President Bola Tinubu has called on education unions to partner with the government in crafting a sustainable funding model that reflects local realities while aligning with global best practices.

Mr Tinubu made the call at the 77th foundation day and 2025 convocation ceremonies of the University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan, on Monday.

The president, represented by Abdullahi Ribadu, executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), stated that his administration acknowledges the persistent efforts of university unions to increase educational investment.

He, however, noted that the challenges were surmountable provided all hands were on deck.

“Since the inception of my administration, we have taken deliberate steps to minimise crises stemming from non-implementation of agreements between the government and various university unions.

“This administration places a high premium on quality education and is firmly committed to providing our youth with the sound education they need to navigate and shape the future.

“To this extent, let me appreciate the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other staff unions for the level of understanding shown so far as we jointly proffer lasting solutions to the numerous challenges facing universities in our dear nation,” said the president.

Mr Tinubu stated that it would be unrealistic to allocate all the national resources solely to the education sector, adding that his administration had consistently sought innovative ways to increase education funding.

“Our tertiary institutions, in particular, have been the primary beneficiaries of these efforts through enhanced support to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND),” he said.

According to him, any university that fails to make meaningful contributions to national and global development is not fulfilling its core mandate.

Mr Tinubu challenged Nigerian universities to conduct a thorough self-assessment to ascertain if they were meeting national and global community expectations.

“How effectively are we equipping students to become agents of change?” The president queried.

He, however, congratulated UI as it celebrated another milestone, while charging the graduands to embrace curiosity and change.

In his address, UI chancellor Sa’ad Abubakar noted the challenges posed by insufficient funding.

“Our prayer is that the economic fortunes of Nigeria will improve to enable the implementation of the sound policies of this administration,” Mr Abubakar said.

The pro-chancellor of UI, Bisi Akande, underscored the need to remove bureaucracies and bottlenecks that impede the smooth operation of UI and, by extension, other Nigerian universities.

Mr Akande called for a reaffirmation of commitment to UI’s core values of integrity, respect, and excellence.

The vice-chancellor (VC), Kayode Adebowale, who announced the event as the last he would preside over as the VC, appreciated everyone who had supported his tenure.

(NAN)