friday September 18, 2020.
According to the statement, the move followed the the significant decline in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
While accepting the request for immediate resumption of academic activities, FME directed, in the statement, that universities must adhere strictly to the following guidelines.
“All universities must continue to adhere to the safety protocols and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines which are very much in force,” the statement reads.
“The decision to re-open institutions should not, in any way, diminish the importance attached to full compliance. The Virus is still potent and there is no cure as at yet.
“Universities must under no circumstances, violate the full cycle of the semester system, consistent with the National Universities Commission
(NUC) approved Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS),” the statement says.
It continues that “Universities are to also ensure strict compliance with other extant NUC
quality assurance standards and guidelines.”
It adds that a joint inspection team comprising staff of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), will be undertaking verification visits to inspect the reopened universities and their level of compliance with Quality Assurance Safety standards.
The statement stresses further that the impending visits will involve on-the-spot inspection of physical facilities such as lecture theatres, classrooms, staff offices, laboratories, students accommodation, emergency services/capability, healthcare and the deployment of non-pharmaceutical measures which are germane to your state of preparedness for the resumption of academic activities.
“Universities will periodically keep the National Universities Commission updated on actions taken, in conformity with this directive,” the statement concludes.
