A don has advocated a new policy to encourage university-industry partnership on a systematic and mutually beneficial basis, for Nigeria to overcome the challenges in the education sector.

Prof. Abubakar Raheed, the Vice-Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano, suggested this while presenting a paper entitled: "Education, Petroleum Resource and Nigeria's quest for Development," at a public lecture in Zaria.

The lecture was organised by the Zazzau (Zaria) Education Development Association (ZEDA).

He said:"In fact, the entrepreneurship courses being run in the universities right now, function as key into a wider university-industry collaboration.

"Countries, such as Korea, had active university-industry partnerships since late 1980s as reported by the World Bank."

He stressed the need for governments at all levels to dedicate a certain percentage of funds for research and development activities in the universities. Rasheed called for constant review of the nation's universities' curricula to address skills gaps.

He described a university as the main agent of change across the globe.

The vice chancellor also lamented that some lecturers recycled lecture notes for more than 30 years, which, he said, was unhealthy for the growth and development of education.

lso speaking, Alhaji Abdullahi Nuhu-Bamalli, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of ZEDA, observed that Nigeria was not bereft of ideas.

Nuhu-Bamali said the problem with Nigeria was the lack of political will to get things going in the right direction.

He noted the magic of Malaysia's prosperity was political, hence the need for Nigeria to adopt the right approach to revamp its educational system