Ogbonnaya Onwudike, Vice-Chancellor, Rhema University, Nigeria, Aba, Abia State, has called on the Federal Government to allow private universities in the country to benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) since they assist with the development of the Nigerian education system.
Onwudike, who made the appeal on Saturday in an address at the 9-13 combined convocation ceremonies of Rhema University, observed that allowing private universities access to TETFund will go a long way in strengthening and encouraging the Institutions.
The Professor of Animal Nutrition and ex-VC of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, said that the university system is a capital-intensive venture and Rhema University, like many other private universities, is faced with challenges of limited funding for its various developmental efforts.
According to him, proprietors of private universities spend enormous amounts of money to maintain their institutions, provide municipal services and therefore require government and external support to ensure that they fulfil their mission.
“I must again mention that private universities are not established for profit, but to contribute to the educational and economic development of society,” he said.
He announced that the university had the induction of the first set of medical doctors by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria on October 7.
Onwudike said that the medical doctors were first admitted into the university in 2020 and, within a record six years, graduated after its Medicine and Surgery programme received full accreditation by both the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
“All our 16 undergraduate degree programmes are approved by the National Universities Commission. Fourteen of these programmes have received full accreditation by the NUC with the exception of the Radiography and Public Health Programmes, which have not yet matured for NUC accreditation.
“I am sure that when they mature for the NUC accreditation visit, they will also receive full accreditation,” he said.
Apart from NUC accreditation, Onwudike said that all its programmes had also received full accreditation from the various professional bodies, including Nursing Science by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria; Medical Laboratory Science by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria; Medicine and Surgery by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
“The Radiographers’ Registration Board of Nigeria has also approved the mounting of the Radiography programme in Rhema University after they conducted their Resource Verification Visit to the university early in the year.
“The university has its Accounting Degree programme accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). These recognitions affirm that our graduates are not just being prepared to obtain academic certificates, but are also being prepared to meet professional standards to enable them to serve humanity responsibly.”
The Rhema University VC promised that the institution will continue to maintain these achievements and even improve upon them.
With approval by the NUC, Onwudike said that Rhema had since mounted postgraduate degree programmes leading up to PhD levels.
He also announced that the university has set up the Rhema University Business School, which will also nurture entrepreneurship and other skills.
“Rhema University aims to establish itself as a cutting-edge learning and research environment that will attract students, researchers and partners from all over the world.
“The university academic calendar has never been disrupted, and so our students graduate on time and proceed to the National Youth Service without delay”, he stated.
