Wale Oke demands TETFund access for private varsities

Archbishop Wale Oke, the Founder and Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University, has called upon the Federal Government to extend the Tertiary Education Trust Fund's support to privately-owned tertiary institutions. Oke made this appeal during the university's fifth convocation ceremony, emphasizing that private universities contribute to the country's educational development by training Nigerian youths.

He argued that private universities should be eligible for TETFund interventions, as they also invest in the nation's future. The exclusion of private institutions from TETFund interventions, according to Oke, is unjustified, considering the fund's reliance on contributions from private-sector organizations and taxes collected from them.

The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Dr. Oke, noted that private universities have shown prudence in managing their resources despite having fewer financial resources than many public institutions. He further highlighted that the fund is established by private institutions and taxes, and the Federal Government collects tax from these institutions.

PCU Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Dapo Asaju, supported Oke's call, stating that private universities are making significant contributions to human capital development. Asaju described the exclusion of private institutions from TETFund interventions as a policy and legislative shortcoming.