The federal government has approved a new policy on transnational education in Nigeria.
The minister of state for education, Yusuf Sununu, disclosed this to State House correspondents yesterday after the federal executive council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
According to him, the council has adopted guidelines for implementing transnational education across borders.
He said this will allow Nigerian institutions to collaborate with foreign institutions to offer education services within Nigeria.
Sununu explained that as a member of the World Trade Organization, Nigeria is signatory to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) which includes education as an exportable service.
He said the new policy aims to increase access to tertiary education in Nigeria given the large number of secondary school graduates seeking university admission annually.
He said 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.
Sununu stated that transnational education will attract foreign investment and funding to government institutions.
He said, “Ours in the federal ministry of education is a note to the council on the guidelines for the implementation of transnational education in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a member of the World Trade Organization since 1995. And also a signatory to the general agreement of trade in services which was signed in 1995.
“The gaps are documents including education as documentation that can be exportable services that can be done across borders.
“And we are all aware of the effort of Mr. President to increase access to education with a greater number of graduate secondary school leavers who are seeking to be graduate or undergraduate in our tertiary institution.
“The placement is becoming a serious issue and therefore the ministry came up with a policy of transnational education.
“What it means is that exchange of cross-fertilization of ideas and progressive education can be done across borders.”
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