President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to giving top priority to tertiary education, with a strong focus on producing highly qualified graduates capable of excelling on the global stage.
He underlined the government’s dedication to bolstering educational institutions, making them globally competitive and pivotal for economic and technological progress.
During the inauguration of projects valued at over N873.666 million at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) and Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP) in Bauchi State, financed through the 2021/2022 merged intervention programs of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), President Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, emphasized the pivotal role of educational development as a top priority for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
He delineated a range of initiatives initiated by his administration, including the introduction of a student loan program, dialogues with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to address student welfare, and the approval of a waiver for the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy applicable to Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members.
Additionally, President Tinubu expressed his endorsement of an increase in the Education Tax (EDT) to 3 percent, effective from September 2023, to enhance funding for the education sector.
In his words, “We have introduced the students’ loan initiative to facilitate access to tertiary education for financially disadvantaged students. I have personally engaged with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to discuss the welfare of Nigerian students. Moreover, I have granted a waiver of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ order for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), enabling union members to receive a portion of their withheld salaries.”
“These actions are a part of a deliberate endeavor by our administration to address the challenges faced by students and to promote harmony between staff unions and the government. As we all recognize, education plays an indispensable role in a nation’s socioeconomic development. Thus, the inauguration of these projects at the university will significantly contribute to enhancing the quality of teaching, learning, and academic standards.”
“I want to underscore that education forms an integral element of the Renewed Hope agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. Therefore, the Federal Government will persist in offering essential support to elevate our educational institutions to a level of global competitiveness, thereby fostering economic and technological advancement in our nation.”
