Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Vice Chancellor of Bells University of Technology at Ota in Ogun State, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, have urged the Federal Government to include students of private universities in the soon-to-commence Student Loan Scheme.
They spoke at the inauguration of the Asiwaju Onafowokan, Coleman Wires and Cables building yesterday at Bells University’s College of Postgraduate Studies in Ota.
Obasanjo, who inaugurated the facility alongside the vice chancellor, urged the government to include private university students in the loan programme.
The former President expressed doubts about the government’s ability to implement the programme with total transparency.
Ojediran praised private universities, stressing the need to include them in government initiatives.
The vice chancellor faulted the exclusion of private universities from accessing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the exclusion of private university students from the Student Loan Scheme.
According to him, the decisions are not in tune with the current realities of the society and the expectations of most Nigerians.
Ojediran said parents were struggling to keep their children enrolled in schools, whether public or private, due to the economic situation of the country.
The vice chancellor sought the recognition of private universities as partners in progress with the government, adding that their graduates play a pivotal role in driving the country’s economy forward.
