Support private universities, Baze varsity VC urges govt

Baze University's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, has urged the Nigerian government to provide greater support for private universities, stating they play a crucial role in national human-capital development goals alongside public institutions. Adeniyi highlighted the significant financial pressures private universities face in providing quality education, infrastructure maintenance, and regulatory compliance, emphasizing that their contributions to the Nigerian economy are just as vital as those of public universities.

He criticized misconceptions that private universities are profit-making ventures and stressed the immense costs involved in establishing and sustaining academic programs, personnel recruitment, facilities provision, and regulatory adherence. Adeniyi also commended the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TETFund) for its initiatives to include private universities in research programs but called for more support, asserting that such interventions would enhance the capacity of private universities to deliver quality education and ensure their sustainability.