President Bola Tinubu has appealed to education stakeholders across Nigeria and the international academic community to work with his administration in resolving persistent funding challenges that continue to affect public tertiary institutions.
The President made this appeal on Saturday during the thirty sixth convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure in Ondo State in South West Nigeria. The ceremony saw one thousand and thirty students receiving postgraduate degrees, while an earlier convocation event on Friday produced one thousand seven hundred and seventeen first degree graduates across ten faculties. Okay News reports.
Represented at the event by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, the President stressed that no country can build a strong higher education system by placing the full financial burden on government alone. He encouraged all relevant partners within and outside Nigeria to work towards a shared framework for sustainable educational growth.
He stated, “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.”
President Tinubu also highlighted the need for a stronger relationship between Nigerian tertiary institutions and the private sector. He explained that the nation’s economic advancement depends on research outcomes that can be converted into practical solutions for industries, investors, and policymakers.
“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,” he said.
Addressing the graduating class, the President urged them to apply the knowledge gained to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development. He encouraged them to embrace innovation, agricultural enterprise, scientific advancement, and digital skills as pathways for job creation.
He told the new graduates, “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 Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Professor Adenike Oladiji, used the occasion to reaffirm the institution’s commitment to teaching, research, and community service. She revealed that the university recently secured full accreditation for eighteen academic programmes after an evaluation exercise conducted by teams from the Nigerian Universities Commission between November and December 2024.
Professor Oladiji further announced that the university has expanded access to higher education through its Top Up Programme, which allows Higher National Diploma holders to earn bachelor’s degrees across nineteen programmes in the 2024 and 2025 academic session.
