• Wants NELFUND, TETFund bursaries extended to them
• U.S., Canadian varsities to confer honorary degrees on Afe Babalola

The management of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has urged the Federal Government to stop marginalising private universities and extend benefits, including the NELFUND and TETFund bursaries, to them.

Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, appealed yesterday in Ado-Ekiti during a media briefing heralding the 14th convocation ceremony of the institution.

Olarinde said: “The Federal Government must be sensitive to private universities, as attention has only been focused on government universities. Private universities have been excluded from NELFUND and TETFund bursaries. They should extend these schemes to all universities.”

Meanwhile, Western University, Canada and Trinity International University, United States (U.S.), will honour Afe Babalola with honorary degrees during the grand finale of the convocation on October 21, 2026.

The vice-chancellor said the honorary degrees were intended to recognise Babalola’s contributions to legal scholarship, educational innovation, philanthropy, social development and leadership.

Also, the university will confer honorary Doctor of Letters degrees and honoris causa on three Nigerians: Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo; Chairman of Cavista Holdings, John Olajide; and business leader, Dr Rosemary Osula Mku-Atu.

The VC said the awards were intended to recognise their contributions to society and provide graduating students with examples of how professional accomplishments could be matched with service to humanity.

However, the convocation lecture, titled “Functional Education and the Nigeria Project: Strategic Human Capital Development for National Renewal,” will be delivered by Prof. Okonkwo.