Our Reforms Addressing Systemic Challenges In Tertiary Education

President Bola Tinubu said on Tuesday that his administration has initiated reforms to address systemic challenges in the nation’s tertiary education.

President Tinubu, who is visiting the University of Lagos, was represented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Marufu Olatunji Alausa, at the Ivory Tower’s 55th Convocation.

He said the reforms range from removing the varsities from the IPPIS to approving recruitment waivers, initiating the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for deserving students and improving the infrastructure of the campuses.

The president, who congratulated the graduates and three distinguished Nigerians who were awarded Honorary Doctorate degrees, announced yesterday at the convocation ceremony that the proposed budget for the Education sector, at N3.52 trillion, is the third-highest allocation and underscores the government’s commitment to revitalising the industry.

“Our actions demonstrate a commitment to enhancing the quality and stability of higher education. In the proposed 2025 Budget, we have allocated N3.52 trillion to education, the third-highest allocation, underscoring our commitment to revitalising the sector. This ‘Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity’ reflects our determination to stabilise the economy, improve lives, and position Nigeria for a brighter future.

“We have initiated reforms to address systemic challenges in tertiary education. From removing universities from the IPPIS to approving recruitment waivers, our actions demonstrate a commitment to enhancing the quality and stability of higher education. We have also created the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), available to deserving students.

It has widened access to higher education, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder our youth from achieving their dreams. Thousands of students have already benefited, and we remain committed to expanding this program to benefit thousands more.”

The president who tasked the citizens with unity stated that unity remains Nigeria’s greatest strength, saying, “Our diversity is not a weakness but a source of incredible richness. Let us harness this diversity and work together to overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and build a Nigeria we can all be proud of.”

In his address, read by the Education minister, Tinubu urged the graduates to harness the skills and knowledge they had learned to “drive innovation, foster sustainable development, and build a prosperous and equitable society.”

The Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Chief Wole Olanipekun, congratulated the graduates and the school management for hosting a successful 55th Convocation and urged the graduates to utilise the skills they had learnt and be good ambassadors of the institution.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ogunsola, reiterated that the school management had tackled the challenges of 2024 with grit and problem-solving skills and was ready to make 2025 and the 55th convocation a memorable event, even as the different hostels of accommodation for students are being renovated after more than a decade of lack of maintenance on the infrastructure.

She added that the university has made giant strides in 2024, ranging from their students excelling in different sporting competitions to three students presently undergoing internships at Bank of America, benefitting from the various partnerships made and memorandums of understanding initiated with different global educational institutions and firms.