Renowned public speaker, Professor Patrick Lumumba, says African universities must be respected and adequately funded if true development is to be achieved on the continent.
Lumumba stated this while delivering a guest lecture at the 50th anniversary celebration of the University of Ilorin.
According to him, Nigeria’s vast human resource potential continues to shine globally, as evidenced by the countless Nigerian engineers, professors, and doctors excelling in Europe, America, and other parts of the world.
He emphasized that the rise of Africa depends on giving the continent’s scholars and institutions their rightful place.
Professor Lumumba also cited the 1991 Abuja Declaration, in which African nations promised to allocate 15 percent of their national budgets to health, a target still unmet decades later.
Ali MUHAMMAD RABIU