• Urges tertiary institutions to reposition as innovation hubs
• Says University of Ibadan remains Nigeria’s best
• Africa’s future depends on you, PAULESI tells graduates at UI convocation
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a sustainable and realistic funding model for Nigeria’s university system, warning that the nation’s development goals will remain elusive unless tertiary institutions reposition themselves as hubs of innovation, knowledge creation and national progress.
Tinubu, who gave the charge while speaking at the University of Ibadan’s (UI) 77th Foundation Day ceremony, held at the institution’s International Conference Centre, lauded the institution for sustaining its reputation as Nigeria’s premier university and for its contributions to scholarship and national development.
The President, represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said he considered it “an honour” to join the university in celebrating what he described as “a powerful milestone” in its long history of excellence, growth and transformation.
“University of Ibadan is a force to reckon with in the global realm. Through years of steadfastness and commitment, it has continued to maintain its position as the first and the best in Nigeria,” he said.
He, however, acknowledged the deep-rooted challenges confronting the country’s higher education sector, particularly inadequate funding, noting that these issues undermine Nigeria’s ability to compete globally.
He, therefore, commended university unions for drawing public and government attention to the funding crisis, saying: “I assure you that the challenges are surmountable if we put all hands on deck.”
Tinubu stated that his government had implemented innovative measures to enhance education financing since 2023, highlighting the support for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
In his address, the Chancellor of the university, who is the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, said: “I need not elaborate further on the challenges posed by insufficient funding. Our prayer is that the economic fortunes of Nigeria will improve to enable the implementation of the sound policies of this administration.
Also speaking, the institution’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Bisi Akande, said the misunderstanding between the Federal Government and the staff unions – particularly the gale of strikes by ASUU and the topsy-turvy it often generates – stem from the over-centralisation of bureaucratic confusions and avoidable official interferences “and could be reduced to the barest minimum with meaningful, honest and sincere adherence to the extant establishment laws and the rules and regulations of various universities.”
Meanwhile, the Pan-African University Life and Health Sciences Institute (PAULESI) has charged its graduating scholars to use their advanced training, research skills and continental exposure to build “the Africa we want,” declaring that the future of the continent rests heavily on their shoulders.
Director of PAULESI, Prof. Mubo Sonibare, gave the charge during the fifth day of UI’s 77th convocation ceremonies.
Sonibare urged the graduates to return to their home countries as innovators, problem solvers and advocates of Pan-African unity in pursuit of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
She emphasised that Africa’s progress in health, agriculture, science, technology and governance would depend on the practical application of their postgraduate training.
