By Charles Kumolu

WITH Nigeria reportedly  losing over N1.5 trillion annually to foreign educational institutions, many are alarmed that the craze for foreign university certificates has been on the increase.

While the decline in the quality of education in the country may not be in dispute, this continuous preference for foreign certificates especially with the advent of private universities of world class standard, doesn’t make sense to so many people.

Indeed, some world class institutions that are located across the six geo political zones, often come to mind each time the craze for overseas certificates is being discussed. These institutions are believed to provide students with opportunities of quality university education that would bring out the best in them.

One of such schools Vanguard Learning learnt, is the Nigerian Turkish Nile University.

Located in Abuja, the school which started in 1998 as Nigerian Turkish International College with 23 students, metamorphosed into a degree awarding institution in 2009.

Tremendous success

To the founders and management of Nile University, as the school is also known as, the institution has so far recorded tremendous success within its short period of existence.

On hand to expatiate on Nile University’s story was its Registrar Mr. Kamil Kemanci, who said the university visualizes itself as becoming a vanguard institution that gains the respect of the world through academic excellence.

This vision, he said would be actualised by providing the highest quality university education for students from around the globe.

‘’The University was established in 2009 in Abuja. We have the primary, secondary and university. The result of the high demand of parents who send their children to school, informed the reason for establishing the university as a continuity from primary and secondary. It is a dream actualised in 2009. We have faculty of science, engineering, management and social sciences,’’ he stated.

Still on the expansion the school has witnessed since its humble beginning, Kemanci added thus: ‘’Now we have started the faculty of law. Next session we will start the faculty of medicine. We already have a private hospital functioning and we can convert it to a teaching hospital. The school is open to every body. We have international students and international lecturers. We aim to be an international institution that is not only limited to Nigeria and West Africa.

‘’We are trying to set up the kind of quality that gives your children the best. Apart from that, we have hostels but it is not compulsory you stay in the hostels. We have good sports facilities. We are lucky that we are in Abuja, which is the centre of unity where anyone can come to. Actually, we have students from the 36 states of the federation.’’

Asked if the operating environment has been instrumental to Nile University’s growth, Kemanci responded thus: ‘’Of course it has been fantastic. Nigeria is a good environment. If you are focused and patient, you will get good results from what you are doing. We have had two graduations. Now we are starting the post- graduate programme. It is owned SURAT Nigeria Ltd. The company owns the schools and the hospital. The company started in 1997, so we know what the challenges are. There is a big demand from parents that makes us reasonably stable to do our best for the community.’’

Apart from its core focus of providing quality education, Kemanci said the institution is also committed to improving the living condition of its host environment.

This, he explained is being realised through the performance of its corporate social responsibility.

‘’We do a lot of community work as part of our corporate social responsibility. We do charity works and offering of scholarships. The scholarship is unique. About 20 percent of our students are on scholarships. It could come through academic performance.

Academic performance

It is a continuous scholarship. Any best student of any school from any part of the country, can be given a scholarship. There are some other opportunities that could come through JAMB and WAEC. We are always ready to give a chance to good students. In social responsibility, we partner with some organizations to do that. We are also involved in interfaith dialogue and inter cultural dialogue.’’

Since attending private a university in Nigeria, appears to be the exclusive privilege of the wards of the rich, he noted that: ‘’.Apart from scholarship, our fees can be paid by individuals if they wish. We are truly Nigerian. We are not part of any university. We are originally Nigerian and licensed by the National University Commission,NUC. Of course we have collaborations with international institutions but that is some kind of Memorandum Of Understanding. But we are 100 percent Nigerian.’’