Be Prudent, Buhari Enjoins Nigerian Universities

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on universities in Nigeria to be prudent and transparent in the management of their resources for infrastructural and educational development of the country.

Buhari, speaking at the 32nd convocation ceremony of the Bayero University Kano on Saturday, said “The present administration has zero tolerance for corruption. So universities should be prudent and transparent in the management of their resources”.

The President who was represented by at the occasion by the Director, Tertiary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Hajiya Halima Umar, added that the federal government would continue to accord the universities the necessary support to enable them discharge their duties effectively for development of education sector in the country.

The President said the 2016 budget had made adequate provision to cater for science and technology as well as for research development. He also urged universities to explore more opportunities so as to complement the federal government’s effort towards developing the sector.

He noted that no meaningful development could ever be achieved in any country without investing heavily on education, and called on the private sector and non-governmental organisations to collaborate with the federal government for the realisation of the set objectives.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello expressed concern over the persistent erratic and unstable electricity and water supply in the institution. He said at the moment the University main campus had to rely on boreholes and water tankers as it gets no water from the mains. He appealed to the Kano state Water Board and Kano Electricity Distribution Company to improve water and power supplies to the institution.