A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for his education policies.
Dogara spoke on Thursday at the Federal University of Lokoja, Kogi State, while delivering a Special Public Lecture, titled “Empowering the Future Generation: The Founders’ Vision and Legacy”.
The public lecture was part of the week long activities for the institution’s 9th Convocation.
Dogara said the president deserves commendation, especially for the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which he stressed has given hope to students whose educational dreams would have been cut short for lack of funds.
He said, “Education remains our most powerful weapon against poverty, ignorance and underdevelopment. It is the idea of planting seeds of hope, creating pathways to opportunity, and building a place where talents are refined and human potential is unlocked.
“NELFUND, a programme designed to remove financial barriers to higher education for indigent Nigerian students with interest-free loans, had disbursed N99.5billion to fund tuition and upkeep allowances.
“As we speak, and as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr. President has prioritised inclusivity and equity in access to education.
“We are witnessing the gradual dismantling of systemic barriers, particularly for marginalised groups such as women and persons with disabilities. No one doubts Mr. President’s commitment to ensuring that every young Nigerian, regardless of background, has access to quality education.
“To those who have often wondered why I promote President Tinubu s education policies, you have found one of the answers. Why would any sensible person who has benefited immensely from education do otherwise?”
He enjoined the graduands to take advantage of their knowledge to solve Nigerian problems, urging them to develop a global mindset with local relevance.
“Think globally but act locally. While embracing international best practices, never forget your roots. The solutions to Africa’s problems must be African-led, though globally informed.
“Whether you become engineers, doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs or public servants, always ask: How can I apply global knowledge to solve local problems?” he said.
He also tasked them to seek innovation and entrepreneurs, embrace lifelong learning, commit to ethical leadership and be good stewards for the university.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had approved a final reopening for a period of hours to enable tertiary institutions yet to complete their student verification exercise to do so.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on by Director, Strategic Communications of the Fund, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.
