Members of governing councils from institutions across the country recently converged on the International Conference Centre in Abuja, to discuss issues affecting the education system in the country.

The focus was however was on their constituencies - the universities. Part of issues which formed the front burner of discussions included funding for universities.

 

 

Although issues as access to learning, quality assurance, research and innovation, challenges and prospects ahead cropped up, it was all reviewed in underfunding.  

The highpoints of the sessions held were topics on problems of access which have been viewed as formidable in the sense of the effect it had posed over time. The strength of this one factor to begin with is such that it links to the low carrying capacity of the existing universities.

In a submission by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie who was represented at a retreat in Abuja by Mr. A.S Agbaoye, the entire system can only accommodate 250, 000 candidates as against the annual demand put at 1, 000, 000. This is quite a number to contend with. However, they say part of solutions to this is to create more universities, and even increase admissions quota without compromising "quality assurance in the system".

Still Nigerians understand the existing problems of dearth of facilities to aid effective teaching and learning on the campuses, as such, explaining the efficacy of applying quota increase may not truly lead to an all-rosy system. Increasing admissions quota per institution by 20% for instance and specific programmes with back-to-back accreditation by 25% (as per NUC) without recourse to provisions for percentage increase in institutional training capacity by facility may also be detrimental to non-prejudice of quality assurance.

The inability of institutions to arrive at a unified calendar still baffles despite several attempts of past governments to see to that. Arbitrary strike by unions like ASUU has contributed to this impossibility coupled with perceived inconsistencies on the part of government to actualize the treaties entered between it and the unions.

Talking about the government which has been blamed severely for the rot in the system, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed who was represented by Dr. Shettima Abba Gana, gave the executive charge as always, calling on the leadership of Nigerian universities to come up with credible and quality programmes that would reflect in the products of these institutions. But it costs funding to achieve such, he forgets!

Rather than explore areas for support, he rallied on with the worries government had about the conduct of some leaders of university councils, who were highhanded.

Speaking on reports of increasing conflicts and politics within university councils, he lamented the situation were such often undermined the efficiencies within the system. He noted that proprietors of universities interfered in the day-to-day affairs of the university without even prior knowledge of the nature of administering institutions.

"These practices are certainly not acceptable. One has the potential of involving members of council in real conflict of interests while the other seeks to undermine the autonomy that has been granted the universities to conduct their affairs, he said.

On the issue of financial support, the SGF acknowledged that funding had been a problem, in the statement: "While government recognizes the validity of ASUU's position that the universities need to be better funded, government has always maintained that faced with myriad of development challenges, only proportional funds can be allocated to the university council"

Note here, that he says "only proportional funds can be allocated to the university council". Hence, he suggested that "the challenge therefore is for the university council, university management and the unions and staff in the universities to come up with ideas about how the funding situation can be improved." If he had said "the challenge therefore is for all stakeholders…" that would have been all inclusive. However, he did not.  By that, the SGF had just left out the government in the development plan.   

Notwithstanding, the forum of council members went on as planned. Still, on the issue of poor governance structure, accountability and transparency, there were opinions shed on the wave of corruption that had overwhelmed the system.

In a presentation on Financial Control and Accountability in the system at the 5th session of the NUC retreat, Prof. Bob Osaze from the University of Benin revealed that there were numerous ways to generate funding for institutions while lamenting the random overemphasis on government.

He said part of reasons why prospects to attaining funding was not easily noticed anymore, is as a result of the leakages or corruption in institutions, where huge sums realised from generated revenues were cleverly manipulated and unaccounted for by officials charged with these trust. By this, he implied that there was an endowment of revenue systems in existence within our institutions capable of catering to the needs without essentially depending on government, but were inappropriately expended. This is sad coming from institutions which in most cases laud about programmes that don't just lead to award of certificates but 'certificates in learning and character'.

As much as funding is crucial, the overdependence on government remains critical, but not always yielding in benefiting terms according to the panelists, and thus explains why so much is being hampered on this importance of funding to the life of institutions in the country. 

