Prolonged, recurring University strikes must be addressed- Buhari

The Nigerian government, according to President Muhammadu Buhari, cannot afford the amount of funds required to resuscitate the country’s educational system.

Buhari also stated that due of the recent increase in the number of higher schools in Nigeria, competition for cash has become more intense.

The President said this on Saturday at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s 49th convocation event. The worldwide economic crisis, he claimed, has exacerbated the financial crisis, affecting national earnings as well.

Buhari, who was represented at the occasion by Minister of State for Education Emeka Nwajiuba, said his administration was committed to meeting the needs of tertiary institutions by allocating funds to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

“I am optimistic that the on-going drive to diversify the national economy will provide the government with additional resources to improve funding for the education system,” he said.

To attract additional revenue for infrastructure, research, and development, the president stated that universities should leverage other funding sources such as alumni, friends, the private sector, institutional linkages, and research grants.

“We must also address the problems of poor work ethics and the albatross of prolonged and recurrent industrial actions by staff of universities,” the president stated.

Buhari urged academic institutions across the country to conduct the kind of cutting-edge research that could boost output and diversify the economy.

Our universities must continue to emphasise training in entrepreneurship so school leavers and graduates are able to become job creators instead of perennial job seekers,” he said.

Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi, stated that the government must make an effort to address the country’s perennial problem of poverty and inequality or risk losing youth to crime.

Amaechi, who delivered the university’s 49th convocation lecture, stated that recent protests across the country, such as #ENDSARS, were the result of citizens’ growing poverty and disaffection.

Although, the current administration has introduced a number of programmes to help eradicate poverty, such as Transport Track for individuals who were into the transportation business, several Nigerians are yet to be lifted out of poverty,” the minister said.

He stated that policies should be focused on the rural majority, and targeted at giving the citizens a good life and lifting them out of poverty.

He stated that policies should be centered on the rural majority, with the goal of providing a good life and lifting citizens out of poverty.