FG alone can’t finance education – Minister

The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, has said that the federal government alone cannot finance education in Nigeria.

He said this at an event in Abuja organised in honour of Dr Emeka Offor and his wife, Dr Adaora Offor who were awarded honourary degrees in business administration and social advocacy respectively by the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka.

The minister said though the government had spent so much in funding education, private individuals and philanthropists needed to emulate what Mr Offor and his wife had done through their foundation to support education.

He said, “The ministry is encouraged with this kind of recognition because the government cannot finance education alone; just as it has contributed a lot.

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“That is why people like Emeka Offor and wife have stepped in, and what they are doing should be encouraged by others. I believe this is an excellent example of well-used resources, and I urge others to take a cue from what they have done.”

While UNN received N100m for research activities and scholarly enterprise that will impact the Faculty of Business Administration, NAU received N50m for the welfare of widows, children with special needs and other vulnerable members of the society.

The celebrant and donor, Chief Offor, said the endowment fund would be a restricted one, where the principal sum would be held in perpetuity except otherwise decided by the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF) and the universities.

He said, “This gesture is our desire towards supporting higher education in Nigeria and strengthening the bond of friendship between SEOF and UNN/NAU.”