By Jumoke Olaitan
The Vice-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, has called for greater government support for private universities to strengthen their contribution to national human capital development.
Adeniyi made the call on Monday when Education Correspondents visited the university in Abuja, stressing that private universities faced significant financial pressures in providing quality education, infrastructure and meeting regulatory requirements.
He said private universities should not be viewed solely as profit-making ventures, noting that the cost of recruiting qualified personnel, providing facilities, paying utilities and executing capital-intensive projects was enormous.
“Anybody who thinks it is a profit-making organisation is just making a mistake.
“Look at what it entails to hire staff, buy facilities, provide utilities and execute huge capital-intensive projects, it is difficult,” he said.
The vice-chancellor said graduates of private universities ultimately joined the same workforce and contributed to the Nigerian economy alongside graduates of public institutions.
“We are all citizens of this country. I don’t mind if TETFund wants to support us,” he said.
Adeniyi commended the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for initiatives aimed at involving private universities in some of its research programmes.
He, however, urged the government to extend such interventions, saying they would strengthen the capacity of private universities to provide quality education and remain sustainable.
The vice-chancellor said that Baze University was established about 15 years ago by its founder and Chancellor, Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed, to redefine tertiary education in Nigeria and compete with leading universities globally.
He said the university’s strategic location in Abuja made it accessible to students from different parts of the country.
Adeniyi said the institution had invested in maintaining a serene learning environment and keeping its fees competitive in spite of receiving no direct government allocation.
He said the university had also ensured compliance with regulatory requirements of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to him, Baze University is strengthening its academic standards through the recruitment of scholars from different parts of the world.
He said the institution also planned to introduce external examiners from abroad to assess the work of its faculties and make recommendations based on global best practices.
On research and development, Adeniyi described research as the “hallmark of development,” saying, “the university is building partnerships and programmes to deepen its research culture”.
He said the institution was also focused on producing graduates equipped to adapt to changing labour market demands by combining their academic disciplines with entrepreneurial and transferable skills.
Adeniyi said the university’s approach was informed by the changing nature of employment, where graduates increasingly worked across disciplines rather than strictly within the fields in which they obtained their degrees.
He cited Baze University’s partnership under the World Bank-supported IDEAS programme as part of efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical and entrepreneurial skills.
The vice-chancellor said the institution was not interested in producing graduates without the capacity to navigate the realities of the modern economy.
He also dismissed perceptions that Baze University was primarily an institution for politicians, saying although some politicians and senior professionals had enrolled, the university had a diverse student population.
He said the institution had students from Nigeria and other African countries, particularly within the West African sub-region.
He added that efforts were ongoing to deepen collaborations with institutions and stakeholders in countries such as Sierra Leone and Kenya.
Adeniyi said Baze University would continue to grow steadily and systematically while remaining guided by regulatory requirements and its commitment to Nigeria, Africa and the global community. (NAN)
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi