President Tinubu Reiterates Commitment To Education Sector

…..Charges university based unions to see themselves as partners in progress with the government

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), has assured Nigerians that his administration, with its Renewed Hope Agenda, remains committed to pursuing programmes that would enhance service delivery, thereby culminating into rapid transformation of the educational sector in Nigeria.

The President gave this assurance, while addressing the Graduands and guests during the 31st Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), held on Saturday.

This was contained in a statement made available by Olasunkanmi Olajide, the Acting Head, Directorate of Public Relations of the University.

The statement partly read : ”According to the President, his administration has been interfacing with critical stakeholders in the education sector to share ideas, appreciate frontiers and provide necessary support for the nation’s agricultural sector”.

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The President and Visitor to the University was represented at the 31st Convocation Ceremony by the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Hon. Yusuf Tanko Sununu.

”The Visitor seized the opportunity to urge the University based Unions to see themselves as partners in progress with the government.

The President noted that the government alone cannot handle the educational system without the support of all the University Unions.

He charged the Unions to avoid a strike of any form that might ground the academic system, noting that if the academic system was hitch free, it would easily compete with any other educational systems all over the World”.

Speaking at the Convocation, the Vice – Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olusola Kehinde said that a total of 122 graduates got 1st Class Honours Degree, 1,540 were in the 2nd Class Upper Division, 1,705 in the 2nd Class Lower Division, while 187 had 3rd Class Degrees.

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Prof. Kehinde further disclosed that six new programmes have been approved by the University Senate, saying they are currently being processed for approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC), with the hope that the new programmes would take-off in the next academic session.

The Vice-Chancellor seized the opportunity to re-announce FUNAAB’s feat of emerging the 2nd Best University in Nigeria, and 26th in Sub-Saharan Africa by Times Higher Education (THE).

Adding that FUNAAB also emerged as the Best University Of Agriculture in Africa and the 7th in the world, as ranked by the 2024 THE World University Rankings (WUR). He, however, promised that the University Management would not rest on its oars at attaining and sustaining excellence.

Prof. Kehinde, therefore, appreciated the Federal Government and its relevant agencies for the support received from them, as he pleaded for more assistance to enable the university to improve upon its achievements.

He congratulated the Graduands, saying that the class of 2024 are uniquely positioned to be game-changers and the pioneers who would reshape the agricultural landscape of the nation.