PFN President Seeks Inclusion of Private Varsities As Beneficiaries

• Archbishop Francis Wale Oke, National President of the PFN, urged the Federal Government to include private universities in national funding schemes.
• The call, made in Ibadan on Wednesday, specifically targets the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
• These funds traditionally support public tertiary institutions, providing resources for infrastructure, research, and student loans.
• The PFN President seeks inclusion of private varsities as beneficiaries, highlighting their contribution to expanding access to higher education.
• This advocacy challenges the current funding paradigm and calls for a re-evaluation of policies to support the entire tertiary education sector.

The PFN President's intervention seeks to bridge this gap, advocating for a more inclusive approach to educational development.

Archbishop Francis Wale Oke, serving as the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), recently issued a significant appeal to the Federal Government. Speaking from Ibadan on Wednesday, the prominent religious leader urged authorities to extend the benefits of key educational funding mechanisms to private universities across the nation. This direct plea highlights a growing sentiment regarding the role and support for privately-owned higher education institutions.

The core of Archbishop Oke's request centers on the inclusion of private varsities as beneficiaries of two critical funds: the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Currently, these funds primarily cater to public institutions, creating a distinct divide in resource allocation within the country's tertiary education landscape. The PFN President's intervention seeks to bridge this gap, advocating for a more inclusive approach to educational development.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is a statutory intervention agency established to manage and disburse funds for the rehabilitation, restoration, and consolidation of tertiary education in Nigeria. Its mandate traditionally focuses on public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, providing financial support for infrastructure development, research grants, and academic staff training. The fund is primarily financed by an education tax levied on assessable profits of companies registered in Nigeria.

Similarly, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was recently established with the objective of providing interest-free loans to Nigerian students pursuing higher education. While its specific operational guidelines are still evolving, the initial framework largely targets students enrolled in public tertiary institutions, aiming to alleviate financial burdens and improve access to education. The exclusion of private universities from these vital funding streams means they operate without the direct governmental financial support that their public counterparts receive, a disparity that Archbishop Oke's call seeks to address.

The PFN President's advocacy for the inclusion of private varsities as beneficiaries of TETFUND and NELFUND stems from the recognition of their substantial contribution to Nigeria's educational sector. Private universities play a crucial role in expanding access to higher education, accommodating a significant portion of the burgeoning youth population seeking university admission, and often pioneering innovative academic programs. Their exclusion from national funding initiatives, therefore, represents a missed opportunity to bolster the overall quality and capacity of tertiary education nationwide.

Granting private universities access to these funds could foster a more competitive and robust educational environment. It would enable these institutions to invest further in state-of-the-art facilities, enhance research capabilities, and attract and retain top academic talent, ultimately benefiting students and the national economy. This move would also acknowledge the private sector's role as a partner in national development, rather than an entirely separate entity in the provision of essential services like education.

Archbishop Oke's call represents a significant challenge to the existing paradigm of educational funding in Nigeria. Should the Federal Government heed this appeal, it would necessitate a fundamental re-evaluation of the policies governing TETFUND and NELFUND, potentially broadening their scope to encompass all accredited tertiary institutions, regardless of ownership structure. Such a policy shift could lead to a more integrated and equitable educational system, where resources are allocated based on need and contribution to national development, rather than solely on public or private status.

The debate surrounding this issue is likely to intensify, as stakeholders weigh the potential benefits of increased funding for private institutions against concerns regarding resource allocation and the primary mandate of these funds. Nevertheless, the PFN President's intervention has brought to the forefront a critical discussion about ensuring comprehensive support for Nigeria's entire tertiary education sector, aiming to enhance educational outcomes for all students.

Source: Original reporting via Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan