Get Guardian on GoogleThe Vice-Chancellor of KolaDaisi University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Professor Olajumoke Morenikeji, on Monday urged the Federal Government to extend the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme to students in private universities, insisting that they deserve equal access to government-supported educational financing.
Morenikeji said students attending private universities were also Nigerians and should not be excluded from the scheme simply because of the ownership status of their institutions.
She made the appeal while addressing journalists ahead of the university’s 10th anniversary and sixth convocation ceremony, scheduled to hold between October 26 and November 5, 2026.
“The children in private institutions are also Nigerians,” the Vice-Chancellor said, questioning the capacity of public universities to accommodate the large number of candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
“But how many students can federal institutions take?” she asked, arguing that limited admission spaces in public universities had compelled some qualified candidates to seek admission into private institutions.
She maintained that attending a private university did not necessarily mean that a student’s parents were wealthy, explaining that some families opted for private institutions because their children could not secure admission into public universities.
According to her, the Federal Government should look beyond the ownership of universities and consider the circumstances of students when designing policies aimed at widening access to higher education.
She said extending educational loans to eligible students in private universities would give more Nigerians the opportunity to pursue their academic ambitions, irrespective of the institutions they attend.
The appeal came as KolaDaisi University prepares to graduate 224 students from 16 academic disciplines at its sixth convocation, the largest graduating class since the institution was established.
Morenikeji said the university had recorded steady growth in its graduating population, increasing from 52 students in 2021 to 92 in 2022, 123 in 2023, 159 in 2024 and 203 in 2025.
Of the 224 graduating students, 24 obtained First-Class degrees, 91 earned Second-Class Upper Division, 18 secured Second-Class Lower Division, while 29 graduated with Third Class degrees.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the university had secured full accreditation for 22 academic programmes.
She said its Law programme received accreditation from the Council of Legal Education in 2024, enabling its first set of graduates to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.
According to her, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria conducted an accreditation exercise for the university’s Nursing Science programme on August 31, 2026, while the institution was awaiting the outcome.
She added that preparations were underway for the accreditation of its Medical Laboratory Science programme.
Morenikeji also disclosed that the university had established a Centre for Open Science Research in Robotics, Computing and Artificial Intelligence through international funding to strengthen research, innovation and technological development.
The anniversary celebrations will feature a lecture by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on November 3, while Professor Ishaq Oloyede, immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, is expected to deliver the commencement address.
The programme will climax on November 5 with the formal award of degrees and prizes to the graduating students.
