Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, Vice Chancellor of Bells University of Technology in Ota, Ogun State, have asked the Federal Government to include students from private universities in the upcoming Student Loan Scheme.
They addressed at the official opening of the Asiwaju Onafowokan, Coleman Wires and Cables building yesterday at Bells University’s College of Postgraduate Studies in Ota.
Obasanjo, who opened the facility with the vice chancellor, encouraged the government to include private university students in the loan initiative. The previous President questioned the government’s ability to carry out the initiative in full transparency.
Ojediran complimented private universities and stressed the importance of including them in government initiatives.
The vice chancellor faulted the exclusion of private universities from accessing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the exclusion of private university students from the Student Loan Scheme.
According to him, the decisions are not in tune with the current realities of the society and the expectations of most Nigerians. Ojediran said parents were struggling to keep their children enrolled in schools, whether public or private, due to the economic situation of the country.
The vice chancellor sought the recognition of private universities as partners in progress with the government, adding that their graduates play a pivotal role in driving the country’s economy forward.