Adamawa State Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, has tasked tertiary institutions to seek local innovative means of funding, saying government can not do it alone.
Speaking during 2nd Annual International Conference of the Faculty of Education, held at Modibbo Adamawa University Yola Monday, Farauta stressed that it is imperative to encourage the culture of innovation, ingenuity and technology amongst various departments for institutional funding.
She encouraged educators to think outside the box, adding that exploring other sustainable innovative ways of funding is crucial to competing government demands.
The Deputy Governor who initiated the conference 20 years ago, challenged lecturers and organizers of the conference to come up with exhibitions of products at the end of the conference.
“We should challenged our students to be innovative driven and think inwards at all times. We should close gap and make the conference an annual one,” she said.
She expressed worry about the inability of the department to hold the conference 29 years after the first one was held.
Earlier, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Modibbo Adama University, Professor Iliyasu Audu, said the institution has established five Megawatts solar farm to tackle energy deficit for students on campus.
Audu pointed out that the solar farm would meet up 1.8 Megawatts needs of the institution primarily for the consumption of the institution to aid learning and research.
He the solar power panel farm is an initiative of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in conjunction with the National Universities Commission seeking to provide alternative electricity to universities under the Energising Education Program (EEP).
The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) had in October, placed the university on band A with a tariff of over N60 million monthly, which the institution had to source for alternative energy.
In his remark, the Dean Faculty of Education, Professor Micheal Cyril, described as unfortunate that Nigeria is yet to meet up UNESCO recommendation that at least 26 per cent of the total national budget should be allocated to education sector.
Cyril further added, “We must explore creative and practical situations to address the funding gaps and enhance the financial sustainability of universities”.
Hussaini Hammangabdo, Press Secretary
