COVID-19: Private University, Al- Hikmah solicits for government grants

The Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, Professor Noah Yusuf has appealed to the Federal Government to provide grants for private Universities in order to enhance the quality of their infrastructure and services.

Professor Yusuf made the appeal on Saturday during the 10th Convocation ceremony of the University, where he underscored the need for such grants, explaining that the current Covid-19 pandemic has shown the desirability of government grants to private Universities in Nigeria.

Critical partners
According to him, Private Universities are critical partners with governments at all levels in the training of Nigerian youths and the production of manpower for the employment market.

“Private Universities are governed by the same government regulations and rules that govern the operations of public Universities. Their academic programmes and mode of operation are subject to the regulations of the National Universities Commission, a body that employs the same rules in accrediting and supervising the academic programmes and curricular of both Private and Public Universities.

” If Private Universities are under the same regulatory agency as the Public Universities, why can they not enjoy the same benefits that are given to public Universities?”

Professor Yusuf who became the Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University in July 2020, also called for a total overhaul of University education in Nigeria to make Nigerian graduates become job creators rather than job seekers.

“...So that our universities will stop training graduates for non-existent civil service jobs,” he said.

The Al-Hikmah University boss said University education these days should incorporate entrepreneurial skills beyond the level currently provided by the General Studies programme in the University curriculum.

The Vice Chancellor, however stated that the University was graduating 751 students at the undergraduate level, 18 of the figure were in First Class Honours, 240 in Second Class Upper Division, and 402 in Second Class Lower Division, while 91 came out with Third Class.

He said that 60 students graduated with Postgraduate (Masters) and 82 students in Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) category.

However, the Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Professor Muhammed Mustapaha Akanbi SAN, who was represented at the occasion by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Professor Omololu Oladele Fapojuwo, congratulated the management of Al-Hikmah University on the 10th year Convocation ceremony.

He particularly commended the leadership role of the institution for it’s initiative in organising the virtual Convocation ceremony and wished the new graduands the very best in life as they were about entering labour market.

Also present at the event were the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Professor Sulyman Age Abdulkareem who is the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, another former Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Professor Musbau Akanji, traditional rulers across kwara state, government functionaries among others.

Lateefah Ibrahim