VP Shettima: Education is Nigeria’s “Immune System,” Declares Commitment to Increased Funding
Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, has declared education as the nation’s “immune system” and the most potent tool against poverty and extremism, assuring that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is making deliberate and strategic investments to revitalize the sector.
Speaking at the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) on Saturday, Vice President Shettima, an alumnus of the institution, emphasized that Nigeria must address underfunding and transform its human capital to compete globally.
Commitment to Education Funding
The Vice President highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to prioritizing education through budgetary allocations and policy reforms:
* Budgetary Increase: In the 2025 Budget, education received a total of ₦3.5 trillion, amounting to 7.3 percent of the national budget, marking an increase from the previous year.
* Student Loan Fund: The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which provides interest-free loans for tuition and upkeep, has already disbursed ₦110 billion to over 328,000 students.
* Digital Transformation: Initiatives are expanding e-learning and access to modern teaching tools, while the Fourth Industrial Revolution program is equipping students with competencies in artificial intelligence, robotics, and data analytics.
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“The 2025 allocation is therefore a declaration of intent and a clear acknowledgement that the future belongs to those who invest in their people,” Shettima stated.
UNIMAID’s Resilience Against Insurgency
As an alumnus, the Vice President praised the University of Maiduguri for its resilience, noting that its survival despite years of Boko Haram violence defines the magnitude of its sacrifice.
He provided stark figures on the cost of the insurgency to education in Borno State:
* Schools Attacked: More than 500 schools were attacked between 2009 and 2021.
* Teachers Killed: 2,295 teachers were killed, and 19,000 others were displaced.
Shettima asserted that the attacks were ideological, designed to extinguish the light of knowledge, but the story of Borno is “not the story of defeat.” He pointed out that the state government has since registered 877,777 learners and invested heavily in education despite the challenges.
Call for Integrity and Synergy
The Vice President stressed that while the government is pursuing reforms, the tertiary sector continues to grapple with underfunding, poor infrastructure, and brain drain, leading many fine academics to relocate.
He called for a genuine synergy among all stakeholders—government, private sector, universities, and civil society—to create centers of excellence.
Shettima concluded by urging alumni and students to become symbols of the possibilities that well-tailored education offers, reiterating: “The wealth of a nation lies not in gold or oil but in the minds of its people.”
By PRNigeria
