NELFUND:  VC Seeks Support for Private Varsity Students

James Sowole in Abeokuta

As students and management of public universities in the country are counting their benefits under the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Vice Chancellor of Caleb University, Imota, Professor Olalekan Askhia, has urged the federal government to extend the benefits of the loan policy to students in private tertiary institutions.

Askhia made the plea at a news briefing on the 15th Convocation of the university, which was established 18 years ago.

The vice chancellor, who was flanked by some other top management staff of the institution, said the convocation, tagged, “Releasing the Champions,” said the programme would begin on Monday, February 16 and climax on Wednesday, February 18.

Askhia said the federal government, like TETFUND, might have excluded private university students from NELFUND due to the belief that all students in private universities were children of the rich in the society.

He said, “One of the issues in university management is the matter of funding and network support.

“There is a general impression, especially from the federal government that students in public and state universities are more likely to be from less-privileged backgrounds. As a result, the belief is that government intervention should be directed mainly towards public universities.

“However, this assumption about private universities is not entirely correct. It is often believed that students in private universities are not from less-privileged backgrounds, but this is not always the case.”

Askhia added, “In fact, one of the major factors that led to the emergence and growth of private universities in Nigeria was the unstable academic calendar in public universities. Parents desired a stable academic system that would allow their children to graduate on time and plan their futures effectively.

“Despite this, it still appears difficult for the federal government to accept that students in private universities also deserve support. We are making a strong case on this.”

The vice chancellor explained, “At Caleb University, for example, the institution pays the school fees of some students on behalf of their parents. In other words, we provide scholarships to ensure that intelligent but indigent students are not denied access to quality education.

“Many of these students are unable to pay their fees not because they are unwilling, but due to circumstances beyond their control. Some have lost their parents to accidents or other unfortunate events while already in their second or third year of study. In such cases, the university does not send them away; we take responsibility.

“We support indigent students, students in critical courses, and those whose education will ultimately benefit society.”

The vice chancellor said rather than completely excluding private university students from the package, the federal government should put in place measures to actually know those in need and required assistance in private universities.

He stated, “If the government is willing to support private universities, a transparent assessment can be carried out to determine how many students each institution is supporting financially. Such verification will reveal that private universities are also carrying a significant burden in this regard.”

He disclosed that fee payment at Caleb University was very flexible, as students had the opportunity to pay in three instalments.

“We have a number of letters of requests from students soliciting extension on duration on payment for school fees, while some are requesting for real assistance,” he said.

Askhia disclosed that Caleb University, which now ranked 14th among universities in Nigeria, first, from 66th position to 18th, and 14th within a few years of establishment, would be releasing 2,000 champions in various field.

According to him, the university would release 1,625 undergraduates and 375 in the post-graduate category.

He added that the university had established collaboration with some notable universities abroad, like Cambridge University, North Carolina Universities, and others.

He explained that with the collaborations, students had the opportunity of starting a programme and graduating in universities abroad.