Professor Ibrahim Gambari has urged the Federal Government to extend TETFUND support to private universities nationwide.
He said such inclusion would ease their financial burdens and enhance academic quality across institutions.
The Chancellor of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has called on the Federal Government to extend Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) grants and projects to private universities across the country.
Speaking during the institution’s 17th Convocation Ceremony in Abeokuta, where 667 students graduated for the 2024/2025 academic session, Gambari said such support would improve academic standards and ease the financial challenges facing private universities.
He also appealed to federal, state, and local governments to grant tax waivers to private universities, noting that many of them are struggling to stay afloat due to the rising cost of goods and services after the removal of fuel subsidy.
Gambari said the cost of running the university had increased sharply, citing a rise in monthly electricity bills from about one million naira two years ago to over twenty million naira. He added that expenses on security, water supply, solar energy, internet services, and library materials had also become a heavy burden.
He urged the government to view private universities as partners in national development rather than revenue sources. “The Federal Government should include private universities in TETFUND and support them through research grants across all regions,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, also supported the call for TETFUND assistance, describing the financial situation of private universities as difficult. He congratulated the best-graduating student, Ganiyu Feranmi of the Bola Ajibola College of Law, and praised the university’s record of producing outstanding graduates in various fields.
Gbajabiamila said the institution continues to maintain strict discipline against examination malpractice, indecent dressing, cultism, and other social vices. He urged parents to guide their children and advised graduates to face life’s challenges with hard work and creativity.
In his remarks, the Proprietor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prince Muhammad Ajibola, said the vision of the school’s late founder, Prince Bola Ajibola, continues to inspire efforts to strengthen academic excellence through modern learning, innovation, and research.
