FIRST CONVOCATION LECTURE: GOV. UZODINMA, JEGA ADVOCATES MOREFUNDING FOR EDUCATION IN 2025
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and Prof. Attahiru Muhammad Jega, OFR a former Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), have urged state governors to prioritize education in their 2025 budgets as well as create favourable investment policies to drive university education. Uzodinma gave the advice at the maiden convocation lecture of the Federal University of Birnin Kebbi (FUBK) on Friday October 11, 2024.
The Governor who presented a lecture on “The challenges of funding public universities in Nigeria: Pathways to sustainable tertiary education,” was represented by Prof. Victor Nwachuckwu, his Commissioner for Higher and Technical Education, Uzodinma said: “The task before us is monumental, but it is not insurmountable. The convocation lecturer was emphatic that given the contributions of public universities to national development, especially in human capital development, there is a need for all relevant stakeholders to tackle the issue of dwindling funding for the institutions. He challenged the university administrations to embrace innovation, seek out new funding sources, and manage resources with the utmost efficiency and transparency.
“To the private sector, I call on you to see our universities not as charity cases, but as partners in driving innovation and economic growth. Invest in our institutions, collaborate on research, and help shape the workforce of tomorrow,” he urged.
The Governor also opined that sustainable funding for public universities was crucial for producing skilled graduates, driving innovation, and addressing societal challenges. He said with strong political leadership championing this cause, higher education sector could be transformed into a powerful engine for economic growth, social progress, and global relevance. He admonished the universities to diversify their revenue streams as the most crucial step towards sustainable funding.
Meanwhile, Prof. Attahiru Muhammad Jega, Pro Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto who was the chairman of the occasion, decried the poor funding of education in Nigeria. He recalled that the regional governments of Nigeria in the past allocated 40 percent of their budgets to the education sector.
Prof. Jega who is also Co-chairman of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Committee advised the Federal Government to increasebudgetary allocation for education to prevent decay in infrastructural facilities in Nigerian universities and relieve Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) of the burden of being overwhelmed with capital projects in many universities. Earlier, Vice Chancellor of FUBK Prof. Muhammad Zaiyan Umar, said that the institution had grown significantly, with many faculties and 37 undergraduate and 20 postgraduate degree programmes.