Aare Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has urged the Federal Government to include private universities in the newly established Students Loan Scheme. He made this call during the opening ceremony of the International Hydrogen Summit 2024, themed “Catalysing Green Hydrogen Development in Nigeria – The Capacity and Partnership Imperatives.”
Held at ABUAD, Babalola emphasized that all Nigerian students, regardless of whether they are enrolled in public or private universities, should be entitled to benefits from the loan scheme. He expressed concern over the exclusion of private universities, stating, “Recently, the Federal Government established the Students Loan Scheme. Yet, students from private universities are excluded. Are they not Nigerians? What steps have been taken to address this?”
Babalola further criticized the government for not providing private universities with funding for research projects that could contribute to national development. He pointed out the inconsistency in funding, stating, “TETFund was also established by the Federal Government and funding sourced from private organizations. However, private universities are excluded from accessing these funds. Why? What action has been taken on this issue?”
He highlighted that despite Afe Babalola University’s notable achievements in research, it has not received government support comparable to that of public institutions. “The government allocates research funds to public universities, yet I am not aware of any university, public or private, that has achieved more in research than ABUAD,” he noted.
Babalola stressed the importance of the summit in promoting green hydrogen development, urging participants to implement the resolutions generated from the event. He stated, “Ideas rule the world, but only those who implement their ideas are deemed successful.”
In his keynote address, the Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, acknowledged the Federal Government’s recognition of green hydrogen’s potential in line with Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP). He highlighted the importance of utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, noting that green hydrogen presents a significant opportunity for Nigeria to diversify its energy supply and lead global decarbonization efforts.