To him, the widely-held insinuations that university staff who are not lecturers in the Ivory towers are extra baggages are due to ignorance, mischief and deliberate misinformation.

Salaam, National Vice President, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, spoke during an interview coming on the heels of debate on how to halt the decadence going on in the university system.

He also asserted that even in universities in the United Kingdom and America, facts had emerged that there were higher population of non-teaching staff cadre than their lecturing counterparts.

According to him, the professional services rendered by non-teaching personnel across board in any university system are not limited to clerical and record keeping functions but cover a while gamut of job functions like medical, finance, administration, transportation, engineering, environmental, security, media and image management.

Salaam said: “There are many misconceptions about the non-teaching staff which are not in the public domain due to ignorance, mischief and deliberate misinformation particularly when they want to run a narrative that non-teaching personnel can be done away with in the university system.

“This issue of overbloating is a serious misconception. What is the total personnel overhead costs for non teaching staff compared to academic staff?

“The total overhead costs of salaries for non-teaching staff is not up to 50% of what is paid to academic staff. In most universities, academic staff get between 55% and 70% of the salary overhead costs.

“The reality is the cost of maintaining an average non-teaching staff on the university payroll is only one-fifth of what it takes to maintain an average academic staff.

“I did a comprehensive research on the issue in 2014 and noted that across universities in the UK between 2004 and 2012, there was a consistent population of between 45% and 48% academic staff in Universities in UK and non-teaching staff accounting for between 52% and 55%.

“I also did research on Ivy League universities in the US, such as Stanford, Cambridge, John Hopkins, University of Michigan, University of California, etc and realised a higher population of non-teaching staff compared to academic staff.

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“This is because of the several professional services which the non-teaching staff render across board.

“An analysis of three first generation Universities – ABU, UNN and UI 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 sessions showed between 54% and 62% budgetary personnel allocation for academic staff compared to 46% to 38% budgetary allocation to non-teaching staff.

“This is despite the fact that the population numbers of non-teaching staff were significantly higher. ABU had 73% of its staff being non-teaching staff but the financial implication of that huge population was only 48%. The documents are there so people should not do mischief.”

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This is in line with the provisions of the Ogun State Building Production Management Authority Regulation, OGBPMA, 2022.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olatunji Odunlami, stated this at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Wednesday.

Odunlami called on insurance companies to serve as watchdogs in the drive to enforce the provisions of the law.

According to him, the All Risk Insurance Policy should be maintained by the contractor or developer and would cover both human and material assets during the entire construction period, ensuring that persons engaged to work on site or who had lawful access to be on site, as well as building materials and other equipment, were protected against any form of injury, loss, or damage.

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“The coverage extends to innocent passers-by and their property, as well as adjacent properties, humans, and animals domiciled in them,” the commissioner said.

Additionally, property owners and subsequent occupiers are also required to obtain a Building Insurance Policy to cover the building itself against fire outbreaks, damage, collapse, and other unforeseen circumstances.

The commissioner reiterated the present administration’s commitment to enhancing public safety and reducing construction site accidents.

He further disclosed that the protection of investors and developers from financial losses, the promotion of a culture of risk management and responsibility, as well as supporting the growth of a resilient and sustainable building and construction industry in the state, was their target.

Earlier in his address, the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Sakirudeen Salaam, stated that the consultative meeting was held to publicize the provisions of the principal law and the five regulations that guide the activities of the ministry and its agencies, so that relevant stakeholders could collaborate with the government to achieve orderliness in the physical planning of the state.

Speaking on behalf of the insurance companies, one of the underwriters, Mr. Yomi Babalola, appreciated the state government for showing the willingness to work with their sector to mitigate risk and protect the public from unforeseen circumstances, promising their full cooperation in achieving the provisions of the law.

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As opportunities continue to arise from the evolving world of the new information technology age, students have been advised to take caution and follow their interests when making a career choice.

This admonition was given at a student-led event tagged Lagos Students Career Expo, LSCE.

Speaking at the maiden edition of the event held at the University of Lagos, UNILAG, for students across higher institutions in the state, Muminah Salaam, one of the organisers and a 400-level Electronics and Computer Engineering student of the Lagos State University, LASU,  stressed the importance of mentorship to growing a career as a student.

She noted that students needed to have access to vital resources and relevant information to secure their desired professional roles and make better career choices.

She said: “The reason we brought students together is that, personally I want to give many students like myself, access to career resources such as internships, entry-level positions that are kind of hard to get unless you have the connections. The event offers opportunities for theory and practical sessions, in the sense that students would interact with different company representatives on how they can secure internships and opportunities for them to grow.”

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education in the state, Tolani Akibu, who was represented by the Director of Infrastructural Planning and Development, Kikelomo Oduwole, said for students to become potential employees or entrepreneurs, they must continue to develop themselves and work towards their dreams.

Speaking on the theme “A 21st-century economy: the future we are building in Lagos State”, he urged for collaboration, noting that an initiative like that would help improve the quality of graduates in the state.

He tasked experts and captains of industries to identify areas of support for the students, adding that the state government was investing heavily in improving the quality of graduates through various initiatives.

While noting that the value of mentorship could not be underestimated, he enjoined the students to seek career help as the only path to reach their goals.

“You must be able to take a position and work outside your comfort zone because your penchant to display multicultural competence should be part of your background,” Akibu said.

Equally, in her remarks, Software Engineer at Microsoft, Chisom Nwokwu, who spoke on “Building a tech career in the Africa ecosystem”, urged students to explore and build careers around technology space.

She noted that the tech space stood out among the professions in the world as a result of the emerging innovation which makes it an in-demand skill.

She urged students learning tech skills to build in public and make their progress known, noting that that would allow them to be easily attracted to employers.

“As a student, you don’t have to wait till you graduate before you have an active LinkedIn profile where you share your learning progress. This would give you as many opportunities as possible in the career,” she added.

She also advised students to build a web of networks even as students, saying that had assisted many professionals where they had found themselves.

Aside from the expertly delivered sessions, students also had the opportunity to interact with companies from different sectors.

The Head of Sponsorships and Partnerships, Abdullah Mumuni, 400 level student of Computer Sciences at the University of Lagos brought onboard top companies like Ritefoods Limited; Lotus Bank; Semicolon Africa; Talent Poel; Ingressive for Good; Education USA; Piggyvest; Geneza school of Designs amongst other companies that were able to provide adequate clarity on career development questions the students had.

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