| From: Noel Ihebuzor Sent: Saturday, 23 December 2017 06:05 To: Toyin Falola Cc: Femi Mimiko; usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com; babsowoeye@gmail.com; Wariz Alli; ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com; Tunji Olaopa; Akinjide OUNTOKUN; Ebunoluwa Oduwole; Orogun Olanike; Femi_Osofisan Osofisan; Bolaji Akinyemi; Lanre Idowu; Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso; Wale Adebanwi; mvickers@mvickers.plus.com; Paul Nwulu; Adigun Agbaje; Tale Omole; Odia Ofeimun; Tade Akin Aina; M Insa Nolte; r-joseph@northwestern.edu; Bolaji Ogunseye; Prof. Ayobami T. Salami; Olufunke Adeboye; nimi; chibuzonwoke@yahoo.com; Christian Ogbondah; profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com; hafsatabiola@hotmail.com; laioso@ymail.com; boyeyinka@hotmail.com; rotimisuberu@yahoo.com; Willy Fawole; Hassan Saliu; Jinmi Adisa; Chukwuma, Innocent; Prof. Lere Amusan; paddykay2002@yahoo.com; toksx@yahoo.com; Tunde Babawale; david atte; Prof Ogunmola Ogunmola; Attahiru Jega; adebayow@hotmail.com; jadesany@yahoo.co.uk; S.O. UWAIFO; Bunmi Makinwa; Niyi Akinnaso; Niyi Osundare; Prof Eghosa E. OSAGHAE; Prof Olufemi VAUGHAN; Prof Osinbajo; Ayo Banjo; Prof Bolanle Awe; Prof. Adeola Adenikinju; Prof. Ademola Oyejide; madeyeye2002@yahoo com; May; Akinlawon Mabogunje; Toks Olaoluwa; Esther Oluwaseun Idowu; Adebayo Olukoshi; Femi Babatunde UI PhD Candidate UI; Chief Femi Fani Kayode; Felix Adenaike; Francis Onaiyekan; friday Okonofua; Femi Falana Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: Prof Olukotun's column |
Sir:
Wonderful ideas.
I once contacted two Vice-chancellors to let us meet, and then present a set of guidelines to the Vice President.
Is there a way we can set up a think-tank to come up with a policy paper?
TF
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://groups.google.com/
group/USAAfricaDialogue
From: Femi Mimiko <femi.mimiko@gmail.com>
Date: Friday, December 22, 2017 at 3:46 PM
To: Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu>
Cc: dialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com >, "babsowoeye@gmail.com" <babsowoeye@gmail.com>, Wariz Alli <alliwo@yahoo.co.uk>, "ayo_olukotun-yahoo.com" <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>, Tunji Olaopa <tolaopa2003@gmail.com>, Akinjide OUNTOKUN <josuntokun@yahoo.com>, Ebunoluwa Oduwole <ebunoduwole2k2@yahoo.com>, Orogun Olanike <dam_nik@yahoo.com>, Femi_Osofisan Osofisan <okinbalaunko@yahoo.com>, Bolaji Akinyemi <rotaben@gmail.com>, Lanre Idowu <lanreidowu@gmail.com>, Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso <jumoyin@gmail.com>, Wale Adebanwi <waleadebanwi@gmail.com>, Vickers Vickers <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com>, Paul Nwulu <p.nwulu@fordfoundation.org>, Adigun Agbaje <adigunagbaje@yahoo.com>, Tale Omole <taleomole@yahoo.com>, Odia Ofeimun <odia55@yahoo.com>, Tade Akin Aina <tadeakinaina@yahoo.com>, M Insa Nolte <M.I.Nolte@bham.ac.uk>, "r-joseph@northwestern.edu" <r-joseph@northwestern.edu>, Bolaji Ogunseye <erinje@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Ayobami T. Salami" <ayobasalami@yahoo.com>, adeboye Adeboye <funks29adeboye@yahoo.co.uk>, nimi <nimiwari@msn.com>, "chibuzonwoke@yahoo.com" <chibuzonwoke@yahoo.com>, Christian Ogbondah <chris.ogbondah@uni.edu>, "profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com" <profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com>, "hafsatabiola@hotmail.com" <hafsatabiola@hotmail.com>, "laioso@ymail.com" <laioso@ymail.com>, "boyeyinka@hotmail.com" <boyeyinka@hotmail.com>, "rotimisuberu@yahoo.com" <rotimisuberu@yahoo.com>, Willy