Aminu Masari, chairman of the board of trustees (BoT) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has urged Nigerian universities to prioritise the deployment of technology to equip graduates with skills needed to compete globally and drive national development.
Masari, a former governor of Katsina state, also stressed the importance of moral uprightness and institutional resilience as key pillars for strengthening Nigeria’s education sector and broader development efforts.
He spoke on Saturday at the 17th convocation ceremony of Al-Qalam University, Katsina, where he was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree in public administration in recognition of his contributions to public service, education, human capital development and leadership.
The TETFund board chairman said a strong orientation towards technology had become inevitable for the survival of higher education institutions and the nation at large.
“In today’s world, a deliberate tilt towards technology is no longer optional; it is inevitable. The growing number of graduates produced annually by our universities demands a paradigm shift that ensures they are equipped with relevant skills to compete in an increasingly interconnected global environment,” he said.
Masari urged Nigerian youths to embrace modern technology and harness it to develop innovative solutions in critical sectors such as agriculture, security, healthcare, service delivery and mineral exploration.
In his acceptance speech, he thanked the university community for the honour and paid tribute to the visionaries behind the establishment of Al-Qalam University.
Speaking on politics, Masari advised political leaders to exercise caution and embrace leadership rooted in purpose, patriotism and national development as the country approaches another cycle of political activities and elections.
He warned that global developments have shown that even advanced democracies could experience political destabilisation when competition is unchecked, stressing that patriotism must take precedence over personal ambition.
Also speaking at the event, Dikko Radda, governor of Katsina, described education as the most powerful tool for sustainable development.
Radda said his administration had invested more than N6 billion in scholarship awards for at least 174,451 students studying in tertiary institutions within and outside Nigeria.
According to him, the investment, which also covers infrastructure development and skills acquisition programmes, is aimed at preparing young people academically, morally and economically for global competitiveness.
Earlier, Nasiru Yawuri, the vice-chancellor of Al-Qalam University, said the institution graduated 1,109 students across various disciplines.
He added that 18 students graduated with first class honours, 280 earned second class upper degrees, while 507 graduated with second class lower degrees.
