His Excellency, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, has advocated for the use of education to foster unity, peace and brotherhood among Nigerians, towards accelerating national growth and development.
The governor stated this while delivering his address at the maiden combined convocation of 1st to 5th sets of graduates of Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK) held at the institution on Saturday.
He identified education as a key to unlocking opportunities and driving progress, hence the need for Nigerians to take advantage of the sector to propel national development.
While urging the graduating students to use the knowledge acquired to bring positive changes to the society, the governor advised them to be good ambassadors of the university, the state and the nation at large.
“I believe that our graduates today are well equipped to contribute meaningfully to the development of our state and the nation in general.
“As the executive Governor of Kebbi State and as a classroom teacher, who directly transit to attain this status as the governor of the state, I am committed to supporting education and empowering our youths to reach their full potential.
“We made significant financial contribution towards the realisation of this combined convocation as we have done to the University of Science and Technology Aliero,” Gov. Idris noted.
All these and other inputs, according to him, are demonstration of his administration’s commitment geared towards achieving the development of education in Kebbi State.
The governor urged the graduating students to pursue their different endeavours with confidence courage and sense of purpose, advising them to embrace the challenges that lie ahead and continue to learn and grow.
In his speech, the Visitor of the university and President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu tasked Nigerian universities on demand driven research to aid industrial growth and development.
The visitor, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko-Sununu, described education as very important in the life of every individual.
The president also urged the universities to partner with industries to explore outcomes of research to facilitate national development.
He assured that the federal government was working to make education more accessible to all Nigerians.
“Recognising this, the federal government is working tirelessly to ensure that education is more accessible to many Nigerians as possible under the favourable policies of government.
“Government is not unaware of infrastructural deficit in the education sector, particularly in the universities. In view of these, deliberate and sincere efforts are being made to address these challenges in order to guarantee the provision of quality education.
“It is this regard that this administration has increased budgetary allocation to education because of the importance it attached to the sector,” the president said.
The Chancellor of the university, Dr
Cletus Ikechukwu, who is also the Obi of Obinugwu said: “The university, just like other sister-institutions, has been largely dependent on the Federal Government in the discharge of its mandate.
”However, it is also a fact that the government cannot continue to shoulder all our needs in the face of competing demands on the nation’s scarce resources.
”It is, therefore, incumbent upon all the stakeholders in the educational enterprise to come forward with their contributions. In particular, I call on financially endowed individuals to invest in education at all levels.”
The traditional ruler assured the readiness of FUBK to avail itself for partnership with interesting partners in all areas of human endeavour.
Earlier, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Zayyanu-Umar said the convocation, which was the first by the institution, covered five different sets of graduates from 2017/2018 to 2022/2023 academic sessions.
According to him, it brings together 3,373 graduands, who have been found worthy in both character and learning, to receive the degree certificates of the university.
The VC identified land encroachment dispute between the university and the host community as worrisome, which he said, had been lingering for long.
Zayyanu-Umar added that the dispute left part of the institution unfenced, thereby remained a threat to the university.
He, however, said: “Any effort to assist in safeguarding the university from potential threat shall be warmly welcomed.”
