No less than 15 universities are receiving mentorship from Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State (ABUAD), according to Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, vice chancellor of the university.
She noted that considering ABUAD’s enormous accomplishments, the international and local universities’ decision to choose it as their mentor was not made by mistake.
Speaking to media yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the VC stated that ABUAD’s academic brilliance, scholarly achievements, medical advancements, and worldwide recognition among the world’s top universities all drew the attention of these universities.
As one of the most sought-after universities in the world for mentorship, she claimed that ABUAD’s accomplishments as a young university have made it a source of pride for the Nigerian university system.
Olarinde continued, saying that the university had been fulfilling its tripodal mandates, which include providing community services, cutting-edge research, and qualitative teaching.
She stated that the university’s recent ranking of 221 out of more than 7,000 universities worldwide was a testament to its outstanding accomplishments rather than a fluke.
The VC called for the extension of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to private universities, describing as unfair and unacceptable, their exclusion from the list of the beneficiaries.
She said despite that private universities offer a viable alternative to public institutions and even complement and aid the drive of the government to increase the accessibility and quality of education, they do not receive any form of funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
“Consequent upon the failure of public universities to fully accommodate a majority of qualified candidates, licences were granted to private individuals and organisations to establish private universities in 1999.
“A careful reading of the relevant sections of the law shows that the intention of the lawmakers in imposing Education Tax on registered companies in Nigeria is for advancement of education to various levels and categories of education, through rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of education in Nigeria.
“Curiously, by the provisions of Section 7(1) of the Act, private institutions, including universities, are excluded from benefitting from the funds collected from companies, which are mainly private.”
“It seems clearly that Section 7(1) of the Act contradicts the provisions of Section 3(1), and violates Section 18 of the 1979 Constitution.
“The exclusion of private institutions, apart from the contradiction between Sections 3 and 7 of the law, is obviously unconstitutional, unfair and unjustifiable.”