Fawole <fawolew@yahoo.com>, Hassan Saliu <hassansaliu2003@gmail.com>, Jinmi Adisa <jinmiadisa@gmail.com>, "Chukwuma, Innocent" <innocent.chukwuma@fordfoundation.org >, "Prof. Lere Amusan" <lereamusan@gmail.com>, "paddykay2002@yahoo.com" <paddykay2002@yahoo.com>, "toksx@yahoo.com" <toksx@yahoo.com>, "tunde_babawale-yahoo.com" <tunde_babawale@yahoo.com>, Noel Ihebuzor <noel.ihebuzor@gmail.com>, david atte <david_atte@yahoo.com>, Prof Ogunmola Ogunmola <gbogunmola@gmail.com>, Attahiru Jega <attahirujega@yahoo.com>, "adebayow@hotmail.com" <adebayow@hotmail.com>, "jadesany@yahoo.co.uk" <jadesany@yahoo.co.uk>, "S.O. UWAIFO" <so_uwaifo@yahoo.co.uk>, Bunmi Makinwa <bunmimakinwa@hotmail.com>, Niyi Akinnaso <niyi.tlc@gmail.com>, Niyi Osundare <oosunda1@uno.edu>, "Prof Eghosa E. OSAGHAE" <osaghaeeghosa@yahoo.co.uk>, vaughan <ovaughan@bowdoin.edu>, Prof Osinbajo <yemiosinbajo@yahoo.com>, Ayo Banjo <profayobanjo@yahoo.com>, Prof Bolanle Awe <bolanleawe2003@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Adeola Adenikinju" <adeolaadenikinju@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Ademola Oyejide" <oyejide@isgpp.com.ng>, "madeyeye2002@yahoo com" <madeyeye2002@yahoo.com>, May <mayortk@yahoo.com>, Akinlawon Mabogunje <mabogunje1931@yahoo.com>, Toks Olaoluwa <olaoluwatokunboh@gmail.com>, Esther Oluwaseun Idowu <bethelidowu@gmail.com>, Adebayo Olukoshi <olukoshi@gmail.com>, Femi Babatunde UI PhD Candidate UI <ofemibabatunde@yahoo.com>, Chief Femi Fani Kayode <ffk2011@aol.com>, Felix Adenaike <felixadenaike@yahoo.com>, Francis Onaiyekan <fonaiyekan@yahoo.com>, friday Okonofua <feokonofua@yahoo.co.uk>, Femi Falana <falanafemi15@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: Prof Olukotun's column
Prof. Olukotu's piece on the state of university education in Nigeria is quite thought provoking. Borokini Owoeye's intervention – coming from the practical plain, is also engaging. Same goes for TF's attempt at further contextualizing the discussion. My take: it is not unexpected that in the context of the relative novelty of the private university concept in Nigeria, their share of the student population hovers at a low seven percent. This narrow subscriber base would of course begin to grow as some reforms are put in place to address the obvious disparity in the fee regimes in the three categories of universities in the country. This pattern also be expected to further emerge as the private universities build capacity in the years ahead, in the delivery of university education. They may thereby begin to earn the confidence of the Nigerian elite population that is actually yet to accept private university education as credible. I, therefore, do not fully subscribe to Olukotun's advocacy that registration of new private universities should be halted. As long as the university system in Nigeria admits only 20% of subscribers, the nation must continue to embrace whatever has some potentials of expanding access. What needs to be done is to ensure that those that get issued licenses to set up private universities are first, individuals and corporate bodies that have some purchase on school administration – at whatever level, not just those who are able to come up with the requisite funding, important too as this is. Secondly, they should be individuals who are not going into this industry strictly for the profit motive. The truth is that return on investment in this specialized, and very capital intensive sector may not come in quite easily, and certainly not early enough to give fulfillment to whoever is in it for the narrow profit motive.
