By Habeeb Ibrahim
The immediate-past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Distinguished Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, has clarified that her remarks about ₦1 million in university funding were not a proposal for public university students to pay the amount as tuition.
The clarification was contained in a statement by Emmanuel Adeyemi, Media Aide to the 9th Substantive Vice-Chancellor of LASU, following reactions to comments attributed to Olatunji-Bello in a recent interview with The Punch.
According to Adeyemi, the former vice-chancellor was speaking about the estimated cost of providing quality undergraduate education in Nigeria, rather than suggesting that the entire cost should be transferred to students or their parents.
He said Olatunji-Bello’s comments were made in the context of the growing demand for Nigerian universities to provide education comparable with international standards, while operating with relatively low tuition fees.
Adeyemi said the professor’s position was that providing the quality of education Nigerians expect could cost about ₦1 million per student annually.
He stressed, however, that Olatunji-Bello had pointed to innovation and alternative revenue generation as part of the solution to university funding challenges.
“Universities can achieve financial self-sustainability. If they can innovate and ensure improvements in the institution, money will come in,” Olatunji-Bello was quoted as saying.
The former LASU vice-chancellor also urged parents to prioritise their children’s education, saying, “Good quality education needs money.”
Adeyemi said the comments should therefore be understood as part of a wider argument about the financing of quality university education and institutional sustainability, rather than as a call for public universities to impose a uniform ₦1 million tuition fee on students.
The clarification comes amid ongoing discussions over how Nigerian universities can improve infrastructure, teaching, research and other academic services while dealing with funding constraints.
Adeyemi urged the public and education stakeholders to consider Olatunji-Bello’s complete remarks rather than relying on isolated portions of the interview.
