The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, said on Saturday that the problem of inadequate funding of tertiary education remained a threat to the attainment of good quality higher education in Nigeria.
Echono, who said that inadequate funding was crippling the tertiary institutions in the area of infrastructures, said, “Except for the intervention of TETFUND, many tertiary institutions in Nigeria were finding it difficult to build classrooms and lecture halls, equipment laboratories and workshops and provide research grants to their academic staff”.
The TETFUND Executive Secretary spoke at the convocation lecture he delivered at the Ninth Convocation Ceremony of Federal University Oye Ekiti.
At the ceremony, 8444 students bagged various degrees while four eminent Nigerians, former Attorneys General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Kanu Agabi and Bayo Ojo; the Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria, Mr Segun Alebiosu; and the Chairman, Air peace Airline, Dr Allen Onyema,” received honorary doctorate degrees.
Echono said that “the competitiveness of Nigeria in the 21st century lies in the country’s ability to produce applied and theoretical knowledge in science, technology and humanity. This can only be realized through adequate funding to revitalize the Nigeria university system”.
Apart from inadequate funding, Echono listed challenges confronting tertiary education including universities in Nigeria to include poor leadership in tertiary education system, poor policy implementation, lack of adequate ICT facilities, lack of vibrant staff development programmes, insecurity, frequent industrial dispute, brain drain syndrome and lack of essential resources.
The TETFUND boss advocated university autonomy, whereby the institutions would be free to effectively function without undue influence or control by external forces or agencies as a way out of the challenges.
He said that such autonomy should come in the form of academic, administrative and financial.
Echono said, “Autonomy enables universities to enhance their infrastructure network using collaboration with industries, alumni and other educational and research institutions.
“University autonomy also provides opportunities for global collaboration between many universities to share ideas and experiences, pedagogy used for effective teaching and learning processes.
“Thus, autonomy is desirable for operational efficiency and effective performance. It provides the institutions with the opportunity to innovate and substantially improve the overall quality of education for national development,” he said.
Echono charged FUOYE “to remain steadfast in disseminating of knowledge, engagement in meaningful research and contribution to the development of communities and nation.”
