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Undeserving Persons, Moneybags must not Get Varsity Honourary Degrees – Afe Babalola

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Elder Statesman and legal icon, Afe Babalola (SAN), has advised universities against awarding honourary degrees to those who do not merit it, in both character as well as individual contributions to the nation’s growth and development.

The legal luminary said this on Saturday at the 14th founders day celebration, and 11th convocation of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), declaring that only distinguished persons would continue to be recipients of such degrees.

This is just as he advised the Federal government to revisit the large number of new universities it has approved in the last few years, and ensure conformity with the rules.

Reports says that the founder of ABUAD, said there was the need to emulate the institution, where honourary degrees are not based on any other considerations than selfless service to the society and the nation at large.

According to him, award of honourary degrees by the institution is not for the highest bidder and would never be.

He said the choice of the trio of former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad Rtd, and the Managing Director of BOVAS Oil and company Limited, Dr. Victoria Adunola Samson, as the 2023 awardees was in itself instructive, and therefore not by accident.

NAN reports that while Justice Sidi Bage Muhammed 1, Emir of Lafia Bare-Bari, bagged the Degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary of the Commonwealth, bagged the Degree of Doctor of Letters, D. Lit Honoris Causa, while Dr. Samson, MD, BOVAS and Company Limited, bagged Degree of Doctor of Letters, (D.Lit) Honoria Causa.

He described the trio as “great citizens of the world who have changed the world through their chosen fields”.

“In the beginning, honourary awards were not only very serious, they are also very important and respected, in that they were bestowed only on those who have made significant contributions to academic and learning, and not seen as reward for those who have donated money to Universities.

“They were even viewed as being superior to earned degrees. That was how important they wer. But all that would appear to have been bastardized by some universities now.

“The need to protect the sanctity of Nigerian Universities’ honourary degrees, once led to the Keffi Declaration, 2012, of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, at its 27th Annual Conference, held in Keffi, Nasarrawa State, in Sept. 2012,” he said.

Continuing, Babalola said, “Here in ABUAD, we are in strict compliance with the Keffi Declaration, hence we are in the habit of deliberately chosing only those who wear the toga of our honourary degrees.

“We always look in the direction of how impactful and altruistic our award recipients have been, and how they have positively affected their communities and their world. Our university here only honours men and women of integrity”

On the issue of large number of universities in the country, Babalola said the only solution to quality education in Nigeria was more of non-profit private universities, which have residential  education where all the students live on campus.

He condemned a situation where over 80 per cent of students in public universities live off campus, saying they could not have been mentored in learning and character, with a warning that Nigerians should stop deceiving themselves.

At the ceremony, a total of 1,668 students, made up of 1,459 Bachelor’s and 209 Postgraduate students convocated, while Aransiola Grace Oluwadunsi, became the Overall Best graduating student, with 4.97 CGPA, from Agric Science department, while 141 students had first class degrees.

In her speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, told the graduands to position themselves, by providing sustainable solutions, not only to Nigeria but also to the SDGs (UNSDGs) that ABUAD is noted and ranked as number 1 in Nigeria for two consecutive years.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, commended Afe Babalola for his promotion of education in Nigeria, and the huge success that his dream had become.

Oyebanji said ABUAD had carved a niche for itself, considering its huge academic standard, emerging as one of the best in Nigeria, and in Africa and indeed the whole world.

“ABUAD is second to non in research and industrial development. A place of first choice in Nigeria”

The Governor called on all the graduands to be the solution provider for the numerous challenges in Nigeria and humanity in general.

Personalities at the convocation included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi,  many traditional rulers from Ekiti, and  those from the Eastern and Northern parts of the country. (NAN)

Education

TETFUND Boss Calls for University Autonomy

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The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Mr Sonny Echono, on Saturday urged both federal and state governments to grant full autonomy to universities.

Echono made the call during a convocation lecture titled, ‘University Autonomy and the Challenge of Quality Tertiary Education in Nigeria,’ held at Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.

He stated that universities, as ivory towers, have three core mandates: teaching, research, and community service.

These roles require a level of independence to function effectively.

The TETFUND Executive Secretary argued that to carry out their functions, both federal and state-owned universities must be granted full autonomy, allowing them greater operational freedom.

Echono explained that university autonomy and academic freedom are separate but fundamental aspects of university operations, crucial for maintaining quality education and fostering academic growth.

He highlighted that the government’s current policy on university autonomy does not fully guarantee freedom, as it retains ultimate control through university governing councils.

Echono urged the Federal Government to grant universities more autonomy to enhance infrastructure and foster collaboration with industries, alumni, and other educational institutions.

He emphasised that autonomy enables universities to build stronger networks, improve infrastructure, and collaborate globally to exchange ideas, experiences, and best practices in education.

“University autonomy also provides opportunities for global collaboration, allowing universities to share ideas, research, and effective teaching methods, benefiting the learning process,” he said.

