Abuja, Nigeria — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening tertiary education in Nigeria by increasing funding for research, digital innovation and entrepreneurship within universities. The remarks were made during the 40th convocation ceremony of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in Kwara State.
Represented by the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), the President announced that UNILORIN will host one of the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) Digital Innovation Hubs, part of a broader national intervention fund of N110 billion aimed at improving medical training and research infrastructure. He urged Nigerian universities to produce Nobel laureates and to align research outputs with national development priorities such as agriculture, health and the digital economy.
Tinubu emphasised that the suspension of new tertiary institutions is necessary to consolidate and strengthen existing ones, affirming that Nigeria will prioritise quality over quantity in higher education reforms. The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, cited successes of research grants and partnerships, noting that universities had attracted billions in research awards. Analysts welcomed the move but stressed the importance of institutional governance, accountability and sustained investment to translate funding into measurable outcomes in innovation and capacity building.
