COPSUN Chairman Canvasses Strict Regulation and Control of Private Universities in Nigeria

The Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSUN), Mallam Yusuf Alli, at the weekend canvassed for strict regulation and control, and if possible, a moratorium should also be placed on the establishment of private universities in the country. Alli stated this at the end of the 6th biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned Universities in Nigeria held at the Osun State University, Osogbo, where the stakeholders reviewed the state of university education in Nigeria and proffered the way forward. The chairman, who is the pro-chancellor of the Osun State University in a communique issued and signed by him, noted that the recommendation was borne out of the reality that the creation of new private universities that currently totaled 99 has not added any value to the enrolment of students or access of the same to university education in Nigeria. He reminded as well as cautioned the federal government that the continuous establishment of private universities in the country without strict regulation would be dangerous to the existence of private universities. Alli also pointed out that in Nigeria, the establishment of state-owned universities has become a ‘constituency project.’ Every local government area and state seek to establish and own a university. According to him "The proliferation of state universities at the same time that the existing ones are not adequately funded run against the grain. State government should, therefore, support their institutions to deliver quality education. Adequate funding will facilitate and promote research development and position the university as the real engine for knowledge generation, innovation, and overall national development." He, however, posited that global and international standard should be the hallmark of state-owned universities. Alli observed that the "universities should be developed and operated in tandem with international best practices. Adherence to international standards will accord Nigerian universities the status of a world-class university, enabling international students to patronise our universities and promote global solutions to local problems.” While speaking on the funding of the state-owned universities, he said they have experienced severe setbacks in achieving the mission and vision of establishing state universities. He added that "the university system is bedeviled with inadequate funding, which directly and indirectly affects its functionality. As a result, Governing Councils and vice-chancellors have become saddled with seeking funds in shrinking fiscal space. The state capacity to fund university education can be enhanced by finding a way to balance political expediency against economic sense."