Prof. Epiphany Azinge, the former Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, has urged the Federal Government to support funding of private universities to improve education.
Azinge made the call during a lecture to mark the 85th birthday of Dr Gabriel Igbinedion, the founder of Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), on Thursday in Okada.
The theme of the lecture is: “Private Universities:Vision of Founding Fathers”.
He said that funding of private universities by government would lead to greater development of Nigeria’s educational sector.
Azinge said that there was need for government to make Igbinedion University the bedrock of ECOWAS studies.
“ECOWAS is gradually taking centre stage in West Africa and there is need to have a center in IUO to host studies for all ECOWAS nations.
“Apart from MBA programmes, institutes for human rights and military engagement can be established for attracting military high commands in universities,” he said.
Azinge appealed to the management of IUO to think of trail blazing innovation that would make IUO truly a leading center of excellence whether in the field of medicine or any other spheres.
“TETFUND must be pressurised to change its attitude towards private universities, considering the enormous contributions made by private universities toward education in Nigeria,” he said.
Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Vice Chancellor of IUO said the university had recorded several achievements that needed to be appraised and put in proper perspective.
“In the past year, the university has recorded ground breaking achievements with the establishment of four centres of excellence.
“In our determined efforts to stem the tide of unemployment and unemployability in the last month, the Director-General of NOTAP opened the university’s Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Office,” he said.
Ezemonye said that a board that would coordinate to oversee the harnessing and harvesting of research findings and patents from Igbinedion University was also established. (NAN)
