The Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, has called on the Federal Government to extend support to private universities, emphasizing their role in meeting Nigeria’s human capital development needs.

He made the appeal during a press briefing to announce activities for the institution’s 16th convocation, scheduled to conclude on November 2, 2024, with the conferment of degrees and presentation of prizes.

Prof. Ojediran questioned the government’s neglect of private universities, despite their contributions in bridging the education gap caused by infrastructural challenges and frequent strikes in public institutions. He urged policymakers to consider offering private universities access to resources such as those provided by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to their public counterparts.

“The participation of private investors in the education sector is driven by love for Nigeria and a desire to enhance human capital development, not for profit,” Ojediran noted. He stressed the importance of the “Community University” concept championed by Bells University, which focuses on innovation, shared knowledge, and lifelong learning, adding that graduates from private institutions are on par with those from public universities.