Prof. Clement Olusegun Kolawole, vice chancellor of Trinity University, Yaba, told Vanguard that Nigerian universities under-report research efforts and that private institutions operate differently from public ones.
Kolawole described the private university model as one in which proprietors demand regular feedback and close oversight of teaching quality, staff conduct and infrastructure, and where character formation is actively enforced. He discussed the matters in an interview published by Vanguard.
The VC said he moved from the University of Ibadan to Trinity as acting vice chancellor in 2023, and that he was confirmed as substantive vice chancellor on March 15, 2024 for a four-year term, according to the interview.
Kolawole contrasted private and public systems on several points. He said proprietors of Trinity visit frequently to check that students and staff reflect the values the university seeks to instill, including honesty, empathy, responsibility, integrity and hard work. He added that dress and comportment are regulated in the private setting, whereas public universities often tolerate looser standards under the banner of academic freedom.
On finance and budgeting, Kolawole said private universities account for every kobo and run annual budget defence sessions where units justify past spending and expected income. He also said the Minister of Education recently criticised public universities for being uncreative in generating funds, a point he relayed in the interview.
Kolawole listed practical features of Trinity’s operations: a stable academic calendar that begins in September and ends in May, a three-month period set aside for industrial attachment, timely release of students’ results, and hostel facilities he described as conducive.
He outlined the university’s fee policy, saying students may pay in four instalments: 40 percent on admission, 20 percent at the end of the first semester, 20 percent at the start of the second semester, and 20 percent before second semester examinations.
On accreditation and staffing, Kolawole said Trinity does not open programmes that are not accredited by the National Universities Commission and other relevant bodies, and that the university does not use so called “mercenaries” to obtain accreditation. He said Trinity employs three categories of staff: tenured staff, visiting lecturers or those on sabbatical, and part-time lecturers.
The VC said his experience of roughly 30 years in the public university system and several years in a private university has changed his orientation, adding that private university leadership often has to think like businessmen to ensure financial sustainability and accountability.
Featured image: T. Obi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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