Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that Nigeria cannot compete globally if its universities remained underfunded.
Shettima stated this on Saturday at a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the University of Maiduguri in Borno State.
He said sustained investments in education were now a core pillar of national development and security under the Tinubu’s administration.
He said the improved investments in Nigeria’s education sector by the administration of President Bola Tinubu reflected the renewed vigour to properly situate the nation in the global knowledge economy.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s education sector through increased funding and comprehensive reforms.
He said ”today, there is a shared national understanding that education is the most reliable vehicle to development. It is the immune system of the nation.
”It fuels economic mobility, lifts families out of poverty, strengthens social cohesion, deepens democratic culture, and fortifies national security.
“It sustains every modern endeavour, from the construction of strong institutions to the building of a strong economy.
”We have made it clear that we do not come to pay lip service to education. We recognise that the soul of national development lies in what our citizens know, what they can imagine, and what they can create.
”Because we understand the transformative power of learning, our budgetary commitments have been deliberately aligned with the broader goals of national progress.”
Shettima disclosed that in the 2025 budget, education received a total of N3.5 trillion, amounting to 7.3 per cent of the national budget, an increase from the previous year.
He said, ” For the first time in many years, our universities are being supported to develop mechanised farming programmes.
”Grants have been introduced to strengthen medical education, and entrepreneurial initiatives have been expanded to equip students for the realities of a modern economy.
“We are preparing our young people for a knowledge-driven world, not with the tools of yesterday, but with the skills of tomorrow.”
Shettima, however, acknowledged the challenges that have persisted, saying ,”for decades, underfunding has weakened the foundations of our education system.
”International benchmarks recommend that between fifteen and twenty percent of national budgets be devoted to education, yet we have often fallen short.
”We have fallen short because we are compelled to balance competing national priorities such as security, healthcare, and infrastructure.”
Reflecting on the impact of insecurity on education in the North-East, Shettima recalled that over 500 schools were attacked in Borno between 2009 and 2021, with thousands of classrooms destroyed and teachers killed or displaced.
”However, the state had staged a remarkable recovery. As at March 2025, 877,777 learners were enrolled in public schools across Borno, with the state committing ₦69.81 billion to education.
” Over 26,000 students had their WAEC fees paid by the government, while daily school feeding now costs about ₦122 million.
“When terrorists attacked our schools, they were trying to kill the future. But Borno chose hope over fear and education over darkness,” Shettima said.
The vice president admitted that Nigerian universities had continued to battle staff shortages, brain drain, outdated curricula, inadequate research funding, frequent strikes and high student-to-teacher ratios.
He said the Tinubu administration was responding through digital transformation, national education databases, curriculum reforms, research development and skills-based learning.
According to the vice president, the administration was shifting education away from rote memorisation towards problem-solving, creativity and entrepreneurship.
Shettima said Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda places education at the centre of Nigeria’s economic and social renewal, linking learning directly to job creation, poverty reduction, democratic stability and national security.
He added, “National development is impossible without skilled citizens and leaders of integrity.
“That is why this government is investing deliberately in education, digital skills, research capacity and institutional autonomy. “
The vice-president traced the roots of the University of Maiduguri to the Third National Development Plan of 1975–1980,
Shettima described the institution as a symbol of Nigeria’s commitment to development through knowledge, despite decades of security challenges.
“This university stands today not as a victim of the storms it endured, but as a lighthouse in the Sahel.
” The wealth of a nation lies not in gold or oil, but in the minds of its people. And that future is being shaped in our classrooms,” Shettima added.
Earlier, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, said the state government was proud of the legacies of the university of Maiduguri and announced the award of scholarships for further studies to 200 lecturers from the institution.
He said the institution has been instrumental in the state’s human parietal development efforts as well as economic blueprints over the years.
Also, Gov. Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa Staye announced a donation of N1.8 billion on behalf of the states in the North-East region for the university’s endowment fund.
The Governor commended efforts aimed at expanding funding sources for the institution through partnerships with the private sector and individuals.
For his part, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mohammed Mele, said the anniversary event was a celebration of success, resilience and perseverance in the face of conflict.
Mele recalled the challenges faced by the institution due to the insurgency.
He sought improved collaboration with the private sector to complement government’s funding of the institution, in its bid to sustain strides recorded in various fields.
