VC flays exclusion of private varsities from TETFUND

The Vice Chancellor of Redeemers University (RUN), Ede, Osun State, Prof. Debo Adeyewa, has condemned the exclusion of private universities from the benefits of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

Adeyewa described the omission as an aberration since all tertiary institutions were contributing to the nation’s manpower development.

TETFUND is responsible for the disbursement of education tax fund, which is collected from registered companies in the country to fund research in public tertiary institutions.

He said that the denial of the fund to private universities was inimical to the fulfillment of their teaching and research obligations.

The VC explained that the paucity of fund was responsible for the inability of most Nigerian universities to break new grounds in research.

He said: “Since TETFUND provides research funds to only public institutions, the private universities are forced to play a second fiddle, with the attendant negative implications on the quality of research in the country.

“Government should strategically provide the fund to all universities through a transparent process, to find solution to national challenges in line with international standards.”

He added that it was only when the fund was spread across both public and private universities that they would be encouraged to perform better and discourage mediocrity.