To further improve the quality of education in Nigeria, private universities are holding a professional forum with the topmost, accredited private secondary schools, in Lagos State. The two-day educational forum, with the theme: “Aspiring for Academic Excellence in Private Universities”holds on Thursday, March 21and Friday, March 22, 2024, at LTV, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.

The key purpose of the forum is for career counselling, to help uphold quality admission into the universities, in 2024.

The Keynote Lecturer and Special Guest of Honour, Professor Kabiru Aderemi Adeyemo, while speaking, recently, during a conference with the organisers of the upcoming forum, said: “Private universities in Nigeria need to cultivate a more robust and professional approach, that will help them to improve on the existing comparative advantage they have, especially their high quality academic standard to achieve excellence.”

Prof. Adeyemo, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Lead City University, Ibadan, while extolling the virtues and professional input being put intoorganizing the educational forum, expressed satisfaction at the forum’s major objective: to enable the private universities establish personal interaction with final year students, in SS2, SS3, A. Level Students and JAMB Candidates, so the universities could select the students whose exam results meet their required standard foradmission into universities, in 2024.

At the same time, the students will be opportune to discuss with officials of the various universities, which will be participating, from various parts of Nigeria.

Adeyemo added: “we recognize good, qualitative education, to be the panacea for laying good foundation for the future of the students, whose career aspirations need to be identified and well-nurtured, so they could be guided on the most suitable degree courses which would help them achieve their future career aspirations.

Consequently, such effort by the universities would impact positively on the future of Nigeria, as a nation. We want to use the forum to provide counseling for the students, who will then be able to choose the specific university that would help them to focus properly on the specific degree courses they require.

Providing such guidance would help students choose the appropriate degree courses, as well as act as preparatory grounds for their working career in the future.”

While representing the Vice Chancellor of KolaDaisi University in Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof.Adeniyi Olatunbosun (SAN); the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olajumoke Morenikeji, pointed out that the upcoming educational forum will contribute immensely to boosting confidence of students, particularly in the area of vocational training, which can be combined with the mainstream lectures at the university.
Prof. Morenikeji was more emphatic how the forum will communicate to students and parents, how private universities help students acquire entrepreneurial skills.

She said: “In addition to student lectures from their curriculum, required for purpose of acquiring degrees, KolaDaisi University, consider it appropriate and beneficial to provide students with entrepreneurial skills, which over the years have been instrumental at helping students to acquire knowledge,experience and skills that enables them, in addition to achieving their degrees, to confidently set-up business organisations. This kind of business starts on a small scale, then grows into medium-sized, and eventually into large-scale organisations.”

Morenikeji added: “With the current harsh economic situation, high inflation and unemployment rates, prevalent in Nigeria (and globally), getting a job in a company of the students’dream may not be attainable immediately after getting a degree. Therefore, the logic behind acquiring entrepreneurial skills is to prepare the students to have a strong platform on which they can start a business that would be of economic benefit to them.”

Prof Morenikeji further emphasized: “At KolaDaisi University, we encourage the students to consider developing a career in the areas of their interests”.

The Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, Prof. Noah Yusuf, while answering questions, said: “vocational trainings for our students is contributing to the high rate of their success in the industry, especially in starting their own companies, following graduation.

It has also been a key reason why parents encourage their children in their choice of Al-Hikmah University. A popular scheme among the students is Paint Making. Students are trained on how to produce paints, as well as getting training on the modalities of running a business organisation.”

The upcoming forum will include presentations by experts from select universities and the industry, who will speak on various topics, that includes importance of industrial trainings, benefit of acquiring degrees, scholarship opportunities, mode of linking-up with students in universities in other countries.
The head consultant of the consulting firm, for the forum, Oshodi Ayodeji Michael, explained that each

of the participating universities, coming from across all the states in Nigeria, will occupy their individual cubicle that will act as the meeting point between them and their prospective students and parents.