- 3rd Distinguished Lecture By Dr. Olumuyiwa Anthony VIATONU
MICHAEL OTEDOLA COLLEGE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION, NOFORIJA-EPE
3rd
Distinguish Lecture
PUBLIC-PRIVATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA:
THE UNENDING CONTROVERSY
Delivered 19th January, 2017
By
Dr. Olumuyiwa Anthony VIATONU
B.A (Ed)(LASU), M.Ed(Lagos),Ph.D (Ibadan)
Department of Educational Foundations and Management
Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED)
Noforija-Epe, Lagos.
ISBN: 978-978-52472-4-4
PUBLIC-PRIVATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA:
THE UNENDING CONTROVERSY
Protocols
The Provost,
The Deputy Provost,
Registrar and Secretary to Council,
College Librarian,
Bursar
Dean, School of Education,
Deans of Other Schools,
Directors of Academic Programmes,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
To God be the glory, Great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Preamble
The Provost, please permit me to say that I feel honoured, humbled and elated for the opportunity to stand before this distinguished audience today (19th Jan. 2017) to deliver another in the series of the Distinguished Lectures in the College. Four major reasons account for my happiness and excitement. One, when I applied as a Lecturer in the Department of English in the College in 1994 and was invited for interview in 1995, something completely strange happened which made me to believe that my sojourn in the College was divinely ordained. On the day of the interview, many of the applicants were told to come back another day due to the fact that the interview could not be concluded and it was getting late. On the appointed day, each time the Secretary of the Interview Panel, Mr. Bola Disu, who later became the Registrar of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) in Ijanikin, came out to call the names of a batch of applicants to be interviewed; I would run to be in front of him. However, to my chagrin, my name was called three different times with different groups without my knowledge of it or hearing that I was called but I was in front of the caller.
After some hours of waiting, I observed that I was the only one left in the English group. I decided to take my destiny in my own hand by approaching the Clerk in the Secretariat and was told bluntly that my name had been called on three different occasions. Fortunately for me, some members of the Interview Panel were my lecturers at the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, who, on arrival, saw me when I went to greet them. I decided to stay put in the Secretariat until I was attended to. Fortunately for me again, the Chairman of the Interview Panel came out to ease himself. When he saw me outside and tried to find out where I was when I was called along with others, I told him I did not know when my name was called. The matter was eventually resolved when I approached the Secretary of the Interview Panel (Registrar), Mr. Adedamola Willoughby, who invited me in to face the Interview Panel. So instead of a batch of five or seven applicants, I was the only one called in to face the Interview Panel. Thank God I did not disappoint them at the Panel because if I had disappointed them, I would not be here today.
Two, when my letter of appointment was ready, it was delivered by hand by an Assistant Registrar in the College, Mr. Fashola, at my house at 70, Ikorodu Road, Fadeyi, Lagos but I was not at home when he came. Despite the fact that the house belonged to my mother, and I have lived there for over 30 years, my tenants/neighbours said they did not know anybody by that name. How my letter of appointment found its way to Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka in 1995, before one of my part-time students at St. Augustine College of Education, where I was employed then, brought it to me, only God knows.
Three, I joined the College only six months after it was established in December 1994 and I can say to a large extent, that I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. One of my remarkable achievements in the College is that as one of the pioneer staff, I have benefitted from the benevolence of the system: throughout my checkered career in the College, I was promoted only once in 2005 to the post of Chief Lecturer; my progression and upward mobility has been by appointments. The Provost sir, to the Glory of God, I have not only proved myself as a scholar with over seventy (70) scholarly publications in both local and international journals and conferences but I have also provided splendiferous academic and administrative leadership in the College. I return the Glory to the only Saviour of mankind, Jesus Christ.
Finally, since the institution of the Distinguished Lecture series in the college, this is the first time in its history that the publication of the Lecture Series will be carrying an International Standard Book Number (ISBN).
Introduction
The Provost Sir, distinguished audience, I sincerely believe that there is no better time than now to talk about university education in Nigeria. Whether public or private, university education in Nigeria is going through a turbulent period. From the side of public universities, there is inadequate funding, disruption of academic calendar by staff and student unions, among other factors while on the part of private universities, there is the employment of low quality staff, payment of exorbitant fees by students. The current situation in our university system can be likened to a dying man who is gasping for breath and requires an urgent medical attention. Put more succinctly, the university system is, without prejudice or ridicule to those who may have the health challenge among the audience, like an asthmatic patient who knows what may likely trigger an attack but refuses to observe it.
The Provost Sir, in an attempt to put this lecture on a proper pedestal, it is apropos to give conceptual clarification of and trace the historical background of university education in Nigeria.
University Education: A Conceptual Clarification
As nebulous and elusive as the concept of education is, it can be seen as a way of preserving the culture and the cultural heritage of the people. From whatever perspective or background it is viewed, one thing is germane about education: it enhances life as it is expected to be self-sustaining. It is also what helps individuals to acquire suitable appreciation of their culture and to be fully integrated into their social groups or societies (Viatonu, 2004).
Education is also viewed as an important element in nation building or national development: it is a fundamental correlate of socio-economic, political, cultural and technological development of any society or nation. This explains why globally, economic and socio-political development is increasingly driven by the advancement in and application of education.
The importance of education to the society and nation building has further been buttressed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), of which Nigeria is a member that all its member-nations should ensure that at least 26% of their annual budgets is devoted to education. This, according to Oni and Alade (2010), is partly because education improves productivity, health and employment and brings about knowledge, social, economic and political empowerment in the society.
The word university on the other hand, has its origin in the Latin “universitasmagistrorum et scholarium” which is roughly translated to mean “community of teachers and scholars”. At inception, the university was an association of teachers or scholars just like a guild or an association of traders or artisans. The university was a group of people that gathered in a specific place for the dissemination and assimilation of knowledge in advanced fields of study (Oni and Alade, 2010). A university therefore can be seen as an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a wide variety of subjects, disciplines or courses at both the undergraduate and post-graduate levels (Clarke, 2004).
Today, the story of university has not changed significantly as it is seen as an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research with the power to grant academic degrees and innovations for the socio-economic empowerment of individuals and engage in community development (Babalola and Okediran, 1997).
The Provost Sir, permit me to make a clear distinction between education in general and university education in particular. While education in general provides the platform for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, habits and values for productive living in the society (Adesina, 1985), university education is recognized as an important instrument for the construction of a knowledge economy and the development of human capital all over the world (World Bank, 1999). Furthermore, university education provides the platform for individuals to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and values to make them productive in the society. On the basis of this, university education equips the individuals with the personal capabilities to be functional in and contribute to the collective survival in the larger society. Therefore, university provides not only intellectual development but also the acquisition of necessary skills and character required for the socio-economic and political development of the society (World Bank, 2004).
In the words of Peretomode (2008), university education is the facilitator, the bedrock, the power house and the driving force for a strong socio-political, economic, cultural, religious, healthier and industrial development of a nation as universities and other institutions of higher learning are key mechanisms increasingly recognized as wealth and human capital producing industries. This, according to Kor (2008), is because only human capital can sustain growth.
The Quest for University Education in Nigeria during Colonial Rule
At the inception of tertiary education in Nigeria with the birth of Yaba Higher College in 1932, and the establishment of the first university in Nigeria in 1948, University College, Ibadan (which later became the University of Ibadan), university education was the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government. Though Nigeria practices capitalism, the government stronghold on education then was similar to what operated in the defunct communist/socialist countries where private ownership of universities was not allowed (Viatonu, 2016). The Provost, one can say that though formal/western education came to Nigeria (in Badagry) through the private sector at the primary and secondary levels, the story was however different at the university level which was exclusively established, owned and funded by the government.
As agitations by Nigerians for independence from British colonialists grew louder and became more wide spread, the desire for university education among the people became unprecedented. Coupled with this was the ever increasing population of the country which further led to an upsurge in the demand for university education. Thus, by the middle of the 1970s, the demand for university education became so high that educational expansion at all levels was top of government priorities (Duze, 2010.
However, when compared to some developed countries of the world such as Britain, United States of America, India, Italy, Spain, France, Argentina and even some developing countries like Sierra Leone and Egypt, the idea of university education in Nigeria is relatively recent. Those who fought for Nigeria’s independence had to travel out to attend universities in Britain, the USA and other countries abroad including Fourah Bay College in Sierra-Leone (see Table 1).
Table 1: List of early universities and year founded
Name of University
Country
Year founded
Al-Azhar university
Egypt
920
University of Bologna
Italy
1088
University of Paris
France
1150
University of Oxford
United Kingdom
1167
University of Modena
Italy
1175
University of Palencia
Spain
1208
University of Cambridge
United Kingdom
1209
University of Salamanca
Spain
1218
University of Montpellier
France
1220
University of Padua
Italy
1222
University of Naples Federico 11
Italy
1224
University of Toulouse
France
1229
University of Orleans
France
1235
University of Siena
Italy
1240
University of Coimbra
Portugal
1288
University of Cordoba
Argentina
1610
Harvard University
USA
1636
University of Buenos Aires
Argentina
1821
Fourah Bay College ( University)
Sierra Leone
1827
University of Calcutta
India
1857
Source: Alatas (2006).
The establishment of the University College, Ibadan as an affiliate of the University College, London marks the evolution of university system in Nigeria. Coincidentally, this was the period of political emancipation in Nigeria by nationalists most of whom attended universities outside the shores of Nigeria. It was therefore not surprising that part of their agitations and the weapon used for the political struggle was university education (Viatonu, 2016).
Globally, universities are regarded as the citadel of learning and development of human resources. To this end, Adeogun, Subair and Osifila (2009) were of the opinion that the entire intellectual and professional life of any nation depends on a sound university education that provides quality graduates of international standard. The university system in Nigeria therefore emanated from the need for the development of a high level workforce ready to take up the challenge of nation building immediately after independence in 1960 (Fadipe, 2000).
