Public Universities to be upgraded as Buhari approves N208bn

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N208bn for the upgrade of public universities across the country.

The president announced this on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the 23rd convocation of the University of Abuja.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, Buhari said Nigeria could overcome its challenges by developing its human capital, adding that his administration would continue to address the concerns of the tertiary institutions.

“The present administration will continue to improve on the infrastructural facilities in the universities, promote teacher development and curriculum review,”

“It is in furtherance of this that I recently approved the disbursement of N208bn to public tertiary institutions under the 2019 intervention of the TETFUND.

“The ability of Nigeria with its huge population to overcome its present challenges of development no longer depends on petroleum resources but on the ability of the country to develop its human capital.

“The government will continue to look into the issues raised by the universities.”

Recall that in September 2018, President Buhari approved the immediate release of N20bn to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU to improve public universities across the country.

The union’s chapter in Lagos at a press briefing at the University of Lagos reportedly rejected the fund describing it as a blackmail.

ASUU thereafter declared a nationwide strike that lasted for three months.

Proper funding of the Nigerian Universities is one of the demands the union raised in its 2009 agreement with the government.

However, following reports that the Federal Government has approved N208bn for the upgrade of public universities, Nigerians have taken to Twitter to react to the report as ASUU strike became the topic of their conversation.

Following the approval of the N208bn fund, Nigerians hoped that the Academic Staff Union of Universities would not have any reason to go on strike anytime soon.