Vice Chancellor of Lead City University, Ibadan, and Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Private Universities in Nigeria, Prof Kabiru Adeyemo, yesterday, called for Federal Government support, advocating for the inclusion of private universities as beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Adeyemo made the call at a press conference marking the 20th anniversary of the university in Ibadan.

The VC emphasised the need for the encouragement of the management and students of private universities, especially in the areas of loan access and others.

“My advice to the government is that the government should try to encourage private universities by allowing them to also enjoy the facilities that most of these public universities do enjoy, especially in terms of TETFUND.

“And as the chairman of the committee of private universities in Nigeria, we have made our position known that private universities also should enjoy these facilities.

“Our students should be allowed to access scholarships, which will assist them to offset some of their school fees”.

Apart from that, lecturers in private universities should also be allowed to enjoy these facilities, so that at the end of the day, they have a sense of belonging.”

The vice chancellor urged the government to create a very good and enabling environment for private universities for them to survive.