National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Deborah Odekola
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in the education sector to collaborate with the Federal Government to create a sustainable funding blueprint for Nigerian universities.
Speaking on Monday during the 2024 Convocation and 76th Foundation Day Ceremony of the University of Ibadan at the institution’s Conference Centre, Tinubu emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to address the peculiar challenges facing the nation’s university system.
He said, “I submit that unions should partner with the government to arrive at a funding blueprint for the university system in the country that will take cognizance of local peculiarities and modern realities based on global best practices.”
Tinubu who was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad acknowledged that inadequate funding is a significant challenge preventing Nigerian universities from competing globally. He also noted that recurring industrial actions by ASUU and other unions primarily stem from funding issues.
“Indeed, the incessant industrial actions by ASUU and other unions in the system always revolve around the issues of adequate funding,” he said.
The president highlighted the economic hurdles his administration inherited but assured Nigerians of ongoing efforts to stabilise the economy.
“My administration inherited an economy that was struggling to stay afloat across all sectors. We have, however, managed to salvage the country from imminent bankruptcy,” he explained.
Tinubu added that while it is impossible to channel all available resources into the education sector, his administration has prioritized funding for tertiary institutions through initiatives like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“Since its inception in 2023, my administration has been fashioning out ways of injecting funds into the education sector. Tertiary institutions have remained the largest beneficiaries of allocations to the education sector,” Tinubu stated.
