The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has made the case for business leaders and public-spirited individuals and groups to support the funding of tertiary education through donations and endowments.
The governor made the submission at the Commissioning of the Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma Hostel for Girls at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) Main Campus in Ugbowo.
The hostel was built and donated by the Danjuma Foundation.
He said, “Over the last few years, I have made a case for a shift in the way we run our higher institutions. There is a need to allow more room for private participation through philanthropy gestures and endowments. Donations such as this are the only key sources of improving the infrastructure that will help enhance the learning environment and to lift the burden of government as the government does not have the resources to fund universities but to look for alternatives”.
He urged individuals, corporate organisations and governments to continue to support tertiary institutions in the area of institution upgrade and also funding of Research and Development (R&D) initiatives to make the institutions compete with their peers across the globe.
Obaseki noted that, “The Edo State Government has offered resources to enhance the road infrastructure in this institution as we are not oblivious of the ripple effects of thriving tertiary institutions in Edo State”.
Speaking of the commissioning of a world class women centre, he said, “I want to formally invite you to another commissioning on Tuesday 2nd of May 2023, where we will be commissioning the Sen. Daisy Ehanire Danjuma Women Center. It is a facility for women with accommodation, skill acquisition training centre, gender-based violence clinics to support women who are abused, as they will get care there”.
Obaseki also commended the Danjuma Foundation for supporting the state government, noting, “I appreciate the amount of support, medical equipment and cash donations which the foundation, Lt. Gen. Yakubu Danjuma (Rtd.) and Sen. Daisy offered us during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.”