Buhari Promises Improved Budgetary Allocation to Education

 President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday promised that education would receive the needed budgetary allocation in order to boost the education sector.

Buhari, according to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report gave the assurance in Port Harcourt, at the 30th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Port Harcourt, (UNIPORT), Rivers State.

Represented by the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC),  Prof. Julius Okojie, the President said education was key to national development, and assured listeners that his administration would provide new facilities, rehabilitate and upgrade existing ones.

“This administration will continue to support the Nigerian university system in ensuring that learning, teaching and research facilities are constantly upgraded and updated to compete with other global institutions. We will also strengthen the regulatory and funding agencies and position them for improved and effective service delivery.

“I call for support of corporate organisations, alumni associations, philanthropists and development partners to bridge the gap in government funding of our universities,” he said.

Buhari said the newly approved curricula in universities would address issues of skills acquisition and employment. The president said over 12,000 university teachers had benefitted from government capacity building programmes.

Earlier, Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, said 18,363 students who graduated from 55 departments in 16 faculties were drawn from 2011 to 2014 academic sessions. He said 13,382 students graduated with First degrees, while 2,214 received Post-Graduate Diploma certificates.

According to him, 2,616 graduated with Master degrees, while 441 students graduated with doctorate degrees. A breakdown of the number showed that 41 graduated with First Class, while 2,389 graduated in the Second Class Upper Division category.

“A total of 8,602 bagged Second Class Lower divisions, 1,972 had Third Class, while eight students graduated with Pass. Also, 324 obtained MBBS, 38 bagged B. Pharm degrees, while 19 graduated with BDS in Dentistry,” he said.