ODEYEMI SAMUEL Akure
Also to be honoured with Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in Public Administration on the occasion is Hon. Aliyu Ahman- Pategi, Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources.
Addressing a press conference to herald the 5th Convocation ceremony of the Achievers University, Owo, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Tunji Ibiyemi said that no fewer than 429 students would be graduating during the convocation ceremony.
While commenting on the academic development of the institution uition, Professor Ibiyemi said that additional college of engineering and technology have been added to the school programme for prospective students to study.
He posited that since assumption in office as the second Vice Chancellor of the institution, a growth from 12 programmes had been increased to 22 programmes, stressing that plan was under way to add two more programmes namely Law, and Forensic Science by this year (2017/2018).
In term of infrastructural development, VC also said that the gigantic Engineering Complex Buildings is under construction which would be completed before end of this year.
According to him the College of Law building is also under construction for the usefulness of students very soon.
While commenting on the challenges facing the institution being owned by private body, Ibiyemi said, “the major challenges we have is a common challenge among others private universities, and that is very poor admission subscription, we have one hundred and fifty two universities, fourth of them are federal universities, forty-four of them are state universities while sixty-eight of them are private universities.
“For the past three four years now, the average number of candidates looking to enter university is about 1.5million per year, out of this, less than 2 percent so interest in coming into private university other percent goes to the state and federal universities.
“There is no other means for private universities to generate funds, the primary IGR for them to generate funds is the fees they charged students, so if we don’t have enough students, it means you are likely to be affected financially and that is a common challenges facing private universities.
“I can say that Achievers University is the cheapest private university in this sub-region, I mean in the Southwest.
“Federal government must also be thinking on how to assist the private universities financially”.
