The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Thursday called for an increase in education tax from 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent.
Its President, Emmanuel Osodeke, spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of 50 textbooks sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Osodeke, who described TETFund as a brainchild of ASUU, praised the agency for transforming the nation’s higher education sector.
He said the increase of education tax to 10 per cent would enable TETFund to mobilise more funds to address challenges confronting the sector.
While decrying the poor attitude of some big companies and wealthy Nigerians on the payment of education tax, Osodeke said there was a need to reposition and expand the education tax net to bring about more resources for tertiary education institutions.
Unveiling the books, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said they were published by Nigerian authors under the sponsorship of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
He added that the publications would end the dominance of foreign academic materials in the nation’s educational institutions.
Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, Adamu said: “Over time, Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions became dependent on books published outside the country with the attendant consequences of the herculean processes and unfavourable foreign exchange rate.
“It is equally worrisome that the quality of most academic publications in our country leaves much to be desired.
“It is, therefore, expected that nourishing the culture of quality authorship and the production of indigenous books will not only ensure the availability of relevant books in the diverse subject areas taking cognizance of our local environment and sensitivities but will also safeguard national pride and reduce the demand for foreign exchange.”
