Mr. Alausa has directed all institutions to publicly disclose a detailed breakdown of their annual budget allocations. This should cover personnel costs, overhead expenses, capital expenditures, and research grant revenues, including funds received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Additionally, he requested that these institutions provide their current total student enrollment figures, distinguishing between undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
According to Folasade Boriowo, the spokesperson for the ministry, this directive is part of the government's effort to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance in educational institutions.
“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 statement said.
“All federal institutions are expected to comply fully with this directive and ensure that their websites are completely updated no later than 31 May 2025.
“This data should be separated into two distinct sources: grants obtained from domestic bodies such as local industries, government agencies, or foundations; and those received from international sources, including foreign institutions, multilateral organisations, and development partners,” the statement said.
The statement added that the figure must be updated quarterly to ensure currency and transparency.
It added that the education ministry will conduct periodic reviews of institutional websites and take appropriate administrative actions against non-compliant institutions.
The announcement emphasized the importance of updating the figure on a quarterly basis to maintain both currency and transparency.
Additionally, it stated that the education ministry will carry out regular reviews of institutional websites and implement necessary administrative measures for institutions that do not comply.
“These reviews will be used to gauge compliance and drive policy decisions that promote transparency,” the statement added.
A recent study conducted by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has highlighted a significant issue: financial secrecy in Nigerian universities is hindering their access to global research funding.
The findings, which emerged from a survey of 64 universities across Nigeria, revealed that none of these institutions made their financial records available to the public. Moreover, it was noted that most federal universities disregarded formal requests for financial information as stipulated by the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
This lack of transparency is characterized in the report as a critical governance weakness. It systematically excludes these institutions from participating in the global research funding ecosystem and undermines their international standing. Additionally, the entrenched culture of secrecy fosters an external perception that Nigerian universities are risky partners, ill-equipped to handle international grants or significant research funding.
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