President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian universities to live up to expectations as vanguards of research, teaching and community service to improve human life and fast-track national development.

Mr Tinubu made the call on Saturday at the ninth convocation ceremony of the Federal University Dutsin-ma, Katsina State.

Represented by the vice-chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa, Abdulkarim Sabo-Mohammed, the president said: “Education is a cornerstone of national development. Therefore, it must be responsive and transformative.

“I urge Nigerian universities to live up to expectations as vanguard of research, teaching and community service, in line with their tripartite mandate in championing demand-driven research to make human life better and enriched.”

The president also urged students to take advantage of the students’ loan scheme initiated to support their education pursuits.

According to him, over N70 billion has been disbursed to students nationwide.

Earlier, the university’s chancellor, Dandeson Douglas-Jaja, expressed happiness that out of the 77 academic programmes of the university, 74 have full accreditation, while four have interim accreditation.

He congratulated the graduands and urged them to be good ambassadors of their alma-mata and the country in general wherever they found themselves.

(NAN)