Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s education system to address the disconnect between educational institutions and the needs of industries.
The governor made the call in a statement on Saturday in Maiduguri by his spokesman, Dauda Iliya.
According to Iliya, the governor made the call while receiving by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, who paid him a courtesy at the Government House, Maiduguri.
Zulum expressed concern that many graduates produced by higher institutions lack the necessary skills to drive innovation and technological advancement.
He urged NELFUND to critically assess the issue and implement solutions that would enable graduates to become self-employed rather than depend on limited job opportunities.
“We have two major problems in our educational system: the mismatch between educational institutions and industries, as they do not communicate effectively, and the mismatch between the labor market and graduates, many of whom are unprepared to work in the industries,” Zulum said.
The governor also urged NELFUND to support entrepreneurship, technical education, and vocational training programmes.
“Beyond offering loans, I urge you to explore ways to support entrepreneurship education and promote technical and vocational training to reduce the reluctance toward these critical areas of study.”
While commending President Bola Tinubu for establishing NELFUND, Zulum emphasised its potential to significantly reduce illiteracy, particularly in the North East region.
He pledged to mobilize local government chairmen, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to raise awareness about the fund, particularly its importance for underprivileged students who wish to pursue higher education.
“I have held discussions with heads of tertiary institutions since you assumed office, and reports indicate that a significant number of students who applied for NELFUND loans received them with ease,” Zulum said.
Earlier speaking, Mr Sawyerr, said the fund’s mission was to tackle the growing issue of students dropping out of school due to financial constraints.
He noted that the loan is interest-free, with repayment set at 10 per cent of the recipient’s income upon securing employment.
