NAN-H-61
Universities
Ibadan, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) The operators of private universities in Nigeria say the quality of their products high in spite of the opinion that the reverse is the case.
The operators expressed the view in a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), the proprietor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, said the institution had invalidated the assumption that private universities were offering inferior education.
The legal luminary and former pro-chancellor of University of Lagos, said many students of the institution had won laurels on graduation.
“ In the last six years, the university has emerged the best college of law in West Africa, our students in the last Bar examination recorded two first class and 16 second class, upper division
“We are the first university in Nigeria to secure full accreditation for medicine within five years of our establishment.
“ We are the first university to secure full accreditation in nursing within five years, we are also the first university to secure 100 per cent success in its nursing examination as well as 100 per cent success in medical laboratory science examination in the country.
“The Nigerian Society of Engineers has just described our engineering programme as the template for engineering education in Nigeria.
”What is more, if quality education in private universities is low, how come we are always the best everywhere?’’ Babalola asked.
He said that the university took off with 600 students and currently had no fewer than 7,000 students.
A parent, Mr Julius Awodumila, said private universities remained the best option and alternative toward meeting the education demand of applicants.
Also, Mr Adebayo Olagunju, Public Relations Officer of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, said private schools were bridging the gap in admission of students.
Olagunju said so many people would have been denied access to education if not for the private institutions.
He said that even with the high fees in private universities, many students had continued to embrace private institutions as alternatives to the public institutions.
“We also have to employ very qualified teaching staff.
‘’This is more pronounced in private universities because NUC inspects them very thoroughly.
“It is not true that we admit only those students who can’t meet the stipulated UTME cut-off mark because all institutions are regulated by JAMB.
“And there are even some courses that require not less than 200 UTME score for admission and all our students are qualified.
“Private institutions don’t toy with their students; the lecturers are close to them, so they have ample time for their studies.
“Anyone who wants to make good grades has the opportunity to do so due to attention and the few number of students,’’ Olagunju said.
A Senior Lecturer at Fountain University, Osogbo, Dr Goke Lapade, said the consciousness in planning in private universities made them academically viable.
“Private universities in Nigeria make conducive environment a priority in the course of planning and this aids learning and makes it easier for students.
“Their environment is so conducive for learning, coupled with provision of education facilities.
“ This has contributed to higher turnout of first class graduates than what is obtainable in the public universities, ” he said.
He said efforts should be made to change the situation in public universities and make it more comfortable for students to achieve better performance.
Similarly, a Senior Lecturer with Osun State University, Osogbo, Dr Kayode Ajulo, said many private universities were committed to producing quality graduates because they received motivational salary package.
Mr Tajudeen Akinlabi, a Research Fellow at the College of Health Science, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, said the advantage of private universities was inherent promptness and exactness.
Akinlabi said majority of private universities graduates were excelling in the labour market because of the dynamism of learning structure on the campuses.
A graduate of accounting, Babcock Universiy, Mr Tobi Okinbaloye, said the private university authorities and students were more committed.
” You will not hear cases of social vices like cultism and robbery in private universities.
“In my view, the private universities are making positive impact on the education development efforts of the Federal Government,’’ he said.
A parent, Mrs Bose Adeyinka, dismissed the view that private universities students were lazy.
She said the standard of most private university graduates was better than those of the public universities.
“Private universities are equipped with professionals from across the world who had made their mark in different fields.
“So, those students have worked hard to obtain the first class grade they obtained as far as I am concerned,” Adeyinka said.
However, Prof. Jide Owoeye, the Chairman of the Governing Board of Lead City University, Ibadan, said private universities had not filled up to 50 per cent of their admission quota.
He said the population of students in private universities were not up to 10 per cent of their admission quota compared to public universities.
Owoeye said that the Nigerian university system with 152 institutions, including 69 private universities, could accommodate all qualified applicants.
He said JAMB in 2013/2014 queried many universities over unfilled admission quotas.
“Indeed, some universities could not fill up to five per cent of their approved carrying capacity.
“ In that period, only five out of 48 private universities filled up to 50 per cent of their approved admission quota.
“Only 27 out of 70 state government owned universities filled up to 50 per cent of their admission quota, while for the federal universities it was just 27 out of 60, ” Owoeye said. (NAN)
Reporters/OJO/JCE
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Edited by Mufutau Ojo/Chukwudi Ekezie