That said, I also do not think it is in order to expect that public funds be thrown at private, yes, private universities, otherwise, the same argument has to be made for all forms of private businesses, from the very micro to really big ones. What needs to be done, and we have advocated this severally, is to make funds available to trainee faculty in private universities, as it is done via TETFund in public universities, to enable them undertake postgraduate training in universities of their choice. By so doing, the community of PhD holders in the nation's tertiary educational system gets built up. It does not matter that the new PhDs work for private universities, what is important is to have their knowledge put at the service of the nation. Secondly, every license seeker must articulate quite clearly a programme of sponsorship of postgraduate training, in older universities, for the junior academics they must engage, over specific periods of time. Thirdly, a robust scholarship/loan scheme should be made available for all intending entrants into the tertiary educational system, such that everyone would be able to access enough funds to support their desire for education in whichever type of university they choose, public or private. Doing this would also make us to come to terms with a reality that is starring us in the face, but which we are unfortunately too timid to admit. It is that the idea of free tuition in the federal universities is just not working in this clime. When government insists on making university education tuition free, and yet perfunctorily funds same, what you find is the type of crisis that our tertiary institutions have come to represent, emblematized by the highly dysfunctional instability in their academic calendar, and general operations. A tour of what passes as hostels in the average federal university in Nigeria, for instance, would demonstrate to you clearly the unserious nature of a nation that expects great citizenship from youths that are made to pass through such facilities.
So, in summary: put in a number of critical reforms, while registering more private universities. Secondly, empower more candidates to be able to pay their way through university by putting in place a robust loan scheme, well-administered, and very well funded. Thirdly, provide funding to new entrants into the academic profession to enable many of them train for the PhD, regardless of which category of universities they are affiliated with. Fourthly, find a creative way of exiting this pretense about free tuition in the nation's federal universities. Added to these are all other issues relating to making the curriculum more relevant, ensuring that the universities are professionally administered, and very well resourced, and get fully engaged with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
On Dec 22, 2017, at 8:26 PM, Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu
> wrote:
Okey:
I like your take in relation to revenue generation and its distribution.
However, we still need one data which requires a lot of work: inter and intra regional monetary flow.
Illustration: if Gombe receives its monthly allocation from Abuja, and after stealing its share in corrupt governance, salaries are paid and other disbursements. The data we need, which we must collect:
1. What is the component of the resources that are not derived from oil recycling?
2. When those who collect from oil revenues spend the money, who collects that money from them?
I want to assume that a city like Lagos has a greater share of that flow.
This data is crucial to affirm a number of collateral assumptions.
I cannot just look at your raw monthly income. If your mortgage is paid to a white person, your car note to a white person, your grocery to a white person, then you are a conduit between your university and white businesses.
The tragedy of the Niger Delta is multiple: not just losing resources from the 15th century, but the flow to it may not be big enough to offset the loss.
TF
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 22, 2017, at 1:11 PM, Okey Iheduru <okeyiheduru@gmail.com> wrote:Other Matters Arising from the Proliferation of Universities:
1). Who will pay for the subsidization of students in or of private universities? Just like Nigeria's recent history of economic development, the Niger Delta would have to, once again, bank-roll government subsidies of private business ventures overwhelmingly concentrated between Ogun State and Oyo States, with nine in just one state alone. I wish those saturating the airwaves and cyberspace with demand for this unconscionable continued "taking" behind the mask of federal government would devote a tenth of their advocacy to the environmental crimes in the Niger Delta that produced--and is still producing -- this "national cake."