As Nigerians became more agitated and interested in university education and the apparent inability of the only available university in Nigeria at that time to cope with the ever-increasing demand of Nigerians for university education, the colonial government therefore saw the need for the establishment of more universities in the country based on the recommendations of the Ashby Commission set up by the colonial government in 1959. The Commission, among other things, made the following recommendations:
- The Federal Government should give support to the development of new universities in Nigeria;
- A university should be established in the north using the old site of the Nigerian College of Basic Studies in Zaria as its base;
- A university should be established in Lagos to handle courses in business, commerce and economics;
- University College Ibadan should widen its curriculum and develop into a full university;
- A National Universities Commission (NUC) should be set up to have undisputed control over the affairs of the universities, particularly in terms of finance, staff and courses.
As fallout of implementing the Commission’s Report, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka was established immediately after independence in 1960 by the Eastern Regional Government. Two years later, precisely in 1962, three more universities – Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (by the Northern Regional Government), University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (by Western Regional Government) and University of Lagos, Akoka (Federal Government) – were established in the country. When the Mid-Western Region was created, the Federal Government established the University of Benin in 1970. In a sheer show of political power and the centralization of university education, the Federal Government later took over the universities established by the Regional Governments.
As the population of the country increased, the population of qualified and eligible youths in the country also increased leading to an increase in the demand for university education. This probably informed the establishment of seven additional universities in one fell swoop by the Federal Government in 1975. In an attempt to boost science and technology in line with the dictate of 6-3-3-4 system of education, again the Federal Government established seven Universities of Technology at Abeokuta, Akure, Bauchi, Makurdi, Owerri, Minna and Yola in 1980. However, those at Abeokuta and Makurdy were later re-designated as Universities of Agriculture; a move that was meant to give priority to agricultural development in Nigeria. In the light of the foregoing, the periods 1970-75 and 1980-85 could be described to have witnessed a remarkable development in university education in Nigeria. This development has been attributed to many factors, chief of which was the leadership styles of the Heads of Government at that time (Akinbote and Omolade, 1994). For instance, while General Yakubu Gowon, who was the Head of State during the period 1970-75 as a military ruler established universities mainly to pacify the ethnic groups in the country for national unity, Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s (1980-1983) decision for more universities was motivated by the gain for more political support from the different parts of the country rather than for economic reasons (Akinbote and Omolade, 1994).
A remarkable development in the education sector took place with the enactment of the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria re-echoing/re-emphasising the placement of education on the Concurrent Legislative List as was the case during Regional Government. This development empowers State Governments to establish their own universities. This led to the establishment of the first State University in Nigeria – Rivers State University of Science and Technology in 1980. However, the Military Administration in 1984 placed a ban on the establishment of new universities. This resulted in admission stagnation or stifling of admission for many qualified youths in the country. The ban was however lifted during the period 1986-92. Expectedly, the lifting of the ban led to an upsurge in the number of universities (Federal and State) established during this period though most of the new universities were established for political expediency rather than socio-economic considerations (Akinbote and Omolade, 1994).
Ironically, while there was seemingly an upsurge in the number of public universities without any private involvement as at that time, there was high level of private sector involvement in primary and secondary education. For instance, the first primary school in Nigeria was established by the private (Missionary) sector as far back as 1842 in Badagry. The first secondary school in Nigeria (CMS Grammar School, Bariga) was founded NOT by government but by private (Missionary) sector in 1859 by the Christ Missionary Society (CMS). Long before independence in 1960, and for almost four decades after independence, there was no private sector involvement in university education while the country is littered with Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) Primary and secondary Schools, Anglican Schools, Wesleyan Methodist Schools, Ansar-Ud-Deen (AUD), Nawar-Ud-Deen and Zumuratul-Islamiyya (ZI) Schools all over the place.
The period 2011-2015 perhaps witnessed the establishment of the highest number of Federal Universities in the history of Nigeria with the establishment of 13 Federal Universities in States where there was no Federal presence. These universities were established at a time when the existing ones were in a state of comatose, dilapidation and degradation. Learning resources were not available in most public universities and where they were available, were either obsolete or in a sorry state (Viatonu and Lawal, 2016).The Provost Sir, distinguished audience, this situation can be likened to a man who could not take good care of his already large number of children but instead of looking for a way to fend for them, he decides to have more children. So why have more children when you cannot take care of the kwashiorkor-ridden and rickety-looking ones? Moreover, it was quite obvious even to a lay man that those universities founded at the twilight of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration were politically motivated and meant to attract votes in the 2015 general elections. However, Nigerians knew what they wanted and voted for it: CHANGE. Most, if not all, of the universities established in the period 2011-2015 cannot boast of having fully taken off in terms of personnel and physical infrastructure.
Failure of Public Universities in Nigeria
Like many countries of the world, Nigeria needs universities to train high level manpower that will propel the country’s engine of development. Developed countries of the world like USA and Britain realized this fact early in their history and therefore invested so much in university education. That mustard seed that was planted (massive investment in university education) many years ago has germinated to the rapid growth in their societies and has also made then the cynosure of all eyes in the comity of nations in the area of university education. This has not been the case in Nigeria where successive governments have paid lip service to the development of university education in particular and education in general.
As at December 2016, there were 82 (40 Federal and 42 State) public universities in Nigeria, with a combined total of 54.30 percent (Federal 26.49%; State 27.81%) of the 151 public and private universities in Nigeria (see tables 2 and 3).
Table 2: Federal Universities in Nigeria and year founded
S/N
Name of University
Year founded
1
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi
1988
2
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
1962
3
Bayero University, Kano
1975
4
Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurum
2007
5
Federal University of Technology, Yola
1988
6
Federal University of Technology, Akure
1981
7
Federal University of Technology, Minna
1982
8
Federal University of Technology, Owerri
1980
9
Michael Opara University of Agriculture, Umudike
1992
10
National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos
2002
11
Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna
1985
12
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
1992
13
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
1962
14
University of Abuja, Gwagwalada
1988
15
University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
1988
16
University of Agriculture, Makurdi
1988
17
University of Benin, Benin
1970
18
University of Calabar, Calabar
1975
19
University of Ibadan, Ibadan
1948
20
University of Ilorin
1975
21
University of Jos
1975
22
University of Lagos
1962
23
University of Maiduguri
1975
24
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
1960
25
University of Port-Harcourt
1975
26
University of Uyo
1991
27
Usman Danfodiyo University
1975
28
Federal University of Gashua, Yobe
2013
29
Federal University of Dutse, Jigawa State
2011
30
Federal University of Dutsin-Ma, Katsina
2011
31
Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State
2011
32
Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State
2011
33
Federal University of Lokoja, Kogi State
2011
34
Federal University of Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi State
2011
35
Federal University of Otuoke, Bayelsa State
2011
36
Federal University of Oye –Ekiti, Ekiti State
2011
37
Federal University of Wukari, Taraba State
2011
38
Federal University of Birni Kebbi, Kebbi State
2013
39
Federal University of Gusau, Zamfara State
2013
40
Nigeria Police Academy Wudil
2013
Source: NUC Monday Bulletin (2016)
Table 3: State Universities in Nigeria and year founded
S/N
Universities
Year Founded
1
Abia State University, Uturu
1980
2
Adamawa State University, Mubi
2002
3
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba
1999
4
Akwa Ibom State University of Technology, Uya
2004
5
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma
1980
6
Anambra State University, Ulli
2000
7
Benue State University, Markurdi
1992
8
Bukar Abba Ibrahim University,Yobe
2006
9
Cross State University of Science and Technology, Calabar
2004
10
Delta State University, Abraka
1992
11
Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki
2000
12
Ekiti State University of Science and Technology
2009
13
Enugu State University of Science and Technology
1981
14
Gombe State University, Gombe
2004
15
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai
2005
16
Imo State University, Owerri
1992
17
Kaduna State University, Kaduna
2004
18
Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil
2000
19
Katsina State University,Katsina
2007
20
Kebbi State University, Kebbi
2006
21
Kogi State University, Ayingba
1999
22
Kwara State University, Ilorin
2009
23
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
1990
24
Lagos State University, Ojo
1983
25
Nasarawa State University, Keffi
2002
26
Niger Delta University,Yenagoa
2000
27
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye
1982
28
Osun State University, Osogbo
2008
29
Plateau State University, Bokkos
2005
30
Rivers State University of Science and Technology
1979
31
Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode
2005
32
Taraba State University
2008
33
AkwaIbom State University of Tech., Uyo
2010
34
Bauchi State University, Gadau
2011
35
Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni
2010
36
Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa, Jigawa
2013
37
Sokoto State University
2009
38
Northwest University, Kano
2012
39
Oyo State Technical University, Ibadan
2012
40
Ondo State University of Medical Science
2015
41
Edo University, Iyamo
2016
42
Eastern Palm University, Ugboko, Imo State
2016
Source: NUC Monday Bulletin (2016).
The Provost Sir, distinguished audience, the pertinent question that readily comes to one’s mind is: Can the 82 public universities in Nigeria satisfy the desire for university education by the teeming qualified and eligible youths in the country? Put in another way: “Are the public universities in the country in good stead to accommodate the demand for university education by the surging population of youths in Nigeria”? Are the public universities well-funded? Do these universities have qualified and well-motivated faculty (staff)?
In an attempt to provide answers to these and many other questions, Akinnaso (2012) has identified three major areas that public universities have failed in Nigeria: inadequate funding, corruption and lack of value in the political system; and failure of planning and implementation. These problems have contributed to the weakening of the university system; poor teaching-learning conditions; diminishing research and consultancy traditions; and questionable service to the community.
Over the years, successive governments in Nigeria at Federal and State levels have paid lip service to adequate budgetary allocation to the education sector contrary to the UNESCO recommendation of 26 percent. Inadequate funding, particularly in the last three and a half decades, provides the explanation for the lack of funds being experienced by public universities in Nigeria and the corresponding fall in standard and quality (World Bank, 2004). This has mostly affected infrastructure (roads, buildings, electricity and water) on campus; knowledge facilities such as library, information and communication facilities; and teaching/instructional aids; research funding, recreational facilities; and welfare package for faculty and students (Akinnaso, 2012).
