EX-LASU VC CLARIFIES POSITION ON UNIVERSITY FUNDING

The immediate-past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has clarified comments she made about the cost of providing quality university education in Nigeria.

Her media aide, Emmanuel Adeyemi, said the former vice-chancellor’s remarks had been widely misinterpreted after excerpts from a recent interview circulated on social media.

Adeyemi explained that Olatunji-Bello was discussing the estimated cost of providing quality undergraduate education and not proposing that students or their parents should pay N1m annually as tuition.

According to him, the former LASU VC estimated that delivering university education at a standard comparable with international institutions costs approximately N1m per student each year.

He stressed that she did not advocate transferring the entire cost to students or their families.

Adeyemi said Olatunji-Bello was instead calling for universities to develop innovative and diversified revenue sources to achieve financial sustainability.

He added that her comments also encouraged parents to prioritise their children’s education while recognising that quality education requires adequate funding.

The aide urged the public, media organisations and education stakeholders to consider the former VC’s complete remarks rather than relying on isolated statements that could create a different impression of her position.

He said the broader argument was about shared responsibility and sustainable funding for public universities.