By Atoyebi Nike
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen, has restated the National Assembly’s commitment to improving university funding and protecting academic freedom.
Speaking at the University of Benin’s Faculty of Arts golden jubilee celebration, where he was honoured with the Distinguished Legislative Leadership award, Imasuen—represented by Orobosa Omo-Ojo—highlighted challenges in Nigeria’s higher education, including underfunding, brain drain, and strikes.
He noted his personal contributions, which include awarding 420 scholarships, covering JAMB fees for over 500 students, and providing vocational training for parents in Edo South. He also pledged to rebuild the Faculty’s Lecture Theatre and train 350 youths in boundary security.
The senator endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s Student Loan Act as a pathway to wider access to higher education, while experts at the event urged human-centred approaches in navigating the AI era.