The Provost, I have just touched on a very controversial area in university administration in Nigeria; whether there is a fall in standard of university education or not. Opinions of writers and scholars on university education in Nigeria seem to be divided on fall in the standard of university education. While some writers like (Akindutire, 2004; Akinnaso, 2012; Olukotun, 2012; Oluwasanya, 2014) tend to believe that there is a fall in standard, other scholars (Ekundayo, 2008; Duze, 2010) are of the opinion that the standard has not fallen. However, in spite of this dichotomy of opinions, what is not in contention among writers and scholars on university education is that the system is not adequately funded and has suffered from degradation. Perhaps the best way to put the matter to rest is to bring to the open the view of a public figure and an influential personality in the country, a former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999-2007), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who said ‘‘ Nigerian Public University Undergraduates cannot compete with students from my secondary school.’’ For the benefit of those who might not know, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the founder and proprietor of arguably the best and most expensive university (public or private) in Nigeria, the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State. The secondary school he was referring to is the AUN Academy, which is the secondary school arm of his university. He went further to vilify public universities in Nigeria when he said
I was in the University of Zik (Nnamdi Azikiwe University) in Awka in Anambra State on Wednesday (16th November, 2016) on the invitation of the university. There is no student in public universities that can speak English in an error-free manner like the headboy of my secondary school, who just finished addressing us now. When the head boy of AUN Academy, Abdullahi Sani, started speaking, I was thinking it is one of the lecturers in AUN, but only for him to introduce himself as the head boy of AUN Academy.
If I were present where he (Atiku Abubakar) made the scathing remarks and had the opportunity to ask just one question, I would have asked him what the umbrella party did for 14 years (1999 - 2015) to salvage the dying educational system in Nigeria from the level of degradation that it was and still is up till now.
Apart from inadequate funding, another argument to support the fall in standard of university education and the failure of public university in the country is the deplorable state of Nigerian universities in terms of quality of programmes, curriculum content and physical facilities occasioned by inadequate funding by the government. This is particularly evident in the recent world rankings of universities which have exposed the country’s university system to much ridicule. The Webometrics Ranking of Universities (which measures web presence and content) from 2009-2011 did not rank any university in Nigeria among the best 4000 Colleges and Universities in the world and no Nigerian university was ranked among the best 30 universities in Africa. Similarly, the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking which uses programme and instructional content as criteria/yardstick for its own ranking also did not mention any university in Nigeria at all in its world ranking. This development has a far reaching implication for the university system as it shows that the administration of the university system has not lived up to or cannot be comparable to world standard.
There is a bit of cheering news: the Webometics Ranking and the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) seemed to be a wake-up call to the university system in Nigeria in terms of quality of programmes and standard of operations. In the World University Ranking for 2012, still no university in Nigeria made it to the top 1000 universities in the world while Universities of Ibadan, Ilorin and Lagos were the only institutions in Nigeria that were ranked among the first 40 in the top 100 Universities and Colleges in Africa (World Universities Web Ranking, 2012). The more cheering news is that in the World University Ranking for 2016, only the University of Ibadan was ranked among the best 1000 universities in the world, with a distant 601st position. Institutional framework, style of administration, teaching and research are some of the criteria used for the ranking.
Activities of staff and student unions on campus have contributed to the failure of public universities. Industrial disputes between staff union and university management on one hand and student union on the other hand are some of the activities that bring about disruption of normal academic activities on campuses. According to Omole (2012), it would be difficult for universities in Nigeria to be ranked among the best 10 in Africa and top 100 in the world as long as universities are locked up for long due to incessant strike actions resulting from industrial disputes between staff unions and management; and student union and management. This often leads to the reduction of academic calendar in an apparent move to make up for lost time in the semester.
The inability to retain their best faculty (staff) is another failure of public universities. The exodus of lecturers, also known as brain drain, refers to widespread migration of staff from universities in the country to universities or institutions abroad in search of the proverbial greener pasture (Akindutire, 2004). Decay in physical facilities, falling standard in terms of quality of teaching, infrastructure and salary erosion for decades have either led or contributed to brain drain of lecturers and hindered the recruitment of new faculty. According to Bangura (1994), between 1988 and 1990, over 1000 lecturers left the services of Federal Universities alone in Nigeria. We can imagine what the figure would look like if we add those that left State Universities to the number. Coincidentally, lecturers that left were arguably some of the best in the system. The implication of this is that the university system had to make do with what was available to it. Other reasons that contributed to brain drain range from rising workloads associated with deteriorating staff/student ratios, declining financial attractions (Saint, Harnett and Strasser, 2003); to lack of innovation in the university, frustration and seeking greener pastures abroad (Odetunde, 2004).
Public universities have also failed in the area of inadequate and inconducive learning environment and facilities. There is no gain-saying that the teaching-learning environment in most public universities in Nigeria is not conducive as lecture halls, laboratories, seminar rooms and other physical facilities are in advanced state of degradation, too small and ill-equipped. This is in addition to absence of potable water and internet access as well as irregular supply of electricity which has exacerbated the problem of lecturer-student ratio. The National Universities Commission (NUC) stipulates a maximum lecturer-student ratio of 1:40 but most universities in the country have 1:100 or more (Sa’ad, 2010).
One of the major areas in which public universities have failed is lack of autonomy. Until recently, there is no autonomy in public universities in Nigeria. Autonomy can be described as protection of the universities from undue government or external interference in the day to day running of the institution particularly with reference to issues of admission, appointment and disengagement of principal officers, academic and non-academic staff, what constitutes university curriculum and control of degree standard (Ojedele and Ilusanya, 2006; Babalola, Jaiyeola and Okediran, 2007). It will be recalled that interference in the management and running of universities has been a pugnacious issue between the government and staff unions of universities especially the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for quite some time now. The Provost Sir, distinguished audience, please permit me to ask this rhetoric question: Can there be full autonomy as long as the government continues to fund the university system? We should have at the back of our mind that he who pays the piper dictates the tune.
Perhaps the single major failure of public universities in Nigeria is the menace of cultism. The potential for destruction of lives and property on university campuses has been so alarming until recent times when student unionism has taken a new dimension (Ogunbameru, 2004; Viatonu and Jegede, 2007). The issue of cultism has opened a new and dangerous vista on university campuses such that cultism has led to the disruption of normal academic activities and/or closure of affected institutions (Smah, 2007; Akeusola, Viatonu and Asikhia, 2012).In many cases, cult activities have led to the death of innocent souls on campuses such that some students seek protection with cultists. Cultists have become a force to reckon with on university campuses to the point that no major event or activity can take place without ‘clearance’ from cult groups. Unfortunately however, there is a proliferation of cult groups to the extent that they (cult groups) now fight for supremacy and trying to assert their authority.
One of the traditional failures of public universities is that it has been enmeshed by staff and student unrests which have almost transformed universities from citadel of knowledge to crises institutions. Staff unrest stems from industrial disputes between university management and staff unions on the one hand and government and staff unions on the other hand. Some of the issues that have led to industrial disputes between university management and staff unions include: imposition of candidates for management positions (as was the case in 2016 between university management and staff unions in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), unlawful termination of appointment of staff (as was the case with the UNILORIN 49).
Student unrest can be viewed from two perspectives: internal and external. Internal factors have to do with students’ reaction to university management’s deleterious policies that impinge on students’ lives such as arbitrary increase in tuition and other fees payable by students, lack of provision of basic social facilities/amenities on campus and other related matters. External factors include students protesting against obnoxious government policies and or decisions against the hoi polloi in the society such as the increase in the pump price of petroleum products, extra judicial killing and harassment of student(s) by the Police and other law enforcement agencies.
The failure of public universities in terms of inadequate/obsolete facilities occasioned by inadequate funding coupled with government’s stark realization of its inability to carry the burden of funding university education alone led to the emergence of private universities.
Evolution of Private Universities in Nigeria
Just as the evolution of public universities is quite recent in Nigeria when compared to some developed countries like USA, Britain, Spain and Italy, and a developing country like Sierra-Leone, private universities are even relatively more recent in the country. Private universities are less than two decades old; precisely the first set of private universities started operations in 1999. Private universities are non-public or independent universities which do not receive any funding from government; they are established for profit making though some of them (like those established by the missionaries) claim not to be for profit making but the fees charged reveal the contrary. Private universities can also be described as institutions that are solely established, owned, financed and managed by private individuals and organizations (which could be religious or corporate) with the intension to recover cost and make profit (Oluwasanya, 2014). As at December 2016, there were 69 accredited private universities in Nigeria constituting about 45.70 percent of the 151 universities in Nigeria (see Table 4).
