Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

JABU’s VC wants private varsities to benefit from TETFund

By Ujunwa Atueyi            
11 August 2016   |   1:21 am
Vice Chancellor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, Prof. Sola Fajana, has called on the Federal Government to fiscally assist privately-owned universities ...
Prof. Sola Fajana

Prof. Sola Fajana

Vice Chancellor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, Prof. Sola Fajana, has called on the Federal Government to fiscally assist privately-owned universities, by allowing them into the pool of schools qualified for funding by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

This according to him would not only financially empower private institutions in achieving their core mandates, but will also make education affordable for more Nigerians seeking higher education experience.

Addressing the visiting team of the National Universities Commission (NUC), which visited the institution recently for the pre-validation exercise of the proposed Distant Learning Programme (DLP), Fajana described as erroneous, the general supposition that private universities are for profit making.

He said it was high time the government understands that private and public universities remain partners in the educational development of the nation, as is also the case in developed countries.

The vice chancellor said the huge demand for education in the country could only be met if more private universities are established and empowered.

He said, “JABU is 10-year-old and virtually all infrastructural developments come from proprietors, donors and through our Internally Generated Revenues and school fees. All our efforts to enjoy municipal socially provided services have been abortive, yet we have remained faithful in the discharge of corporate citizenship responsibilities. Private universities should be allowed to benefit from TETFund.”

On the planned distance learning programme, he said the university has left no stone unturned in enhancing and strengthening the programme for maximum delivery and impact.

Leader of the NUC visiting team, Prof. Mohammed Abdul-Mumin , assured that the team was not in the university to witch-hunt, but to assist the university in identifying areas that need improvement in the proposed Centre for Distance Learning.

0 Comments