FG Mulls Full Autonomy for Universities

•Education budget will get 25% increment, minister pledges 

•Directs FUOYE VC to work with security agencies to track Atanda Deborah’s killers

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government yesterday, said it was determined to initiate a new creative means of funding tertiary education by granting universities the autonomy to explore new sources of financing their activities.

This was as the government lamented the unabated attacks on education in the country, recalling with sadness the recent gruesome murder of a female nursing student of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, (FUOYE), Miss Atanda Modupe Deborah.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, speaking while delivering an opening address at Nigeria’s Annual Education Conference (NAEC), in Abuja, said he had directed the FUOYE Vice Chancellor, to work with security agencies to track down the killers of the student for possible prosecution.

“I am also happy to note that the technical sessions have been structured to address very contemporary and topical issues in the education sector in Nigeria. Discussions to be held on tertiary education in Nigeria which is expected to focus on emerging trends including university autonomy and Students Loans Fund as well as education financing aligns perfectly with President Tinubu’s vision,” he explained.

The event was convened for stakeholders to deliberate on enhancing entrepreneurial skills and vocational and technical education in Nigerian schools.

Mamman, said the essence of the conference

was in line with President Bola Tinubu‘s vision of promoting technical and vocational education as a means of absorbing the millions of young school leavers who complete primary and secondary schools every year, but cannot get admission to universities, other tertiary institutions or employed with ease.

The minister, who said he was delighted to be at the event, revealed that he was working with the Minister of State, Dr. Hon. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, to develop a template to define a strategic roadmap for the education sector which when unfolded, “we all will have responsibility to implement.”

He added: “As you all know, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has publicly declared his commitment to overhaul the education sector as a matter of priority.

“The theme for this conference ‘Implementation of Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria,’ will always remain relevant until our country achieves 100 per cent of the targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and beyond to education related indicators and targets of Agenda 2060 of the African Union.

“As a signatory to the SDG 2030 and AU Agenda 2060, Nigeria must continue to demonstrate its commitment to achieving these goals through leadership and ownership of the implementation process. The education sector is one of the line sectors that ensure that planning and budgeting in the country are within the framework of the SDGS.”

Meanwhile, Mamman, has expressed the commitment of the president to improve education sector’s budget by 25 per cent with the right policies in place.

The minister also pledged his commitment to bridge the gaps between education policy statements and its actualisation outcomes.

He noted that the country had a lot of good policies on what was required to do in the best interest of the nation but that those policies were not bringing values to the sector.

“President Tinubu has directed the return of the 10.5 million out-of-school children to school at the expiration of his tenure.

“We still have a long way to go. We are not matching the children in the country with the desired education and this is because our policies are not producing the values we need.

“What we need is the action on ground and not the policy declaration. This is where I can tell you we intend to come in.

“We want to bridge the gaps between policy statements and actualisation of outcomes.

“This is to give them future training that will enable them to live their lives and make them employers of labour. Everybody deserves to live a life of dignity for the well-being of their family,” he said.