Table 4: Private Universities in Nigeria and year founded
S/N
Name of University
Year founded
1
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti
2009
2
ABTI-American University of Nigeria,Yola
2003
3
Achievers University, Owo
2007
4
African University of Science and Technology, Abuja
2007
5
Ajayi Crowther University, Ibadan
2005
6
Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin
2005
7
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo
1999
8
Bells University of Technology, Ota
2005
9
Benson Idahosa University, Benin
2002
10
Bingham University, New Karu
2005
11
Bowen University, Iwo
2001
12
Caleb University, Imota-Lagos
2007
13
Caritas University, Enugu
2005
14
CETEP City University, Lagos
2005
15
Covenant University, Ota
2002
16
Crawford University, Igbesa
2005
17
Crescent University, Abeokuta
2005
18
Fountain University, Osogbo
2007
19
Godfrey Okoye University, Ugwuomu-Nike, Enugu
2009
20
Igbinedion University, Okada
1999
21
Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji
2006
22
Kwararafa University, Wukari
2005
23
Lead City University
2005
24
Madonna University, Okija
1999
25
Novena University, Ogume
2005
26
Obong University, Obong Ntak
2007
27
Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu
2009
28
Pan African University, Lekki-Lagos
2002
39
Paul University, Awka
2009
30
Redeemers University, Mowe
2005
31
Renaissance University, Enugu
2005
32
Salem University, Lokoja
2005
33
Tansian University, Omunya
2007
34
University of Mkar
2005
35
Veritas University
2007
36
Wellspring University, Evbuobano
2007
37
Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo
2007
38
Western Delta University
2007
39
Al-Qalam University, Katsina
2005
40
AdelekeUniversity, Ede
2011
41
Augustine University, IlaraEpe
2015
42
BazeUniversity
2011
43
ChrislandUniversity
2015
44
Edwin Clark University, Kaigbodo
2015
45
ElizadeUniversity, Ilara – Mokin
2012
46
Evangel University, Akaeze
2012
47
Gregory University, Uturu
2012
48
Hallmark University
2015
49
Hezekiah University, Umudi
2015
50
Kings University
2015
51
Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara
2011
52
McPherson University, SerikiSotayoAjebo
2012
53
Michael & Cecilia University
2015
54
Mountain Top University
2015
55
Nile University, Abuja
2009
56
RhemaUniversity, Obeama – Asa, Rivers
2009
57
RitmanUniversity
2015
58
Samuel AdegboyegaUniversity
2011
59
SouthwesternUniversity, OkunOwa
2012
60
Summit University
2015
61
Christopher University, Mowe
2015
62
Anchor University, Ayobo
2016
63
Arthur Jarvis Akpabuyo University, Calabar
2016
64
Clifford University, Owerrinta, Abia
2016
65
Coal City University, Enugu
2016
66
Crown-Hill University, Eiyenkorin, Kwara
2016
67
Dominican University, Ibadan
2016
68
Kola Daisi University, Ibadan
2016
69
Legacy University Okija, Anambra
2016
Source: NUC 2016
The Provost, it is pertinent to ask the following questions: How did private universities come to be? How come that there is a proliferation of private universities in the country? On the surface value, one may be tempted to say that the simple answer to those questions is because of the failure of public universities. However, after a deep thought, we can say that it goes beyond the failure of public universities. There are some vested interests within government circle who simply took advantage of the failure of public universities to “invest” in education at the tertiary level with the intension to make profit.
Private universities came about as a result of the growing increase in the number of prospective candidates who want admission into universities and the obvious inability of existing public universities to cope with the high demand for placement in the existing universities coupled with government’s inability to adequately fund public universities. Consequently and rightly too, the Federal Government came up with the policy of deregulation of university education with the enactment of Decree 9 of 1993 (Okogie, 2008). That law made provision for the establishment of private universities in Nigeria. It should be noted that the law only laid credence to the provisions of the 1979 Constitution which placed education on the Concurrent Legislative List.
Historically, the evolution of private universities began with one Dr. Basil Ukaegbu in Imo State, Southeast Nigeria who, in the exercise of his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria, established Tandem University, Owerri, Imo State in 1980. The State Government challenged the establishment of the University and threatened to close it down. The Proprietor of the University was not scared by the threats as he instituted a legal action against the Imo State Government. After losing the legal battle at the State High Court and the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court ruled in his favour (Adeogun, Subair and Osifila, 2009). Since then, the case has been a reference point both in the legal and educational domains in the country.
Not long after the Supreme Court gave the go ahead for the establishment and ownership of private universities in the country that many individuals, corporate and religious organizations and groups especially in the southern Nigeria began to establish private universities such that within a short time, there was proliferation of private universities. In order to streamline the establishment of new private universities, the then Military Government promulgated Decree No. 16 of 1985 which gave powers to the Federal Ministry of Education through the National Universities Commission (NUC) to inspect, assess and accredit academic programmes offered in universities.
Apart from satisfying the desires of millions of qualified youths in the country for university education, Kors (2008) has given some other reasons for the deregulation of university education. These reasons include: the need to reduce the financial burden of educating the youth; and the pressure of globalization trend of deregulating every segment of the economy including university education, as dictated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). By this action, the government opened the gate for private individuals, religious and corporate organizations to establish and run universities in Nigeria.
As a corollary to the foregoing, studies (Altbach, 2004); Mabizela, 2004; Obasi, 2005; Viatonu, Olagunju and Adeyemi, 2013) have revealed a combination of internal and external factors for the evolution and proliferation of private universities. The internal factors according to Obasi (2007) include the inability of public universities to cope with increasing demands for admission; inability of Federal and State Governments to provide adequate funding for expansion with the corresponding fall in standards in public universities; incessant closures and disruption in the academic calendar of the institutions due to staff and students’ unrests; while the external factors are the prevailing liberal economic policies, globalization and the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution, all of which have affected university education globally.
Globally, education is capital intensive in terms of human and material resources coupled with the low per capital status of the country (Nwadiani, 2001). This poor per capital status of the country necessitated the government to run to the private sector in the deregulation of education sector particularly in the establishment and management of universities since government realized that it cannot cope with the financial burden of running the institutions (Adeogun, Subair and Osifila, 2009).
Some other reasons have been adduced for private sector involvement in the establishment of private universities. These include the need to create a keen and healthy competition between public and private institutions in the areas of human and material resources in order to improve the quality of educational input and output. The involvement of the private sector in the establishment, funding and running of universities would provide the needed alternatives to the citizens (Adeogun, Subair and Osifila, 2009). The essence of this is to create more space for university applicants who are denied admission annually as a result of the inability of the existing public universities to accommodate them due to inadequate space, lack of and deteriorating physical facilities to cope with the influx of candidates (Viatonu, 2016).
As at 1999 when the first set of private universities (only three of them) began operation, there were only 36 universities in Nigeria (25 Federal and 11 State-owned). This is apart from other degree awarding institutions. Even with the relatively high number of universities and other degree awarding institutions, many qualified candidates could still not gain admission into universities due mainly to shortage of space and facilities in the existing public universities while some universities admitted more students than their carrying capacities, thereby creating problems of overcrowded classes leading to over-stretching of available resources and some criminal tendencies like cultism as well as unwarranted aluta on campus (Viatonu and Jegede, 2007; Viatonu, 2002). Table 5 shows the number of universities, number of applicants, number of candidates offered admission into the available universities (public and private) and those not offered admission over a ten-year period beginning from the year private universities came into existence and a decade after they began operation (1999-2009).
Table 5 : Total number of Universities in Nigeria, Applications and Admission
(1999-2009)
Year
No of university
No of applications
No admitted
% admitted
Left over
%Not admitted
1999/2000
45
417,773
78,550
18.80
339,223
81.20
2000/2001
46
467,490
50,277
10.75
417,213
89.25
2001/2002
52
550,399
60,718
11.03
544,321
88.97
2002/2003
53
994,380
51,845
5.21
942,535
94.79
2003/2004
54
1,046,950
105,157
10.04
941,793
89.96
2004/2005
56
841,878
122,492
14.55
719,386
85.45
2005/2006
75
916,371
N/A
N/A
2006/2007
76
803,472
123,626
15.39
679,846
84.61
2007/2008
94
1,054,053
194,521
18.45
859,532
81.55
2008/2009
95
1,182,381
211,991
17.93
970,330
82.07
Source: http://www.ume.com.ngNote : that the figures for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 are reports given by the NUC and JAMB in The Punch of May 21st, 2008, page 7 and The Punch of April15th, 2009, page 6.
Please note that the percentage of candidates admitted and not admitted was calculated by this author.
In addition to the foregoing, the demand for courses and subjects of study by prospective applicants into universities had changed and public universities could not respond to this new development coupled with pressure by external agencies to cut down on public service, a growing concern for and the need for a highly skilled and marketable labour force have made the emergence of private universities inevitable, thereby widening the scope of the hitherto restricted choices of available course of study in public universities (Ige, 2013). Put in another way, the emergence of private universities affords eligible applicants to choose from a wide range of courses or careers that were not available before the advent of private universities. In addition to this, intending university students would not only be able to choose any institution of their choice, but also enjoy better curriculum and academic environment and equipment as well as a hitch-free academic calendar devoid of disruption and unnecessary closure. This is one of the hallmarks of private universities.
Furthermore, the effect of globalization has led to the inevitability of private universities. This is because governments all over the world (including Nigeria), have come to the stark realization that provision of university education is expensive and therefore cannot fund it alone hence the need for private participation in addressing the ever growing demand for university education by qualified candidates. The impact of private universities has been felt all over the world coupled with the effect of globalization. According to Canada National Library Report (2001), cited in Ajadi (2010), about 30% of all school student enrolment in Australia is in private schools, in Belgium it is 60%, in Spain and France it is 30% and 25% respectively. The East African Standard (2004) also reported that between the 1980s and 2004, private universities in Kenya have increased from 3 to 17. The story is not quite different in Nigeria. From the initial 3 private universities in 1999, the number rose to 21 in 2005. By 2009, it has increased to 40, while in 2016 the number is 69. The growing number of private universities underscores the fact that owners of private universities in Nigeria have realized that investment in education is worthwhile. Though the Nigerian economy may not be a fast growing one and may be witnessing recession, Alli (2004) is of the opinion that private university system is one of the fastest growing and most profitable sectors of the economy, attracting huge investments from all spheres of the Nigerian economy.
The Provost Sir, it is no longer news that there has been an increase in the demand for university education in Nigeria. It is also no news that the number of universities has not matched up with the colossal demand for university education which is largely due to the absence of improved facilities to cope with the increasing demand. As an indication that the existing facilities in Nigerian universities have been overstretched, when the first products of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) launched in 1999 graduated in 2010, only about 3% of the prospective eligible applicants were admitted into the existing public universities. Private universities thus become inevitable to take care of the remaining 97%. However, from the benefit of hind sight, it was obvious that the private universities could not admit the remaining 97% of the applicants.
The need for a stable academic calendar and enhanced internal efficiency in the timely graduation of students with little or no attrition rate coupled with internal and external efficiency is another justification for the coming of private universities. Internally, public universities were becoming inefficient due to incessant and unwarranted closure occasioned by staff and student unrests with the existing deplorable facilities. This has prompted those who see education as an investment to become more aware of the socio-economic benefits of education which public universities are unable to provide. External efficiency has to do with the universities being conscious of producing graduates that are marketable in the outside world or the labour market thereby reducing unemployment. The establishment of more universities, especially private ones, will lead to more rational and efficient allocation of scarce resources in the short term while in the long term, it will provide stability in the cost of running the institutions (Okoro and Okoro, 2014; Okebukola, 2010).
