Abuja, Dec. 17, 2024 – The federal government is to provide N30 billion to the 30 universities of agriculture in the country for them to commence mechanised farming.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, disclosed this on Tuesday while declaring open a retreat organised by the Ministry of Education for pro-chancellors of federal universities.
He said each university would receive N1 billion as take-off grant for the mechanized farming.
The federal government had also directed specialised universities to focus strictly on their core mandates and stop offering unrelated courses.
The minister said government would also provide N17 billion to all the 18 medical schools in the country to assist them in the training of healthcare professionals.
He said government would also give startup grants to students in the universities to support their entrepreneurial progrmammes. endeavours.
“We need to look critically into your curriculum. We have the Federal University of Agriculture offering courses in accounting. Your University of Agriculture, focus on what you’re set up to do.
“We have the Federal University of Technology offering courses in insurance.
“Your University of Technology, focus on that. We have several universities there. You are a faculty of Agriculture; you don’t have a farm. What are you teaching? We will work with you to encourage you to have your farm.
“For doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and nurses. We’re also working with a green energy company. We’ve identified each university as a pilot in each geopolitical zone.
“We’re doing something that we call renewed campus transportation. We’ll give 25 electric tricycles to those universities for them to use.
“The student will put it to the student union. They will operate it on a low-payment platform. Probably N15 for each drop for each of the universities. That as well we’re working on.
“We also are going to roll out student startup innovation and entrepreneurial grants that we will give to very innovative students.
“We’ll give this grant to them to help them unleash the innate potential that they have in them.
“So, our focus is to give the youth the support they need to be able to contribute to this country,” he said.
