Indiscriminate establishment of universities moving Nigeria towards disaster – Prof Nnadozie
Executive Secretary, African Capacity Building Foundation, Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, has said the indiscriminate establishment of higher institutions, especially universities in the last decade, without due attention to quality is steering the nation towards disaster.
He also demanded the scrapping of the current funding modalities for tertiary education in Nigeria.
He stated this, Thursday, during the Bullion Lecture 2022 organised by the Centre for Financial Journalism (CFJ) in Lagos.
Speaking on the theme of the lecture titled: “Funding Tertiary Education in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities,” Nnadozie, said while there were numerous tertiary institutions in Nigeria, available statistics from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and National Universities Commission (NUC) suggest that provision and access to tertiary education in Nigeria has remained low.
He said government funds, which has been the major source of funding for higher education in Nigeria via annual budgets, were insufficient to sustain the sector.
“There are alternative models of funding public tertiary education and they include tapping into the diaspora intellectual and financial capital, alumni association, foundations, university-industry partnerships and deepening the base of the tertiary education trust fund.
“The truth of this funding challenge is that policies are made and not implemented, promises are made and not kept, agreements are signed and not fulfilled. Therefore, there is need to increase budgetary allocation and ensure adequate funding.”
Nnadozie also urged the government to honour agreement voluntarily entered into with unions and provide funds for the revitalisation of public universities.
“Funding availability alone will not solve the problem because there are instances where funds are mismanaged. Concurrent reforms in efficiency, resource allocation, curriculum reform, change in pedagogical practices, strengthening of accountability and governance structures and autonomy,” he said.
