ENUGU— President Bola Tinubu has challenged universities to revamp dysfunctional academic curriculum in order to address myriads of problems threatening the living conditions of Nigerians.
President Tinubu equally said that universities must be at the vanguard of research, science and technology in order to remain relevant in this era of fourth industrial revolution.
He made the call during the South East Citizens Assembly convened to discuss the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFund, at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, UNEC, on Friday, where he was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, South East, Barr. Chioma Nweze.
He equally challenged university managements not to depend solely on governments’ subventions but to innovate ways to become economically self-sustaining.
While discussing the issues surrounding the accessment of NELFund by South East universities, its Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, explained that the employers of the beneficiaries of the students loan would payback in order to sustain the scheme.
Sawyerr further explained that the loan would enable Nigerian youths to realize their dreams, aspirations and hopes, adding that it would help them to access quality education that is globally competitive.
He equally said that while the school fees would be paid directly to institutions, the beneficiaries would also get N20,000 monthly stipends which would be paid into their bank accounts for upkeep.
He also said that all citizens of Nigeria who are enrolled into federal and states institutions would have equal access to the loan, stressing that the beneficiaries would equally be favourites to get employment upon graduation.
He explained that the difficulties faced by some universities in uploading their data were caused by differencies in students particulars.
In his remarks , the Vice Chancellor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, lauded the federal government for the students loan initiative but said that the management of South East universities were alarmed over the exclusion of their students in the first tranche of the loan.
He expressed optimism that the community engagement by Barr. Nweze, and Mr. Sawyerr, would help to bring all the challenges being experienced by South East universities in accessing the loan to an end.
