By Victor Adeoti
Ede (Osun) – Prof. Debo Adeyewa, Vice-Chancellor, Redeemer’s University, Ede in Osun State, has appealed to the Federal Government to support private universities with incentives and access to funds that will aid the acceleration of research and development of education sector.
Adeyewa made the call at the pre-convocation media briefing of the university in Ede on Monday.
According to him, such government support and other favourable policies will discourage educational tourism that has helped institutions overseas to flourish with billions of dollars gritted away each year at the expense of burgeoning home institutions.
He said that the institution had been engaging in research and innovation, such that the United States government recently approved $4.3 million for the university for a five-year research grant under the H3Africa Research network.
He said the university through it rigorous research had developed a test kits that could detect Ebola and Lassa fever viruses within 10 minutes.
“Our Ebola rapid diagnostic test kit has been approved for use by the United States Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organisation.”
Besides, the vice chancellor said the establishment of private universities in the country had opened up academic landscape as well as provided access to many candidates who would have been denied the opportunity to pursue higher education.
“In addition to access, the advent of private universities has introduced another dimension to qualitative higher education in the nation and engendered efficient service delivery which is customer focused and healthy competition.
“The establishment of faith-based universities has also brought back values and norms which were fast being eroded from existing institutions due to ballooning student population which stretched facilities and resources to limit.”
Adeyewa said that 465 students christened ‘Divine Champion ‘ would be graduating on Sept. 28.
He said 22 of the students made First Class, while 145 were graduating with a second class upper division.
Adeyewa added that 203 would be graduating with second class lower division, 95 with third class while 92 falls to pass categories.
“Our overall goal is a university known for raising global leaders as change agents who would make transformative impacts on society.”(NAN)