State varisities’ll continue to threaten higher education, if not well funded – Babalakin

The Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Lagos, Akoka, Dr. Wale Babalakin, has said that state universities will continue to be a threat to university education in the country.
He said this would remain so because most of the existing state universities lacked adequate funding to enable them to take their proper place among universities in the world.
Babalakin, who is also the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Group of companies, disclosed that to train one student in a properly accredited course in a year cost N1.2 million and with the high population of students in most universities, achieving this had become a herculean task.
He spoke during the investiture of Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as the 12th vice-chancellor of the university, adding that many people clamour for free education without thinking of the source of funding available for such a programme.
The Pro-chancellor added that with a population of 40,000 students, UNILAG would require a total of N48billion a year to train its students.
“That is why I wonder that if this calculation is applied to many universities, many may not be able to graduate quality students because, for example, UNILAG could only get about N11billion out of the required N48billion from the Federal Government.
He, therefore, called for support from well-meaning Nigerians for the higher education sector in the country.
Babalakin also urged the alumni of the university to support the institution.
“We are not saying they should give us the fund, they should just take one of our projects and sponsor it,” he said.
The vice-chancellor in his remarks after his investiture, said his vision was to build a UNILAG that would be first among equals and to produce graduates that would be relevant locally and would be globally competitive.
“My mission also is to build the spirit of collectivism and value re-orientation in advancing total human capital and infrastructure befitting a 21st century globally competitive university,”
he said.
The VC added that his administration was determined to rebrand the university and make it a hub of research by the end of his tenure in 2022.
Ogundipe assured the society of the university’s determination to undertake cutting edge research to address urgent national
issues.