The chairman of the board of trustees of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), Kashim Ibrahim Imam has dismissed agitations by some stakeholders for the Fund to extend its support to private universities in the country.
Ibrahim-imam, who spoke at Tetfund/federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) 2020 Joint Interactive Forum, in Lagos on Wednesday, said specifically that TETFUND was not set up to fund private universities, and therefore, can’t go outside its mandate.
“We are not competing with the private institutions, we are competing against them. Our mandate is to get our public universities to surpass the level of the private institutions. Therefore, we cannot fund the private institutions,” he said.
Speaking on the crisis that recently rocked the University of Lagos (UNILAG), leading to the suspension of its vice-chancellor,
Oluwatoyin Ogundipe (now reinstated), Ibrahim-imam said he and the executive secretary of the Fund, Suleiman Bogoro, took the suspension of Ogundipe personal, because of his track records.
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“I can say it publicly that tertiary institutions in Lagos State are run by some of the brightest minds. So, when the vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Ogundipe was suspended, I and the executive secretary took it personally not because of anything but because of his track records.
“I commend the deputy vice-chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, for her steadfastness. I also commend the Senate of the institution too for what they did. “The same commendation goes to the vice-chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Olanrewaju Fagbohun. As he is leaving office next month, we are waiting for him in Abuja. I have discussed his matter with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The VP holds him in high esteem.
“I don’t know yet whether Professor Fagbohun will work with the President or the Vice President. This we are doing because we must encourage those doing well in the public space,” he said.
On the revenue receipt by the Fund for the year, Ibrahimn Imam explained that out of the projected sum of N277 billion, about N251 billion had been received as at October this year. He added that the Fund expects revenue of N500 billion next year.
On the issue of hostel accommodation for students in universities, the board chairman noted that the Fund would soon embark on the construction of 2000 bed space hostel accommodation across institutions in the country.
“It is to be done in partnership with the private sector. I think the parents and guardians should be willing to pay maybe N50, 000 annually for a bed space. In some private universities, people pay about N1 million annually for bed space,” he said.
He stressed that for the about 226 public institutions being supported by the Fund, for the year 2020, each university gets an average of N800 million support and each polytechnic about N750 million.
The executive secretary of Tetfund, Bogoro, while reacting to some questions, said those calling for the inclusion of colleges of agriculture and the law school in the support list of the Fund were not considering the law that set up the Fund.
“The Colleges of Agriculture were delisted in 2011 because the law that set up the Fund does not incorporate monotechnics that they are. “Those also canvassing supporting private universities are not conversant with the data of students in public and private universities. Over 96 percent of university students in Nigeria are in public universities.
