JABU urges FG to fund private universities through TETFUND

Professor Sola Fajana

The vice chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State Professor Sola Fajana, has called on the government to support private universities universities financially by “allowing them to benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund.”

The vice chancellor made the call while addressing a visiting team from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to the university recently, saying the general belief that private universities are profit-making organisations is wrong.

Professor Fajana told the delegation, who were at JABU for the pre-validation exercise of the proposed Distance Learning programme of the university, that private universities and the government are partners in the development of education in the country, citing instances from other parts of the world.

He added that public institutions alone cannot cater to the needs of the growing number of young people seeking admission all over the country, and noted that more private institutions ought, in fact, to be “established and empowered”.

“Our university is 10 years old, and virtually all infrastructural developments come from proprietors, donors and IGR (internally generated revenue) from school fees. All our efforts to enjoy municipal socially-provided services have been abortive, yet we have remained faithful in the discharge of corporate citizenship responsibilities.”

Speaking on the proposed Distance Learning programme of JABU, the vice chancellor said that the university had “left no stone unturned” in its efforts “to enhance and strengthen the programme for paramount delivery.”

He added: “We have applied for community radio licence; tele-conferencing is currently available in the ICT Centre and is being set up for the Distance Learning through synergistic collaborations.”

The leader of the NUC delegation, Professor Mohammed Abdul-Mumin, said they were at JABU to assist the university in identifying areas that need to be improved upon in the proposed Centre for Distance Learning.

David Olagunju