In spite of the euphoria that greeted their establishment, private universities are still faced with an avalanche of challenges. Many people saw the evolution of private universities as a welcome development as they will likely stimulate healthy competition with their public counterparts, probably decongest public universities and keep teacher-student ratio at a reasonable level. This, to a large extent, has not been the case.
Challenges Facing Private Universities in Nigeria
The euphoria that greeted the coming of private universities in Nigeria was soon short-lived when viewed against the plethora of challenges facing them.
One of the major challenges facing private universities is the exorbitant and outrageous fees they charge. The fees charged by private universities are so high that it is not affordable for the hoi polloi (proletariat) in the society. The outrageous fees may not be unconnected with the fact that private universities rely heavily on one major source of funding: tuition fees. However, many people were thunderstruck by the fact that even those universities founded by religious institutions/missionary organizations (Christianity and Islam), having been established with offerings, tithes and donations of their respective congregations now turn back to charge fees that are lugubrious such that one begins to wonder the essence of establishing the universities in the first instance. In the light of the lugubrious fees being charged, one of the purposes for establishing private universities in the country – to provide access to university education – has not been and cannot be fulfilled. Table 6 shows the tuition fees charged in some selected private universities in Nigeria as at 2014.
Table 6: Tuition fees charged in some selected private universities in Nigeria in 2014
Name of University
Fees (N)
American University of Nigeria
1, 500,000.00
Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State
380,000.00 - 420,000.00
Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State
350,000.00
Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State
340,000.00 – 620,000.00
Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State
650,000.00 – 750, 000.00
Covenant University, Ota, Ogun state
432,000.00
Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State
514,000.00 – 648,000.00
Joseph Ayo Babalola University, IkejiArakeji, Osun State
397,5000.00 – 436,000.00
Redeemers University, Ogun State
541,000.00 - 571,000.00
Source:www.toscanyacademy.com/blog/education
The question that readily occupies my mind is that in this era of change mantra and economic recession in Nigeria, is it advisable, apropos and tenable to send our children/wards to private universities?
A critical challenge facing private universities in Nigeria is the quality of staff they employ. Studies (Viatonu, 2016; Okoro and Okoro, 2014; Oluwasanya, 2014) have revealed that most private universities in Nigeria do not have the required academic manpower in quality and quantum to teach and conduct research. The situation has degenerated to the point that academic staff in public universities serve as associate or adjunct lecturers in private universities while lecturers in the full-time employment of private universities are rather too junior to handle rigorous academic activities and research as they do not possess the requisite minimum qualification of Ph.D stipulated by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to teach in universities.
Job insecurity is another challenge facing private universities in Nigeria. This problem is not peculiar to private universities alone but all private sector employees who can be hired and fired at will. This is contrary to what is obtainable in public/civil service in the country where a staff’s appointment cannot be terminated by a single individual. For this reason, private universities have failed to attract good and competitive staff to their institutions as much as they should. This situation may not be unconnected with the poor remuneration system available in private universities which negatively affects staff morale, commitment level and productivity. The implication of this development is that the quality of graduates produced is suspect. No wonder graduates of private universities are often discriminated against by employers of labour and post-graduate schools of public universities (Viatonu, 2016).
The courses or programmes of study offered in private universities tend to reflect the commercial or religious inclination of their proprietors. Most of the courses offered are less capital intensive or are courses that require less capital investment in the areas of equipment and infrastructure. This is unlike what is obtained in private universities like Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge to mention but a few, where courses which require a high level of capital investment in facilities are offered. It is not unusual to find most of the private universities in Nigeria offering programmes such as Banking and Finance, Marketing, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting and the likes. In some private universities, tuition is free for students who offer some courses. For example, in MacPherson University, Ogun State, tuition is free for students who offer Christian Religious Studies (CRS) as a course.
Perhaps one of the greatest criticisms against private universities in Nigeria is the undue interference in the running and management of their daily activities by the proprietors. The reason for this may not be far-fetched as the motive for their establishment is to make profit. This development has not helped some private universities to stabilize in their operations. This is because management of a university system is a complex exercise which requires some form of managerial and administrative expertise and therefore should be left in the hands of those who are conversant with the operations of an academic environment like a university without any form of interference. Interference can be direct or indirect. Direct interference refers to a situation whereby the proprietor is directly involved in day to day activities going on in the university; he has an office on campus. He wants to know what goes on in the institution. Indirect interference is when the proprietor appoints a relative, a close ally or stooge who represents his interest either in top Management or Advisory Board of the university and reports
to the proprietor of the institution. This explains why the Vice-Chancellor in some private universities are responsible not only to the Senate of their universities but also the proprietors (Viatonu, 2016).
The Provost Sir, please permit me to say unequivocally that no university, be it private or public, can perform optimally when there is external interference of any kind. The situation can be likened to a couple who allows external forces (family or friends) to interfere in their marital affairs anytime they have issues or friction and listens to whatever form of idea, advice or suggestion from the external party. The point is that as much as possible, they (the couple) will not be able to decipher which of the external parties really wants them to settle their conflict amicably. That is the risk or danger in allowing undue interference in the running of private universities.
Public-Private Universities: A Marriage of Convenience
Since the advent of university education in Nigeria in 1948 via the University College Ibadan, Nigerians all along have had over five decades romance with public universities. In fact, no Nigerian that was born in pre- and post-independence era knew anything about private universities until the first three private universities were licensed in 1999. The first private universities in Nigeria, in order of their operational licence, were:
- Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State (001)
- Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State (002)
- Madona University, Okija, Anambra State (003).
With the obvious failure of public universities particularly in the areas of inadequate funding, dilapidated facilities and handicap in admission of candidates, it has become imperative that there is need for the private sector to come to the rescue of the university system. In the light of the foregoing, private universities have come to stay regardless of whatever misgivings some sections of the society may have about them. This is more so that it has become so obvious that the country can no longer cope with the teeming number of qualified youths that cannot get placement in the existing public universities. Also, the negative implications of keeping the youths out of school without any hope of employment or getting admission in the nearest future is better imagined than experienced as many of them turn to the negative sides of life like cultism, armed robbery, internet fraud while the female ones even going into prostitution within and outside the country (Viatonu, Adesanya and Olagunju, 2014; Viatonu, Olagunju and Adeyemi, 2013).
Moreover, in line with global best practices, private sector participation in education generally and university education in particular has become the order of the day. This is attested to by statistics from other parts of Africa (see Table 7).
Table 7: Enrolment statistics in selected African countries (1999-2009)
Country
% of Total Enrolment in Private universities
% of Total Enrolment in Public Universities
Botswana
26
74
Tanzania
19
79
Uganda
15
85
Ghana
11
89
Kenya
11
89
Senegal
11
89
South Africa
10
90
Zimbabwe
5
95
Nigeria
5
95
Source: Mabizela (2007); Varghese (2004); Obasi, Akuchie and Obasi (2014).
Table 7 shows Botswana and Tanzania ahead of Nigeria (the self-acclaimed giant of Africa) in the extent to which private sector participate in university education and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Table 7 also shows that while Botswana and Tanzania were ahead with 26% and 19% respectively, Nigeria had a distant 5% private participation in university education and HEIs.
Although Nigeria does not have any policy restricting entry into universities, access to university education has become so problematic for many eligible youths in the country seeking admission into the existing universities every year. To these teeming youths, it is easier for the camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for them to gain admission into universities. However, in an apparent move to reduce the hassles that many candidates go through to get admission into universities, the National Assembly (the Senate and House of Representatives) have recently passed a motion, not a law, making results of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) result valid for three years unlike the one year it used to be. The implication of this policy is that it will save many candidates the physical, emotional/psychological and financial stress of having to write university examination every year.
The Provost Sir, distinguished audience, the pertinent question to ask at this juncture is whether private universities have significantly absorbed a good number of youths seeking admission into their universities. Tables 8 and 9 make a comparison between enrolment statistics before and after the evolution of private universities in Nigeria. This comparison is necessary to determine whether private universities have fulfilled one of their core mandates of expanding access to university education in Nigeria.
Table 8: Percentage of candidates offered admission into public universities before the establishment of private universities in 1999
Academic Session
% of Candidates Admitted
1990
20
1991
NA
1992
17
1993
NA
1994
13
1995
6.4
1996
14.9
1997
17.6
1998
24.4
1999
10.8
Source: Obasi (2008); Obasi, Akuchie and Obasi (2014).
Table 9: Percentage of candidates offered admission into universities ten years after the establishment of private universities in 1999
Academic session
Application Statistics
Admission Statistics
% of Candidates Admitted
2000 / 2001
-
-
10.8
2001 / 2002
-
-
11
2002 / 2003
994,380
51,845
5.2
2003 / 2004
1,046,950
105,157
10
2004 / 2005
841,878
122,492
15
2005 / 2006
916,371
76,984
8.4
2006 / 2007
803,472
88,524
11
2007 /2008
911,653
107,370
12
2008 / 2009
1,054,060
NA
NA
Source: http.//www.jambng.com/appl.ume.php; Obasi, Akuchie and Obasi (2014).
If one of the reasons for the evolution of private universities in Nigeria is to expand access to university education, Table 8 reveals that the contribution of private universities to the overall admission of candidates seems to be insignificant. According to NUC (2009) and Obasi, Akuchie and Obasi (2014), in 2009 when private universities had spent a decade in their operations and existence, 29 private universities were only able to give admission to 41,884 or 5% of the total university admission for that year. This, to my mind, is rather too meager and insignificant. However, as insignificant as the number was, I am constrained to ask the question: what would have been the fate of those 41,884 candidates if they were not offered admission? This is an indication that though they are very expensive, private universities have come to stay along with their public counterparts.
