The Vice-Chancellor of Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof Kabiru Adeyemo, on Monday, called on the Federal Government to incorporate private universities in the Tertiary Education Fund programme to enable them access facilities currently available to public institutions in the country.
He made this call at a press briefing, held at the institution premises, to mark the 20th anniversary of the university.
Adeyemo argued that students of private universities should be allowed to access loans while staff should be supported with grants for research purposes.
“My advice is that the Federal Government should encourage private universities by allowing them also to enjoy the facilities that most of these public universities do enjoy, especially in terms of TETFund.
“As the chairman of the committee of private universities in Nigeria, we have made our position known that private universities also should enjoy these facilities,” he said.
He added, “Our students should be allowed to access scholarships, which will assist them to offset some of their school fees. Apart from that, lecturers in private universities should also be allowed to enjoy these facilities, so that at the end of the day, they have a sense of belonging. At least, TETFund money is taxpayers’ money, and should not only be enjoyed by the public universities alone.”
He further appealed to the government to create an enabling environment for private universities for them to survive.
He said, “National Universities Commission, Federal Government and all other stakeholders must give private universities a very good motivation to be able to achieve academic excellence.”
On the achievements of the institution in the last 20 years, the VC said, “Our commitment to excellence is second to none. The members of staff are loyal to the system. Our teamwork, relationship, commitment, and unity of purpose sets us apart.
“We operate an open door policy, have zero tolerance for misconduct and we are student-friendly. We are not producing job-seekers, but wealth creators. All these set us apart from the rest.”
Adeyemo added that the programmes at the university have increased from 40 to about 120, promising not to lower the standard.
“We shall continue to maintain the standard and ensure that quality assurance that has been laid down by NUC and stakeholders is adhered to.
“The university’s expansion is driven by a vision to create a dynamic, inclusive, and innovative academic environment that empowers both students and staff for excellence.
“Our primary goal is to enhance the capacity, efficiency, and motivation of our workforce, ensuring they remain at the forefront of academic excellence, innovation, and service delivery,” he added.
