The major aim of establishing tertiary institutions is to build high-level manpower for national development. They are a place where people acquire the needed tools; social, mental and intellectual skills, which will be required by the beneficiary to become a self-reliant and resourceful member of the society.In Nigeria today, there are public universities owned and funded by the federal and state governments. On the other hand are private universities, owned by individuals, business enterprises and religious bodies. Statistics show that as at October 2011, there are 36 federal universities, 37 state universities and 45 privately owned universities in Nigeria.The deregulation of education in Nigeria is a deliberate effort to break governments monopoly on education, thereby giving freedom to private participation in the provision and management of education. This is also in order to check the incessant strikes by lecturers in public universities, improve the quality of education and return the lost glory in the nations university system. These factors largely influenced the decision of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to endorse and approve private universities.He and his erstwhile deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, also got licences to operate universities.Ironically, most Nigerian leaders benefited from the public universities when they were well-funded with scholarships, free meals, free accommodation, stipends and high quality facilities for learning. Unfortunately, these same beneficiaries could not maintain the standard which they enjoyed as students of public universities; instead they allowed it to go into near total demise.While one could observe the selfishness of some of our leaders and their seeming connivance in promoting private universities at the expense of the public institutions, yet the so-called leaders would rather sponsor their children to study in foreign schools rather than allow them attend any in Nigeria.There are clear justifications for the establishment of private universities. These include increased access to education due to acute shortage of places in the existing institutions as well as overcrowded and deplorable physical facilities. The lecturers in public universities under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Universities could also share in the blame for the bastardisation of the system. Members of the union, in their efforts to register their grievances against inadequate funding from the government, take some actions that are inimical to the progress and development of their poor students.In fact, the flexibility of the academic environment with job security and huge severance packages influence lecturers to retain their offices in public universities while providing part-time lecturing to private universities in the name of private practice. Some of them would rather lobby or take political appointments and consultancy jobs than attend to the needs of their students. Surprisingly too, some professors have yet to adapt to the growing use of information technology. They still rely on old books and theories of past centuries when the internet provides the theory of reality and practicability. It is even possible that there are lecturers in Nigerian universities that do not have an email.Indiscipline and lack of adequate inspection and close monitoring on the campuses by relevant authorities have caused some students in public universities to engage in cultism, drug addiction, gang rape and other forms of criminality. The situation becomes worrisome whenever there are strikes, where some idle students engage in prostitution, robbery and kidnapping to earn a living and stay occupied. In the end, these institutions churn out certificated illiterates who can barely write their names and place of origin, not to mention the application and demonstration of their expectedly acquired knowledge.The federal character principle that permits universities the right to give priority attention to the catchment areas in admission of students and recruitment of staff also has a negative effect on the university system. This results in a situation where dunderheads are admitted and unqualified workforce recruited. The outcome of such policies is clear for everyone to see.Private universities as profit-making ventures, apart from being expensive, have also widened the social gap between the rich and the poor as a new status symbol. Proprietors are not required to understand the rudiments of managing an academic environment but can give directives to recruited administrators. Requirements for admission to private universities are not stringent as underage applicants and failed candidates in national common entrance examinations can easily get a place, as long as they can afford the fees.There is also an arbitrary inflation of tuition fees annually. There are also medieval laws put in place by some schools to weaken independence and freedom of expression on the campuses. Like regimented garrisons where all forms of feudal measures are taken, the universities do not treat their students as adult and mature persons but like boys and girls in boarding schools. For instance, one of these universities is reported to be implementing strict rules when their students go to bed and wake up in the morning.In another instance, a university is reported to be conducting virginity tests on female students upon resumption.The missionary universities established by religious organisations have some tactics to woo prospective students. Some have unwritten house rules that no student will ever fail to graduate because of spiritual interventions. They also have discriminatory policies against those that do not believe or practise their faith. Apart from employing the services of some of their worshippers as part-time lecturers, whose allowances could be paid only in heaven, most of the other recruited scholars are actually lecturers from nearby established public universities. Since well-qualified tutors would rather take offer in public universities because of the flexibility I mentioned earlier, the less qualified and jobless candidates are mostly in private universities where they are reengineered to work tediously to bring out the best in their students.The establishment of private universities could be a blessing to Nigerias education system but not an alternative way of funding the public ones, because there are huge federal budgets and various revenues generated in the name of taxes for education available to public institutions of learning. Therefore, government has no excuse not to adequately fund the universities.The private universities should remain private for the very rich who can afford them but without governments financial interventions, since they are established for maximisation of profit. They could utilise other avenues of revenue generation through charity organisations as well as private entities that are willing to provide endowments and sponsorships as parts of their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.Policymakers and lawmakers should ensure that our universities are adequately funded and make laws that would compel lecturers to be responsible to their duties and restrict them from private practice once there are improvements in their remuneration. Top public office-holders should be compelled to send their children to public institutions of learning.Regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, National Examination Council and West African Examinations Council should be more proactive and responsive in their close monitoring of universities to ensure that they meet international best practices in terms of examination supervision, enrolment and accreditation of courses. Well qualified staff, administrators and lecturers should be employed to meet the needs of their students.Shuaib wrote from Finance Estate, Wuye, Abuja vide yashuaib@yashuaib.com
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