Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Alhaja Sekinat Yusuf, has called on the Tertiary Eductaion Trust Fund (TETfund) to support the institution and other private universities in Nigeria.
Making the appeal on Saturday in Ilorin at the 13th Convocation of the institution, Yusuf said private universities are in dire need of assistance.
She noted that government alone cannot shoulder the heavy load of funding tertiary education at all levels, despite the substantial intervention assistance by the TETFund.
“The Committees of Pro-Chancellors as well as that of Vice-chancellors of Private Universities have over the years made representations to the Federal Government on the dire need for support.
“It is my humble plea that the President would consider this request for TETFund support of Nigerian private universities and this could be achieved by amending the enabling Law which established the body,” she said.
In the same vein, the Chancellor, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, said the university was working vigorously putting in place modalities to satisfy the criteria for the establishment of Engineering and Medical programmes.
“However, infrastructural deficiency due to paucity of fund is our major challenge.
“The university is therefore in dire need of assistance to make teaching, learning and research conducive to our students across our three campuses at Adeta, Atere and Igbaja.
“In particular, we need sponsors to establish these important faculties and we urge friends of the university, wells wishers, parents and the Alumni to key into the development agenda of the university,” Dantata urged.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Noah Yusuf, urged the graduands to be  good ambassadors and not disappoint their Alma mater.
“We have a total of 1,584 graduates, comprising 1,207 Undergraduates, 343 Postgraduates and 31 Diploma Certificate holders.
“Out of the Undergraduates, 26 had First Class, 472 – Second Class Upper, 600 – Second Class Lower and 109 -Third Class.
“For the Post Graduate graduands, 27 were Ph.D while 213 were Masters graduands.
“We are also glad to have eminent Nigerians among the graduands, including the Inspector General of Police, IG-P Kayode Egbetokun; and Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Amb. Ibrahim Gambari, among others,” he said.
The vice chancellor disclosed that as part of efforts to contribute to food security in Nigeria, the university launched the Green Campus Initiative on August 23, which involved planting of 50,000 tree seedlings at the Faculty of Agriculture, Igbaja campus.