The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities of Nigeria (COPSUN) has raised concern over the menace of brain drain in the country with a charge on the Federal Government to a declare the trend a matter of national concern deserving urgent solution.

While calling on state governments to prioritize funding of state universities, the organisation called on Vice Chancellors of state universities to look for alternative means of generating revenue to ensure enough funds for operations.

These were some of the decisions contained in a communique issued at the end of the 62nd Quarterly Meeting of COPSUN held in Abuja and signed by its Secretary, Marcus Awobifa, obtained by journalists on Friday.

During the meeting, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Gombe State University, Senator Joshua Lidani was elected as the new chairman of COPSUN.

Lidani, a former Deputy Governor of Gombe State and former Senator for the Gombe South constituency of Gombe State replaces Yusuf Ali (SAN) who bowed out following the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Osun State University where he was the Pro-Chancellor.

Also elected was Prof. Ayodeji Omole, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso (Vice Chairman).

The Pro-Chancellors of Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Prof. R.B. Ikomi; Lagos State University of Education, Ijanikin, Alhaja Sakeenat Yusuf and Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Dr. Hahiru Bala were elected members of the new executive council respectively.

The communique reads, “COPSUN observed that the brain drain syndrome has taken its huge toll on the university system in Nigeria with many lecturers seeking for greener pastures abroad. The Pro- Chancellors therefore called on the Federal Government to declare the development as a matter of national concern deserving urgent solution.

“COPSUN has appealed to state governments in the country to improve the funding of state-owned Universities. The Pro-Chancellors asserted that by virtue of their closeness to the grassroots, the state Universities have better understanding to contribute to the social, economic and technological advancement of the people and should therefore attract more government attention.

“Furthermore, the Committee charged the Vice Chancellors of state universities to be more proactive and seek for alternative sources of revenue to supplement government funding. It added that by so doing, the Vice Chancellors of State Universities will be creating a niche for themselves as the master of development of tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

“The Committee reiterated the importance of University autonomy and called on the State governments to uphold the principle of autonomy and emulate the Federal Government where the appointment of Vice Chancellors end with the Governing Council of individual Federal Universities.

“The Pro-Chancellors added that the State Universities Governing Councils should be given free hands to determine the school fees of their various Universities having regard to the modern economic realities in the country.”