Of the 143 universities in the country, 61 of them are privately-owned.
Adeyewa says, “The present economic situation has affected the fortunes of private universities adversely in view of the fact that these institutions depend on the fees remitted by parents as well as the goodwill of other donors whose economic well-being has been affected by the downward trend nationwide.
“In many private universities, parents have been unable to pay fees as due and there have been numerous pleas to allow students to defer payments while some even ask institutions to allow their wards to sit for examinations and then pay the fees later. In some critical situations, some students actually requested the deferment of a semester or an academic session due to financial difficulties.”
In practical terms, he declares that the recession has affected the provision of diesel, equipment as well as the right environment for reading and learning.
The CVCRPU Chairman adds, “The running cost of universities has increased because of the astronomical rise in the cost of diesel, laboratory consumables and the like. Some institutions have had to shorten the hours of providing electricity. Since this drives the provision of water and the running of scientific equipment, the toll on research can hardly be quantified.
“Another critical area is the equipping of our laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment. The high cost of importing scientific equipment because of the crashing of the Naira has made procurement of high-end scientific equipment near impossible. These are limiting factors to the provision of the best environments for educational institutions in view of the fact that we are not profit-oriented.”
As part of measures to cushion some of the economic challenges, some institutions, he explains, have put on hold the recruitment of additional staff to ensure that salaries are being paid.
Adeyewa’s counterpart at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State, Dr. Margee Ensign, says the excruciating economic situation is more than real in the institution.
She notes, “The prices of many things have obviously risen, including energy. We are becoming a “greener” campus to reduce our costs; and we work hard to run the university efficiently and effectively and use our resources very carefully.”
The VC of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim, agrees with Adeyewa and Ensign.
Ibrahim, for example, notes that some students could not sit for the last semester examination following the non-payment of their tuition.
But are there plans to increase their tuition next academic session in order to further cushion the challenges? To this, Ensign says there is no immediate plan. Tuition in many of the private universities range from N400,000 to N2m depending on the course of study.
The AUN VC adds, “This is a board decision, but we have no plans to increase our tuition next year. We can only do this because of the generosity of our founder, who over the years has increased his contributions in support of the university.”
Redeemer’s University, according to its VC, is also not contemplating increasing the tuition. He, however, explains that it is inevitable for the ivory tower to increase its feeding fees.
Adeyewa adds, “For those providing central feeding for students, marginal increase is inevitable due to the high cost of food items. For instance, Redeemer’s University used to charge a subsidised rate of N30,000 per semester for feeding (twice daily) but this is no longer feasible nor sustainable in the current situation.”
The Al-Hikmah VC, who also thinks that tuition increment is a no-go-area for now, holds the view that fees for sundry services in the university may not remain the same.
According to him, since there are high electric charges and high cost of diesel or petrol for generators, it has become inevitable to increase hostel fees in order to continue to provide the students with water, electricity and other utilities.
He adds “We have yet to see how it is going to affect enrolment for next session. Parents that have a student on campus are finding it difficult to pay, not to talk of those that have two or three students. It has become a problem.
“However, we are suggesting some marginal increment in certain charges in hostels as well as other services. But this suggestion has not been approved by the council so it has yet to take off.”
For the VC, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, the magnanimity of its founder, Justice Bola Ajibola (retd), is keeping the institution afloat.
Gbajabiamila, who says the tuition in the ivory tower is “reasonable”, notes that it spends a huge sum on diesel and water monthly.
He adds, “Whereas an expert analysis by a former Executive Secretary of the NUC a few years back was that to survive, a private university needs a student population of three thousand paying between N800,000 and N900,000 per session, Crescent University is charging far less than that. It provides electricity 24 hours per day with the cost of diesel at N4m, while cost of water is N2m per month.
“All of these are supposed to be part of infrastructure provided by the government. The current hike in cost of doing business in Nigeria has only exacerbated the situation. So, constant proprietary support in keeping the university afloat has been tremendous. In spite of these challenges, the university remains committed to offering excellent academic and moral education at very reasonable fees.”
But the CVCRPU helmsman has urged his fellow managers of private universities not to allow the “unfavourable economic situation” to frustrate them from serving humanity better.
He advises, “My advice to them is to keep up the good work of providing excellent services at minimal cost to stakeholders as much as possible in spite of the unfavourable situation. It is our sacrifice to motherland. In due season, Nigerians will appreciate our contribution to the development of the nation and support our drive to change obnoxious laws limiting the accessibility of private universities to funds that can be used for the common good.
“I also advise my fellow managers of private universities to use the opportunity of the current situation to run our institutions more efficiently, avoiding the leakages and wastages that are normally associated with the running of public institutions.”
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