President Bola Tinubu has urged broader collaboration in addressing the funding challenges facing Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

Speaking at the convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the President called on stakeholders to join efforts with the government to strengthen the system.

Tinubu, represented by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, said education could not be left to the government alone, noting that sustainable financing required joint responsibility.

He explained that the long-standing dependence on government for university funding was no longer feasible and called for a review of the model.

He also stressed the need for stronger links between tertiary institutions and industry, saying research outcomes should be practical and beneficial to both sectors.

According to him, universities worldwide thrive on shared funding commitments from all stakeholders.

Addressing the graduating students, the President urged them to apply their knowledge to national development, encouraging them to explore entrepreneurial opportunities and contribute to economic growth. He advised them to uphold hard work, patriotism, and commitment to national unity.

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In her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adenike Oladiji, said the institution remained committed to its core mandates of teaching, research, and community service, noting that the introduction of new academic programmes had expanded the university’s impact and confirmed that all programmes recently assessed by accreditation teams earned full accreditation status.

She added that the newly introduced Top-Up initiative, designed to provide degree opportunities for Higher National Diploma holders, had commenced with multiple offerings across different schools.

Source: Punch