As part of reforms in the education sector, the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced two policies that would perhaps shape the trajectory of the sector, especially tertiary institutions. Following findings by a centre that universities are the least transparent in the world, the minister had directed that, henceforth, public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education should publish full breakdown of their annual budgetary allocation on personnel cost, overhead costs and capital expenditures, among others. In another development, the minister approved a policy establishing eligibility criteria for the appointment of vice chancellors, rectors and provosts in federal tertiary institutions to promote transparency. Stakeholders bare their minds on the issues, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE and Victoria Amadi report
- Each institution must provide full annual budgetary allocation
- They must disclose their Research Grant Revenue from the previous year
- They must display the TETFund allocation for the current year
- Each institution must publish total value of Endowment Fund
- They must present their current total student population
- Information must be presented in a clear, accessible, format
- Acting VC, others shall not be eligible to apply for substantive position
- Such officers must recuse themselves from acting positions to contest
Educational policy guidelines in Nigeria are primarily outlined in the National Policy on Education (NPE), which serves as a framework for administering, managing, and implementing education at all levels. But, in line with global best practices, the Federal Ministry of Education recently in two statements by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, issued fresh guidelines to entrench transparency, accountability, and good governance in tertiary education system.
In one of the guidelines, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, directed Federal Vice- Chancellors, Rectors and Provost to publish key institutional data on their official websites with immediate effect. Alausa said it was aimed at aligning Nigeria’s higher education management with global best practices.
Under the guidelines, each institution must provide its annual budgetary allocation in full detail, including the breakdown of expenditure across three core areas: personnel cost overhead costs and capital expenditure. In addition, institutions are to disclose their Research Grant Revenue from the previous year.
Part of the directive is for institutions to provide their current total student population at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The memo by the ministry’s spokesperson reads: “The ministry emphasises that this information must be presented in a clear, accessible, and user-friendly format for public visibility.
“Websites should be structured in a way that allows the public, including parents, students, and stakeholders, to easily locate and understand these data points.”
The memo followed a report by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, a research institute, which revealed how financial secrecy in Nigerian universities affects their ability to access global research funding.
Financial secrecy bane of Nigerian universities
The report, which surveyed 64 Nigerian universities, is entitled: “A National Embarrassment: Reforming Transparency in Nigerian Universities to Unlock Global Funding and Restore Credibility.”
According to the report, Nigerian universities rank among the least transparent in the world, with none of the surveyed institutions making their financial records available.
It noted that formal requests for financial information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act were ignored by the majority of the federal universities surveyed.
“State and private universities proved even more inaccessible, often citing ‘lack of authorisation’ as a blanket reason for withholding information,” it stated.
The report said widespread of financial secrecy among the institutions was a fundamental governance weakness that systematically excludes them from attracting global research funding, while reducing their international credibility.
The report said: “Without significant investment in governance reform, capacity building, and the modernisation of financial reporting systems, Nigerian universities will remain trapped in a cycle of financial opacity, limited external funding, and declining global relevance.
“Addressing these transparency deficits is essential for unlocking new sources of research funding and restoring public trust in the governance and integrity of Nigeria’s higher education sector.”
Chancellor of the Athena Centre, Osita Chidoka, described financial transparency in the universities as vital to unlocking funding, restoring trust, and positioning Nigerian universities as credible globally.
Mode of findings
According to the centre, it surveyed 64 universities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, comprising 30 federal universities, 18 state universities, and 16 private universities.
It said the universities were selected equally across the zones except for the private universities where three institutions were selected from each zone and one from the Northeast due to the relatively low number of private universities in the region.
The centre noted that it wrote formal requests for financial reports and interview requests to all of the universities, while following up with phone calls to the institutions.
Foreign varsities different
The report said when compared with others in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, Nigerian universities performed poorly in transparency matters. It noted that the University of Cape Town, South Africa; the University of Nairobi, Kenya; and the University of Ghana provided real-time access to budget allocations, audited financial statements, and granular expenditure reports.
According to the centre, nine universities provided partial financial statements, but over 80 per cent of the universities declined revealing partial financial data or grant utilisation statements through formal responses.
It said none of the universities provided full breakdowns of revenues and expenditures of internally generated revenue (IGR).
What stakeholders are saying on transparency
Adedimeji: the report is exaggerated
Vice Chancellor African School of Economics, Abuja, Prof. Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, believes the issue of lack of transparency as claimed by the report is exaggerated.
He said: “Though our public universities can do better, the issue of lack of transparency as claimed by the report is exaggerated. It feeds into our national culture of xenophilia: the love of foreign people, cultures, or customs. We undermine ours and celebrate others.
“I have seen annual reports of many universities and their financial details are there. I think many of them don’t realise they need to upload those reports on their websites.
“For almost two decades, since the time of the Vice Chancellorship of Professor Emeritus Is-haq Oloyede, the University of Ilorin has been publishing its financial details every week. Every income and expenditure is provided in the widely circulated Unilorin Bulletin. Some other universities have followed that tradition.
“What the centre should have done was to do proper field investigation, not just check websites. That would have given more nuanced findings. “I support the need for financial transparency and the ministerial directive is right on target. The issue is that universities should provide their Annual Reports and publish the same on their websites. All information should be there, not just the financial aspect.
“Transparency doesn’t contravene university autonomy. As I mentioned, just pick any edition of Unilorin Bulletin every Monday, the financial details are always provided.
