NewStats: 3,261,594 , 8,174,450 topics. Date: Thursday, 29 May 2025 at 05:57 PM s3c6s

The Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged Nigerian universities to expand their international reach by attracting foreign students as a strategic move to diversify revenue sources and ease pressure on government funding.

He spoke on Tuesday at the maiden annual lecture of Osun State University in Osogbo, with the theme: “Interrogating the Funding of Education: Global versus Nigerian Perspectives.

Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said universities worldwide rely on fees from international students to subsidise domestic education, a model Nigeria must now emulate.

He expressed concern over the sustainability of public university education in the country, especially as nearly two million young Nigerians seek university ission annually.

“Whilst we must remain dedicated to the idea of ensuring university education for all who desire it, we can no longer escape the reality that unless urgent action is taken to address existing and expected funding challenges, we are in an accelerated trend towards a future where our public universities become mere diploma mills, instead of citadels of learning and innovation,” he warned.

“There are over 130 public universities nationwide, and almost two million young people seek ission every year. The truth is that neither the federal government nor the states can afford to sustain this number without establishing alternative revenue streams for the institutions.”

Gbajabiamila noted that international students serve as a vital revenue stream for universities across the globe and suggested that Nigerian institutions emulate this model.

“Public universities in Nigeria can and should look to increase their international profiles to become attractive destinations for international students willing and able to pay fees that might otherwise be practically and politically inexpedient for native students,” he said.

He also encouraged policymakers and university s to study how universities in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa have managed to draw international students—including many Nigerians—and replicate such strategies.

In his remarks, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, commended the university’s Senate for institutionalising an annual lecture series that fosters meaningful discourse on critical educational issues.

“With the knowledge we have all gained from this lecture, I am convinced that this annual event is never a waste of time or resources. I am particularly happy about the theme of this lecture and the calibre of the speaker. His thoughts will undoubtedly help guide policymakers at all levels,” Adeleke said.

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It's a shame that Femi Gbaja doesn't know that why most international students study abroad is that they wish to explore the possibility of getting jobs and living in that foreign country. What opportunities does Nigeria have that will attract other Africans in their numbers to Nigeria?

Cho Cho Cho Cho everyone always recommending solutions they themselves never implemented

Nigerian public universities source foreign students.....what a joke! 😃

Abi. Thats logical

But they also need to upgrade themselves to standard. Reasonable number of the government tertiary hostels are nothing to write about

Where is the infrastructure? First we need security.. Top notch.

We need power 24/7 and good road network

OK baby

Mindlog:
Nigerian public universities source foreign students.....what a joke! 😃

joke of the century

For where, Mr gbaja must be high on weeds,
why would any foreign student want to come to Nigeria, this is a man that studied abroad and 80% of our leaders children studied abroad.

With the height of insecurity, cultism and "strike" factor, can gbajabiala allow his children school in public universities

i think the questioning should be, Oga where are your own children

Are there adequate facilities to accommodate foreign student?

Family of public office holders should be mandated to attend local universities. Then it will be easy to source foreign students.

Lol. Joke taken too far. Source foreign to come and do what exactly? What quality or courses are Nigerian universities offering? Glorified secondary schools everywhere in the name of university!

This man is another deluded joker in this agbado regime. Which government owned university is up to a world class standard ? Literally none.

foreign student to come to nigeria make hunger and insecurity finish them

Many comedians plenty for this government

Which federal University has been equipped sufficiently to attract foreign students?

Lol. Even Ghanaians don't consider Naija as study route.

Foreign student should come and study obsolete courses like mass communication, botany, fine arts, forestry etc

Okay Una done hear am

helinues:
Abi. Thats logical

But they also need to upgrade themselves to standard. Reasonable number of the government tertiary hostels are nothing to write about

Let their own children come back and attend the schools.

Even when this supposed to be a good advice/suggestions.

Unfortunately the reality on the ground says otherwise, When thousands of young and old people are running away from the country in the name of study, how then will you attract young people to come to Nigeria for study when there is no hope for them after the study.
Anyway maybe because of cheaper school fees, some might want to try.

How?

Will they stay back and work in NNPC?

Until we see all their children enrolling in the Nigerian schools, we will never take them serious. Ask Femi where his wards studied? Well, you won't be shocked cause your guess will be as good as mine.

anayolity:


Let their own children come back and attend the schools.

Even though the politicians have the majority of the blame with underfunding, still yet what are those federal tertiary institutions doing with the funds they have been receiving. How can a VC, Profits not even taking their time to be visiting the school hostels to see how the students are living.

We have a long way to go on Nigeria

helinues:
Abi. Thats logical

But they also need to upgrade themselves to standard. Reasonable number of the government tertiary hostels are nothing to write about

Are the children of Femi gbajabiamila studying in Nigeria Universities?

Those days way back uniben I used to have foreign students as friends who used to come and study and even make researches. I had so many of them as friends. Male and female. We returned our visit back then to Ghana. Canada and Jamaica. Then there were security. Now they can’t try it. Gbaja think say na him time he still Dey?

Mr. Gbajabiamila is painfully out of tune with global academic realities. The nations drawing foreign students—UK, U.S., Canada—aren’t just offering degrees. They’re offering immigration pipelines, jobs, stability, and access to global labor markets. They train you and then use you—via underpaid jobs, lifelong debt, and sky-high taxes.

Nigeria, on the other hand, is hemorrhaging its own youth via JAPA. What sane international student would pay top dollar to study in a country where even doctors are fleeing?

Until Nigeria can guarantee safety, stable power, jobs, and post-graduate pathways, this suggestion is as hollow as it is delusional.

I am surprised this comment came from Gbajabiamila, who has also lived abroad and knows how the system works.

tollyboy5:

Are the children of Femi gbajabiamila studying in Nigeria Universities?

All animals are not equal in Nigeria farm. Because they don't receive medial treatment in Nigeria, that's also the same reason our health facilities are in dilapidated state

This man is just talking nonsense like a block head

What a joke! Is this how most of the cursed regime are dumb in reasoning?