President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that universities and other tertiary institutions have been factored into his administration’s plan for more funding so that they can compete favourably with others globally.
President Tinubu, who was represented by the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Someone Banire, said his administration resolved to be on the same page with staff-based unions of universities to check incessant industrial actions.
He spoke at the 61st Foundation Day and 35th convocation ceremony of Adeyemi Federal University of Education.
President Tinubu praised the institution’s management for bracing the task of transformation from a college of education to a university.
He noted that the approval of the federal government to implement the upgrading of Federal Colleges of Education to universities was done with the view to make graduates of the Nigerian Certificates in Education, NCE, have expanded opportunities for admission into universities.
According to him, “It is noteworthy to say that this is the first trial by the federal government to do such an upgrade, and it is expected that emerging issues will come up, which is actually the case in the present. However, there is no problem without a solution. We are taking the bull by the horns to frontally address the emerging issues and get them resolved.
“| am aware that the University Council and Senate have been working harmoniously to ensure that academic sessions are not disrupted and the welfare of staff is also of concern. I was reliably informed that Council handled the placement of staff into university cadres carefully to the extent that the exercise did not result in an internal crisis that could have taken unpalatable dimensions.
“We are taking commensurate steps to decisively address challenges in universities. My administration was faced with a serious economic downturn at inception and steps have been taken to fix the economy, which was not too palatable, but the positive results of our efforts are becoming noticeable to Nigerians.”
Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Samuel Akintunde, said a total of 12,556 graduands were conferred with first degrees, while 6,268 were conferred with NCE.
Professor Akintunde said the institution has 88 first-degree programmes to achieve in the first five years.
He noted that it is yet to get a take-off grant, saying, “All that had been achieved had been through the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.”
Dignitaries who were conferred with honorary degrees were Senator Oluremi Tinubu, His Imperial Majesty, the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo and Emeritus Professor of African Studies, Professor Toyin Falola.
