President Bola Tinubu has pledged to put all measures in place to overhaul and reposition tertiary institutions in Nigeria for greater performance and productivity in line with the renewed hope agenda of his administration.

He also promised that the Governing Councils of Universities would be constituted and inaugurated soon to give new momentum to the governance and administration of the institutions.

He gave the commitment at the 28^th convocation ceremony of University of Abuja, on Saturday, where no fewer than 9172 students graduated from various disciplines in the University.

Tinubu who is a Visitor to the University of Abuja, was represented by Director of University Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Rakiya Gambo Ilyasu.

Malama Nana Asma’u bint Uthman bin Muhammad Fodio was posthumously conferred with an Honourary Doctorate Degree of Letters, Honoris Causa by the University in recognition of her immense scholarship, teaching, and profound contributions in poetry, treatises, works on grammar, among others.

Tinubu in his speech read by Ilyasu, expressed delight that universities and other tertiary institutions in the country have resumed uninterrupted sessions which he hoped would be sustained with the joint efforts of all stakeholders.

He said: “We note the national consensus and desire to sustain the prevailing peaceful disposition and stability of operations, especially in the university system.

“I, therefore, heartily felicitate with the students graduating today and their parents and guardians for this worthy feat. I also commend the management and entire community of the University of Abuja for this wonderful attainment.

“Cognisant of the renewed vigour, peace and stability in the education sector, the present Administration will continue to institute measures to reposition the tertiary institutions for greater performance and productivity,” he said.

The President also noted that a major step taken by his administration in this direction was the recent decision of the Government to delist tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

He added this was envisaged to relieve the institutions from the identified encumbrances of the system, especially in the areas of staff recruitment and payment of their emoluments, saying would also further enhance the autonomy of Universities.

He said the government has also increased allocations to the education sector in its appropriation for the year 2024, within which appropriate provisions have been made to cater to the various needs and tackle the current challenges of the sector.

“For instance, the take-off of the Students Loan Scheme this year will be the game-changer in allowing Nigerian students to afford the cost of tertiary education in the country.

“The school feeding programme also reintroduced under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Education will be appropriately funded to encourage attendance and enhance learning by pupils in the schools.

“These efforts by the present Administration are aimed at ensuring that Universities are strengthened and reinvigorated for the fulfilment of their mandate. Given their critical and pivotal role to national development, especially in this knowledge-driven era, this administration is determined to ensure that they are properly equipped and managed to remain competitive to restore their past glory and global reckoning,” Tinubu stated.

He, however, challenged the managers of the Universities to turn the institutions into beacons of hope for the greater tomorrow of the nation.

He said government was not unaware of the competing demands for attention and resources from various sectors in these challenging times, stressing, however, that the University system must be given adequate attention as the flagship of the nation’s educational endeavour and the bedrock of our national development.

He said: “Governing Councils will soon be constituted and inaugurated for the tertiary institutions. Membership of the Councils will comprise competent Nigerians with the zeal and commitment to govern and reinvigorate the Universities in line with the provisions of the extant laws and well-known traditions of the system”.

He urges the members of Senate, the teaching, and other non-teaching staff to continue putting in their best for the overall benefit of the nation at large.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, in his address revealed that a total number of 9,172 students graduated from various academic arms.

“Out of this number, 7896 will be graduating with First degrees, 383 with Postgraduate Diplomas, 742 with various Master’s degrees, and 151 with Doctorate degrees.

“Among those with First degrees, 41 passed with First Class, 1845 with Second Class Upper Division, 4842 with Second Class Lower Division, 1075 with Third Class, and 50 with Pass degree as well as 43 with unclassified MBBS degree in Medicine and Surgery,” he state.

Na’Allah noted despite the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and a spate of industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the resolute adherence to academic calendars by the University has ensured the stability of operations and uninterrupted sessions.

“Consequently, academic activities at the University including, research and teaching by the staff, attendance of lectures by students, administration of examinations, marking, and timely release of results have all been reinvigorated with both staff and students now geared for greater performance,” he said.

He revealed that four brand-new faculties and over thirty academic programmes have taken off in the ongoing 2023/2024 academic session, saying this was the culmination of great efforts that consolidated the University’s drive towards its anticipated world-class status.

He noted that the University under his watch, has laid a solid foundation that is propelling advanced and cutting-edge research and innovations by academics and even students in the Institution.

“For instance, since the period of the last Convocation to date, the University has received the total external research grants in USD the sum of N3,171,763.84 and from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, alone, (TETfund) N175,832,386.00.

“This translates to a total sum of N3,030,419,842.00 which if the trend continues will only strengthen the status of the University of Abuja as the leading research hub in the Nigerian University system,” he said. (Saturday Tribune)

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