VC Seeks Inclusion of Private Varsities as TETFund Beneficiaries

Christopher Isiguzo

The Vice-Chancellor of an Enugu-based private university, the Renaissance University, Ugbawka, Prof. Charles Onochie, has called on the federal government to approve the inclusion of private universities in the disbursements of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to reduce the high fees in these universities.

Onochie argued that making the special education intervention fund available to only public universities is not proper and does not help the growth of the country’s tertiary education system.

“Whereas graduates produced from public and private universities feed the labour needs of the nation and the world at large, only the public universities get funding from the tax payers funds via channels like TETFund.”

The don, who spoke during the maiden combined convocation ceremonies of the institution, said the development had been responsible for the high fees in private universities and appealed to relevant authorities to address the issue.

He said because private universities “have continued to supplement the efforts of the federal and state governments to provide tertiary education for Nigerian youths who are seeking university admissions, it is also pertinent that private and public universities are partners in progress, they are not rivals. Rather, they serve to train future workforce and leaders, advance research that will promote growth and technological advancement in the country.”

The vice-chancellor, who urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of their alma matter and country, said “the nation and world are at your feet to explore and exploit, go and make us proud.”

A total of 18 graduates from various departments made first class.