By Adeyinka Adeniran
A former Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, has observed that the problem of poor university funding is a universal problem that is not peculiar to Nigeria.
He made the observation at his decoration as a UI@75 Ambassador Extraordinaire in Lagos.
General Danjuma noted that even, America the supposedly wealthiest country in the world, does not fund universities but rather give loans to students.
He added that any public university that does not source for funding in addition to subvention received from government would die.
He therefore, commended the management of the University of Ibadan for the efforts being made to revitalize the University.
He however, cautioned that the management’s laudable aspirations must be gradually achieved through strategic planning.
General Danjuma who was visibly elated thanked the UI@75 Anniversary Committee for the great honour and wished the University success in its efforts.
He assured that he would assist the University further after he was presented a list of the University’s thematic projects by the Chairman of the UI@75 Anniversary Committee, Professor Peter Olapegba.
General Danjuma was supported by his wife, Senator Daisy, who, would herself, be conferred with the honorary degree of Doctor of Law by the University of Ibadan during its 2023 Convocation ceremonies and 75th Foundation Day slated for November 17, 2023
General Danjuma, a 2020 Honorary Doctor of Letters Graduate (D. Litt. 2020) of the UI, is the founder of the TY Danjuma Foundation which had earlier donated a sum of N342million towards the upgrading of the Akinkugbe Kidney Centre as a Centre of Excellence in research, diagnosis and treatment of renal complications.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, had earlier reiterated that the UI which began as a College of the University of London in 1948 with 103 students in three faculties, today, has over 42,000 students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in 18 faculties and a School of Business.
