Emmanuel Adeyemi, media aide to the immediate-past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has faulted the misinterpretation of his principal’s remarks on the payment of N1m fees by students of public universities in The PUNCH interview on Tuesday.
A flurry of reactions has trailed excerpts of the interview widely circulated across social media.
In a statement on Wednesday, Adeyemi said Olatunji-Bello did not suggest that students or their parents must pay N1m annually for university education.
He urged the public, media and education stakeholders to consider Olatunji-Bello’s complete remarks rather than isolated portions that, he said, could give a different impression of her position.
He explained that the former VC was speaking about the estimated cost of providing quality undergraduate education, while advocating innovative and diversified funding sources for universities.
According to Adeyemi, Olatunji-Bello’s remarks were made against the backdrop of the desire of Nigerians for university education comparable in quality to what is obtainable in other parts of the world.
He said the former VC had noted that delivering such quality education costs approximately N1m per student annually.
Adeyemi, however, stressed that Olatunji-Bello did not suggest that the entire cost should be transferred to students or their parents.
He said, “The immediate-past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has been widely quoted across social media as saying that students must pay N1m in fees for public universities to achieve self-sustainability.
“Distinguished Professor Olatunji-Bello’s remarks were made against the backdrop of Nigerians’ legitimate aspiration for university education that is genuinely comparable in quality to what is obtainable in other parts of the world, a standard that stands in sharp contrast to the comparatively low tuition fees currently charged by public universities in Nigeria.
“Her central argument was that delivering the quality of undergraduate education Nigerians rightly desire costs, on average, approximately N1m per student annually.
“Crucially, however, she did not suggest that this cost must necessarily be transferred wholesale onto students or their parents.”
Adeyemi said the remarks, when read in their entirety, reflected Olatunji-Bello’s call for universities to pursue innovation and develop diversified revenue streams to achieve financial sustainability.
He added, “This is precisely why, in response to the interview question on institutional self-sustainability, she began by stating: ‘Universities can achieve financial self-sustainability. If they can innovate and ensure improvements in the institution, money will come in.
“She went on to add: ‘I enjoin parents to ensure their children are well-educated by prioritising their fees. Good quality education needs money.’”
Adeyemi said the ex-VC’s position reflected a broader call for universities to pursue innovation and diversified revenue streams as the primary pathway to financial sustainability, while also reminding parents of the genuine cost implications of quality education and encouraging shared responsibility rather than assigning that burden to any single party.
He said the former VC sought to remind parents of the cost implications of quality education and encourage shared responsibility for funding university education.
“We urge members of the public, the media, and stakeholders in the education sector to engage with Distinguished Professor Olatunji-Bello’s complete remarks in their proper context, rather than isolated soundbites that do not accurately reflect the full weight and intent of her position,” he added.
