Nigeria's Tinubu urges universities to prioritize skills over degrees

President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerian universities to prioritize practical skills, innovation, and problem-solving over the mere awarding of academic certificates. Speaking at the 37th Annual General Assembly of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) in Ilorin, Kwara State, the President emphasized that higher education institutions must serve as centers for knowledge creation and national transformation.

Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaibat Saidu Ahmad, Tinubu stated that sustainable economic transformation requires significant investment in human capital. He urged university authorities to ensure graduates are digitally competent, entrepreneurial, and capable of responding to a global economy shaped by artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and data science. The conference, themed ‘Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria,’ aimed to create a strategic roadmap for local universities to compete globally.