UNIMAID @ 50: Shettima Applauds Tinubu’s N3.5tn Education Investment

Vice President Kashim Shettima says the ₦3.5 trillion allocated to education in the 2025 national budget is evidence of the Tinubu administration’s renewed commitment to building a knowledge-driven and innovation-based economy.

Speaking on Saturday at the 50th anniversary of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Shettima stressed that Nigeria cannot remain competitive globally if its universities are starved of funding. He added that education now forms a central pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s development and security blueprint.

> “Education drives upward mobility, reduces poverty, strengthens democracy, and reinforces security. We are not paying lip service, we are investing deliberately,” he said.



Breakdown of Key Investments

According to the Vice President, the ₦3.5 trillion allocation, 7.3% of the 2025 budget , will support several targeted interventions, including:

Mechanised agricultural programmes in universities

New grants to enhance medical education

Expanded entrepreneurship schemes for technology-driven job creation


> “We are preparing young Nigerians for a future defined by ideas and innovation,” Shettima noted.

He acknowledged existing challenges such as inadequate research funding, outdated curricula, brain drain and recurring industrial actions, but said ongoing reforms, including curriculum updates, national education databases and digital learning initiatives, are gradually repositioning the sector.

North-East Resilience in the Face of Insurgency

Shettima also reflected on the heavy toll of insurgency on education in the region, revealing that over 500 schools were attacked in Borno between 2009 and 2021.

However, he noted that the state has remained resilient, with 877,777 students currently enrolled and more than ₦69.81 billion injected into education, including payment of WAEC fees for 26,000 students and funding of daily school feeding at ₦122 million.

> “When terrorists attacked our schools, they aimed to destroy our future. But Borno chose knowledge over fear,” he said.

Leaders Make Fresh Commitments

Highlighting UNIMAID as a symbol of endurance and hope, Shettima said the institution “stands not as a victim but as a lighthouse in the Sahel.”

At the ceremony:

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum announced scholarships for 200 lecturers.

Adamawa Governor Umaru Fintiri pledged ₦1.8 billion from the North-East governors for the university’s endowment fund.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Mohammed Mele called for stronger private-sector collaboration to sustain progress.


Other dignitaries in attendance included former Vice President Babagana Kingibe, Minister of State for Education Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, businessmen Muhammadu Indimi and Sir Emeka Offor, the Emir of Lafia Justice Sidi Bage, National Assembly members from Borno, and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi.