The Provost of Harvarde College of Science and Management Studies, Obada, Abeokuta, Dr. Oluwatosin Adebayo, has opposed the inclusion of private university students in the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Speaking during a media tour of the institution’s facilities on Wednesday, Adebayo argued that most parents who send their children to private universities can afford the tuition, which can be as high as ₦6 million per year. According to him, the student loan scheme, funded by the Federal Government, should focus on those in public institutions who truly need financial support.
“I don’t support extending NELFUND to private university students. The poor won’t send their children to schools with such high fees,” he said.
However, Adebayo suggested that private institutions should be allowed to benefit from government funding for infrastructure development, such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), just like public institutions.
Commenting on the implementation of student loans, the provost advised that funds be disbursed directly to verified students to reduce corruption. He said the institution must first confirm each student’s enrollment before any funds are released.
Addressing a past controversy involving unapproved Nursing and Law programs at the college, Adebayo blamed what he described as “bad elements” for the crisis. He noted that those courses have since been discontinued and the school has applied again for approval to offer them.
He emphasized that all currently offered programs are accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). These include Accountancy, Economics and Management, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Business Administration, Crime Management, Public Administration and Banking and Finance.
Adebayo also highlighted the college’s continued investment in human capital, infrastructure and modern teaching tools to improve the quality of education provided.