Private universities in Nigeria have been given credence for producing graduates with the right mindsets that can compete globally.

This statement was made by the Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola when she featured as a guest on 'Community Today' an online TV program on CEOAfrica. The first female professor as a pharmacist from the premier university noted that hiccups witnessed in public universities have given the private universities an edge to have an uninterrupted academic calendar  which on the long run create in the students the right mindsets to develop themselves.

Prof. Chinedum mentioned access to university education, uninterrupted academic calendar, discipline as areas where private universities are making indelible impact on Nigeria university education. She stated that private universities are now doing great in area of competing with their public counterparts using the latest global ranking of universities where Covenant university came second.

On the issue of quality education offered by private universities, the first female Dean of the faculty of pharmacy in the University of Ibadan believed that standard and quality education should not be jettisoned noting that schools should be given the express permission to determine the standard to be used in admitting students. She however called on Joint Admission Matriculation Board, JAMB to increase the cut off mark from the present status in order to instill standard in the system.

Prof. Chinedum who described the mindsets of some people over the level of quality education in private universities as an unsubstantiated claim called on parents to examine the quality of education in private universities before taking their children there.

She said her core mandate as a Vice Chancellor is to ensure that both the students and the staff of Chrisland University imbibe the spirit of excellence in all they do especially in the areas of their academic standard, time management and comportment. Prof. Chinedum promised to ensure that bright minds are instilled in the students which will further radiates intelligence, entrepreneurship, leadership, character and innovations that will definitely make the school stand out among other private universities across the country.

Responding to why she advocated for Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETfund to be extended to private universities in her inaugural speech, ‘’TETFund is a public money and as such all institutions ought to benefit from it. Private businesses which private universities represent contribute to TETFund, since private universities are created to take care of Nigeria citizens, private universities should not be deprived’’, she said.

She also posited that private universities need to be encouraged 'For us to increase that access which the government is interested in, then there are different ways you can encourage private universities even if you don't give money for capital projects. It can be fund as aids, scholarships, grants to other Nigerians who are not able to pay so that they can have access.'

On how Chrisland University has been able to key into the technological advancement in education, Prof. Chinedum explained that, there are interactive boards and internet facilities in all the lecture rooms to aid teaching and learning. She noted that the school had organized trainings for the staff in the past and more of such trainings are still expected to be held in order to get their new staff acquainted with modern teaching and learning processes.

PACKAGED BY OKE OSAHON