The Vice Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, has called on the federal government to increase funding for Nigerian public universities, warning that current financial interventions remain grossly inadequate to meet international academic standards.

Professor Ibileye made the position known during a courtesy visit by members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kogi State Council, at the university's Felele Campus in Lokoja.

He disclosed that TETFund's contributions to university infrastructure have been commendable but fall short of what is required. "If you have a university like ours, and you are getting about N2.5 billion as the amount of intervention that comes from TETFund, that is huge. Although, there are other interventions that you have to lobby before you get. So, if government really wants university education to grow at the level of global direction, then we have to do more to assist the institutions," the vice chancellor stated.

Professor Ibileye identified inadequate laboratories, lecture theatres, road networks, transportation systems, and hostel accommodation as the most pressing challenges confronting the institution. He revealed that out of 30,000 students enrolled at the university, only 7,500 are accommodated in available on campus hostels, while the institution operates just four buses to serve its growing student population, the majority of whom reside off campus.

He urged the federal and state governments, private developers, and spirited individuals to support the university in addressing these gaps, and revealed that his administration recently visited Cairo, Egypt, to formalise academic partnerships. Federal University Lokoja is currently collaborating with the University of Cairo and institutions in the United States to expand its academic scope in line with global practices.

The vice chancellor reaffirmed his administration's commitment to media engagement, noting the establishment of a Directorate of Strategic Communication and Corporate Documentation. "I know the power of the media in promoting the image of the university. You have been doing well, and I urge you to sustain the tempo," he remarked.

Correspondents Chapel Chairman, Comrade Segun Salami, pledged the chapel's sustained support. "We will redouble our efforts in projecting the positive image of the university by upholding high standards of journalism for the success of the current administration," Salami assured.