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President Yar'Adua urges Nigerian universities to respond to economic challenges
Feb 9, 2009, 16:28
| | President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has called on Nigerian universities to respond adequately to the new challenges posed by the current global economic meltdown by devising ways and means to liberate the country from the problems engendered by the crisis.
The President who made the call in his address presented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, on Saturday February 7, at the 14th convocation ceremony of the University of Abuja, stated that Nigerian university system must be adequately equipped to compete with the best in the world which are increasingly driven by knowledge and technology.
While noting that the nation must overcome these challenges if her lofty visions are to be realized, President Yar’Adua expressed concern over the general state of the nation’s universities.
He reiterated government’s commitment to the regeneration of the sector, which was underscored by the priority accorded human capital development in its seven-point agenda, adding that the sector had been accorded a prime position in the 2009 fiscal estimate and its faithful implementation would no doubt add positively in the major policy initiatives that government has put in place to return the universities to their place as prime pivot of national development.
He called on governments at all levels, university managements and all other stakeholders to be prepared to live up their responsibilities towards ensuring that ivory towers produce graduates that could be confidently characterized as worthy successors to a generation suitably informed, sufficiently imbued with the values of diligence, dedication to national ideals and commitment to the common goals.
President Yar’Adua specifically challenged the University of Abuja by its unique location, to excel not only in quality of its academic programmes, but in its commitment to the strategic roles and responsibilities for the development of human resources and engage in need-driven research.
The institution, he added, should also be able to offer guidance to the ever growing number of public servants, political class, and be able to re-tool the workforce in line with specific needs of industries and global competitiveness within and outside the federal capital territory.
Seven prominent Nigerians that were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees (Honoris Causa) at the ceremony include the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa'ad Abubakar; former Chief Justices of the Federation, Muhammadu Lawal Uwais and Salihu Alfa Belgore; formerAgriculture Minister, Adamu Bello; Prof. Jacob Kehinde Olupona and the Chairmen of Education Committees in the National Assembly, Senator Joy Emordi and Honourable Farouk Lawan
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