Govt Alone Can’t Fund Education In Nigeria, Sultan Of Sokoto Insists

—As Babalakin Family Donates Guests House To Fountain University

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has insisted that the Federal Government of Nigeria cannot fund all educational issues in the sector alone country, calling on all stakeholders to contribute their quota to achieve proper funding for education in the country.

Abubakar while speaking on the recent crisis between leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) and Federal Government of Nigeria lamented that 8 month strike by ASUU affected students psychologically and emotionally.

Abubakar stated this on Wednesday while speaking at the commissioning a 25-Bedroom Babalakin Guest House donated by the family of Babalakin to Fountain University, Osogbo

The Sultan explained that Nigeria can only have a better education if stakeholders contribute their quotas in funding public tertiary institutions.

He advocated for dialogue and peaceful negotiation among stakeholders instead of embarking on strike without considering the fate of the students.

He said its disheartening and sad that Nigerian students stayed for good eight months at home before ASUU strike was called off.

According to him, “We just came out of an unfortunate ASUU crisis, 8 months our children were at home, very sad and frustrating but these are things that we could have avoided by continuously talking because is not today that ASUU started having problems with the government and they will never stop having a problem with the government.

“The best thing is that anytime there is a problem, you sit down and discuss to find a way out. When you have problem with anyone, what you should do is to sit down and dialogue in an honest way and once you have agreed on any terms please try to implement your agreement.”

Sultan added that “I’ve been pleading with ASUU, I have been part of negotiation team with ASUU at the federal government level. No matter how bad a university is, the school turns out thousands of graduates who are excellent and brilliant, why do we have to continue fighting over some little issues, the government can not fund all educational issues, people should come out and help to fund public tertiary institutions so that we can have a better situation in our schools, especially our universities.”

Echoing a similar views, Wale Babalakin, SAN, whose family donated the guest house to Fountain, maintained that educational institutions must find ways of generating revenue from sources that will not detract from their primary goal of providing very good education for the students.

He said, “the reasons for the project in the school was compliment our father’s serious passion for education. Our father, Justice Bola Babalakin always sought to educate everyone around him. This project will provide accommodation for visiting scholars and friends of the university and also generate income to the school.”

Speaking about the project, Wale Babalakin SAN, said the idea of the project was conceived during his late father Honorable Justice Shehu Tijani Babarinwa Babalakin and members of the family during a function at the university campus where His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto was the guest minister.

The Philanthropist said his family was elected to build a guest house after suggestion from personality and dignity on how to support the institution.

The SAN said Architect Muftau Omotayo Babalakin a member of the Board of Trustees of Fountain University, Osogbo offered to design and supervise the project voluntarily.

Babalakin stressed that government at all levels as structured cannot singlehandedly fund education in Nigerian adding that the resources required to fund a proper education are not available.

“For any discerning person in the education sector, it is very clear that Government at all levels, as structured today, cannot singlehandedly fund
education. The resources required to fund a proper education system are simply not there or are not easily available. For this reason, educational
institutions especially tertiary institutions must continue to find ways of We also want to thank His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji sa’ad Abubakar, for finding time from his very busy schedule to attend this ceremony. We are also extremely grateful for His Eminence’s support and consistent encouragement for the actualisation of this project and so many other projects in furtherance of education that we are aware he is supporting”.

He, therefore, called on all stakeholders who share government’s vision of providing excellent and functional education for the young one to collaborate so that together they can set the school on the lane of sustainable development.

The state Governor, Gboyega Oyetola commended the donor and advised the institution to make good use of the guest house.

Former register of Joint admission and matriculation board, Professor Isaq Oloyede in his address prays for the donor for his contribution towards the growth of the institution.

He also call on people to come together to build Nigeria.