CEOAfrica, an online media, recently held an interview with the Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola. The first female pharmacist professor at the University of Ibadan expressed her mind on the extension of TETFund to private universities and other areas of impact made by private universities in Nigeria university education. Here is the excerpt of the interview.

Please can you introduce yourself ma?

I am Professor [Mrs.] Chinedum Peace Babalola, Nee Anyabuike. I'm a pharmacist. I trained as a pharmacist at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife then it was University of Ife. I obtained my Bachelor of pharmacy, masters and PhD in that great university. University of Ife the first university to start pharmacy so, I was privileged to attend that university. I did my post doc at University of British Columbia; Canada and I have done other research. I've been a visiting researcher or scientist or professor to several other institutions outside the country, basically Germany and US. In 2010, though I was a professor, I completed a post graduate diploma in Industrial Advanced Pharmacy at Kilimanjaro School of Pharmacy, Tanzania but jointly run by Purdue University, USA and Howard University, USA. That was a part time programme between 2010 and 2012. So, I'm a registered Pharmacist. An academic pharmacist [ laugh]. I lectured at Ife for a while and transferred my services to University of Ibadan in 1998 and from there I became an Associate Professor in 2003 and a full Professor in 2006 at University of Ibadan, the first female pharmacist professor at University of Ibadan.

Going by your experience, your vast experience as an erudite Professor and administrator, a scholar. How would you describe the impact of private institution on Nigeria education? Has there been any change? If yes, what are those changes?

Well, I've been in the public university for so many years, all my academic life until recently when I assumed office as the Vice Chancellor Chrisland University, Abeokuta which I should have mentioned during the introduction. So, I've tasted the public university for several years. Private university I've also tasted it because one of my children finished from a private university and one is finishing from a private university. I've had that experience as a parent and now I'm having the experience as a Vice Chancellor. Well, it seems I can make some comparison it may not be perfect but definitely I must say that private universities are making impact with respect to access. We have more private universities as it is, I think about 64 private universities, 40 or so federal universities I'm not sure of the statistics but we have a lot of private universities. Granted they may not be run at full capacity but they are providing access to the teeming population of Nigerians who want university education for which the public universities will not be able to provide enough access that's one. Secondly, private universities are able to run the universities like a private organization; many times they don't have the hiccups that you experience in public universities. You know the public university is sponsored by the government and government can be wide okay and government must satisfy everybody but when they are unable to meet these needs, you have crisis. So many times, we have either student’s crisis, lecturers [ASUU] crisis or non-teaching staff crisis like we've had now for almost three months. So, with any public institution in this part of the world, you have those hiccups. While the private universities almost run a normal calendar. They are able to set their vision, mission and pursue it. You find out that the students that graduate from some private universities have different mindset because of the way they were brought up. Take a look at the competition monitored by Zenith bank called CFA, it has to do with competition among universities on research for students not lecturers and Covenant University came first beat OAU and other universities. And some people were commenting how will they not come first when they don't have strikes and so on. Apart from that, you know the discipline that goes into such universities, can't be applied in public universities. In some of these universities, phones are not allowed, dress code is of high importance, you just have to obey the rules and regulations of the founders the stakeholders in the place. I can say they are focused, they give target and they fulfil the target.

If you check the world ranking that came out few days ago, of course University of Ibadan is always number one which am proud of, the next university is Covenant. I'm not here promoting Covenant University, I'm just using them as example. There are many other good private universities, we have Babcock, we have Bowen I mean they are all coming up. We have American University in Yola and some of these universities too and when you see their products, they do well out there you know. They are making impact like I said in providing access one, in producing graduates that can compete globally, you know that have the mindset of excellence, producing graduates that have been able to go through school at the normal pace without hiccups here and there. If the course is four years, so it is, if it is five, there won’t be interruption. They have a different mindset and many of them come out with entrepreneurial skills. I'm not saying the public universities are not trying. Everybody is trying but we know that the stumbling blocks in the public universities seem to be more than in the private universities.

Before the recent ranking, there are these feelings from the members of the public when you talk about private universities they are always reluctant. Let's leave the monetary aspect now they are always reluctant to send their wards, their family members to study in these private universities. Maybe they believe the quality is not there of course there is access to university education but they don't seem to believe in the quality of what they are bringing out. What is making that mindset in that regard?

