The Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Prof. Philip Oguntunde, has advised Nigerian parents against sending their children and wards abroad for undergraduate studies, warning that such a move could be counterproductive.

According to the vice-chancellor, such decisions often result in severe, unintended consequences, particularly the erosion of family bonds and cultural values.

Oguntunde, who spoke during a town-and-gown engagement with secondary school administrators at the university’s Ilara-Mokin campus, stated that his counsel is rooted in both professional observation and personal conviction.

The don said that he deliberately rejected two foreign education offers for his own children, insisting that they complete their first degrees in Nigeria, a decision, he maintains, has yielded no regrets.

He said that many parents who hurried to send their children overseas at a young age are now filled with deep regret, emphasising that behind the appeal of foreign education lies a growing issue of value loss, weakened family ties, and emotional disconnect between parents and their children.

“Allow your children and wards to acquire their first degree in Nigeria; otherwise, you may have unwittingly donated them to the devil. After their first degree, you can now release them to go abroad for further studies when they have attained a greater level of maturity.”

Oguntunde, who also highlighted the larger issue of brain drain, which he said, continues to drain Nigeria’s intellectual capital, insisted that the nation’s universities are well-equipped to provide quality foundational education.