Professor Adedipe Urges Federal Government Funding of Private Universities

The Pro-Chancellor of Fountain University, Osogbo, Professor N.O. Adedipe, has called on the Federal Government to fund the private universities, arguing that the future of quality-assured access expansion lies mainly in them. 

Speaking at the 2013 Al-Hikmah University Convocation on the subject, “Strains and Stresses in the Nigerian University System: Sustainable Quality Assurance Prospects by Private Universities,” he observed that increasing student enrolment in the Federal, and to some extent, State Universities, is counter-productive as it would compromise the carrying capacity component of quality assurance.

Since the private universities charge tuition fees between N300,000 and N1,500,000, the  potential access enhancement is “actually unattainable” due to the high fees,” he said, following an exhaustive exploration of the history, structure and state of the sector today. 

“It is, therefore, logical for the Federal Government to make some “grant funding” to private universities to enable them expand access, or more appropriately, to fill the gaps. Increasing student enrolment in the Federal, and to some extent, State Universities, is counter-productive since this would compromise the carrying capacity component of quality assurance.”

He stressed that the Federal Government must now face the reality of the need for reasonable tuition fees, as practiced by State Universities.

The State Universities, he suggested, must now differentiate fees charged between “in-state” and “out-state” students as is the practice in the United States, and higher fees charged from foreign students in the UK.