U.I. Professor Proffer Solutions To Funding Of Higher Education At 13th JABU Convocation Lecture 

…….. Urges Government, University Administrators, Others To Invest Heavily On Research And Development

By Olarewaju Falayi

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A Professor in the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering at the University of Ibadan, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Professor Ayodeji Emmanuel Oluleye has proffered solutions to the problems facing the funding of higher education in the Country at the 13th Joseph Ayodele Babalola University, JABU Convocation Lecture held at it’s main campus in Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State on Thursday.

Professor Ayodeji Emmanuel Oluleye, a guest lecturer at the 13th Convocation Lecture spoke on a paper titled “The Challenges Of Funding Higher Education In The 21st Century” and held at the Oba Oladele Olashore Auditorium of the Joseph Ayodele Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State. 

Professor Oluleye while delivering his paper at the Convocation Lecture spoke extensively on the various problems being faced in the Educational Sector in the Country most especially, the challenges confronting the effective funding of the University Education and the possible way out of it in the Country. 

According to Oluleye, he identified the major problems confronting the effective funding of education, most especially that of the higher education to include lack of adequate educational facilities, unavailability of good health facilities, bad roads, land and housing development problems, lack of provision of water, insecurities and improper waste disposals methods among others. 

Also, he listed some of the benefits of education (higher education) as creation of employment in our society, higher income for beneficiaries, skills development for beneficiaries and trainees, enhanced economic growth, communal recycling of resources as well as empowerment of beneficiaries. 

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Oluleye in proffering lasting solutions to funding of education – higher education stressed on the urgent need for the government, university administrators, private sectors, donors, development partners and the Nigerian society at large to take the issue of research and development more serious so as to improve on the quality of the higher education in Nigeria. 

He berated the government at all levels for it’s excessive dependence on oil as prime revenue earner for the Country. He decried the level at which annual budgets in the Country have been pinned down to project oil prices. He argued further that, non – oil exports have been hosted, and that, this has resulted into a pre-dominance for oil. 

He added, that, “the manufacturing sector that would have filled up the gap is virtually collapsing due to the pressure on the Naira and given the limited foreign exchange available. The case is a vicious cycle. No oil, no forex, no spare parts, no machines and no products. This cycle needs to be broken and a key thrust to breaking this cycle is putting emphasis on Research and Development”. 

Digging deep into the steps to take to improve the funding of the higher education in Nigeria, Professor Ayodeji Oluleye advocated and advised the Nigerian University authorities, most especially, the privately owned ones to take advantage of the opportunities being offered by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND and assess funds available with it to better the lots of there institutions by ensuring that, lecture theatres, laboratories, hostels and other things are done for them. 

He also encouraged the management of the higher education in Nigeria to take advantage of attracting high value grants that will help to build the capacity of there personnel, expanding facilities on campuses and impacting the process for enhanced service delivery. 

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Thirdly, Oluleye averse that university administrators and even government, should as a matter of necessity build long lasting relationships and collaborates with the Alumni of there universities and the donors around them. 

Fourthly, he spoke aggressively on the need for Universities to engage in consultancy jobs to generate funds for the running of there universities. 

Other factors he also considered very important and strategic for the effective funding of higher education in the Country are the capacity development of the human capital, strengthening of higher educational institutions, encouraging the developmental ideas and motivating there immediate environment for new innovations. 

He however counselled the new graduands to be optimistic for a greater Nigeria and not to give in to the ‘JAPA’ syndrome that has currently pervaded our Country Nigeria. He urged them to note that, no Nation in the world has the combination of resources that Nigeria has been blessed with, such as manpower, mineral and materials. He enjoined the graduands to use every opportunity by leveraging on the acquired knowledge using wisdom. 

To the JABU management, Professor Oluleye commended the University management and its entire community for the turn around already witnessed on the campus 15 years after the University was established. 

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Equally, Oluleye averred that, he is not just advocating that monies should be pumped into the Nigeria’s University system, but that, it should be done responsibly. He warned the government to stop seeing itself as the major employer of labour and employment. “For any Country to compete, they must put monies into its education. Any government who is not investing on education and technology, there place will always be at the back seat”.

“What is happening to the Nollywood is what should happen to the education sector most especially, the area of Science and Technology. Regrettably, Nigeria lacked far behind in mobile communications, health facilities and sanitation issues among many others”. 

Earlier, while welcoming the guest lecturer for the 13th Convocation Lecture, on Thursday, the Vice Chancellor of the Joseph Ayodele Babalola University, JABU, at Ikeji Arakeji, Professor Olasebikan Fakolujo revealed that, funding has been the most critical challenge that has threatened the attainment of good quality higher education in the University. 

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He called for the need for all hands to be on the deck to safe and rescue the University from the challenge of funds. 

Olasebikan stated that to build the kind of JABU the founding fathers wants, he said, “it is imperative for the University to have adequate funds to do some significant investments. The smooth running of any educational institution depends largely on the availability of resources, be it human, material or financial, and that, most of the challenges facing the higher education are traceable to inadequate funding”.

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