Echono added that university autonomy would lead to enhanced operational efficiency and improved performance, ultimately fostering the development of quality education for national growth.

In response, the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, commended the guest speaker at the university’s 9th convocation ceremony.

Fasina expressed gratitude to TETFUND for its continued support in promoting the university’s development, despite economic challenges.

He assured university stakeholders of his administration’s commitment to improving and promoting quality education at the institution. (NAN)

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Education

NELFUND: Students Decry Delays, Resort To Personal Payments

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As National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disbursements stall in some universities, students are facing increasing challenges in meeting their tuition fee obligations.

The delay in the processing of refunds has caused particular anxiety among final-year students, many of whom have already paid their fees from personal funds and are unsure if or when they will be reimbursed.

Students who receive the NELFUND monthly upkeep of 20,000 Naira are also finding it difficult to balance their living expenses and tuition payments, as the upkeep funds are insufficient to cover both.

The delay in disbursement has created a financial strain, disrupting academic plans and adding to the stress of an already demanding final year.

At Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (JOSTUM) Makurdi, students have been receiving the 20,000 Naira stipend since December 2024, but the university has not provided updates regarding the delay in the disbursement of the main school fees.

Despite the government’s disbursement of ₦136.7 million to the university, covering the tuition fees of 2,222 students, the funds have not yet been released by the school.

This has left students struggling to find alternative ways to cover their tuition.

The university resumed in January 2025, but there were no updates on whether NELFUND beneficiaries should hold off on paying fees or proceed with registration, it’s gathered.

Fearing late registration, students, including final-year ones, went ahead and paid their school fees out of pocket.

As a result, their names are on the NELFUND beneficiary portal, but they have not received the corresponding tuition coverage, only the N20,000 monthly upkeep.

One final-year student of Microbiology, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern over what would happen to students who paid their fees themselves.

“I have only one semester to graduate, and I have already paid my school fees for this semester. I don’t know what the school plans to do.

“As it stands, it’s like we’re already owing the government for money we didn’t benefit from. Are they going to refund what we’ve paid after graduation?

“I paid over ₦52,000 this semester and have received the monthly allowance of ₦20,000 for over two months. I just hope the school clarifies the situation,” he said.

Another student from the school, Elijah, also expressed frustration, asking, “Some of us have already made the payment, so, are we going to get our money back? We’re still waiting for the refund from the school.”

It’s also gathered that students from other institutions, including the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Obafemi Awolowo University, have similarly lamented the inability to get their school fees paid, despite approvals.

However, Comrade Elum Shadrach, Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Union at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, assured that the union is working closely with the management to resolve the issue.

“We have confirmed with the school management that the funds for school fees have been received. However, the management is currently working on connecting our school account with Remita so that these funds can be reflected,” he stated.

NELFUND is a government initiative established to provide interest-free loans to Nigerian students pursuing higher education.

The repayment begins two years after completing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), providing graduates with a grace period to secure employment and stabilise financially.

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Alausa to Engage Stakeholders on Proposed 12-year Basic Education Structure

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The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has promised to engage stakeholders over the proposed 12-year basic education structure.

Alausa disclosed this during a news conference in Abuja on Friday.

The minister had earlier presented a proposal aimed at transitioning to 12 years of compulsory education within the existing 6-3-3-4 system at the 2025 Extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) meeting.

He explained that the proposal was for discussion and not an immediate policy shift.

Alausa added that a major feature of the proposal was the removal of the examination barrier between the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and the Senior Secondary School (SSS).

He said that the proposal would allow students to progress seamlessly without the need for external assessments at that stage.

The minister said the proposal was, however, still under consultation, and its implementation depended on further deliberation.

According to him, over the next eight months, the ministry will engage in extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including policymakers, state governments, teachers, parents, and others.

Alausa noted that a final decision would be made at the National Council on Education Meeting in October 2025.

The goal of this, he said, was to emulate global best practices in countries like the U.S., the UK, and Ghana, where 12 years of education are made compulsory, leading to improved educational outcomes.

The minister also said that the government was committed to ensuring that the new policy does not disrupt the educational system.

“What we’re saying is that we need to move from what we have now as nine years of compulsory education to 12 years of compulsory education as is obtainable in other parts of the world.

“If you look back into the history of Nigeria, 30 years ago, people that went for primary education got up to standard six.

“If you compare that level of education, the level of instruction, even the standard three then, it’s much better than what we get in JSS three now.

“Today, our quality of instruction and education is falling.

“If we let these kids continue to graduate, if we tell these children that they only have nine years of compulsory education, we’re literally just training illiterates. We’re not preparing them for the future,” he said.

Alausa stated, however, that efforts to improve funding was in top gear, especially for early childhood education.

He added that efforts to strengthen the quality of public schools to equip students with the skills necessary for success in life, whether in further education or the workforce, had been put in place. (NAN)

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