BY IFEANYI UWAGWU
THE Delta State Ministry of Higher Education is gearing up for its second Higher Education Summit aimed at exploring alternative funding strategies for tertiary institutions.
The summit, hosted by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari, will take place on the 3rd and 4th of December, 2024 at Dennis Osadebay University, in Asaba, the State capital.
Themed “Alternative Funding for Tertiary Institutions,” the summit will commence with the arrival of participants on December 2nd, while the official opening ceremony is scheduled for 3rd December, featuring a welcome address by Prof. Tonukari and an address by the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff F. O. Oborevwori.
The event will also include goodwill messages from key figures in the education sector in the state, such as the Commissioner for Secondary Education and her Primary Education counterpart, Mrs. Rose Ezewu and Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu; the commissioner for Technical Education Mr. Smart Ufoh, and the Executive Secretary of the State Bursary and Scholarship Board, Dr. Godfrey Enitan.
A series of technical sessions will also be held at the event, beginning with a lecture by the Vice Chancellor of Igbenedion University, Okada, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, on alternative funding for tertiary institutions. Subsequent lectures will be delivered by Prof. Douglas Omotor of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) and Education consultant Mr. Abiodun Adedeji, addressing local and international research funding and the future of tertiary education in Nigeria, respectively.
The summit will conclude on the 4th, with the presentation and adoption of recommendations, culminating in the issuance of a communiqué.
The gathering is expected to foster innovative funding solutions and strengthen the educational framework in Delta State and Nigeria, in general.
