The Vice Chancellor, McPherson University, Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade, has said the N605.8 billion earmarked by the Federal Government for the education sector in 2018 is grossly inadequate.
At a press conference held to herald the institution’s convocation ceremony of 46 graduating students, the vice chancellor said in view of the challenges confronting the sector, government needed to commit more funds in order to make it viable.
On the call for inclusion of privately owned universities in projects executed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), Prof. Agunbiade said he has been joining forces with the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Private Universities to press for their institutions’ inclusion in the interventions.
“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,” he said.
The VC further stressed on the vision of the present government, which is to positively contribute to the development of the country, saying that for the lofty actualisation of the president’s dream, private universities should be permitted to benefit from the TETfund projects.
He added that measures such as meeting members of the National Assembly on the need to amend the TETfund law were being undertaken.
On the forthcoming convocation, Prof. Agunbiade said 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’.
