What Private University graduates have to say about their Alma mater

Adekunle Dada

In 1999, when the first private university, Igbinedion University, Okada was established, little did Nigerians know that was the beginning of proliferation of private universities in Nigeria.

According to the website of National Universities Commission , they are presently 74 private universities in Nigeria. The need for private universities became very important because of the ever reoccurring ASUU strike and the poor standard of education in government owned tertiary institutions.

The call for improve quality of education is why parents send their children to these schools in spite of the high fees. They believe the best of education is what they will receive.

In an attempt to compare the school fees charge and standard of education they offer, PMNEWS spoke with graduates of some private universities in Nigeria.

Micheal Godwin, a graduate of Banking and Finance from Covenant University was full of praise for his Alma mater.

According to Godwin, the least amount he paid was N500,000 and the highest was N624,000 as a final student in 2014/2015 session.

” Due to the high ICT nature at Covenant University, the quality of education we received was top notch. We had the best and latest books to consult in the library, internet facilities is available everywhere in campus. We even have the luxury of outside professors to learn from. The standard of learning was very high when i was there and i believe it is still that way”.

Lecturers used power point to lecture in the classroom if the topic is not calculation base. I think the fee is fair considering the better service that was rendered to students. Covenant University is the best private university yet cheaper than some others.

My only issue with the school was the very strict rules of no phones, jeans and permission from parent to leave the school.

Igbinedion University, the first private university in Nigeria currently charges N82O,000 and N720,000 for professional and non-professional courses respectively. Emeka Chukwudoro, Petroleum Engineering graduate of the school said, the facilities was of high standard and on point.

The quality of standard he received was of high quality as he was exposed to the world outside the four walls of the university through excursion and competition outside Edo state. The hostel was maximum 4 to a room. Power was’t constant but we were allowed to bring in generator and electronics.

The school treated us as mature adult and they are very flexible. I don’t have any issue with the fee i paid while i was there. I consider it a fair bargain and i was not over-charged.

Novena University is another private university in Kwale, Delta State established in 2005. Cardinal, a sociology graduate of the institution shared his Novena University experience.

I graduated in 2013 from Novena University. I’m can’t remember the exact school fee in my final year but it was almost N300,000. The facilities then were majorly average. But the lecturers gave us absolute attention, their concentration was on giving us the best of education. The generator calls up from 7pm-10pm and 6am-10am everyday.

We also have power point lectures if there is need for it. The lecturers were close to students in my department, listen to us and we call them when we have any issue. Presently am running a Master programme in Delta State University and i still go to my lecturers in Novena University for advise. They are concern about my success and are always available to students and graduates.

“The school fee was not too much base on what i received from there. If you think education is expensive then try ignorance”

For Chibuzor, his experience at Madonna University was the opposite of a quality and standard education. A graduate of Banking and finance pour out his heart as he explained his not too good experience.

When i gained admission into Madonna University in 2008, the school fee was less than N200,000 but as at the time i graduated in 2013, i paid almost N300,000. The facilities in the school were very poor. We had about 22 students on 6 bulks in a room.

The standard of learning was average. There was no social life and the lecturers/students relationship was just okay. I had to buy textbooks because the library was not well equipped. I learnt that it is better now compare to when i was there. I over paid because the service i got was far from the fee i paid.