Professor Sulyman Abdulkareem, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, has appealed to the Federal Government to invest more in education sector to stem the growing trend of youths going abroad for higher education.
Abdulkareem made the appeal on Wednesday, at a news conference in Ilorin.
He said that as a parent and an educational administrator, he was usually disturbed about the way young Nigerians were going to neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Republic of Benin among others, to acquire the so called “better education” at higher cost.
He described the phenomenon of the unbridled patronage of some West African universities at the expense of Nigerian universities by affluent Nigerians as “disheartening and worrisome”.
“Nigeria is too blessed and resourceful not to make sufficient and impactful investment in her education sector.
“The country risked too many things by not providing decent education to these kids here,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to be committed to providing sufficiently for the nation’s education sector so that people could get the right quality of the education in the country.
According to him, this will stem the trend of going outside for higher education and they would be educated for lesser cost and in a more conducive socio-cultural environment.
He recalled that schooling abroad before used to be a pleasant experience when the economy was booming.
“What today’s students, who receive tutelage outside their countries of birth go through is better imagined than experienced.
“If Nigerian universities are adequately funded and parents are convinced that their children will get what they desired at home, they will not mind spending their hard-earned money on their children’s education here instead of sending them abroad,’’ he said,
Abdulkareem said that Nigeria had a pool of brilliant, resourceful and well-trained academics, researchers and other manpower that could dominate the global space in their various disciplines.
“And if the government can provide adequate resources and enabling environment, the education sector will be the better for it.
“Government stands to benefit a lot in the long run and in so many ways in ensuring that young Nigerians are educated here,” he said.
The VC enjoined students of the University of Ilorin to take their studies seriously.
He assured them that his administration would not relent in its efforts at providing all that were needed to facilitate meaningful teaching and learning that would make the students to be proud of the institution even after graduation. (NAN)
