By Hanson Chidozie
The Vice Chancellor of McPherson University, Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade, has lent his voice to the widespread concern among stakeholders over the neglect of the education sector, describing the N605.8 billion budgeted by the Federal Government of Nigeria to fund education in 2018 as grossly inadequate.
Agunbiade expressed this view at a press conference held to herald the institution’s convocation ceremony of 46 graduating students, arguing that the challenges confronting the education sector, requires that the government commits itself to providing more funds for the sector, in order to make it viable.
Prof. Agunbiade said he has been mobilizing with other members of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Private Universities to press for their institutions’ inclusion in projects executed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund)
He explained that, “TETfund is a scheme established by the Federal Government in 2011 to disburse, manage and monitor education tax to government-owned tertiary institutions in the country. And I would add that it was erroneous for some people to regard private varsities as profit-making ventures. Private universities should rather be seen as contributing to the development of the country by producing qualified manpower,”
The Varsity administrator further argued that government must allow private universities to benefit from the TETfund projects, if it must realize its vision of positively contributing to the development of the country.
Prof. Agunbiade also hinted that the former National Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola, is expected to deliver the keynote address with the theme, “Restructuring the Shattered Educational Mirror.”