2). The Federal Character Implications, Version 3.0: In 1978, JAMB was used to create a policy allocating 40% of university admissions to the "catchment area", 20% for merit, and 30% for "federal character", and 10% "friends of the university." The Southwest (SW) had three federal universities (UI, Ife and Lagos) at the time, and were therefore "entitled" to 40% of university places in each of the three universities. They had the 10% "friends" spots pretty much all to themselves, and of course received over 70% of the remaining 50% of placements in these universities.
The SE at the time had just one university (UNN) where students from the SW also competed for 50% of the admissions, resulting in about 35-40% of undergraduates at UNN between 1978 and 1990 being from the SW (according to some estimates). The universities in Port Harcourt and Calabar, and to a large extent Uniben, ABU and Unijos, had similar demographics.
Assume for illustration purposes that each university enrolled 20,000 students. The SE and South-South each would have had a mere 8,000 students as "catchment area" admits for their sole universities --UNN and Uniport and Uniben, respectively; whereas the SW would have had 24,000 "catchment area" admits from the three universities in their neighborhood--UI, Unilag and Ife. If you add the SW shares from 20% merit, 30% federal character, and 10% friends of the university allocations, the massive inequity that this policy created and sustained for over 30 years becomes glaring.
There has not been any uproar about this because the state was using resources derived largely from one region of the country to finance this huge leg-up consequently gained by one region over the others. The same beneficiaries of this massive robbing of Peter to pay Paul policy now have the audacity to call on the federal government to subsidize their private business. One is reminded of the Indigenization Program of 1972 where a similar dynamic of state-facilitation of private business ownership permanently changed the geo-ethnic character of Nigerian business. Who says we don't need a biased state in national development?
3). The Ethnicity of Professorships: Previous commentaries have decried the inevitable promotion of unqualified staff to professorships with the proliferation of private universities. The reality, of course, is that "once a professor, always a professor" obtains in Nigeria, irrespective of quality. Another reality is that in any competition for federal character-related policy or feeding trough where the requisite qualification is a Professorship, you can't be a candidate if you're not a professor, your quality or your opinion of your academic credentials notwithstanding. Now, where every glorified secondary school is manufacturing and/or in-breeding more and more professorships every year -- and where these professorships have such glaring geo-ethnic concentration-- the consequence is often unfair advantages going in the same direction. If only these universities are pioneering novel ideas or contributing meaningfully to national development, these questions would be mute.
Finally, whereas the above points might sound provocative and or "divisive", they certainly have a bearing on the deafening advocacy for federal subsidization of private universities in Nigeria. We ignore them at our peril.
On Fri, Dec 22, 2017 at 3:31 AM, Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu
> wrote: Dear all:
Thanks to Professors Olukotun and Owoeye for generating remarkable ideas on our private universities. I want to advance the issues and arguments.
Issues for considerations:
- If the government does not ask people to set up private universities, why should it contribute money to it?
- If the government gives subvention, would it not interfere in internal governance? For instance, Babcock makes its rules, as in dress codes. Suppose Babcock takes money from Abuja, how does it stop Abuja from intervening in its affairs?
- Would government have representatives on the councils of private universities?
- Citizenship: is there a social contract that includes education? In this social contract, must there be a division between private and public schools in terms of overall allocation of state resources?
- Public good: When you educate citizens, is it for the benefits of the citizens or for the public? If for the public, should resources not be diverted to the private universities as well?
- Globalization: Should private schools not be part of an agenda of sub-regional power or of resource generation? I once argued at Sokoto that the Sokoto State University should be the hub to serve Niger, Mali, Gambia and other countries?
- Market: Should we allow the market to control the worth of the certificates and thus allocate prestige and resources accordingly?
- Fees: On fees, there are two problems: 1. Parents who complain about fees at the university level have paid far more, in some instances, in preparing children in private elementary and high schools. If you paid N1 million at Olasore high school at Iluku, and heavy dollar in Lagos, why complain about fees at Lead City? 2. Our people now go to Ukraine, Malaysia, Poland, Turkey, Cyprus where they pay high fees. Why can't this set of people pay at Covenant?
