Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and Attahiru Jega, a former INEC chairman, have challenged state governors to prioritise 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), in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.
The Imo State governor presented a lecture on “The challenges of funding public universities in Nigeria: Pathways to sustainable tertiary education.”
Represented by Victor Nwachuckwu, his commissioner for Higher and Technical Education, Uzodimma said: “The task before us is monumental, but it is not insurmountable.
“To all stakeholders, I say this: the future of our nation depends on the strength of our educational system. We cannot afford to fail.
“To my colleagues in the government, I urge you to prioritise education in our national budget and to create policies that encourage investment in our universities.”
The governor challenged the university administration 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.
Uzodimma also opined that sustainable funding for public universities was crucial for producing skilled graduates, driving innovation, and addressing societal challenges.
“With strong political leadership championing this cause, I believe we can transform our higher education sector into a powerful engine for economic growth, social progress, and global relevance,” he said.
The governor admonished the universities to diversify their revenue streams as the most crucial step towards sustainable funding.
Also, Jega, who was the chairman of the occasion, decried the poor funding of education in Nigeria. Jega recalled that the regional governments of Nigeria in the past allocated 40 percent of their budgets to the education sector.
“The government must increase budgetary allocation to educate 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,” he advised.
Earlier, Muhammad Zaiyan-Umar, the vice-chancellor of the university, said that the institution had grown significantly, with many faculties and 13 departments.
