February 11, (THEWILL) – A university don has urged the federal government to prioritise the funding of education and research, which would enhance the human capital development of society.
The Dean of the Faculty of Management Science of the University of Maiduguri, Prof Shehu Mustapha Liberty, gave the charge during a conference briefing of the 2nd International Conference of the faculty scheduled for 11th-13th February 2025, organised by Unimaid in Maiduguri on Monday.
Prof. Liberty lamented that the decline in research funding/grants is not only worrisome but also a thing that concerns it, citing that education remains a critical tool to advance society.
He warned that the Tinubu-led administration buried ideas by scrapping the TeTfund, which he described as only interventions for the infrastructure development of higher institutions across the country.
“Today, the 10th of February, we are yet to get our salary for last month. Our colleagues have families, and it is bad. I am calling on the Federal government to prioritise the funding of education because it is the bedrock of a meaningful society. We are deeply worried about the decline in grants of research and funding of higher education in the country”, he said.
Speaking at the 2nd International Conference, Shehu opined the conference is multidisciplinary and expected to facilitate the exchange of ideas as disciplines, which would foster collaboration and innovation.
Prof Shehu explained that Nigeria is a key player in the global community and cannot afford to lag in sustainable development. “The SDGs are practical roadmaps for eradicating poverty, improving education, ensuring clean energy access, and creating resilient economic systems.”
