FG Mulls Autonomy For Universities In Nigeria

The Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has revealed its determination to initiate fresh, innovative means of funding tertiary education in the country, Naija News has learned.

According to him, the intention of doing so is to GIVE autonomy to universities to explore how they can finance their own activities.

The minister made this disclosure at Nigeria’s Annual Education Conference (NAEC) with the theme, ‘Implementation of Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’ in Abuja.

He said the discussion of the conference, which includes education financing, the Students Loans Fund, and emerging trends in the sector, aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for the education sector.

Mamman maintained that until Nigeria achieves 100 percent of the targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and beyond to education-related indicators and targets of Agenda 2060 of the African Union, the government can not stop the discussion around the sector.

“As a signatory to the SDG 2030 and AU Agenda 2060, Nigeria must continue to demonstrate its commitment to achieving these goals through leadership and ownership of the implementation process. The education sector is one of the line sectors that ensure that planning and budgeting in the country are within the framework of the SDGs.

“In proposing and developing implementation strategies, also provide for mechanisms for constant monitoring and evaluation, to ensure goals are achieved,” the Minister stated.