- From the preceding, could this be that people are not complaining about the fees but about rejecting the Nigerian education system? In this rejection, are they responding to delay in completion due to the fact that services are substandard in the country. Private schools must provide electricity, better hostel conditions, security, access roads, etc., all of which consume resources and must be paid for. I happen to know that a number of private universities are heavily indebted to banks. In one instance that I was involved, the university was owing over a billion naira.
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://groups.google.com/
group/USAAfricaDialogue
From: Jide Owoeye <babsowoeye@gmail.com>
Date: Friday, December 22, 2017 at 3:57 AM
To: Warisu Alli <alliwo@yahoo.co.uk>
Cc: "ayo_olukotun-yahoo.com" <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>, Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu>, dialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@ googlegroups.com >, Tunji Olaopa <tolaopa2003@gmail.com>, Akinjide OUNTOKUN <josuntokun@yahoo.com>, Ebunoluwa Oduwole <ebunoduwole2k2@yahoo.com>, Orogun Olanike <dam_nik@yahoo.com>, Femi_Osofisan Osofisan <okinbalaunko@yahoo.com>, Bolaji Akinyemi <rotaben@gmail.com>, Lanre Idowu <lanreidowu@gmail.com>, Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso <jumoyin@gmail.com>, Wale Adebanwi <waleadebanwi@gmail.com>, Vickers Vickers <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com>, Paul Nwulu <p.nwulu@fordfoundation.org>, "adigunagbaje@yahoo.com" <adigunagbaje@yahoo.com>, "taleomole@yahoo.com" <taleomole@yahoo.com>, Odia Ofeimun <odia55@yahoo.com>, Tade Akin Aina <tadeakinaina@yahoo.com>, M Insa Nolte <M.I.Nolte@bham.ac.uk>, "r-joseph@northwestern.edu" <r-joseph@northwestern.edu>, Bolaji Ogunseye <erinje@yahoo.com>, Ayobami Salami <ayobasalami@yahoo.com>, adeboye Adeboye <funks29adeboye@yahoo.co.uk>, nimi <nimiwari@msn.com>, "chibuzonwoke@yahoo.com" <chibuzonwoke@yahoo.com>, Christian Ogbondah <chris.ogbondah@uni.edu>, "profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com" <profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com>, "hafsatabiola@hotmail.com" <hafsatabiola@hotmail.com>, "laioso@ymail.com" <laioso@ymail.com>, "boyeyinka@hotmail.com" <boyeyinka@hotmail.com>, "rotimisuberu@yahoo.com" <rotimisuberu@yahoo.com>, "fawolew@yahoo.com" <fawolew@yahoo.com>, Hassan Saliu <hassansaliu2003@gmail.com>, Jinmi Adisa <jinmiadisa@gmail.com>, "Chukwuma, Innocent" <innocent.chukwuma@fordfoundation.org >, mimikofemi <mimikofemi@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Lere Amusan" <lereamusan@gmail.com>, "paddykay2002@yahoo.com" <paddykay2002@yahoo.com>, "toksx@yahoo.com" <toksx@yahoo.com>, "tunde_babawale-yahoo.com" <tunde_babawale@yahoo.com>, Noel Ihebuzor <noel.ihebuzor@gmail.com>, david atte <david_atte@yahoo.com>, Prof Ogunmola Ogunmola <gbogunmola@gmail.com>, Attahiru Jega <attahirujega@yahoo.com>, "adebayow@hotmail.com" <adebayow@hotmail.com>, "jadesany@yahoo.co.uk" <jadesany@yahoo.co.uk>, "S.O. UWAIFO" <so_uwaifo@yahoo.co.uk>, Bunmi Makinwa <bunmimakinwa@hotmail.com>, Niyi Akinnaso <niyi.tlc@gmail.com>, Niyi Osundare <oosunda1@uno.edu>, "Prof Eghosa E. OSAGHAE" <osaghaeeghosa@yahoo.co.uk>, vaughan <ovaughan@bowdoin.edu>, Prof Osinbajo <yemiosinbajo@yahoo.com>, Ayo Banjo <profayobanjo@yahoo.com>, Prof Bolanle Awe <bolanleawe2003@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Adeola Adenikinju" <adeolaadenikinju@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Ademola Oyejide" <oyejide@isgpp.com.ng>, Michael Adeyeye <madeyeye2002@yahoo.com>, May <mayortk@yahoo.com>, Akinlawon Mabogunje <mabogunje1931@yahoo.com>, Toks Olaoluwa <olaoluwatokunboh@gmail.com>, Esther Oluwaseun Idowu <bethelidowu@gmail.com>, Adebayo Olukoshi <olukoshi@gmail.com>, Femi Babatunde UI PhD Candidate UI <ofemibabatunde@yahoo.com>, Chief Femi Fani Kayode <ffk2011@aol.com>, Felix Adenaike <felixadenaike@yahoo.com>, Francis Onaiyekan <fonaiyekan@yahoo.com>, friday Okonofua <feokonofua@yahoo.co.uk>, Femi Falana <falanafemi15@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Prof Olukotun's column
