FG TASK NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES ON ALTERNATIVE FUNDING MODEL 17-11-23
By Sadiq Aminu President Bola Tinubu has tasked the management of public universities in the county, to come up with innovative ideas the will transform the tertiary education sector to enable them compete favourably with the counterparts across the world.
President Tinubu gave the task at the twenty fourth combined convocation ceremony of the University of Maiduguri held at Muhammadu Indimi International Conference Centre.
President Bola Tinubu who is the Visitor to the University, stressed the need for Nigerian tertiary institutions to engage in cotton-edge research and empower students with the necessary skills that will advance growth and development of the nation.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President equally challenged academics and researchers to deploy their technical capabilities to solve multitude of problems bedeviling the county.
He observed that despite the challenges of development the nation is grabbing with, the Federal government is committing a lot of resources to address the infrastructural decay in public universities.
“What is given premium nowadays is the pursuit of financial rewards and ranks status, the time is ripe for the Nigerian academia to return to the days when major breakthrough in science, innovation and creativity, and the search to expand the frontiers of knowledge were paramount ” Tinubu explained.
According to the President, the federal government alone cannot fund tertiary education, stressing the need for private sector participation.
“Let’s bear in mind that the demands for funding public education are quite enormous and the Federal government alone cannot do it all, conscious strategies must be employed to galvanise private sector participation and sponsorship of research and development activities. Universities management should evolve and encourage the deployment of creative avenue towards making their universities globally competitive ” Tinubu said.
President Bola Tinubu reiterated his administration’s resolve to constructively engage university unions towards setting industrial dispute.
“It is no longer fashionable to insist on confrontation as a tool for demanding improved welfare condition for your members. Incessant strikes are undoubtedly detrimental to the system, explore the option of dialogue must remain paramount is resolving any industrial dispute ” the President stressed.
He then congratulate the graduants and those conferred with Honourary degrees for their contribution to the development of the society.
Vice Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, Professor Aliyu Shugaba noted that the Convocation is coming at a post insurgency period with over thirty three thousand students graduating from four academic sessions.
Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum expressed commitment of his administration to continue to support the institution to bolster academic excellence.
Correspondent Sadiq Aminu reports that the University during the ceremony also conferred Honourary Doctorate degrees to four distinguished personalities including the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Shehu of Borno Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Elkanemi, pioneer Registrar of the Institution, Dr Dahiru Bobbo and renown businessman Abdul Samad Rabiu.