The current classroom and hostel in almost 90% of Nigeria universities can’t follow or withstand the COVID19 protocols.
It seems like things are not moving in the right direction for students currently studying in Nigeria varsities, as there’s doubt over the assured resumption date of January 18th.
According to latest news reaching us which we’ve just confirmed, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities are expressing their reservations over the January 18th resumption date for academic activities in all universities across Nigeria. The reason for this is because of the second wave of Covid-19 that is coming down harder and more stronger than the first batch.
You’ll recall that all government funded tertiary institutions were closed for over 9 months in 2020, partly because of the protracted strike action of the union, but majorly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news that ASUU on December 23th called off their strike was gladly welcomed by Nigerians. The National Universities Commission (NUC) directed all Nigerian Universities to resume for classes on the 18th of January 2021.
The directive for reopening came with a strong warning that school administrators must ensure strict adherence to all COVID-19 protocols, including hand-sensitization, sanitizing, wearing of face masks as well as social distancing.
Reading through the COVID-19 guideline, it’s not difficult to know that adhering to this rule may be 100% impossible for Nigerian students, since the hall can’t even contain the students.
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities are however saying that the resumption date isn’t feasible as most of the universities cannot adhere to the COVID19 protocols. Speaking on the adherence of the COVID-19 protocol, chairmen of various chapters of the union in various institutions said the COVID19 protocols cannot be adhered to in classrooms and hostels, because they were already crowded.
The chairman of the union at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, said that no preparations have been made so far for the safe re-opening of the universities and urged parents to insist on safety before re-opening of Nigerian universities. Dr. Adeola said and I quote below:
“COVID-19 is very real and this second wave is as real as described, it’s even more deadlier. We cannot afford to toy with the health our students in the name of re-opening of Nigerian universities, which is politically motivated.
There are no preparations for safe re-opening of the universities, and I think parents, guardians and students must insist on safe re-opening. The current classroom and hostel configurations in our universities do not in any way conform with the PTF (Presidential Task Force) on COVID-19 protocols. There is no way universities can achieve that. I have said this elsewhere, that rather than for government to have addressed the obvious deficits in the public universities during the lockdown and strike, they were playing to the gallery.”
More details coming soon.
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