President Bola Tinubu has lauded the ongoing transformation at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) under the vice chancellor, Prof Simon Ortuanya.
The president, who is the visitor to the institution, spoke on Saturday during the institution’s 55th convocation.
He noted that UNN under Ortuanya had keyed into the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government through improvements in infrastructure.
He said, “The Federal Government recognises the important role that the University of Nigeria continues to play in advancing national development.
“I observed that the University of Nigeria has keyed into the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government. The improvements in infrastructure, research output, global visibility, digital transformation and institutional governance are commendable and worthy of recognition.
“I commend the Governing Council, led by the Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Adegboyega Adebayo Karim and the Management Team led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, for the remarkable progress the University has recorded in the past one year.”
Represented by vice chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof Edoba Omoregie, the president charged Nigerian universities to provide evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing the country.
The president, who identified insecurity, food insecurity, climate change and technology lag among the major issues confronting the country, stated the government was looking up to universities for solutions.
He noted that his administration had made efforts to ensure that no young Nigerian was denied higher education owing to economic background.
He averred that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, has provided opportunity for more young Nigerians to acquire higher education.
The president assured Nigerians that his administration would “continue to provide opportunities for Nigerian students through the Students’ Loan Scheme, managed by the Nigerian Educational Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“The scheme is making higher education more accessible to deserving young Nigerians regardless of their financial background. This initiative reflects our conviction that no qualified Nigerian should be denied access to education because of economic circumstances,” he stated.
He added that through the TETFund, the government would continue to prioritise increased investment in infrastructure, staff development and support for research and innovation, and promote curriculum reforms.
“Our goal is to ensure that our higher institutions produce graduates who are not only employable but are also capable of creating employment and driving economic transformation,” he declared.
President Tinubu equally confirmed that the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), was being reformed to be “skill and entrepreneurship-oriented and technology-driven.”
In a speech, the Chancellor of the University, His Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, noted that the enduring strength of the University lied in its ability to meet contemporary challenges.
He added that there were deliberate efforts to improve infrastructure, strengthen academic programmes, embrace digital transformation, enhance research, promote innovation and improve security.
The UNN vice chancellor, Prof Simon Ortuanya, disclosed that the institution had remained committed to an environment where scholarship flourishes, ideas are encouraged and excellence becomes an institutional culture than an occasional achievement.
He said in that direction, the University had recorded remarkable progress “in strengthening the quality, relevance and competitiveness of our academic programmes.”
Ortuanya added that the University had continued to strengthen its policy architecture in areas such as research, public-private partnerships, information and communication technology, internationalisation and institutional collaborations. President Tinubu’s wife, Oluremi Tinubu, bagged Doctor of Public Administration (Honoris Causa) during the convocation.
Other honorary doctorate awardees included High Chief Williams Agbo (Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa), and Arc. Kaycee-Kelechi Orji, (Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa).
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State was represented at the event by his deputy, Barr Ifeanyi Ossai.
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