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Ex-NUC scribe urges improved funding of sector to boost research

By Isaac Taiwo
14 November 2019   |   4:06 am
Former Executive Secretary, National University Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has pointed out that to get the best from researchers in the universities, government must appropriately fund the education sector.

Peter Okebukola

Former Executive Secretary, National University Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has pointed out that to get the best from researchers in the universities, government must appropriately fund the education sector.

Okebukola also called on Nigerians, particularly secondary school pupils, to imbibe the reading culture, saying this is the only way to keep updating their knowledge.

The former NUC boss, who spoke at the launch of the book, “Dare to Be” written by former administrator, Corona Schools Trust Council, Carmen Latty, lamented that most of the laboratories in our tertiary institutions lack the necessary facilities to carry out effective research and innovation.

He called on stakeholders to do what is needful to make Nigerian universities effectively compete with their counterparts be at par with those in the global world.

He, however, noted that universities are trying in some other areas especially in the study that would inspire students in the area of agriculture.

Okebukola also enjoined students to take advantage of their mobile phones to learn new things instead of using them negatively; saying recent research indicated that about 62 per cent of students are having phones.

The erudite scholar then tasked parents to boost their children’s reading habit by engaging them with literature books; comics and materials that would help them cultivate the habit of reading.

He justified the curriculum by secondary school students in the country pointing out that from available records, ‘this has ironically been given them an edge over their counterparts in the United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA) such that schools over there have always been looking for Nigerian students because of their exemplary level of intelligence.

The Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Alimi Abdu-Rasaq, commended the author of the book and said that she has a lot to pass on to the coming generation with her wealth of knowledge as a teacher.

Former Lagos State deputy governor, Adebisi Sarah Sosan also called for improved funding of the sector to bring out the best in Nigerian youths.

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