Well, I thank you because you called it mindset; let's leave it that way until it is proven. As a scientist, I always like to prove claims. From what you have said, there is no right or wrong answer that's what I will say. It should remain a mindset. Many times, it is those that cannot get admission into the public universities that the private universities struggle to get. Of course! I can say yes for some newer universities including Chrisland University. But for some long standing private universities, it's not so. If you go to those older ones I don't think they are suffering from access, they are not suffering from inability to recruit enough candidates. If you notice, some of them have even done their matriculation, they've closed shops, and they’ve gotten enough. While the younger ones still need to be publicized, people need to know what they are doing so they have that problem with access. But we thank God that there is a regulatory body called JAMB. However, if JAMB can really peg the cutoff point to a reasonable standard, then we will have a good standard across board including public and private. I plead that they look into that so that we don’t go below standard. When you go below standard, it will show by the time the graduate get to the labor market. That is why the federal government has set up a new committee to look at the university system and it's going to cover both public and private all in the bid of improving standard. I want to appeal to the public to always test run the standard of the institution before sending their children or ward there. I personally will not jettison quality and that quality starts not only with the recruitment of students even recruitment of staff. We must have quality assurance system to make sure that the students we are recruiting, how we examine them and how we are teaching them meet up with quality. That is why NUC goes around for easy verification or accreditation.

Going by your record as a known administrator now you are the Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, what are you bringing on board to Chrisland University?

Yeah, I don't even need to think twice about that and that is excellence. I was in the chapel today with the students and when I was asked to address them, I just told them “you just have to imbibe the spirit of excellence wherever you are. I want to bring in excellence in every student, in every staff even the cleaners”. If I'm able to achieve that, Time management, comportment, and academic standard will not be a difficult task.

If a person is to study in a private university, such a student believes, he or she can do whatever he likes because they believe it is ‘my money’ or It's my parents' money, how do you intend to fight this kind attitude?

There is no need to fight. The university has rules and regulations which we must implement. Early this year, I did a gap analysis at different sectors. The students, lecturers, staff, administrations. I have been working on the compiled the gap analysis in order to know how we can fill those gaps so that the students are at their best. The first thing I started with was to provide a conducive environment; we made sure there were amenities in the hostels and lecture halls. Most importantly, we ensured there is adequate electricity supply; we did a lot of renovations. For staff members, we are having workshop for lecturers starting from March and we’ve had leadership training for staff. We try our best to encourage them to do sport; we've set up a counseling unit, in which some of our staff are responding to, one volunteered to start counseling unit, one has volunteered to start the entrepreneurship center and she is going around pulling information and designing the work, the same applies with the other person. We are sending a lecturer to Zambia to an Africa forum where she will be trained on effective teaching and learning. We try to instill discipline in our students, if you mess up; you face the Students disciplinary committee. Some have been sanctioned; some are waiting to face the SDC because you cannot say it's your money in short that's why we should insist that we give you quality education. We must help the parents get quality service for their money so we are going to do everything possible to do that.

Now you are bringing these entire standards into play to Chrisland University. Are you not afraid that some people that do not want this status quo to remain will not feel like let me leave this place and go to any other private university that will be a bit friendly with anything that goes?

We are friendly we are not tyrant but if any parent feels otherwise or that the conditions here are too tight and we cannot cope, it's a free world I mean we are all adults so they are free to go but a good parent will like a place where their children are given quality education, taught how to exhibit good behavior you know what I mean, discipline. Nevertheless, you will always have parents who thinks you are too strict, we’ve had two cases like that where parents thought there are some things their wards must have which we do not allow, since we cannot change the rule for one person, the person is all free to leave that's fine because more people are coming in. For example, students are not allowed to have fridges in their rooms but I looked at it the weather is hot what do we do? We did our best to provide a refrigerator for each floor, most of them were happy and those that thought each student should have a fridge left and others are enjoying whatever facilities we provide. First of all, give the enabling environment before you implement laws. The dress code for instance: initially, when we started it was tough for some of them so, we allowed them settle, go through the handbook and advised them to be fully kitted when they are resuming. So we are using both the rod and the staff to comfort them [laugh].

Now when you became the Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, it is on record that your inaugural speech you advocated for TETFund to also start funding private universities. Why are you in this advocacy?

I actually found that interesting. You know that question came unexpectedly and I thank God for the wisdom he gave me to also respond. Just less than two weeks ago we were in the committee of Vice Chancellors in a meeting in Abuja and I was surprised to hear that the committee of Vice Chancellors of private universities has been advocating for private universities concerning this issue. Meaning that even without knowing, I was already speaking the same language with them and I will say that it's so justifiable because the TETFund is like public grant for public institutions but we do know that TETFund also comes from people that have private businesses and the private universities are private institutions taking care of Nigerian children. Yes, we do take care of some foreign students but majorly or mainly Nigerian citizens and since the private universities are helping the government to provide access, it's just normal that they should be encouraged so that the load will not be too heavy in the process of running the institutions. For us to increase that access which the government is interested in, then there are different ways you can encourage it even if you don't give money for capital projects. It can in form of aids, scholarships or grants to other Nigerians who are not able to pay so that they can have access that's one way. You can even do capital projects it could be one or two. Right now, the government is doing so well and is interested in entrepreneurship. The government can decide to say every institution should have an entrepreneurship center including private and public. These are some of the things that will help universities that are struggling not to compromise and to balance the standard.

PACKAGED BY OKE OSAHON