Cites Energy Costs, Quality Staffing as Key Factors
The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Prof. Daniel Olukoya, has shed light on why faith-based universities in Nigeria charge high tuition fees. Speaking during the 34th and 35th convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), where he was conferred with an honorary doctoral degree in Management, Olukoya attributed the high fees to operational costs, particularly energy expenses.
Challenges of Running Private Universities
Olukoya, who is also a university proprietor, acknowledged the challenges faced by private institutions in balancing quality education and affordability.
“It is not the fault of those proprietors. I am one of them,” he said. “I am always supportive of the poor because I know how difficult it was for me to get to the university. My parents didn’t have the money.”
He explained that competitive salaries for lecturers and professors are essential for maintaining quality education in private universities.
“If you cannot pay good money to lecturers or professors, you won’t get good teachers. And if you run a private university and are paying less than federal universities, you will not get good professors,” Olukoya added.
Energy Costs as a Major Burden
Olukoya highlighted the substantial expenses incurred in powering campuses. “Running a university on a generator is expensive. In our university, most of the money goes to buying diesel. It is only now that we are installing solar power,” he revealed.
Call for Divine Intervention in Nigeria
When asked about the ongoing insecurity in Nigeria, Olukoya emphasized the importance of prayer in addressing the nation’s challenges.
“There is only one weapon that can kill any problem, and it is prayer. No matter how strong the problem is, prayer can dismantle it,” he stated.
Olukoya also stressed the need for divine guidance, saying, “What we need in Nigeria is divine intervention. Divine intervention is greater than human intellect. From what is happening in the world, you can see that God is showing mankind that they are helpless.”
Highlights from FUTA Convocation
During the event, FUTA’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, announced that 6,405 students graduated across two academic sessions.
Key achievements among the graduates include:
- 519 First-Class Honours
- 3,408 Second-Class Upper Division Degrees
- 2,139 Second-Class Lower Division Degrees
- 339 Third-Class Honours
Prof. Oladiji also reiterated FUTA’s consistent ranking among Nigeria’s top ten universities, maintaining its status as the best University of Technology for over two decades.
Other Honourees
In addition to Olukoya, two other distinguished Nigerians, Ayorinde Ogunruku and Joel Ogunsola, were conferred with honorary doctoral degrees during the ceremony.
The event served as a platform for celebrating academic excellence and recognizing the challenges and opportunities in Nigeria’s higher education system.
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