Nigeria’s Universities: Public Good Betrayed

Not agelong ago, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) expressed superior concerns connected what it described the governmental interference successful vice-chancellor appointments, highlighting the contention surrounding the Acting Vice Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, whose promotions were “fraught with a batch of contradictions.”

Its sister Union, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) precocious successful Otuoke, Bayelsa, expressed akin interest implicit assemblage governance successful Nigerian universities. The leaders of SSANUlamented bitterly however assignment of vice chancellors successful Nigeria’s nationalist universities had been reduced to the level of “constituency projects.”

These concerns were not hyperbole, they were expressed retired of genuine fears implicit what our nationalist universities person go implicit the years. Increasingly, the enactment of assemblage leaders has go a governmental crippled of patronage, wherever loyalty counts much than competence. And so, the precise psyche of the assemblage – independency of thought and meritocracy – has been compromised astatine its roots.

We are reminded, too, of the ungraded that broke earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile sections of the media reported that lawmakers allegedly demanded “appreciation money” from vice chancellors earlier passing their universities’ budgets. Some institutions, already starved of funds, were compelled to portion with millions successful bid to get their fund passed by the National Assembly. What connection does this send? That nationalist assemblage endurance depends not connected efficiency, transparency, oregon accountability, but connected however overmuch 1 tin “settle” almighty hands for their budgets to beryllium approved. The thought of the assemblage arsenic a sanctuary of integrity collapses nether specified weight.

Public universities’ near-total dependence connected authorities allocations leaves them hostage to governmental shifts and macroeconomic shocks. That chronic unpredictability starves maintenance, starves teaching and probe budgets, and makes it intolerable to clasp and reward talented academics – forcing administrators into short-term triage that corrodes organization strategy and scholarly excellence. Because backing follows changing argumentation priorities, semipermanent investments successful labs, libraries and unit improvement are repeatedly postponed oregon abandoned. The quality outgo is contiguous and unequal. University students wage the heaviest price. The precocious launched Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), conceived to relieve tuition burdens, has been undermined by reports of double-billing, delayed disbursements and collusion betwixt immoderate banks and institutions, turning a promised information nett into a bureaucratic trap. For young Nigerians from humble homes, this is simply a regular betrayal that present demands systemic reform.

Added to this is the mismanagement of scarce resources either allocated oregon internally generated by the assemblage managements. Take for lawsuit the incidence astatine the Federal University Oye‐Ekiti (FUOYE), wherever a visitation sheet laid bare a catalogue of mismanagement. Lecturers were suspended without owed process. Unqualified unit were appointed into delicate positions. Audits were neglected, and finances blurred by irregularities. What was uncovered determination was not peculiar; it is symptomatic of a wider civilization of disregard for rules, wherever impunity is much definite than sanction.

Although the assemblage denied each the allegations, but reports similar this further exposed the heavy crises successful the Nigerian nationalist assemblage system.

But the study by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership revealed that retired of 64 universities surveyed by the organization, nary of them published its budgets, audited accounts, oregon visitation reports online. This further amusement however our universities, tally connected nationalist subventions, and expected to service the nationalist good, run down closed doors.

All the while, the governmental people continues to denote caller universities arsenic if they were gathering centrifugal parks. Each authorities present boasts aggregate campuses, galore without professors, laboratories, oregon adjacent libraries worthy of the name. The vice chancellor of Fountain University, Professor Olayinka Kareem, was not exaggerating erstwhile helium declared that nary Nigerian assemblage has capable professors. The proliferation of institutions without capable module is decay masquerading arsenic expansion.

The effects ripple outwards. Brain drain continues arsenic our brightest academics question dignity and stableness abroad. Graduates look from overcrowded lecture halls into a satellite that questions their readiness. Parents suffer religion and propulsion their wards into backstage universities, further widening inequality. The precise conception of the assemblage arsenic a leveller, a spot wherever the lad of a husbandman mightiness beryllium beside the girl of a banker and some find opportunity, is disappearing.

This paper maintains that ...