“Yes, there is nothing improper about it. It is good for the system to be transparent and that is part of what the university is supposed to instill in its students.”
CONUA: minister’s directive aligns with principles of transparency
The National President, Congress of University Academics (CONUA), Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, said the directive from the minister aligns with the principles of transparency, accountability and openness which are essential for building public trust and attracting funding partners both locally and internationally.
He said: “Universities, as centres of learning and innovation, should indeed be at the forefront of promoting transparency, not only in thought and advocacy, but also in institutional practice. Making financial statements accessible is consistent with global best practices and could serve as a powerful tool for unlocking partnerships, enhancing donor confidence, and strengthening the internal governance of universities.
“However, while the goal of this policy is laudable, it must be implemented in a way that respects the autonomy of universities as guaranteed by existing laws and frameworks. University autonomy is not a licence for opacity, but any move that could appear to undermine self-governance or impose top-down controls must be carefully weighed. A consultative approach that engages key stakeholders, including university governing councils, would be more constructive.
“Moreover, CONUA believes that the principle of transparency must not stop at universities. The Federal Government should equally lead by example by publishing its financial records and making public disclosures around expenditure, revenue, and project implementation.”
It is good for public education, says ERC
National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Taiwo Soweto, said: “I have to say that considering the opacity that surrounds the finances of most of our public universities, any measure that encourages public universities to be more open and transparent is good for the public and for the future of public education in this country.
“So to this extent, I support the move to have public universities publish on their website details of their revenues and expenditure. This will also go a long way in fortifying the unions within the sector with relevant information to pursue the welfare interest of members, especially students whose fees form a significant part of the revenues of public universities.”
An Educationist, Dr. Mikailu Ibrahim, lauded the move, adding that it is imperative to provide the institutions with support, as most institutions in the country are lagging behind in this.
He also urged the government to stipulate the consequences that come with failing to make data available. He also advised that part of this reform should start from the councils regulating the institutions.
“It is very important but the extent at which the institutions can rise to the occasion, and what are the sanctions that apply when that data is not available. The support system for the institutions is also important.
“The question is, if an institution fails to indicate that information, what is the consequence? Most of the institutions will need capacity building to be able to provide that kind of information and put it out there.
“It’s one thing to develop a policy, it’s another to support those charged with its implementation to be able to do so and training is part of it. That’s why policies ordinarily should be bottom up, instead of top bottom.
“If I were in a policy decision making position like this, I would rather throw this out to different fora of higher institutions leadership: the forum of vice Chancellors, the forum of provosts of colleges of education, and Rectors of polytechnics. It’s really good to have basic data of an institution and most of it, we don’t have,” he noted.
An Administrator at Anchor University, Gbenga Adefaye, described it as a very positive step. He noted that it would enhance full disclosures, transparency and accountability.
“It should assist us in developing our education as part of overall national development. It should assist in peer review and ratings to achieve greater heights for focus and genuine national development. We should know better our funding of education and whether it aligns with the overall goal of national development,” he said.
Towards fairness in selection of VCs, others
In another guideline, the ministry approved a policy establishing eligibility criteria for the appointment of Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts in federal tertiary institutions. This is intended to promote equity, transparency and integrity in the process.
The ministry stated that the policy became necessary, following a pattern of undue advantage observed over the years, where officers serving in acting capacities often leveraged their positions to influence appointment outcomes. According to her, these officers also compromise the fairness and transparency of the selection process. “The policy is necessary to eliminate this practice, ensure a level playing field for all qualified candidates, and strengthen institutional governance,” the statement added.
‘It help to curb unfair takeover of power’
The President of the Association for Formidable Educational Development, Mr. Emmanuel Orji, noted that Nigeria institutions of higher learning are highly regulated in principle and practice, adding that the policy would be an added advantage in helping to curb unfair takeover of power.
Orji added that irrespective of the fact that the minister means well, however, the implementation of this policy is another thing entirely.
“In as much as I think the minister means well, this also could be the hand of the government trying to whittle down the power of these institutions to self-regulation,” he expressed.
Sunmonu: it will address crisis plaguing leadership transitions
Sunmonu commended the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) for introducing new guidelines aimed at reforming the appointment process of vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts.
He noted that it marks a crucial step toward addressing the long-standing crisis and irregularities that have plagued leadership transitions in the university system. He added that over the years, the appointment process has suffered from a lack of transparency, undue interference, and manipulation by vested interests, often resulting in legal disputes, internal divisions, and reputational damage to institutions. And if properly enforced, he said it holds the potential to restore merit, order, and integrity to academic leadership appointments.
However, Sunmonu stressed that the real change lies in consistent, principled implementation.
“Policies alone are not sufficient; their success depends on the discipline and integrity of those entrusted with carrying them out. Nigeria has never lacked good policies. What she needed are conscientious and accountable implementers. “Therefore, CONUA urges university Governing Councils and all stakeholders to adhere strictly to the new guidelines. Enforcement mechanisms must also be established to deter violations and ensure institutional accountability. This is the only way to build sustainable systems and re-establish credibility in the leadership selection process within the tertiary education sector…
“There must be clear consequences for non-compliance, and the ministry must lead by example in enforcing standards uniformly across institutions. In summary, the guidelines can bring sanity, but only if they are backed by integrity, fairness, and the political will to uphold them in every circumstance,” he said.
