The acting Vice-Chancellor, Elizade University, Ilara -Mokin , Ondo State, Professor Theophileus Oyeyemi Fadayemi , has appealed to the Federal Government to allow private universities to benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust (TET Fund) grants . Fadayemi made the appeal made at a press conference which was held at the university campus on Friday in preparation for the school’s 1st convocation ceremony. The VC said such intervention from the Federal Government would help in manpower development in private universities across the country. While noting that Education Trust Fund was set up by the Federal Government to assist the development of the Nigerian Higher Education System, decried a situation whereby it is only government-owned universities are allowed to accessed the funds “We appealed to the Federal Government to allow private universities to benefit from TETfUND which has been restricted to Federal universities. The private universities that are ready to go into research should be able to have access to TETfUND. “We have all the capacity here at Elizade University in terms of our commitment .What we are asking for is that they should give us access to TETFUND. ” Fadayemi said a total of 35 out of 64 students that was admitted as first set of students of the university on January 6,2013 ,will be graduating at the convocation. He said that five students had first class honours while 17 and 13 had second class upper division, second class lower division respectively. The VC also said all courses the school runs are fully accredited. “The 17 programmes presented for NUC ‘s accreditation with all the 17 having full accreditation status. ” he said.
Is the current quota system in the Nigerian public university system undermining the public sector higher education in favour of private universities which are not required to adhere to it? This is an increasingly topical debate in federal Nigeria, where the quota system – in operation since its inclusion in the constitution in 1979 – affects all public institutions across the country, including public universities, governing not only student admissions, but staff recruitment, appointments and promotions. The debate was re-opened in December last year when Nigerian Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was reported to have emphasised the importance of merit. At the conferment of the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award on two professors – environmental scientist Omowunmi Sadiq and poet Tanure Ojaide – he reportedly said the nation had placed quota before merit which “we know does not work”. While originally intended to address differences in socio-economic and educational development am
Education in Nigeria is nothing to write home about. The present standard is at its lowest level. Good enough, the Christian private universities have contributed, in no small measure, to the raising of the standard. However, we should ask ourselves if these private universities are meeting the needs of those who really want to acquire qualitative education but are limited financially?
Similarly, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has licensed several private universities based on the population of prospective applicants for admission. The driving force of the decisions of the NUC has been the need to broaden access to university education regardless of the consequence on the quality of university education. In the end, several public and private universities have consistently failed to meet the requirements for accreditation by the NUC, putting students in dire situations.
Nigerian university students have united under the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and have protested in the streets of Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State’s capital, demanding that the federal government yield to the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).