The Federal Government of Nigeria has allocated N47 billion to enhance the development of agricultural and medical education across the country.
The funds are aimed at improving food security and strengthening the healthcare workforce.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, made the announcement during a meeting with Pro-Chancellors of federal universities in Abuja on Tuesday.
The N47 billion allocation will be split into two main categories: N30 billion for agricultural universities and N17 billion for 18 medical schools. He explained that the N30 billion allocated for agricultural universities would be used to establish mechanised farms, with each university receiving N1 billion.
Supporting agricultural innovation
Dr. Alausa stressed the importance of mechanised farming and livestock production in agricultural universities.
“Every university with a faculty of agriculture will be required to set up mechanised farming and livestock production.
We are putting aside N30 billion for this initiative. This aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s priority on food security. We want you to create opportunities for the future using your position and power,” he stated.
This initiative is aimed at significantly contributing to food security and agricultural innovation in Nigeria.
Healthcare workforce
The Minister also revealed that N17 billion would be allocated to 18 medical schools across Nigeria.
This funding is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s medical workforce, focusing on training doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses. Dr. Alausa added:
“This funding aims to strengthen Nigeria’s medical workforce, focusing on high-impact projects for medical education. We’ve identified N17 billion for special high-impact projects with TETFund. This will directly support the training of doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and nurses across 18 universities.”
Dr. Alausa expressed concerns about some specialized universities offering programs outside their core mandates.
He pointed out that some Universities of Agriculture were offering courses in accounting, while Universities of Technology were running insurance programs.
He stressed that such deviations needed to be addressed to ensure universities remain focused on their original mandates.
Role of university councils in governance
Dr. Alausa emphasized the importance of effective collaboration between university councils and management. He stated:
“While councils are not involved in the daily operations of the universities, they are responsible for robust supervision and oversight. The ministry will support you to create an enabling environment for universities to function effectively.”
The Minister also advised university councils to ensure that budgets and procurement processes are approved and supervised in line with established rules.
Yayale Ahmed, Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities and Pro-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, noted that the meeting provided an opportunity for Pro-Chancellors to reflect on their roles and share innovative strategies to improve university governance and management.
