—-Why I establish institution – Ade- Ojo

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The founder of Elizade University, ilara-Mokin, Ondo state, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, has raised the alarm that funding is the major challenge facing private universities in the country.

Ade- Ojo who said this during the institutions combined convocation ceremony, lamented that founders of the universities solely bear the responsibility of financing them.

He said that the lack of funding has been the cog in the wheel of development of these institutions.

The business mogul therefore called on the Federal Government through the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), and the Minister of Education to devise means of assisting private universities since the graduates produced by these institutions contribute immensely to national development.

According to him “The establishment of this University was borne out of my determination to provide quality education comparable to what Nigerians seek in the developed countries.

” In conceiving this idea, I strongly believe that the craze for foreign education could be minimized by providing viable local alternatives.”

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Kayode ljadunola, said that the University produced 484 Bachelor’s degrees in various fields of study.

Ijadunola noted that out of these students, 51 bagged first-class degrees in the eighth and ninth convocation ceremonies of the university.

He said the graduates consist of 228 and 256 first degrees for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.

According to him, a total of 51 graduates are in the first-class category, 196 are in the second-class upper category, 191 are in the second-class lower category, and the remaining 46 are in the third-class category.

“Aside, he said the University awarded 16 postgraduate diplomas, 51 master’s degrees, two Master of Philosophy degrees, and five Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Ijadunola noted that the convocation ceremony was the first time the University would be graduating students from the recently created Faculty of Allied Health Sciences.

He said the overall best-graduating student and recipient of both the Chancellor’s and the Vice-Chancellor’s prizes for the 2023/2024 session is Imogu Emmanuella Ifunanya of the Department of Civil Engineering, with a CGPA of 4.95.

Also, speaking on the challenges facing private universities in the country, Ijadunola said their exclusion from

TETfund interventions and the newly introduced Federal education loans scheme (NELFUND) should be reviewed in the interest of both the students and the institutions.

He said that  ‘We cannot overemphasize the appeal to all the concerned agencies of government to accommodate private universities, that are not only development partners with the government in the educational transformation of the country but are also contributing their fair share of taxes, in the TETFUND and NELFUND schemes without delay.

“Doing so is only a matter of fairness and natural justice. Over-regulation through multiple accreditation visits by statutory agencies and professional councils is a challenge for universities today.

“The amount of time and financial resources that go into these schemes are unprecedented.

“It will certainly be a welcome development if the Professional Councils will harmonize their oversight functions with those of other statutory organs of government as the NUC for efficiency and effectiveness on the part of all stakeholders in the University system and response to the realities of the 21st-century educational ecosystem.”

Speaking, the Pro- Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluremi Bamiro, recalled that since the establishment of the institution in 2012, ” it has embarked on an incredible journey of growth, development, and academic excellence.

” From its humble beginning with 2 Faculties and 13 programmes, the University has remained steadfast in its vision to provide a world-class education that nurtures the leaders of tomorrow.

” Just over a decade, we have attained 5 faculties, and by 2021, the National Universities Commission had rated Elizade University among the first 30 out of the 274 Public and Private Universities in Nigeria.

“We have so far distinguished ourselves as a centre of learning, innovation, and moral discipline, producing graduates who are already contributing to the advancement of our nation state and the world at large.

“Our University has not just grown in numbers with the present enrollments of over 2,000 but also in technology-driven quality service delivery. 

“We now offer a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, driven by dedicated staff and committed students.

“Based on our revised Academic Plan and Master Plan, the University will be operating between 2024 and 2030, thirty-seven (37) degree programmes spread over 6 Faculties.

“We take pride in our state-of-the-art infrastructure and the conduct of development-oriented research, and a beautiful, serene environment that promotes both intellectual and personal growth.

Meanwhile, for the first time, honorary doctoral degrees will be awarded to Apostle Folorunso Alakija, a prominent philanthropist, and Chief Tunde Afolabi, MFR, CEO of Amni Petroleum Ltd.