The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Prof. Daniel Olukoya, recently offered insights into the reasons behind the high tuition fees at faith-based universities in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) during its 34th and 35th convocation ceremonies, Olukoya, who was honoured with an honorary doctoral degree in Management, said that the primary factor driving up the fees is the cost of energy required to run the institutions.
“It is not the fault of those proprietors,” Olukoya explained. “I am one of them. I am always supportive of the poor because I know how difficult it was for me to get to the university. My parents didn’t have the money.” He emphasized that while faith-based universities are committed to providing quality education, the financial realities of running such institutions are challenging.
Olukoya’s remarks shed light on the difficulties faced by private universities, particularly in managing costs related to energy and faculty salaries. “The current situation is that if you cannot pay good money to lecturers or professors, you won’t get good teachers,” he noted. He pointed out that private universities often struggle to compete with federal institutions when it comes to attracting top-tier professors if their salaries are not competitive.
He further explained that the high operational costs associated with running a university are a major contributor to the steep fees. “Running a university on a generator is expensive,” Olukoya said. “In our university, most of the money goes to buying diesel. It is only now that we are installing solar power.” The reliance on generators due to unreliable public electricity supply adds a significant financial burden to faith-based universities.
Olukoya’s comments reflect a broader challenge faced by many private universities in Nigeria. These institutions are often unable to benefit from government funding, and thus, must rely on their own revenue streams, mainly through student fees. However, the fees are sometimes viewed as excessive by many, especially as many students from poorer backgrounds struggle to afford higher education.
The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, under Olukoya’s leadership, operates one of the many private faith-based universities in Nigeria that provide alternatives to public institutions. However, the cost of maintaining quality educational standards, particularly through competitive salaries for faculty and reliable energy supply, remains a significant challenge for such institutions.
Olukoya also weighed in on Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges, calling for divine intervention through prayer. He expressed his belief that the only solution to the nation’s security and other problems is prayer. “There is only one weapon that can kill any problem, and it is prayer,” Olukoya declared. “No matter how strong the problem is, prayer can dismantle it.” His remarks reflect the deep faith-based perspective that often influences the leadership of many religious institutions in Nigeria.
According to Olukoya, Nigeria is at a crossroads and in urgent need of divine intervention to address its numerous challenges. “What we need in Nigeria is divine intervention,” he stated. “Let God intervene in what we are doing. Divine intervention is greater than human intellect. From what is happening in the world, you can see that God is showing mankind that they are helpless.”
In addition to Olukoya’s speech, the Vice Chancellor of FUTA, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, also made significant announcements at the convocation ceremony. She revealed that 6,405 students had graduated across two academic sessions. Among the graduates, 519 students received first-class honors, 3,408 earned second-class upper division, 2,139 were awarded second-class lower division, and 339 students graduated with third-class honors.
Prof. Oladiji proudly stated that FUTA remains one of Nigeria’s top universities, with its reputation as the best University of Technology in the country maintained for two consecutive decades. This achievement reflects the institution’s commitment to high academic standards despite the financial constraints faced by universities across Nigeria.
The convocation ceremony also saw two other distinguished Nigerians, Messrs. Ayorinde Ogunruku and Joel Ogunsola, being awarded honorary doctoral degrees in recognition of their contributions to society.
