The Dean of student affairs of the University of Ibadan, Professor Keye Abiona, has lent his voice to the call for increased funding for tertiary institutions across the country, saying that it was about time other stakeholders supported the government to address the seeming rot in the education sector.
Speaking as a guest of honour during award of scholarships to no fewer than twenty indigent students of the University of Ibadan by a socio-philantropic club, SIGMA, Prof. Abiona urged government and other stakeholders to, as a matter of urgency, rise to the challenges of adequate funding for education, if the country wants to save the sector from total collapse.
Held at the Alumni Centre of the university, Prof. Abiona, who was represented at the event by Dr. Olumuyiwa Adejumobi of the Department of Vetinary Medicine of the institution, disclosed that for Nigeria to compete favourably with other countries of the world, a new curriculum needs to be drafted and tailored to suit the technological development that is rapidly changing at a pace the country can not meet.
He, however, implored the government at all levels and owners of private institutions to pay appropriate wages to teachers and create other incentives that would motivate and further encourage others to pick up teaching as a profession.
“The universities are producing graduates who lack skills for employment and creative ability. There is a need for universities to generate income to complement government efforts. The sector cannot be funded alone by the government.”
“Brain drain in our university system is caused by non-conductive learning and teaching environment and some other issues and these need to be corrected,” he said.
Lamenting on the tuition fee hike, Prof. Abiona said that the development may compel many students to drop out of school, occasioned by the current economic hardship facing parents and inadequate resources to meet up with economic demands.
“We appeal to the government to consider the plight of the poor and rescind the decision by returning to status quo,” he urged.
Giving reason for the award of scholarships to twenty indigent students of the university, the SIGMA Chief, Eluwa Lucky, said the scholarship scheme is an initiative of the socio-philanthropic club aimed at helping to solve the existential problems affecting the educational sector by rewarding and awarding diligent but indigent students.
“Its objective is to provide full and relief scholarships to enable them complete their education and actualise their academic goals.”
“This noble gesture is in continuation of the club’s noble tradition of philanthropy, which is aimed at improving the lives of people in our immediate environment as well as cause a rapid uplift of humanity.”
In his remarks, the Sigma Chief- Eluwa Lucky, stressed that the move was necessitated by the compounding economic challenges faced by Nigerians and the hike in school fees which could see lot of students drop out of school. He further maintained that 20 indigent students of the institution receiving the scholarship worth over N2m, noting that this is coming from the Sigma Club which is a socio-philantropic Students’ association aimed at promoting human development and providing succor to the most affected.