President Jonathan Approves N3billion for UNIPORT

The Federal Government has renewed its pledge to improve the quality of education especially at the tertiary level through adequate funding of universities.

To this end, the President Goodluck Jonathan has approved three billion Naira (N3B) through the Education Trust Fund for the development of University of Port Harcourt.

President Goodluck Jonathan made the disclosure while addressing the 27th convocation of the University of Port Harcourt, as visitor to the institution, over the weekend.

According to him, government will not relent in its efforts to ensure rapid socio economic transformation of the nation, through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, intellectual and material resources, which will drive the engine of development in a prioritized manner.

President Jonathan, represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, charged graduates of Nigerian Universities to apply knowledge and skills acquired through their studies to create self employment and ensure self actualization.

He called on the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) to evaluate the curriculum of universities in the country to take necessary steps to ensure that what they deliver is in accordance with the national needs and priorities.

President Jonathan who is also an alumnus of the university emphasized that the Federal government has ensured industrial harmony in the university system to the extent that academic calendar is not disrupted, pointing out that the signing of Federal Government/ASUU agreement has helped to normalize the academic calendar while the signing of the minimum wage bill into law will no doubt improve the wellbeing of staff of the universities.

The university conferred the honourary Doctorate of Science Degree on Dame Patience Jonathan, who was a former student.
Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi announced the donation of one hundred million Naira to the development of university. He pledged to redeem all previous promises to the university, in addition to bankrolling the renovation of all hostels in the institution by the Rivers State Government.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, had suggested the setting of targets for the educational sector, and expressed the hope that by the year 2020 Nigerian universities should be ranked among the best 20 universities in Africa and 200 in the world.

Dr. Elechi Amadi, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and Jacob Patrick Nwokolo were among distinguished Nigerians awarded with honorary doctorate degrees, while all sixteen first class graduates of the university were offered immediate employment by Diamond Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank.