The Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Professor Oyedunni Sola Arulogun, and the Chancellor of Lead City University, Professor Gabriel Ogunmola, have called for the extension of intervention funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to private universities.
They made the call at a colloquium organised in honour of Professor Jide Owoeye at 70, where education stakeholders examined the evolving role of private sector participation in Nigeria’s higher education system.
Arulogun, who spoke on the theme, “Intervention Opportunities in Higher Education – Is the Private Sector Left Out?” argued that if higher education is truly regarded as the engine of national transformation, intervention mechanisms must be inclusive.
“If higher education is the engine of national transformation, intervention must be designed to serve all — both public and private universities,” she said.
According to her, private universities contribute significantly to access, infrastructure development and manpower training, yet are excluded from key funding interventions that could strengthen research, innovation and quality assurance.
She maintained that extending TETFund support to accredited private institutions would enhance research output, improve facilities and reduce pressure on public universities overwhelmed by rising enrolment.
Corroborating her position, Ogunmola said education funding should prioritise national interest over ownership structure.
“The money must serve the interest of all, both private and public universities,” he said, stressing that sustainable national development requires strengthening the entire tertiary ecosystem.
He noted that many private universities operate with limited access to intervention funds despite meeting regulatory standards, adding that inclusiveness would promote competitiveness and elevate overall academic quality.
Stakeholders at the event argued that the increasing demand for university education in Nigeria calls for diversified funding models and stronger public-private collaboration.
They emphasised that while private institutions are funded largely by proprietors and tuition, they remain integral to national human capital development and should not be sidelined in policy frameworks aimed at strengthening the sector.
The colloquium attracted vice-chancellors, former university administrators, scholars and policymakers, who agreed that broad-based funding support, innovation and sound governance remain central to repositioning Nigeria’s higher education system for global competitiveness.
