Support private universities, Baze varsity VC urges govt

The Vice-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi.

The Vice-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, has called for greater government support for private universities, saying they contribute to the same national human-capital development goals as public institutions.

Adeniyi made the call on Monday in an interaction with journalists in Abuja, stressing that private universities face significant financial pressures in providing quality education, maintaining infrastructure and complying with regulatory requirements.

The VC said private universities should not be viewed purely as profit-making ventures, noting that the cost of establishing and sustaining academic programmes, recruiting qualified personnel, providing facilities and meeting regulatory standards was enormous.

He said, “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.”

Adeniyi argued that graduates of private universities ultimately join the same workforce and contribute 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, while commending the Executive Secretary of TETFund for initiatives aimed at including private universities in some of its research programmes.

He, however, called for more support, saying such interventions would strengthen the capacity of private universities to provide quality education and remain sustainable.

The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted Baze University’s strategic location in Abuja, saying its central position in the Federal Capital Territory makes it accessible to students from different parts of Nigeria.

According to him, the university was established about 15 years ago by its Founder and Chancellor, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, with the vision of redefining tertiary education in Nigeria and building an institution capable of competing with leading universities globally.

Adeniyi said the university had deliberately invested in maintaining a serene and conducive learning environment, while keeping its fees competitive despite receiving no direct government allocation.

He said Management of the institution has ensured compliance with regulatory requirements set by the National Universities Commission, NUC, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, and the Federal Ministry of Education.

He said Baze University was also strengthening its academic standards through the recruitment of scholars from different parts of the world and plans to introduce external examiners from abroad to assess the work of its faculties and provide recommendations based on global best practices.

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On research and development, Adeniyi described research as the “hallmark of development,” saying the university was building partnerships and programmes designed to deepen its research culture.

He said the institution was equally focused on producing graduates who could adapt to the changing demands of the labour market by combining their core academic disciplines with entrepreneurial and other transferable skills.

According to him, the university’s approach is informed by the changing nature of employment, where graduates increasingly work 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 its efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical and entrepreneurial skills, noting that the institution was not interested in producing graduates without the capacity to navigate the realities of the modern economy.

Adeniyi also dismissed perceptions that Baze University was primarily an institution for politicians, explaining that while 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 subregion, while efforts were ongoing to deepen collaborations with institutions and stakeholders in countries such as Sierra Leone and Kenya.

The VC said Baze University would continue to grow steadily and systematically while remaining guided by the requirements of its regulators and its broader commitment to Nigeria, Africa and the global community.

Private universities have become an increasingly important part of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, particularly as the country continues to grapple with pressure on public universities, inadequate infrastructure, overcrowding and the growing demand for university places.

Unlike federal and state-owned universities, private universities are largely financed by their proprietors and internally generated revenue. Their major sources of income include tuition and other student charges, accommodation and ancillary fees, endowments, donations, grants, research income and, in some cases, investments by their parent organisations.

A major distinction in the funding structure is that private universities generally do not enjoy the routine institutional interventions provided by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

TETFund describes itself as an intervention agency established to provide supplementary support to public tertiary institutions, using proceeds from the education tax paid by companies operating in Nigeria.