A former Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, GCON, FSS, psc (Rtd) 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 revitalise 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 O. Olapegba.
General Danjuma was supported by his wife, Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma, 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 on 17 November, 2023
General Danjuma is a 2020 Honorary Doctor of Letters Graduate (D. Litt. 2020) of the University of Ibadan. He is the founder of the TY Danjuma Foundation which had earlier donated a sum of Three Hundred and Forty- two Million Naira 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 O. Adebowale, mni, FAS, had earlier reiterated that the University of Ibadan began as a College of the University of London in 1948 with 103 students in 3 Faculties.
Today, according to Professor Adebowale, the University has over 42,000 students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in 18 Faculties and a School of Business.
The University of Ibadan is amongst the best 1000 universities in the world; its College of Medicine is adjudged as the best in sub-Saharan Africa while the Postgraduate College is considered as the flagship of postgraduate education in Nigeria with an annual turnout of over 3000 degrees of Master, and 450 Doctoral degrees in various disciplines.
The University also hosts the Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute with over 400 students from 46 African countries.
