Education, key to industrialization, development – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said that education is the key element to the nation’s industrialization and development.

Buhari, who made the remark at the 44th convocation ceremony of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), also noted that there is a great disconnect between education and industry in Nigeria, adding that the difference between industrialized economy and non-industrialized economy is education.

Buhari who was represented by the Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Isha’aq Oloyode, highlighted his government and its agencies’ interventions in the funding of tertiary institutions, especially the university sub-sector.

He, however, charged managers of universities to ensure due diligence and probity in the management and disbursement of resources.

“We must not fail to realize that the key elements of the country’s industrialization is education, as the difference between industrialized and non-industrialized economy is education.

“As it is in Nigeria today, there is a great disconnect between education and industry. This should not be so,” he said.

Buhari’s further assures that actions would be geared towards promoting quality teaching and purposeful research in the areas of comparative advantage and entrenched academic integrity, eliminate poor attitude to work and stamping out of cultism and gangsterism in the nation’s universities.

He gave assurances of his administration’s determination to work assiduously within the limit of its resources to bring about the desired transformation in the educational sector.

The President, however, appealed to well-meaning parents and guardians as well as alumni of the UNIBEN to assist the administrators in creating the right atmosphere conducive for scholarship and academic excellence, noting that that is the only way higher institutions can impact positively on the society.

Earlier, the Chancellor of the University, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, Emir of Kano, commended the present federal government for providing the enabling environment for enthronement of peace and uninterrupted academic calendar in the nation’s universities.

Sanusi also commended the federal government for its sustained interest in the development of the education sector, especially tertiary education.

In his address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Faraday Orumwense, disclosed that a total of 11,832 graduates were presented with various degrees and certificates.

Orumwense said a total of 134 bagged first class, 2,122 bagged second class upper, 4,864 second class lower, 1,156 third class, one with pass, 240 with PhD, 2,207 masters, 559 with PGD among others.