Analysis of Issues Involved in Public-Private Universities
The Provost Sir, though in the course of this Distinguished Lecture, I have described public-private universities as a marriage of convenience, there are still some knotty issues in the marriage that need to be analysed and resolved. One of such issues is government policy. According to the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2013), government welcomes private participation in education at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary. Suffice to say that private sector involvement in education especially at the primary and secondary levels dates back to 1842 and 1859 respectively, when the first primary and secondary schools were established by the Christian Missionaries (Wesleyan Methodist for the primary and Christ Missionary Society, CMS, for secondary school). This policy was borne out of the need to assist the government in funding education, especially at the university level. This is because funding has been a major problem facing not only the university system but also education generally. In the realization of this problem and in an apparent move to solve it, government came up with the policy of deregulation by granting operating licence to private individuals, religious and corporate organizations to establish universities.
The other side of government policy has to do with some government officials who have vested interest in establishing private universities and therefore will stop at nothing to ensure that public universities are either underfunded or inadequately funded. This is usually the scenario with highly placed government officials who use their positions to loot the commonwealth of the country meant for the transformation, revitalization and reformation of the public university system. The loot is thereafter invested in private university. This explains why it is not out of place that some of the private universities in the country were established by former public office holders who used their influence while in office to secure for themselves or assist their allies to secure operating licence from government.
Autonomy is another raging controversy in public-private university system in Nigeria. Autonomy is when a university has a complete or total control of its internal activities without any external interference. It will be recalled that the issue of autonomy in public universities generated so much furore between their proprietor (the government) and the staff unions on campus especially the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The controversy over autonomy centred mainly on, but not limited to, the appointment of Vice-Chancellor and other Principal Officers of the universities which government has held on to tenaciously until 2009 when the Federal Government decided to grant full autonomy to public universities. The Provost Sir, can we say that public universities actually have full autonomy when the respective Governing Councils still depend heavily on government for subvention to pay staff salaries and carry out other fundamental activities like capital projects in the universities? Is there autonomy in the universities when the appointment of Vice-Chancellors and other Principal Officers is still subject to ratification by government? The answers to these and other questions, I leave to the audience to provide in their minds. However, in answering the questions we should not forget that he who pays the piper, dictates the tune.
The issue of autonomy is more precarious in private universities as the proprietor/founder cannot afford to leave the full running of the institution to the hands of the University Management in view of the fact that private universities were established to make profit. The situation in private universities is a far departure from what operates in their public counterparts in the sense that the proprietor in the former is involved in the day to day management of the institution, that is, he or his relatives or members of his immediate or extended family are not members of the Governing/Advisory Board as is mostly the case in private universities. Studies (Viatonu, 2016; Okoro and Okoro, 2014) have shown that proprietors of private universities do not give the management of their institutions the necessary free hand to run the affairs of their respective institutions. This interference does not allow for the universities to be managed professionally or with the requisite expertise that it deserves.
Also, another important dimension in analyzing issues involved in public-private universities has to do with the international dimension in university system. This factor can be discussed from two perspectives. First is the perspective of brain drain. Universities in Nigeria, especially public universities, have contributed immensely to the development and upliftment of university education around the world, particularly in some developed countries of the world like USA, Britain, France etc. However, this contribution came at a price and to the detriment of the university system in Nigeria. The university faculty (staff) especially academic staff left the universities in Nigeria in droves to seek greener pastures abroad. This almost brought the university system in Nigeria to its knees as some of the best brains in the system left for Europe and some African countries where they were better treated and remunerated. It was estimated that within a spate of two years (1988-1990), about 1000 lecturers left the services of Federal universities in Nigeria due to brain drain (Bangura, 1994). We should note that the Nigerian medical doctor who brought out foetus, carried out a successful operation on the foetus and returned it to the mother’s womb in the United States of America was trained at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. Where is he now and what has happened to him? He is no longer in Nigeria.
Secondly is the perspective of university ranking. The quality of programmes and operations in Nigerian university system has been a subject of controversy. This is because over the years, at least up to 2011, no Nigerian university (public or private), was ranked among the best or top 4000 Universities and Colleges in the world. Similarly, no university in Nigeria was ranked among the best 30 universities in Africa using web presence and course content. The Webometrics Ranking and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) were a wake-up call to the university system in Nigeria post 2011 era in terms of quality of programmes and high standard of operations. This was reflected in the World University Web Ranking for 2012 as only four universities in Nigeria (3 public and 1 private) namely; Universities of Lagos, Ibadan and Ilorin (public) and Covenant University, Ota (private) made the first 40 in the top 100 Universities and Colleges in Africa (World Universities Web Ranking, 2012). It is disheartening to say at this point that out of the universities considered in 2014 for Webometric Ranking in Africa, only 2 Nigerian universities (1 public and 1 private) namely: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife was ranked number 1,655 in the world but 19 in Africa while Covenant University, Ota was ranked number 2,075 in the world but 25 in Africa (CSIC, 2014). It is shocking to note that in the current/latest (2016) World University Ranking, University of Ibadan was the only university in Nigeria that was ranked among the best 1000 universities and colleges in the world. But wait for this: the best university in Nigeria was ranked as number 601 in the world! No private university was ranked among the best 1000 in the world. The Provost Sir, distinguished audience, is this an indication that public universities are better than their private counterparts? Again, I leave you to ponder over the issue.
Closely related to brain drain is the issue of capital flight. Perhaps there is no better time to discuss this issue than now that there is a dearth or scarcity of foreign exchange in the country. Most of the accredited private universities in Nigeria are owned by highly influential individuals (e.g. Elizade University, American University in Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State), religious organizations (e.g. Covenant University, Ota; Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo; Crescent University and Al-Hikmah University) and corporate organizations (e.g. PAN African University, Lekki). Most of these universities have alliance, links or affiliation with foreign investors/universities such that some of them even make their students to pay schools fees in dollars and other foreign currencies. By so doing, the foreign currencies are repatriated to their home countries. In fact, some of these universities (e.g. American University in Nigeria, Yola) pay their expatriate staff in foreign currency (dollars). These currencies are never allowed to domicile in Nigeria but taken back to their home countries. This is a major contributor to the current scarcity of dollars in the country.
The type of university attended and the mode of study are issues of concern in public- private university system that is largely dependent on societal dictates. This is moreso when attendance at private universities has almost become a norm in the society such that it is seen as a competition among some parents who belong to different social and cultural groups in the society. The type of university attended has become a status symbol in the society. This tends to make some people look down on those who attend public universities because it is relatively “cheap” and because private universities charge exorbitant fees that is believed only the high and mighty in the society can attend and pay . Similarly, the mode of study (whether full-time or part-time) is also seen as a social class phenomenon. It is believed, though erroneously, that those who attend part-time programmes are those who cannot meet up with the high socio-economic and academic demands in the society. As a result of this development, many parents tend to arouse unhealthy competition, rivalry or pride among themselves. This sometimes drives them (parents) to become avaricious to the point of looting public treasury in order to be able to pay their children’s school fees.
One of the most critical issues in analyzing public-private university system is the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). The controversy is on whether private universities should benefit from the disbursement of TETFund or not. TETFund is a critical financial intervention in infrastructural development in institutions of higher learning in the country. Since the required funds for capital projects and other key sectors of tertiary education was either not forthcoming or coming in fits and starts, the Federal Government came to the realization that the private sector has a key role to play in supporting tertiary education. This led to the policy of taxing every oil company and other private companies 2% of their annual profits. The emphasis here is that the bulk of the money/fund (tax) comes from the private sector but used to fund capital/developmental projects in public tertiary institutions. Is it not an irony that funds mostly generated from private companies are used to fund projects in public tertiary educational institutions (universities, polytechnics and colleges of education)? Proprietors/owners of private universities have fought so hard and done everything humanly possible to see that their institutions are included in the disbursement of TETFund but to no avail. This development has put public universities at an advantage over and above private universities especially in the area of infrastructural development.
The Provost Sir, permit me to say unequivocally that public universities will continue to indulge in boisterous facilities to the detriment of their private counterparts as long as there is unequitable distribution of the TETFund. By this singular act of government, the controversy in public-private University in Nigeria rages on.
My Contributions to Scholarship in the Field of Higher and University Education
The Provost Sir, permit me to humbly say that by the grace of God, I have made valuable contributions to the field of education in general (especially in the areas of History and Sociology of Education, Basic Education) and Comparative Education in particular (specifically in colleges of education and university system). However, my interest in comparative education happened more by accident than design. But I believe that it has to do more with the purpose of God for my life. The reason being that at the Master’s degree level, I specialized in Educational Foundation, I tilted more towards Sociology of Education even though I offered as many courses as available in Comparative Education. At my doctoral level, because I insisted that I must study for my Ph.D at the first and the best University in Nigeria and one of the best in the world- the University of Ibadan- I got a ready-made, ebullient, willing and able supervisor in Professor Bashir Olubode Lawal in History and Policy of Education, Department of Teacher Education, University of Ibadan. Since then, I have discovered the interconnectivity between Sociology of Education, Comparative Education and all other fields of education.
When I observed the marginalization of the girl-child in education in Nigeria, I reiterated in Viatonu (1995; 2006) that socio-cultural, economic and religious practices are some of the obstacles to the girl-child attending basic education in Nigeria. Since it is basic and the senior secondary education that feed the tertiary level, if the girl-child or any child for that matter is denied education at the secondary level, it becomes practically impossible for the tertiary institutions to have candidates that will seek and gain admission at that level. This means that the university system relies on the secondary level for its candidates.
In separate studies conducted in tertiary institutions in Lagos State (Viatonu, 2002; Viatonu and Jegede, 2007), we set out to examine one of the major problems facing tertiary institutions (especially universities) in the State: cultism, some of the reasons for students joining cult and how the institution authorities could handle the situation. The results showed that students become cult members for fear of failure, to boost their ego, for protection and for trivial reason of fighting over ladies. It was suggested that if the menace of cultism was not properly handled and well managed, it could bring our tertiary institutions to their knees, cripple academic activities on campus and make our youths lack focus or derail their focus in life. The Provost Sir, I am happy to report that though the menace of cultism has not been completely eradicated in our tertiary institutions, it has been drastically curtailed. This might not be unconnected with the rate that students are engaged in their studies and the dynamism that has been introduced into the administration and management of higher education in the country which were parts of the recommendations in my studies.
