Tertiary education in Nigeria is aloof and undismayed by the stony approach of the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the ongoing strike that has kept students at home for twelve weeks with ASUU announcing an extension of the strike by three months.
The government’s inability to meet the terms of its agreement with the union since 2009 has birthed years of avoidable, undesired, and fruitless strikes in the past, even though it appears to be seen as a herculean task to meet the terms of such an agreement in the light of Nigeria’s current economic reality that shows little or no interest in education, despite Nigeria’s President or Vice-President (Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Professor Yemi Osinbajo) since 2007, two years before the agreement was reached, were former members of the union.
The outright reasons for these incessant strikes are clearly attributed to funding deficit and the lack of political will. Tertiary institutions globally with world-class reputations are less dependent on government funding except in socialist or communist societies.
Experts have opined that the Nigerian government at federal and state levels cannot fund education properly to meet global standards mainly because of the unavailability of required funds, corruption, and the lack of interest in tertiary education, research, and innovation.
This shows the need for higher education governance reforms to institutionalize a multi-source financing system in state and federal universities to enable them to compete globally and address their funding needs, even though this paradigm shift will come with a greater economic consequence on students, parents, and guardians.
Emotions must not be attached to the fact that tertiary education globally is increasingly becoming expensive, especially when there is little or no support from the government. Universities in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and other non-socialist advanced economies have a multi-sourced financial model that survives on tuition fees, entrepreneurial engagements, grants, and foreign and domestic donations.
They are self-managed with a greater sense of integrity and financial discipline. Network with universities alumni associations and support from the private sector are used to run these universities.
There should be a cost-sharing approach between the government, the universities, and the students (beneficiaries) to bear the economic responsibilities to galvanize funds to improve our universities.
A market-based fundraising model must be adopted to accommodate stakeholders’ support in funding our institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. Assessing 2022 budgetary allocation of N593 billion ($1.4 billion) for education representing 7.9 percent of the entire budget is way too low to address funding requirements for primary, post-primary, higher education, ministries, department, and agencies under the education sector in Nigeria.
Read also: ASUU declares strike extension by 12 weeks
There are 49 federal-owned universities in Nigeria that depend mainly on federal subventions, remittance, and tuition for their management and running. Their inability and governance restrictions in devising innovative and sustainable means of fundraising are stalling the growth of these universities. Over-reliance and dependence on a few crumbs at the feet of a government that shows no interest in education is implausible.
There is a need to review the finance and governance model of Nigerian universities as their current funding needs cannot be met by the government. Market-related funding approach must be pursued, with better output and efficiency at a high cost.
University education in Nigeria if it has to improve in quality delivery, infrastructure, research, and development, cannot be gotten at the meagre sum universities accrue from government low subvention and tuition fees in higher institutions of learning.
The limited development witnessed in Nigerian universities is strongly related to the low level of funding and their unsustainable financial models. With more than 40 percent of Nigeria’s population living below the poverty line of $1.9 per day, we must accept that a vast majority of Nigerians cannot have access to quality university education at a cheap fee.
The value and importance of research funding, grants, aid, and support for innovation cannot be overemphasized. The level of development of a nation has a relationship to the quality, approach, and system of its education at all levels.
Most researches in Nigeria are conducted to fulfil academic righteousness and promotion rather than for the purpose of identifying, solving, and proposing policies to improve the economy.
The strike embarked upon seems not to have an end in sight even though there are promises in the past and present to address the challenges bedeviling higher institutions in Nigeria.
The government and all stakeholders involved in the decision-making in universities must adopt a multi-sourced financial model to change the sad state of Nigerian universities. Education in Nigeria must not be politicized or relegated as it remains the livewire of any society with a serious commitment to achieving growth and development.
Alikor Victor is a development economist & policy expert
