The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday said that his administration cannot afford the amount of funding needed to revive the country’s educational system.
The President, through the Minster of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, made this statement at the 49th convocation ceremony of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Buhari was quoted as saying the financial situation had been worsened by the downturn in the global economy, which has greatly affected national revenue; but that the government was optimistic that the ongoing drive to diversify the National economy will provide additional resources to improve funding for the education sector.
He said, “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.
“The universities should also leverage other funding sources, such as from alumni, friends, the private sector, institutional linkages, and research grants, to attract additional revenue for infrastructure, research, and development.
“We must also address the problems of poor work ethics and the albatross of prolonged and recurrent industrial actions by staff of universities.”
However, Buhari advised academic institutions across the country to embark on the kind of innovative research that could help boost production and diversify the economy.
“Our universities must continue to emphasize training in entrepreneurship so school leavers and graduates are able to become job creators instead of perennial job seekers,” he added.
The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, on his part said, “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.”