The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta, Prof. Fatiu Arogundade, on Tuesday, called for the support of public-spirited individuals and corporate organisations to enhance the growth of the university, which began operations about five months ago.

Arogundade said the cost of funding a university is huge and should not be left for the government alone to bear.

The Vice-Chancellor praised President Bola Tinubu for establishing specialised universities of medical sciences across the six geopolitical zones, explaining that the initiative would significantly increase the production of manpower needed to strengthen qualitative healthcare delivery across the country.

He added that the intervention would also help to reduce the impact of the Japa syndrome due to the expected rise in the number of health workers the specialised universities would produce annually.

Arogundade stated this at a briefing held to announce the university’s forthcoming maiden matriculation scheduled for Thursday.

The VC said that after successful resource verification, the institution was awarded a carrying capacity of 1,000 students based on available resources, and that over 850 pioneer students, admitted through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, would be formally inducted into the university on Thursday during its maiden matriculation.

He stated that the university currently runs programmes such as Nursing Science, Medicine, Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, and Medical Laboratory Science, among others.

He added that the university, which commenced operations about five months ago, is currently using the campus of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, as its temporary site, with plans to move to its permanent 170-hectare site at Ajibayo town along the Idi Aba–Ajebo Road, which is under construction.

Arogundade disclosed that relevant regulatory bodies — including the National Universities Commission, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria — have, however, required that the permanent site be reasonably developed for academic activities in the next few months in order to secure accreditation for its eight faculties within the next two years.

He explained that while the university has enjoyed tremendous support from the federal and state governments, as well as prominent indigenes, a great deal still needs to be done to ensure the rapid growth and development of the institution.

Arogundade said, “There is a lot more support that is urgently needed to secure a fully functional FUMMSA, as envisioned by the distinguished sons and daughters of Egbaland, Ogun State, and Nigeria.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that the Federal Government of Nigeria cannot alone shoulder the enormous cost of providing all requisite facilities for a specialised university.

“In this light, the university will welcome endowments, donations, and facilities or equipment, which may be named after the donor if desired. Meanwhile, the hostels will be developed through a public-private partnership model, and this will be advertised shortly.”

He explained that at FUMMSA, the management believes that medical education is not merely the transmission of skills but a fusion of intellect, empathy and innovation.

The VC said the university’s mission is to foster and train competent healthcare professionals equipped to respond to national and global health challenges through appropriate, creative and technology-driven solutions.

The university also strongly believes that “every programme, partnership and act of service reflects the founding conviction that knowledge is most powerful when it heals and serves.”

Arogundade commended Tinubu, the Ogun State Government, the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Olusola Kehinde, as well as the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, among others, for their notable support in ensuring the smooth take-off of the university, while calling for further cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure that the institution fulfils its founding goals and vision.

Government-owned universities in the country face numerous challenges, particularly underfunding, which results in poor infrastructure and a high student-to-lecturer ratio.

This has frequently led to disruptions in the academic calendar, occasioned by strikes usually embarked upon by university lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of Universities to demand better funding for university education by both state and federal governments.

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President Bola Tinubu has dispatched Vice President Kashim Shettima to Kebbi State to meet with grieving families of the schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in Maga.

He also promised that the government is working to ensure their safe and swift return.

This is just as he said the abducation took despite intelligence warnings of a possible strike by the bandits.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President also extended condolences to the military over the deaths of several soldiers and Brigadier General Musa Uba, who were killed in action while battling insurgents in Borno State.

Tinubu said he had been fully briefed by military authorities on both incidents and expressed deep sorrow over the attack on the school.

He noted that the abduction occurred “despite intelligence warnings of a possible strike by the bandits,” while commending Kebbi State Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris “for the efforts made to avert the kidnapping.”

Describing the attack as a painful setback, the President urged communities—particularly those in security-vulnerable areas—to work more closely with security operatives.

While lamenting the dual tragedies, Tinubu declared, “As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes.”

He said he was equally troubled by the assault on schoolchildren, stating, “I am also depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.”

The President emphasized that citizen cooperation remains central to weakening criminal networks and preventing further attacks.

“Our security forces cannot succeed in protecting us if the people don’t cooperate and share information that will help them keep our communities safe.

“I urge community leaders and our compatriots across the country, especially those in the theatres of operations, to share useful information. Your cooperation is crucial in our fight against these security challenges,” he said.

Vice President Shettima is expected in Kebbi on Wednesday to meet with state officials, reassure affected parents, and convey the President’s message of solidarity and commitment, the statement noted.

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A United States-based Nigerian scholar, Collins Obidiagha, has emerged among twelve participants selected from over 100 applicants for the prestigious China Business Immersion Programme, a study and business tour aimed at exposing participants to China’s evolving economic and business ecosystem.

Obidiagha, an international MBA candidate at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, shared insights from the programme in a feedback publication titled, “Nigerian Scholar in the US Shares Lessons for Nigeria’s Economic Rebirth.”

He described engagements with major corporations, including Xiaomi and Syngenta, and interactions with students and leaders at Peking University and Jiaolong as providing valuable lessons on how infrastructure drives national growth.

He said, “China’s infrastructure operates like a well-oiled machine. It never ceases to amaze me that an order can be delivered almost anywhere in the country within thirty minutes. That’s the power of an efficient logistics network built on solid infrastructure.”

Obidiagha highlighted China’s sustained commitment to infrastructure-led development, noting that its supply chain smoothness index, which stood at 7.30 in 2010, remains strong at 6.10 in 2022. By contrast, he lamented that Nigeria’s infrastructure stock, estimated at just 30 per cent of GDP, falls far below the World Bank’s recommended benchmark of 70 per cent. He described the situation as a “metaphorical case of kwashiorkor,” warning that chronic underinvestment impedes productivity, poverty reduction, and sustainable growth.

“Only about 30 per cent of Nigeria’s 200,000 kilometres of roads are paved, while the rail network remains underdeveloped due to vandalism, poor maintenance, and funding gaps. Power generation still averages below 5,000 megawatts for a population exceeding 200 million,” he said.

Citing the World Bank’s Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic Report, Obidiagha argued that bridging Nigeria’s infrastructure gap would require a sustained annual expenditure of around $14.2 billion over the next decade, roughly 12 per cent of GDP.

By comparison, he noted that China invested around 15 per cent of its GDP in infrastructure during the mid-2000s.

To address the challenge, he proposed that the Federal Government increase infrastructure spending to at least 10 per cent of the 2026 national budget, rising to 12 per cent in subsequent cycles, financed through “disciplined reprioritisation, blended finance, and targeted borrowing.”

Drawing parallels with China in the 1970s, when only 20 per cent of its roads were paved, Obidiagha expressed optimism that Nigeria could replicate China’s transformation. “Making infrastructure the engine of our economic revival is not just a strategy, it’s the key to unlocking Nigeria’s potential. With sustained investment and governance discipline, Nigeria can achieve the kind of modernisation that has defined China’s last two decades,” he concluded.

Nigerian scholars continue to make a global impact. In August, Deborah Agbakwuru won the prestigious Besancon Scholarship at the University of Montana, while Peter Ngene, a Nigerian-born researcher, secured a €2 million grant from the European Research Council for his work on ionic conductivity in nanocomposite solid-state electrolytes.

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