The success of any teacher education programme depends mainly on two major pillars or factors: teacher preparation and teaching practice. It was in realization of the importance of these two factors that Viatonu, Lawal and Ezekiel (2010), Viatonu, Osisami and Illo (2010), Viatonu, Lawal and Jegede (2011) and Viatonu and Osisami (2015) took a cursory examination of teacher preparation and quality control in Faculties of Education in universities and colleges of education. It was established that teacher preparation was a sine qua non for the success of all levels of education (primary, secondary and tertiary) and that effective teaching practice and teaching practice supervision were fundamental to the success of the country’s education system. It was further established that effective teaching practice supervision was a predictor of teacher trainee performance in pedagogy and necessary for quality control in teacher education.
The Provost Sir, to the glory of God and the magnanimity of the College Management (in granting me permission to travel) under the leadership of Professor Olu AKEUSOLA, I have travelled to the United States of America a couple of times and some parts of Europe. My last trip to the United States of America was in August 2016. My flight took me from Lagos through Doha in Qatar to Los Angeles. Of particular interest was the trip from Doha to Los Angeles which lasted for 15 hours non-stop, whereas it took me less than 30 minutes to book my flight in my office and register for the international conference at the University of Riverside, Los Angeles, California. The point I am trying to make is that the world has actually become a global village through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In order not to be left out of this penchant for ICT, Viatonu and Elusakin (2012) and Viatonu, Gbadebo and Odupe (2015) examined the use of Information and Communication Technology by students in the learning of the two core/major subjects at all levels of education: English Language and Mathematics. The studies looked at the two subjects using ICT and concluded that with the level of development in the world, it has become imperative and fundamental for both teachers and students at all levels of education to embrace the use of ICT in the teaching-learning situation. This is a passport to making learning easier and to be fun.
The use of social media has become the main stay in the dissemination of information and knowledge acquisition in contemporary world both within and outside the academic environment. The rate at which students use the social media was becoming alarming that it became imperative to carry out a research on that area. In the light of this, Viatonu, Adesanya and Olagunju (2014) carried out a study on the effect of social networking sites on the academic achievement of students in higher institutions in Southwest, Nigeria. The study established that of all the social networking sites available, students were mostly found on Facebook and Whatsapp. However, it was disturbing to find that rather than use these sites for academic purposes, students (especially female) used the sites for social networking/social life and passing/giving information to one another about social events. This was usually done through various media particularly their mobile phones.
Similarly, Viatonu, Olagunju and Adeyemi (2013), Viatonu, Lawal and Adesanya (2013) and Viatonu et al (2016a) made a comparative study of the use of information and communication technology among staff and students in public, private and public and private higher institutions respectively in Southwest Nigeria. The studies established that due to stereotypical beliefs and tradition, many academic staff in higher institutions are averse to the use of ICT in their classroom situation. However, in view of the fact that students have gone completely berserk in the use of ICT, academic staff now realize that they can no longer claim monopoly of knowledge like in the traditional society. Hence, academic staff do not have a choice but to introduce ICT to their knowledge dissemination/presentation. This will go a long way to bringing both staff and students up to date about happenings around them and globally.
The Provost Sir, my research efforts have also led me to pay attention to lecturers’ self-concept of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its effect on their research and academic output (Viatonu, et al, 2016b). The study pointed out the fact that ICT has become a critical input for effective socio-cultural and educational functioning. This is because useful, relevant and timely information is critical to purposeful living and survival in the society in general and education in particular. It was further established that the idea of the world becoming a global village is due mainly to knowledge explosion, rate of information output and sources and uses of information. The study emphasized that useful, timely and effective sources of information are germane to effective and efficient performance of staff in higher institutions. What members of staff, especially academic staff, feel about themselves will go a long way to determine their level of performance on the job.
Concluding Remarks and Recommendations
The Provost Sir, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in the last couple of minutes, I have tried to look at the evolution of university education in Nigeria, the increasing demand for university education by Nigerians especially our teeming youths, the evolution and necessity for private universities in Nigeria, the contribution of public and private universities to government’s efforts of providing access to university education. I have also made an attempt to juxtapose public and private universities and see to what extent that public universities are better than their private counterparts and vice-versa to the point that I have left the audience to either ponder over some issues raised in this lecture or provide answers to some questions. For instance, should we say because facilities in public universities are becoming obsolete then candidates should attend private universities where, in some cases, there are no facilities? Should we say because there are disruptions of academic calendar/academic activities in public universities that candidates should attend universities where they are to be exploited via exorbitant, obnoxious and outrageous fees? Or should we say because of their so called uninterrupted programmes that private universities are better than public universities? Or because in public universities, students pay less tuition fees than their counterparts in private universities then, can we say that the latter is better than the former? Therein lies the unending controversy.
Let us note however, that government has the best qualified doctors in public hospitals, the best teachers in the primary and secondary schools and the best lecturers in its higher institutions (Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities).But has the government been able to put its human resource to good use? In an attempt to maximize profit for which they were set up, private universities tend to employ quacks, unqualified or less qualified personnel for their operations and programmes.
Based on the foregoing, I hereby make the following recommendations:
- Education generally and university education in particular should be adequately funded by the government. There is no doubt that education has not been well-funded in Nigeria, not even close to the 26% of annual budget recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). It has therefore become imperative for government at the federal and state levels to increase budgetary allocation to education generally and by extension university education.
- As a corollary to (i) above, there is the need to upgrade existing dilapidated structures or facilities in public universities and where necessary, to provide new ones. This is because some of the existing facilities in public universities are as old as the university system itself. Some of the facilities are obsolete and cannot meet the need of contemporary educational needs. For example, one cannot imagine that in these days of ICT, some universities are still using chalkboard instead of the magic board or white board. This therefore calls for a total overhaul of these facilities to bring them up to date with modern technology and make public universities more attractive and competitive even in the face of the proliferation of private universities.
- It has been observed that the major source of funding private universities is through tuition fees paid by students. This explains why they charge very high fees. In view of the foregoing, it has become very urgent for private universities to try other sources of income or widen their scope of internally generated revenue (IGR). This is with a view to drastically reducing the exorbitant fees they charge.
- A visit to the locations of some private universities in the country will reveal a one-block or two-block university thereby restricting the courses or programmes offered in such universities. Or what do we expect to find in a university that has only one-storey or just two-storey building. It therefore behooves the National Universities Commission (NUC) to properly monitor the programmes run by private universities to ensure that they do not exploit their students. The NUC should also ensure that private universities do not deviate from the legal framework that established them.
- It would be recalled that private universities were established in order to expand access to university education. However, the outrageous and exorbitant tuition fees they charge have taken university education beyond the reach of the masses in the society who are qualified but not financially capable or buoyant enough to afford the exorbitant fees. In the light of the foregoing, the Federal Government, which approved the establishment of the private universities, should be ready to wield the big stick through the NUC, by regulating the fees charged by private universities. This is necessary in order to allow more candidates access to university education.
- Rather than see each other as competitors, public and private universities should seek areas of collaboration. There are areas that private universities can learn from public universities and vice-versa. One of such areas is that of collaborative research that will be very useful to the society. They need to tap into their areas of strength with a view to improving their weaknesses. For instance, in spite of charging exorbitant fees, private universities seem to enjoy relative peace on their campuses; no disruption of academic activities by staff and student unions. This is one area that public universities can learn from their private counterparts. Similarly, private universities can learn from their public counterparts in the area of internally generated revenue (IGR) to boost their sources of funding.
- One of the major areas of controversy in public-private universities is the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). The controversy stems from the fact that only public universities benefit from the Fund; it does not cover private universities despite the fact that most of the fund is generated from the private sector. The federal government should look into this matter with a view to allocating a certain percentage of the Fund to cover private universities in the country even if public universities are still going to take the lion share.
- The increasing number of candidates given admission annually calls for efforts by public and private universities to recruit more personnel, especially academic staff, to cope with the increasing population in the system. Similarly, private universities should improve the quality of their teaching staff by recruiting high caliber of staff and provide the enabling environment for them to operate through improved conditions of service, job security and provision of necessary facilities to make them perform optimally.
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Language through the use of Information and Communication Technology: Prospects and Challenges. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference of Language Learning held in Florence, Italy 15th – 16th November. (ISBN: 978-88- 6292- 309-5).
Viatonu, O., Lawal, B. O. and Jegede, A. A. (2011). Effective Teaching Practice Supervision: A Predictor of Teacher Trainees’ Performance in Pedagogy. African Research Review 5(4), 152 - 160.
Viatonu, O., Lawal, R. O. and Ezekiel, A.I.D. (2010). Teacher Preparation: a Panacea for the Success of Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Nigeria. MOCPEDInternational Journal of Educational Studies 1(1 & 2), 227 – 232.
Viatonu, O., Osisami, R. A. and Illo, C. O. (2010). Quality Teacher Education in Colleges of Education: An Imperative for Sustainable Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Nigeria. MOCPED International Journal of Educational Studies 1(1 & 2), 351 - 358.
Viatonu, O. (2002). Towards Eradicating Cultism in Nigerian Educational Institutions in New Dimensions in Educational Development. Faculty of Education, LASU Publication 5(1&2), 12 – 19.
Viatonu, O. and Jegede, A. A. (2007). A Comparative Analysis of the Perception of Students and Academic Staff Towards Factors Associated with Cultism in Tertiary Institutions in Lagos State. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences 4(5), 667 - 671.
Viatonu, O. and Jegede, A. A. (2006). Educating the Girl-child for a Successful Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects. A paper presented at the African Conference on Primary/Basic Education on Achieving Universal Primary/Basic Education in Africa in 2015: Myth or Reality. Held at University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana, 16th – 19th October. 237 – 244.
Viatonu, O. (2004). Sociology of Education: An Introduction. Ijebu-Ode: Lucky Odoni Printers.
Viatonu, O. (1995). Education and Women Empowerment: Prospects and Problems. Journal of Professional Educators (JOPED) 2 (1), 142 – 148.
