Igbinedion Varsity offers scholarships to 360 students

Nigeria’s premier private university, the Igbinedion University, Okada has offered to give scholarship to 360 students from across the country.

It said the scholarship would be granted to 10 brilliant and best students from each of the 36 states in the country.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, stated this at the award of first degrees and prizes to the 15th set of graduates of the institution.

Prof. Osaghae noted that the gesture was to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor by making quality education available to every Nigerians.

Osaghae stated that both the federal and state government have continued to fail private universities in critical areas by not extending bursary and scholarship award to students attending private universities.

He also lampooned the private sector for depriving many Nigerians quality education by refusing to give support to students and management of private universities.

The VC said 11 out of the 85 graduates from the federal government amnesty programme scored Second Class Upper honours.

Prof. Osaghae announced automatic employment for the best graduating students from the federal government amnesty programme including best graduates from its Smart Partnership Programme with some state governors.

His words, “Many people who desire private quality university education don’t have the means to do so. When government gives scholarship and bursary, they only give to students of public universities which are tuition free.

“Private sector is the worst enemy of itself. The private sector also gives support to public universities and thereby deprive many people quality education. This is the time to support people so that we can bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

 Chancellor and founder of the university, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion who was represented by his son, Lucky, said the running of a private university was not to make profit but contribute to national development.

Chief Igbinedion urged the Federal Government to change its policy on private university funding by allowing access to TETFUND.