No wonder the Vice-chancellor of Michael Okpara University, Prof. Ikenna Onyido thus acknowledged in his paper entitled: The Governing Council and Fund raising: Experience, Challenges and Strategies, that "…universities need to diversify their funding sources in the face of the current economic realities experienced globally, rather than depend solely on governments to meet their financial needs".

Although a lot has been attributed to the reduction in outputs and standards of tertiary education in Nigeria, funding has even been linked to reasons for the restiveness by students and endless strikes in Nigerian universities. Take this instance, where an institution 'A' requires a pool of wealth from which to sustain its programmes B, C, D, and E in absence of government funding. Levies may be surcharged students who in turn, get upset, feel affronted and maybe victimized. Trust, in no time, they begin to rally together to disrupt the session. That is the sort of effect poor funding could stir.  

Another participant was concerned about the key issue of funding which had kept institutions in the dark. His idea was that plans conceived without recourse to identifying source of funding at all were like mere strategies on paper. The reason, being that such paper work would remain impractical without funding to help realize its objectives.   

Another unassailable point raised was that of responsibilities attached to governing councils in institutions. The Vice chancellor of Salem University, Lokoja, Professor Omojo Omaji was bitter about the intensity of issues in the system which has further encumbered the youth. He was of the opinion that the next generations would definitely judge the present harshly for the existing problems. While urging his colleagues to study the criteria for emerging into councils, he called for continuous exchange between the public and private institutions to develop a new breed of leaders that could lead the country forward.    

Another panelist at the 5th session, Prof. Assisi Asobie said the drive for funding was important to the education system in the country but noted that it was being pursued in the wrong manner. He reasoned that the rash approach was what contributed to the faulty structure of the system in the first place; adding that the problems would continue to trail the education sector in the country, except the order was changed by constant monitoring.

According to Asobie, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had no reason to pursue for funding where university councils existed in the first place to communicate their needs to the government. He said the misplaced priority of unions had led to several other issues like the structure for negotiations which he termed faulty and could take a lot of self-searching to retract from.

Naturally, one would have thought that with the autonomy granted federal universities, the role of governing councils would extend to ensuring adequate funding for the growth and development of universities. It is not as though they aren't achieving at that, but for emphasis, whether or not the reasons are for productive ends, it appears ASUU is more adept at that course (of pursuing funding) than any council.

The forum looked at the re-introduction of tuition fees as a means to sustainable funding because, "it's becoming unrealistic to continue to run universities on the basis of free tuition given pressure on available resources, and government's inability to remain the sole-financier of federal universities".

There was a call for public/private partnerships and joint venture partnerships where institutions could be supported with facilities.  Also alumni contributions were  observed to have kept institutions in Nigeria running for years and remained a  backbone for sustained funding . Other means discussed included philanthropic fundraising and capital campaigns, sponsored research, commercialization of research products and expertise, etc.

Then there is the issue of managing the funds where transparency and accountability in management of donor funds come in. Like Prof. Osaze mentioned, there are leakages in our systems were institutions can no longer account for investments, or funds utilized or realized. Truth is if funds for projects are properly utilized and accounted for it would help maintain donors and provide with better access to potential donors.

The participants drawn from governing councils of public and private universities across the country were unanimous in their call for a system of strategic funding, creativity and sustainable models that would make institutions less dependent on government.

The reality today, portrays betrayal of trust of Nigerians in those offices responsible for disbursing funds to realize worthwhile projects. There have been betrayals also from the so-called unionists who crave one thing and then live or act the other. How about the government which has equally dragged the problems to near-standstill in its dilly-dallying for decades?

No one denies the efforts of government over time, but the self-seeking, blaming, eventual allocation even though inadequate, would lead the nation nowhere.

The nation is truly on the verge of a turn-around with the timing of this forum. It is hoped that the issues learnt and horizon to opportunities freshly reopened, would not be squandered again by over zealousness of these intellectuals. Until the much desired turn-around in the university system is realised, honestly, it is still a case of no utopia for Nigerian youths.