The profile of private universities in Nigeria is rising steadily, largely on account of their stable academic calendar, improving quality of graduates and preference of parents and employers, as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) strike lingers.
“In general terms private universities might produce more employable graduates because of the flexibility and relative autonomy in curriculum design, unlike public universities with central controls; employability involves manners and etiquette” said Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos. “However, in terms of academic excellence, public universities tend to perform better because they have better facilities and human resources.”
A 2016 Philips Consulting report on Education and Employability showed that of the 20 universities that produce the most employable graduates two are private with Covenant University, a private university heading the list.
The top ten most employable universities according to the report included, Covenant University, Ota; University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Federal University of Technology, Akure; University of Ilorin; Ekiti State University; University of Uyo; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye; Babcock University, Ilishan Remo; and the University of Lagos.
“I prefer private universities because there, you are sure that your child will graduate as at when due and I am satisfied with the quality of education my child is receiving” said a parent who has a child in one of Nigeria’s private universities and insisted on anonymity.
In a recent conversation with two heads of department at the University of Lagos, BusinessDay learnt about 50 percent of lecturers in public universities have their children either studying abroad or in a private university. The reasons advanced for their decision have been teacher-student ratio, which is lower at private universities and the opportunity provided by some private universities for international exchange programmes.
Ike Mowete, professor of electrical/electronics engineering at the University of Lagos, told BusinessDay that it is difficult to subsidise quality education and doing so in Nigerian public universities lowers the quality of education in such universities. This does not necessarily mean private universities carry the day.
“I have a daughter studying in Canada. I did not send her to any private university in Nigeria. I literally pay for her tuition through my nose, that is just a manner of speaking. This is because of my belief in the quality of education she will get,” Mowete said.
Keen watchers of the education industry say not all graduates from either private or public universities are first class materials. This is because there other factors that must be considered, such as academic standing, exposure, background, and the type and quality of education a particular student or a group of students are exposed to.
For emphasis, quality of university education is determined by the following factors among others: staff to students ratio, available facilities in quantity and quality, especially whether obsolete or modern, quality of teachers and teaching, and disciplinary nature of the system for staff and students.
“This is a burning question that parents and most stakeholders in the education sector often ask. Furthermore, there is always the fear by parents of the uncertainties concerning the quality of graduates from private universities. The fears may not be unfounded, judging from the age of private universities in Nigeria which is less than 20 years” said Isaac Adeyemi, former vice-chancellor of Bells University of Technology, Ota.
“The first set, prominent among which is Babcock University, was established in 1999. When you compare this with the first university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, which was established in 1948, one is bound to reach an erroneous conclusion. Be that as it may, many factors come into play in deciding the quality of the graduates which include academic and non-academic factors” Adeyemi added.
Evidences from the field, within and outside the country, have shown that some graduates of private universities are doing extremely well, if not better than their counterparts from public universities. However, there is a need for empirical data to support this assertion. “From my own personal observation and information at my disposal, private university graduates are not pushovers” said Adeyemi.
Information on the National Universities Commission (NUC) website shows the first two private universities were established in 1999 and Nigeria is currently home to 74 private universities within 19 years. This means an average of three private universities are established each year.
This contrasts sharply with the growth rate of federal and state universities. The first federal university was established in 1948 and there are 40 of such institutions now. This means that on the average, one federal university has been established each year in the last 70 years. Similarly, the first state university was established in 1980. There are 46 of them now in 38 years. This implies an average of one state university established annually.
STEPHEN ONYEKWELU