Ayo
This is not just being thoughtful but very accurate . it is ironic that we are creating more fee paying universities when the existing ones are barely meeting their admission quotas. some provate universities do not feel up to 20 percent of their admission qouta. meanwhile overcrowding continues unabated in free tuition federal and low tuition state universities. The panacea seems to me the need to stop the discrimination against students approaching fee paying universities by including them in subvention enjoyed by their counterparts in govt universities to ease the pain of high tuition in an environment of generalised poverty and considering the social cost of leaving behind a large army of qualified applicants
Again we must correct the spurious perceptions that private universities overcharge especially given the great fee disparity among them thus giving people a choice. in fact course fees generally range from 150k to 800k. In state universities it ranges from 70k to 350k. In federal universities tuition fee is zero. So logically you are going to be having all or more students heading for federal and then state universities but avoiding unsubsidised tution in private universities.
Don't let us forget that free or low tuition simply means the tax payers that is you and me are bearing the burden. I remember that about ten years ago NUC gave a figure of 750k as what govt pays on every student in the Federal universities. Heavy subvention to remove tuition or lower it is an opportunity cost . Thus in actual fact no university is free in the real sense . someone is footing the bill witingly or otherwise.
In sum money should be made available to all willing and able Nigerians to attend universities of their choice irrespective of xter of proprietorship. It is only then that fee paying private and state universities can fulfill the policy expectation to open wider access for higher education. After all we all pay tax irrespective of weather our kids are in govt or private universities. It is in that way that the mere seven percent population can increase to stem the currently poor access in spite of large numbers of available universities. The Nigerian university system as it is today has enough space for all those craving for acess not just from within but even from the entire west african sub region. The key is finding the funding to pay tuition where govt financial support is absent. We must think about this.
Jide Owoeye
On 22 Dec 2017 3:09 AM, "Warisu Alli" <alliwo@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Thank you Professor for a very thought provoking piece on the state of our university system.
It is true that many of our private cannot fill their classrooms with the required number of students. This I learnt is largely due to the high fees charged by the universities. In fact many of them loose the students they have attracted soon after registration because the students are unable to raise the money to pay the balance of the fees.
I found it troubling that universities in some countries (UK, Canada, Ghana and increasingly East African states of Kenya and Uganda and others) organise annual admission campaigns, targeting Nigeria as source of students and income. This would suggest that the higher education market in Nigeria is still far from being saturated and more private, faith-based, and public (federal, state and community-owned) universities are still needed. We should also understand that education is an industry, with all the implications that come with that fact.
The challenges however, are in strengthening the policy framework for their establishment and governance to ensure higher standard and lower fee schedule to attract the millions of our youth who are desirous of university education. If we can invest in these measures, we will be investing in our own economy instead of funding the education industry in other countries.
Sent from my BlackBerry 10
smartphone.
