President
Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday promised that education would
receive the needed budgetary allotment in order to boost the education sector.
Buhari gave the assurance in Port Harcourt, at the 30th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
He said education was key to national development, and assured
that his administration would provide new facilities, restore and upgrade
existing ones.
“This administration will continue to support the Nigerian
university system in ensuring that learning, teaching and research facilities
are constantly advanced and updated to compete with other global institutions.
“We will also strengthen the regulatory and funding agencies and
position them for improved and effective service delivery.
“I call for support of corporate organisations, graduates
associations, philanthropists and development partners to bridge the gap in
government funding of our universities,” he said.
Buhari, represented by the Executive Secretary of Nigerian
Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, said the newly approved syllabus
in universities would address issues of skills acquisition and employment.
The president said that over 12,000 university teachers had gained
from government capacity building programmes.
Earlier, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, Vice-Chancellor
of UNIPORT
said that 18,363 students who graduated from 55 departments in 16 faculties
were drawn from 2011 to 2014 academic sessions.
He said that 13,382 students graduated with First degrees, while
2,214 received Post-Graduate Diploma certificates.
According to him, 2,616 graduated with Master degrees, while 441
students graduated with doctorate degrees.
A breakdown of the number showed that 41 graduated with First
Class, while 2,389 graduated in the Second Class Upper Division
category.
“A total of 8,602 bagged Second Class Lower divisions, 1,972
had Third
Class, while eight students graduated with Pass.
