President Bola Tinubu has called on stakeholders to join his administration in addressing the challenges facing tertiary education in the country, particularly in the area of funding.
The President noted that education could not be left to the government alone, emphasising the need for collaboration among stakeholders.
He made the call on Saturday during his address at the 36th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, where no fewer than 1,030 students were awarded postgraduate degrees.
Earlier, on Friday, a total of 1,717 students received first degrees across the university’s 10 faculties.
Tinubu, represented by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, said while the government would continue to support tertiary education funding, it remained a collective responsibility.
He said, “While the Federal Government does not have any intention of abdicating its responsibilities to higher educational institutions, the time has come for all stakeholders to take another look at the erstwhile model of absolute reliance on government for funding and rejig the educational system for sustainable funding.
“It is also very pertinent to emphasise that the interconnection between our tertiary institutions and industry should be improved. Research outputs from our tertiary institutions should be impactful, enabling industries to readily make use of them for mutual benefits.
“All over the world, funding of government-owned universities is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders.”
The President also urged academics to conduct research that would meaningfully address the country’s challenges.
Addressing the graduates, Tinubu encouraged them to use the knowledge acquired at the institution to contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.
“I believe that you have all been adequately prepared to confront the challenges in the competitive labour market. I enjoin you to deploy your proficiency in diverse entrepreneurial activities, agriculture, ICT skills, and basic scientific knowledge to create jobs in your respective fields and be self-reliant.”
The PUNCH