From: ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, 21 December 2017 16:48
To: Ayo Olukotun
Cc: toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu; dialogue; Tunji Olaopa; Akinjide OUNTOKUN; Ebunoluwa Oduwole; Orogun Olanike; ofemibabatunde@yahoo.com; Femi_Osofisan Osofisan; Bolaji Akinyemi; Lanre Idowu; Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso; Wale Adebanwi; mvickers@mvickers.plus.com; Paul Nwulu; adigunagbaje@yahoo.com; taleomole@yahoo.com; Odia Ofeimun; Tade Akin Aina; babsowoeye@gmail.com; M Insa Nolte; r-joseph@northwestern.edu; Bolaji Ogunseye; Ayobami Salami; Olufunke Adeboye; nimi; chibuzonwoke@yahoo.com; Christian Ogbondah; profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com; hafsatabiola@hotmail.com; laioso@ymail.com; boyeyinka@hotmail.com; rotimisuberu@yahoo.com; fawolew@yahoo.com; Hassan Saliu; Jinmi Adisa; Chukwuma, Innocent; mimikofemi; Prof. Lere Amusan; paddykay2002@yahoo.com; toksx@yahoo.com; tunde_babawale@yahoo.com; Noel Ihebuzor; david atte; Prof Ogunmola Ogunmola; Attahiru Jega; adebayow@hotmail.com; jadesany@yahoo.co.uk; S.O. UWAIFO; Bunmi Makinwa; Niyi Akinnaso; Niyi Osundare; toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu; Prof. Lere Amusan; Prof Eghosa E. OSAGHAE; Prof Olufemi VAUGHAN; Prof Osinbajo; Prof. W.O. Alli; Ayo Banjo; Prof Bolanle Awe; Prof. Adeola Adenikinju; Prof. Ademola Oyejide; mimikofemi; Michael Adeyeye; Bunmi Makinwa; May; Akinlawon Mabogunje; Toks Olaoluwa; Esther Oluwaseun Idowu; Toks Olaoluwa; Wale Adebanwi; Adebayo Olukoshi; adebayow@hotmail.com; Femi Babatunde UI PhD Candidate UI; Femi_Osofisan Osofisan; Chief Femi Fani Kayode; Felix Adenaike; Francis Onaiyekan; friday Okonofua; Femi Falana
Subject: Fw: Prof Olukotun's column
Sent from my BlackBerry 10
smartphone.
From: ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, 21 December 2017 12:56
To: Ayo Olukotun
Subject: Fw: Prof Olukotun's column
Sent from my BlackBerry 10
smartphone.
From: grace omoshaba <gmso2002@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, 21 December 2017 12:47
To: Ayo_olukotun-yahoo. Com; ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com
Reply To: grace omoshaba
Subject: Prof Olukotun's column
Private University Licences And Policy Vacuum
By Ayo Olukotun
On Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council approved, on the recommendation of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the provisional licensing of 6 new private universities bringing the number of private universities in the country to 74. Each time a new private university is licensed, the decision is justified on the ground that there is a need to widen access to higher education for Nigerian youths, many of whom, the argument runs, are cheated out of university admission by restrictions of space.
To put the issue in context, it should be noted that there are now 40 universities owned by the Federal Government, 46 belonging to state governments and 74 privately owned universities. According to the Executive Secretary of the NUC , Prof Abubakar Rasheed, the commission is currently contemplating 200 new applications for more private universities, which suggest that the educational landscape will soon be revolutionized for good or for ill, by the predominance of privately owned universities. Although there is scant evidence that policymaking in Nigeria is influenced by focused policy debate, it is important to bring to public awareness some of the underlying issues in the mushrooming of private universities. Please note that 90% of the existing private universities do not fill their student quota, while the number of private universities put together only have 7% of the student population in our universities. So, If the existing ones are undersubscribed, what is the rationale for establishing new ones?
It is easy to see why the private universities are undersubscribed. They are priced way out of the reach of the average Nigerian, and no form of scholarship or subsidy exists for students who may choose for reasons of better teaching effectiveness for example, to attend them. In other words, not only is the wider access objective based on questionable statistics, it is not backed up by resource allocation. That is not all. All the private universities offer a similar menu of courses, maintain elite fees structure, which are always going up, and do not develop niches in particular areas that will distinguish them.
