Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, has called for a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s tertiary education system to address the gap between academic institutions and the needs of industries.
The governor made the call during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, to the state.
Gov. Zulum. expressed concern about the current system, which he said fails to equip graduates with the skills needed for technological advancement and innovation.
Highlighting the urgent need to align educational programmes with industry requirements, he said, “We face two major challenges in our educational system: a lack of communication between educational institutions and industries, and a disconnect between the labor market and graduates, many of whom are not prepared for industry demands.”
He urged NELFUND to play a leading role in addressing the issues by developing programmes that promote self-employment, entrepreneurship, and skills acquisition.
Gov. Zulum emphasized the importance of technical and vocational training, areas he said are often overlooked in Nigeria.
“Beyond providing loans, I urge NELFUND to support entrepreneurship education and promote technical and vocational training to encourage more interest in these critical fields,” he added.
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While commending President Bola Tinubu for establishing NELFUND, which he described as a transformative initiative that can significantly reduce illiteracy, particularly in the North East, he pledged to work with local government chairmen and traditional leaders to create awareness about the programme, especially among underprivileged students.
“I have engaged heads of tertiary institutions, and feedback shows that many students who applied for NELFUND loans have accessed them without difficulty,” Gov. Zulum noted.
Earlier, Sawyer, announced that NELFUND’s mission is aimed at combating the high dropout rate caused by financial challenges.
He explained that the fund offers interest-free loans, with repayment structured at 10 percent of the recipient’s income once employed.