World Bank (1999). Acquiring Knowledge. World Bank Developmental Report 1988-1999. Washington D. C. 27-46.
World Bank (2004). Improving Tertiary education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Things that work. Report of a regional training conference, Accra, Ghana.
Acknowledgements
The Provost Sir, I am indebted to many people who have had cause to influence my life spiritually, administratively, career-wise and academically. Permit me therefore to acknowledge them. First and foremost, I thank the Almighty God; the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending; the First and the Last; the Giver of Life; the same yesterday, today and forever and the soon coming King.
I am highly indebted to St. Augustine College of Education (PROJECT T.I.M.E.) where I started my lecturing career in 1992 before joining the Lagos State College of Primary Education (LACOPED) in 1995 now Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED). I have to thank MOCPED because it gave me the opportunity to develop myself academically and my career. In MOCPED I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly but I thank God that the bad and ugly wind did not blow me away.
I thank my lecturers right from my undergraduate days in Lagos State University (LASU) including but not limited to Prof. (Mrs.) Julia Othibor Omokhodion, who supervised my undergraduate project with “ease”, Prof. Tunde Samuel, who right from my undergraduate days in LASU as my lecturer and in MOCPED as my employer, believed in my administrative and academic surrender value and his constant motivation, Prof. Peter Okebukola, who taught me that in designing a questionnaire, “sex’’ is the same as “gender”. My lecturers at the University of Lagos – Prof. (Mrs) Sarah Beatrice Adenike Oloko, who brought me to the world of Sociology of Education; Dr. (Mrs.) Iyabo Abe, who took me to the land of Comparative Education; and my lecturers at University of Ibadan. The current Dean, Faculty of Education, Prof. M.K. Akinsola, for the avuncular role he played in my life since 2006 when we met in Gaborone, Botswana; Prof. Bashir Olubode Lawal, the easy-going, an epitome of gentility and humility, who despite all odds, accepted to supervise my Ph.D and Prof. Olusegun Akinbote of the Department of Teacher Education, who was my mentor and spiritual adviser when he was Dean, School of Education (1995-97). Let me also acknowledge the invaluable contributions of my friends, brothers and colleagues at the University of Ibadan: Drs. Olumide Olajide, Adedeji Tella, Femi Fakolade, D.O. Fakeye and Ajitoni.
I am also grateful to Her Excellency, Lady Doja Otedola – a former First Lady of Lagos State, for her big mummy role in my life. How can I forget my mother, Ms Alice Adebisi Odeneye, who brought me to this world and nurtured me by the grace of God to become who I am today. Maami, I say big thank you to you. I will never forget you my indefatigable, loving and caring sister, Mrs. Mabel Olufunke Adebowale, who has done so much for me as an individual and my family Iya Banke, you are one in a million. I hope I will be able to pay you back in multiple folds of what you have done for me. My other siblings – Mrs. Yemi Ofili and Sister Bunmi Ogunyemi, I cannot forget you tooMr and Mrs. Isaac Olayinka Dagunduro.
Let me also appreciate my spouse, my better half and supporter, the mother of my children, Maryam Mojisola Oreoluwa Viatonu and my lovely and Godly children Ayokunle, Adekunle and Oyinkansola. Thank you so much.
The Dean, School of Education, Dr (Mrs) Olubusayo Asikhia, who has shown tremendous respect for me, My colleagues in the School of Education, MOCPED, Dr. O.O. Oshodi, who at different times was my predecessor and successor as Dean, School of Education, Deputy Provost, Director, Degree Programme and Quality Assurance respectively; the immediate past Dean, M.K.O. Olagunju, the Generals (Chief Lecturers) in the School, Dr. E.O. Olaleye, Mrs. R.A. Osisami, Messrs K. Asoga-Allen, J. Ogunniyi, Miss F.R. Famuyiwa and Mrs. Williams-Oladapo and all others in the School and the College too numerous to mention, I thank you for your support and cooperation. To all my staff in the Directorate of Degree Programme (DDP), I say a big thank you. You have been so wonderful.
My fathers and mothers in the Lord, Rev and Rev (Mrs)Kunle Obadina,(IkoroduAxis Coordinator and District Overseer of Ikorodu 1); Rev. and Pastor (Mrs) Martins Olaomoju (District Overseer Ipakodo District); Pastor and Pastor (Mrs) Tunji Adefuye, my Resident Pastor, Rev. and Pastor (Mrs)Tunde Ajindeand Mama of the District, Rev (Mrs) Sophia Vanderpuye, I say a big thank you.
The Provost Sir, permit me to specially acknowledge and thank the man who instituted and has sustained this Distinguished Lecture in the College, the Akinrogun himself, the Obagun of Ijebuland, a ripsnorter and a primus interpares, Professor Olu AKEUSOLA. I say a big appreciation to you for making it possible for me to stand before you and this distinguished audience.
Let me conclude this Distinguished Lecture by thanking God for His faithfulness in my life.
Great is Thy faithfulness (2ce)
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
The Provost Sir, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for your presence and rapt attention.
Jesus is Lord.
Bio data of Dr. Olumuyiwa Anthony VIATONU
Olumuyiwa Anthony Viatonu was born into the family of Mr and Mrs Adeniyi Anthony (of blessed memory) and Alice Adebisi Viatonu on the 2nd of July, 1967 at Oshodi, Lagos State.He attended Lagos City Council (LCC) Primary School (now Lagos Mainland Local Government Primary School III) Fadeyi, Lagos (1973-79), Saint Peter’s College, Olomore Abeokuta, Ogun State (1979-1984) and Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode (1984-85). He proceeded to Lagos State University, Ojo where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A. Ed) English Education (1985-1990). He obtained a Master’s degree (M.Ed) in Educational Foundations with specialization in Sociology of Education from University of Lagos (1992) and Ph.D in Comparative Education from the first, the best and the highest ranked university in Nigeria—University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
Dr. Viatonu was employed as a lecturer in the Department of General Studies in Education (GSE) at St. Augustine College of Education (PROJECT T.I.M.E), Akoka (1992-1995). He joined the services of Lagos State College of Primary Education (LACOPED) now Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija-Epe in 1995 as a Lecturer II in the Department of English as a pioneer member of staff. He later transferred to the Department of General Studies of the same institution also as a pioneer member of staff teaching all the courses in Language and Communication Skills (I-IV).
Olumuyiwa Viatonu has 73 publications comprising 15 articles in national journals, 12 international journal articles, 12 chapters in books, 1 textbook, 4 edited works, 8 international conference proceedings, 20 conference presentations (local and international) 1 distinguished lecture and 2 unpublished works in his areas of specialisation. He has attended conferences locally in Nigeria and internationally in Botswana, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Dr. Olumuyiwa Viatonu is a member of some learned societies home and abroad including Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS), Japan, National Association of Professional Educators (NAPE), Nigerian Association of Educationists for National Development (NAEND) formerly, National Association of Teacher Educators of Nigeria, Association of Sociologists of Education of Nigeria (ASEN) and Nigerian Association for Educational Administration and Planning, an Affiliate of Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management.
Dr. Viatonu’s administrative experience include among othersMember, Lagos State Youth Award Committee, Ministry of Education;Member, Lagos State Government Task Force on Satellite Campuses;Co-ordinator, Department of General Studies, St. Augustine College of Education,Project TIME;Co-ordinator, Sport, St. Augustine College of Education, Staff Adviser, National Union of Lagos State Students; Member, Appointments and Promotions Committee (Senior), Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Member, Board of Pre-NCE; Member, College Committee on Resurgence of Cultism in Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Member, Junior Staff Appointments, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee; Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Education for National Development (JOEND), a publication of the Nigerian Association of Educationists for National Development (NAEND), Member, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Member, Committee on Presentation of 2002 Federal Government Scholarship Awards to 32 MOCPED Students; Member, School of Education, Social Welfare Committee;Member, College Research and Publication Committee; Member,College Sports Committee, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Member, College Examination Committee,Member and later Chairman, Lagos State Indigenous Students Screening Committee; Assistant Co-ordinator and later, Co-ordinator, Teaching Practice, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Member and later Chairman, Teaching Practice Committee; Member, Committee on the Modalities for the take-off of the School of Primary Education, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Member, Committee on Rationalization of Academic Programmes;Member, Admissions Committee;Member, Academic Board Michael Otedola College of Primary Education,1997-date; Member, Accreditation Committee;Member, College Committee on Institution of Annual Merit Award for Exemplary Service;Member, Governing Council, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Member, Staff Welfare Committee of Governing Council, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education;Member, Student Welfare Committee of Governing Council, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education;Chairman, Committee on the Review of Student Handbook, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education;Secretary, College Publication Committee,Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Secretary, Editorial Board The Beagle, the official Journal of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Technical Adviser, College Committee on Bi-ennial International Conference, Chairman, College Research and Publication Committee;Chairman, College Committee on the production of Textbooks on Entrepreneurship Education;Managing Editor, Academic Review, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Managing Editor, The Beagle,the official Journal of Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Chairman, Academic Board Business Committee, Chairman, Committee on College e-portal, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education;Head, Department of General Studies in Education; Head, Department of Educational Foundations and Management;Dean, School of Education, Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors, Deputy Provost, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education; Director, Directorate of Quality Assurance; Director, Directorate of Degree Programmes, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education.
He was a Consultant to United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC) in Lagos, and United State Agency for International Development (USAID) on Literacy Enhancement Assistance Programme (LEAP) and Community Participation for Action in the Social Sector (COMPASS).
He has served as external examiner/moderator/assessor to Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Federal College of Education (Tech), Akoka, Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu and Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo.
Dr Olumuyiwa Anthony Viatonu is the Public Relations Officer of Foursquare Gospel Church, Ikorodu III (Ipakodo) District and the Ist Vice-Chairman of Ona-Iye Community Development Association, Lowa II, Ikorodu. He is married to Mojisola Maryam Oreoluwa (nee Otukoya) and the marriage is blessed with Ayokunle, Adekunle and Oyinkansola.
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