In Kenya, for example, three private universities, namely, Daystar University, United States international University and Strathmore University, possess quality that is superior to many public universities, and have established niches in such areas as Mass Communication and Development studies. Interestingly too, in South Africa where private universities are few and constitute a recent phenomenon, a business group, which runs a chain of secondary schools announced that it would make private tertiary education cheaper than public universities in the wake of students protest on fees hike in public universities, two years ago. We have no such luck in Nigeria, where private tertiary education is very much a high rise affair. Talking about South Africa, have you considered that it boasts of only 26 public universities, and a handful of private ones, yet 9 of its universities are world-class in the sense of advantageous listing on global league tables. One of its universities, located in Cape Town, made the first 20 in 2017 Times Higher Education Survey. So, what is the logic in replicating undercapitalized, high fee paying, under populated private universities, that merely reproduce the mediocrity of the underfunded and strike-ridden public ones?
The market for these institutions appears to be driven by the syndrome of making fast and easy bucks, status definition in which anyone who has made a few millions announce themselves by building a private university; weak regulatory mechanism, and the lure of license fees. This is a far cry from having a policy on private universities, but reflects a policy jungle, an all comers game, in which anything goes. This is not to say that there are no decent private universities, but to warn about the ongoing proliferation, in a context where almost anyone who has enough money can obtain a license for one.
It is even more disheartening when you measure this new craze against the recent lament of President Mohammadu Buhari on the rapidly falling standard of education. You cannot build quality by multiplying poorly conceived institutions several of them, at the borders of decency. The NUC helms man, himself a former Vice-Chancellor should be conversant with the astonishing gaps in human resources and infrastructure, revealed by the federal government-conducted Needs Assessment of public universities, a few years ago. For instance, in a situation, as revealed by that document, where close to 50% of public university teachers do not have doctorate degrees, where on earth are the bourgeoning private tertiary institutions going to get competent lecturers? If, as they already do, they poach from the deficient public universities, what will be the overall effect of a lecturer spreading himself thin across several teaching jobs? We can extend the argument by alluding to the character of quality assurance mechanisms, in a situation where the regulator does not make unscheduled visits to universities, public or private. Needless to say, that the arranged nature and predictable outcomes of so called accreditation exercises, conducted by the NUC do not need elaboration.
The point is that if our goal is to insert our universities in the global knowledge economy, then we are going about it the wrong way. As known, Nigeria has become a huge market for universities around the world, which regularly entice our youths with the promise of quality education. Indeed, a country like Britain already projected that Nigerian Youths in search of quality education, would constitute a steady source of income for, many years to come. It is difficult to see how the current emphasis on licensing private universities, and even state owned ones, embarked upon by some financially distressed states can remedy the situation. An emphasis on quality education, will only license new universities, on the condition that they bring something new to a rickety table, congregated by ill-clad institutions which, as Prof Toyin Falola recently argued, are neither topical or technology compliant. For example, an argument can be made for a prospective proprietor seeking to commence a private tertiary institution that will focus on neglected areas such as mathematics, the sciences or engineering. Alternatively, universities, that seek to remedy the desolation of the existing ones, could be given pride of place within a policy framework of rejuvenation. In the absence of any such concern, hinging the multiplication of private universities on wider access to education, when the existing ones, are far from meeting their student quota is nonsensical.
What is required is an alternative approach that builds policy around articulated goals and objectives, and makes decisions in the light of them. From now on, prospective university proprietors, who have nothing fresh, apart from their names to add to the tertiary education landscape, should be discountenanced. That apart, considering that the upward drive in quality and the engineering of a few world class institutions should be the paramount goal, there should be a conscious attempt, often talked about but not implemented, of building centres of excellence out of those institutions that already have the potential.
Finally, given that you do not build a house from the roof, more attention should be devoted to reordering the character and quality of education, at the basic levels of primary and secondary schools.
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