By Opeyemi Babalola
The Federal Government has approved a new policy on transnational education in Nigeria. The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, who disclosed this to journalists, said the council has adopted guidelines for implementing transnational education across borders. He said this would allow Nigerian institutions to collaborate with their foreign counterparts to offer education services within Nigeria.
Sununu explained that as a member of the World Trade Organisation, Nigeria is signatory to the general agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which includes education as an exportable service. He said the new policy is aimed at increasing access to tertiary education, given the large number of secondary school graduates seeking university admission yearly.
Sununu noted that transnational education will ease placement pressures and allow progressive exchange of ideas and research. According to him, this is expected to boost tertiary enrollment and minimize foreign exchange pressures of Nigerians studying overseas. He added that transnational education would attract foreign investment and funding to government institutions. “Ours in the federal ministry of education is a note to the council on the guidelines for the implementation of transnational education in Nigeria. And we are all aware of the effort of the present administration to increase access.”
