I have read some comments following my article on Obokun University, Ilase-Ijesa, with considerable surprise. Some commentators appear more interested in whether the institution is privately or publicly owned than in understanding the enormous developmental opportunities its establishment could bring to Ilase-Ijesa, Ijesaland and the entire Osun East Senatorial District.
Let me make something clear: What exactly is wrong with a private university transforming the economic and social fortunes of its host community?
Is private investment in education now a crime? Must every institution that contributes to community development be owned and financed by government before its impact can be recognised?
This argument is not only misplaced; it demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how educational institutions contribute to economic development.
Let us examine some practical examples.
PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES HAVE TRANSFORMED COMMUNITIES ACROSS NIGERIA.
Consider Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti. Its presence has stimulated employment, healthcare services, hospitality, transportation and other economic activities.
Consider Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. The institution has contributed significantly to the growth of its host community, creating opportunities for landlords, traders, transport operators, artisans and service providers.
What about Igbinedion University in Okada, Edo State? The institution helped put the once relatively quiet community on Nigeria's educational map, attracting businesses, infrastructure and commercial activities.
Gregory University in Uturu, Abia State, Landmark University in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, and several others have equally demonstrated how private educational investment can stimulate community development.
Closer home, we have Bowen University in Iwo and Redeemer's University in Ede, both in Osun State.
Has anyone stopped to ask how these institutions have influenced the economic fortunes of their respective host communities?
Have landlords stopped collecting rent because the universities are privately owned?
Do food vendors, transport operators, shop owners, artisans, security personnel and other service providers refuse to benefit because the institutions are not government-owned?
Certainly not!
THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF A UNIVERSITY ARE NOT RESERVED FOR ITS OWNER.
A university is an economic ecosystem.
It creates direct and indirect employment. It attracts students, lecturers, researchers, parents, visitors and investors. It creates demand for accommodation, transportation, food, healthcare, banking, telecommunications, retail businesses and other services.
When a university expands, its host community has opportunities to expand with it.
Landlords earn rental income. Young people find employment. Traders attract more customers. Farmers gain additional markets. Transport operators get more passengers. Entrepreneurs identify new business opportunities.
The value of land may appreciate, while roads, electricity, water supply and other infrastructure receive increased attention.
These are tangible economic opportunities that can improve the livelihoods of ordinary residents.
SO, WHY SHOULD IJESA PEOPLE BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OWNERSHIP THAN OPPORTUNITY?
Whether an institution is privately or publicly owned is a legitimate question. Nobody is suggesting that ownership, governance, regulation, accountability and academic standards should not be examined.
But those questions should not be deliberately confused with the developmental value of establishing a university in a community.
If Obokun University is privately owned, does that automatically mean the people of Ilase-Ijesa cannot benefit?
Does it mean graduates from Ijesaland and Ifeland cannot obtain employment there?
Does it mean landlords cannot provide accommodation to students?
Does it mean local businesses cannot benefit from increased commercial activities?
Does it mean the institution cannot attract investments into Obokun Local Government and neighbouring communities?
Does it mean young people from across Osun East cannot access educational opportunities there?
Of course not!
Private ownership and public benefit are not mutually exclusive.
A privately owned institution can deliver enormous social and economic benefits to the public, provided it operates responsibly, meets regulatory requirements and maintains meaningful relationships with its host community.
MY ARTICLE WAS ABOUT LEGACY AND DEVELOPMENT, NOT OWNERSHIP OF A BUSINESS.
The central question I raised was simple: How should the performance of a two-term senator be measured?
Must we restrict the assessment of political representation to bills, motions, constituency projects, speeches and political activities?
Or should we also examine the institutions, investments and long-term opportunities that a representative helps facilitate or inspire?
Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi has served two terms representing Osun East. The successful licensing of Obokun University in his hometown of Ilase-Ijesa is a development worthy of discussion, particularly in the context of his contributions and legacy.
Recognising the significance of this development does not mean declaring him above criticism. It does not mean that every aspect of his senatorial performance must be applauded. It certainly does not mean that citizens should abandon their responsibility to demand accountability.
But fairness requires us to acknowledge development wherever it occurs.
If a politician facilitates an initiative that has the potential to create opportunities for thousands of people, why should the discussion be reduced to an argument about whether the institution is private or public?
IJESA AND IFE SHOULD THINK BEYOND POLITICAL SENTIMENTS.
Obokun University is located in Osun East. Its potential economic and educational benefits are not restricted to the biological family, political associates or immediate household of any individual.
Its potential beneficiaries include students from Ijesaland, Ifeland and other parts of Nigeria.
Its potential employees include qualified people from different communities.
Its potential customers include businesses and service providers across the surrounding communities.
Its potential economic influence can extend beyond Ilase-Ijesa.
That is the bigger picture.
We should be discussing how the university can provide scholarships, employ qualified indigenes, support local businesses, encourage research, improve infrastructure and maintain a productive relationship with its host community.
We should be asking how its management can create opportunities for young people and contribute meaningfully to the development of Osun East.
We should be discussing how the institution can become a centre of academic excellence rather than searching for reasons to diminish its significance.
LET US STOP CONFUSING POLITICAL DISAGREEMENT WITH DEVELOPMENTAL REASONING.
You may not support Senator Fadahunsi. You may disagree with his political decisions. You may even argue that he could have performed better in the Senate.
Those are legitimate democratic positions.
But attempting to diminish the importance of a university because it may be privately owned is a poor argument.
Private universities exist in Nigeria. They are licensed and regulated under the country's higher education framework. They educate Nigerians, employ Nigerians and contribute to the economy.
Government ownership is not the only pathway through which educational development can occur.
And private ownership does not automatically translate into an absence of community benefits.
My position remains simple: Obokun University should be bigger than Fadahunsi, bigger than Ilase-Ijesa and bigger than partisan politics.
If properly managed and sustained, it could become an enduring educational and economic asset for Ijesaland, Ifeland and the entire Osun East Senatorial District.
The university's success should be measured by the quality of graduates it produces, the jobs it creates, the research it promotes, the opportunities it provides and the positive transformation it brings to its host community.
Let us debate ownership where necessary. Let us demand accountability where necessary. But let us not allow political bitterness to blind us to the opportunities that educational investment can create.
A university does not have to be government-owned before its host community can prosper from its presence.
That is the point some commentators are deliberately or unintentionally missing.
BEYOND POLITICS, LET US THINK DEVELOPMENT.
— Oladimeji Lasore KAKAKIOODUA Online Media
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