The Federal Government has established a special committee focused on combating social vices within tertiary institutions.
The committee was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, in Abuja on Thursday.During the inauguration, Dr. Sununu emphasized the need for a fresh strategy in addressing social vices and encouraged collaboration with local and international partners for support.
He highlighted that efforts to improve the education sector would be futile without curbing the prevalence of social vices in tertiary institutions.
The minister expressed concerns about the negative impact of social media abuse and peer pressure on students, leading to detrimental consequences for societal values and national harmony.
The committee’s terms of reference include combating social vices among Nigerian students through a comprehensive and collaborative approach, raising awareness, promoting positive values, providing support to students, and fostering ethical and responsible behavior among young Nigerians.
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Senior Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Students Engagement, Sunday Asefon, echoed the urgency of addressing social vices such as drug abuse, cultism, cybercrime, sexual harassment, and academic dishonesty, which threaten students’ well-being and academic success.
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He praised President Tinubu’s dedication to safeguarding the future of Nigerian students and emphasized the need to enhance security measures in tertiary institutions.
Maj-Gen. Suleinam Kazaure (rtd.), the committee’s chairman, pledged the committee’s commitment to tackling emerging social vices in educational institutions.
He warned that failure to address these issues would lead to a decline in ethics and values within learning institutions and the nation at large.
One of the proposed measures by the committee is the installation of CCTV cameras in and around all secondary schools and tertiary institutions across the country.
The committee comprises members such as Amb. Ramat Tijani, former FCT Minister, Amb. Timothy Nwachukwu, Prof. Jerry Ugokwe, Olufemi Lawson from the Civil Society Group, among others.
