Obasanjo Justifies Establishment Of Private Universities In Nigeria
Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has justified the reasons for granting approval for the establishment of private universities in Nigeria twenty-two year ago.
Obasanjo, while delivering the convocation lecture of the 16th convocation ceremonies of Bowen University, Iwo at the weekend said private universities are striving to meet the reasons for which approval was granted for their establishment.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Strengthening Private Universities for Greater Contribution to National Development’, Obasanjo named three stand out reasons for the approval among others as, expansion of access to university education, delivery of quality education and stability of academic calendar.
While giving kudos to Bowen University for its impressive performance as adjudged by National University Commission NUC, Obasanjo urged private universities to improve on their performance.
He however recommended, human capacity development, strengthening research capacity, strengthening facilities and infrastructure, strengthening curriculum implementation, strengthening the mapping of critical areas of national development and strengthening of creativity in funds generation and management as panacea to achieving the best.
Also speaking, the visitor to the university and president, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. (Dr) Israel Adelani Akanji who lamented the spate of insecurity in Nigeria said that Nigerian Baptist Convention has paid millions of naira to get their abducted students release.
He added that four of the students are till in the kidnapper’s den adding that of recent, members of the church and clerics were again kidnapped in their church and with huge amount being demanded as ransom.
Dr. Akanji charged the graduating 1021 students to head to Jericho with caution and exemplify the virtues embedded in them as provided in the learning they received during the cause of their studies.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole urged the graduands to seek additional knowledge in truly understanding the new normal in their various fields of endeavour adding that they must try to understand the tools and technologies that aid the volatility of their areas of specialization.
