By our correspondant, Abakaliki.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigeria’s tertiary institutions to embrace sustainable and innovative funding mechanisms as a means of addressing the growing infrastructure gaps limiting the nation’s higher education system.
Speaking at the 37th Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), the President represented by the Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Prof. Jesse Uneke said government intervention alone can no longer adequately sustain the capital needs of universities.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to revitalizing higher education through reforms targeted at funding improvement, enhanced research capacity, staff welfare, and infrastructural upgrades. He noted that universities remain “vital national assets for national growth and development,” stressing the need for institutions to also take responsibility in expanding their revenue sources.
According to him, federal universities have begun to witness positive transformation in the last two years through initiatives such as increased solar energy investments under the Energizing Education Programme (EEP), the release of ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances, and the provision of ₦150 billion under the Needs Assessment Fund, set for phased disbursement from 2025.
The President also announced the creation of the Tertiary Institution Support Fund (TISS), an interest-free loan scheme designed to improve the welfare and career advancement of academic and non-academic staff nationwide. He added that recent reforms to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) have improved transparency and access for eligible students.
Highlighting FUTO’s gains from ongoing federal projects, Tinubu noted that the university now enjoys round-the-clock electricity following the commissioning of an 8.3MW captive solar mini-grid and a newly installed 63MVA mobile sub-station connecting the school directly to the national grid.
These interventions, he said, firmly position FUTO among institutions with sustainable green energy infrastructure.
Despite these strides, the President urged universities to adopt long-term funding strategies, including endowment funds and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), to tackle lingering challenges such as inadequate hostel accommodation, staff housing, and other pressing infrastructural needs.
He encouraged tertiary institutions to take advantage of the Federal Government’s recently updated national PPP guidelines to foster collaborations that would reduce financial pressure on students while accelerating facility development.
In her speech, FUTO’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nnenna Nnannaya Oti, commended the graduating class but expressed concern over persistent institutional challenges, including deteriorating internal roads, insufficient staff quarters, and ongoing land encroachments. She maintained that the university would not yield any of its legitimate land to encroachers.
The Chancellor, HRH Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, praised FUTO’s four-decade leadership in technological advancement and lauded the Vice Chancellor for driving improvements in academics and innovation. The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Sen. Jack Tilley-Gyado, also highlighted notable achievements recorded under the current administration.
The ceremony featured the conferment of honorary degrees, academic awards, and recognition of outstanding graduates. The best graduating student, Nwokorie Ijeoma Judith of Optometry, emerged with an impressive CGPA of 4.96. Prizes from the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Girl Child Award, FUTO Women Association, and various departments were presented to remarkable students.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives from Imo State University, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Works, among other dignitaries.
