Nigeria has 100 public and 30 private universities. A strike by lecturers has paralysed public institutions for the past three months, while teaching at private universities has continued. As a result, there has been a rush by parents with financial muscle to register their children in private universities, whose proprietors are smiling all the way to the bank.
The public university education system in the country is at a crossroads. A combination of unending face-off between lecturers and government and the poor state of infrastructure has promised a bleak future for students. Their parents and guardians are weighed down by this development. Some who can afford it are already seriously considering sending their wards abroad to acquire university education.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Abba Moro, on Thursday advised operators of private universities to emulate the quality trends of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, in upholding global standards.