Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said there is a need for governments to partner with the private sector to meet the educational needs of Nigerians.
He also called on the regulators of the sector to ensure they sustained standards so that Nigeria and the African continent would not be disconnected from the rest of the world.
He stated these on Saturday at the 20th convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, where the school renamed its teaching hospital after the president and founder of Christ Embassy, Reverend Chris Oyakhilome.
Oyakilome and Princess Osula Mku-Atu were conferred honourary doctorate degrees.
Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, said, “You will recall that the first government university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, was founded in 1948. Today, there are 43 federal universities and 48 state universities in the country. This shows that it has taken both the federal and the state governments 74 years to establish 91 universities. Whereas, it has only taken the private sector 23 years to establish 79 universities. This reaffirms the need to deepen our partnership with the private sector.
“Speaking of educational standard and quality, it is no longer news that the world is a global village, universities across Africa must align with international best practices to deliver standard and qualitative education to their students. Anything short of this will make our continent uncompetitive.”
Earlier, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Guinea, Kabine Komara, delivered the convocation lecture titled, “The role of universities in promoting socioeconomic integration in Africa.”
The Chancellor of the university, the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, said he renamed the teaching hospital from Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital.
He said he did this in recognition of Oyakhilome’s “sterling qualities and significant contribution to the upliftment of mankind, and your exceptional devotion to the healing ministry.”
In his convocation address, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Lawrence Ezemonye said not less than 16,000 students had graduated from the university since inception and this year’s event produced 691 graduates.
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