Treat Public and Private Tertiary Institutions equally, Adedoyin Urges Government

Dr. Ramon Adedoyin 

One of the major stakeholders in tertiary education in Nigeria, who is the Chancellor of the prestigious Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, in Ife North Local Government and founder, The Polytechnic, Ile-Ife as well as other institutions abroad, His Royal Eminence, Prince (Dr) Ramon Adegoke Atobatele Adedoyin has once again reiterated his call for the federal government to treat all existing public and private universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions equally as they are all assisting the governments at the different levels in the responsibility of providing qualitative education for the entire citizenry.

Dr Adedoyin was responding to a statement credited to the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Prof Elias Bogoro that just as insisted by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the agency is focusing more on funding public institutions than private institutions because 94% of the student population in Nigerian institutions is on admission in public institutions.

The Professor had noted that though, according to National Universities Commission figures, there are 79 private universities and 90 public universities as well as other institutions of higher learning consisting of polytechnics and colleges of education with both having a combined student population of about 1.9 million, the admission figures however showed students’ preference for public institutions which resulted in the 94% population in public institutions.

This according to the Executive Secretary, this is why TETFund decided to focus its attention on public institutions to the detriment of private ones, a position Dr Adedoyin has repeatedly faulted. According to Dr Adedoyin, TETFund is not fair to the private universities and polytechnics with their exclusion.

Adedoyin noted that there are many private universities and polytechnics but fewer numbers of candidates seeking admission, not because they do not want to be admitted into private institutions, but because most candidates cannot afford the fees charged by them adding that most candidates would have even preferred private institutions because of their stable and uninterrupted academic programmes.

“Most of the private universities and polytechnics cannot meet the admissions quotas by JAMB because Nigerians students cannot afford to go to private schools.  Government should give out scholarships to Nigerians who want to study in Nigerian schools” he said.

In his opinion, Adedoyin said the Federal Government should treat all the existing tertiary institutions equally, whether federal, state or private and allow them to charge whatever fees they liked, but should take up the responsibility of the payment of the tuition on behalf of the students into the purses of such universities.

The tertiary institutions’ management, according to him, will therefore be able to pay for the expenses of running the institutions like payment of salaries, purchase of equipments, building and maintenance of infrastructure. “These are what we do-at the private schools, imagine the degree of development many private institutions now.”

He urged the Federal Government to stop the allocation of budgets to public tertiary institutions and allow them to function autonomously like their private counterparts and develop at their own pace rather than relying hundred percent on the government for funding.

Dr Adedoyin emphasized the need to reposition the Nigerian tertiary education system for global competitiveness in the 21st century, adding that increased funding was critical to achieve this repositioning as government alone can not single-handedly fund the tertiary educational system and pull it out of its current doldrums in spite of its best efforts and intentions.

He pointed out that tertiary institutions must explore new sources of funding, such as grants from local and multilateral agencies and joint venture investments.

He also urged tertiary institutions to explore facilities in the capital market, research endowments from industries, and alumni endowments among others.