Two prominent university leaders have ignited a fresh debate over Nigeria’s education funding model, formally calling for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to extend its financial interventions to include private universities.
Professor Oyedunni Sola Arulogun, Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, and Professor Gabriel Ogunmola, Chancellor of Lead City University, issued the challenge during a high level colloquium held in honour of Professor Jide Owoeye’s 70th birthday.
The forum, which brought together policymakers and academics, focused on the evolving role of the private sector in shaping the nation’s higher education landscape.
Arulogun argued that if higher education is the essential engine of national transformation, current intervention mechanisms are fundamentally flawed because they are exclusionary.
“If higher education is the engine of national transformation, intervention must be designed to serve all, both public and private universities,” she stated.
She pointed out that private institutions are currently instrumental in expanding access to education and building infrastructure, yet they remain barred from the key funding avenues that drive research, innovation, and quality assurance.
According to Arulogun, opening TETFund doors to accredited private institutions would not only boost research output but also relieve the extreme pressure currently facing public universities, which are struggling to keep pace with soaring enrollment numbers.
Professor Ogunmola echoed these sentiments, asserting that the focus of national funding must shift toward the collective good of the tertiary ecosystem rather than being dictated by ownership structures.
“The money must serve the interest of all,” Ogunmola emphasised. He argued that sustainable national development is impossible if the government continues to ignore the potential of private universities that already meet strict regulatory standards.
Stakeholders at the event reached a broad consensus that Nigeria’s rising demand for quality education necessitates a move toward more diversified funding models and deeper public private collaboration.
They warned that while private universities rely heavily on tuition and proprietor investments, they are critical to human capital development and should no longer be sidelined in national policy frameworks.
The event also served as a platform for broader discussions on the future of academia. Professor Umaru Pate, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, challenged institutions to rethink their survival strategies in a rapidly changing world.
Pate urged universities to become more communicative, noting that in an era defined by artificial intelligence and shifting global priorities, institutions must actively build bridges with industry, policymakers, and local communities to remain relevant.
The colloquium concluded with tributes to Professor Jide Owoeye, who was celebrated as a pioneer of institutional building, transparency, and strategic governance in the Nigerian university system.
