The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Sonny Echono, has warned that inadequate funding of tertiary education in Nigeria poses a significant threat to the country’s ability to provide quality higher education.
Echono made this statement at the Ninth Convocation Ceremony of Federal University Oye Ekiti, where 8,444 students received their degrees, and four eminent Nigerians were awarded honorary doctorate degrees.
According to Echono, the lack of adequate funding is crippling tertiary institutions in Nigeria, making it challenging for them to build classrooms, lecture halls, and laboratories, as well as provide research grants to academic staff.
He emphasized that the competitiveness of Nigeria in the 21st century depends on its ability to produce applied and theoretical knowledge in science, technology, and humanity, which can only be achieved through adequate funding.
Echono identified other challenges facing tertiary education in Nigeria, including:
– Poor leadership: Ineffective leadership in tertiary education institutions hinders their ability to function optimally.
– Poor policy implementation: The lack of effective policy implementation affects the quality of education provided by tertiary institutions.
– Inadequate ICT facilities: The absence of modern ICT facilities hampers the ability of tertiary institutions to provide quality education.
– Lack of staff development programs: The absence of vibrant staff development programs affects the quality of teaching and research in tertiary institutions.- Insecurity: The prevalence of insecurity