Dr Yinka and Dr Eme from the University of Ibadan
Nigerian private universities will reduce their fees drastically if the Tertiary Education Trust Fund also funds their research and infrastructure development, vice-chancellors at the fifth convocation ceremony of the Joseph Ayo Babalola University said on 12 December.
JABU vice-chancellor Sola Fajana said private universities should be allocated a share of the Tetfund, a research and infrastructure fund for state universities and polytechnics.
“Instead of charging heavy taxes on private universities, the government should include private universities in the Tetfund fund,” he said, as they contribute two per cent of their revenue to the fund.
Private companies and universities are required to contribute two per cent of their revenue to the fund.
Fajana added: “The fees would greatly reduce if government includes private universities on the Tetfund allocations.”
Private universities charge fees of between 600,000 and 1.5 million naira (US$3,210 and US$8,025) per year, compared with the average of N50,000 that students pay in state universities.
Michael Ade Ojo, who founded the Elizade University, agreed with Fajana: “We have contributed and are still contributing immensely to the growth of the education sector and it is time the federal government recognises our effort by including us in the Tetfund system.”
Sulieman Bogoro, the executive secretary of the Tetfund, told Research Africa that he will report the private universities’ concern to the organisation’s board when it meets early next year but he doesn’t expect the remit of the fund to change in the foreseeable future.
(Story first apppeared on:http://www.researchresearch.com/index.php?option=com_news&template=rr_2col&view=article&articleId=1348951
This article was published in Research Professional, the UK’s leading independent source of news, analysis, funding opportunities and jobs for the academic research community.
Jackieopara 