Daud Olatunji
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has disclosed that only four of Nigeria’s 68 federal universities are effectively exploiting alternative sources of funding, warning that institutions relying heavily on government allocations risk stagnating.
Alausa said universities must urgently diversify their funding sources by pursuing research grants, endowments, alumni donations, philanthropy and partnerships with the private sector.
He described the low level of resource mobilisation among the institutions as unacceptable, stressing that government funding alone could not sustain the demands of modern universities.
The minister spoke at the National Advancement Forum 2026, where he charged vice-chancellors to make resource mobilisation a major responsibility of their administrations.
He said university leaders must move beyond managing government allocations and deliberately cultivate relationships with alumni, businesses, philanthropists, research funders and other strategic partners.
“Government funding is not enough. Universities live, function and excel on blended funding,” Alausa said.
According to him, successful universities around the world have developed diversified funding models that enable them to finance laboratories, scholarships, research chairs, innovation programmes and other critical institutional needs.
Alausa said Nigerian universities had enormous intellectual capital that could attract substantial resources from the private sector if properly harnessed.
In a move aimed at strengthening fundraising across the university system, the minister directed that Advancement Offices in all universities should report directly to vice-chancellors rather than registrars.
He ordered vice-chancellors at the forum to communicate the directive to their respective institutions immediately.
The minister also directed that directors of advancement should have a minimum five-year internal tenure, renewable where appropriate.
He said frequent changes in leadership could undermine long-term relationships with alumni, donors, industries and philanthropic organisations.
“Advancement Office operation is a professional job,” Alausa said, describing advancement officers as professional fundraisers who require stability, institutional backing and the confidence of university management to deliver results.
Alausa also directed universities to overhaul their alumni engagement systems by developing functional databases and deploying technology to maintain lifelong relationships with graduates within Nigeria and abroad.
He said a well-managed alumni network could become one of the most reliable sources of long-term institutional funding.
The minister urged university authorities to identify their successful graduates and establish structured channels through which alumni could contribute to the development of their former institutions.
Alausa stressed that the Federal Government was not abandoning its financial responsibilities to tertiary institutions.
He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu had demonstrated its commitment to education through increased budgetary allocations, infrastructure investments and other interventions.
According to the minister, the Federal Government currently bears universities’ personnel costs in full, while institutions retain 75 per cent of their internally generated revenue and continue to benefit from interventions by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
“These provide a strong foundation,” he said, urging universities to build on the government’s support by developing diversified, sustainable and resilient financing systems.
Alausa also recalled that before the Tinubu administration, some research and endowment funds had been transferred into the Treasury Single Account, making access to the funds difficult and raising concerns about their management and utilisation.
He said President Tinubu subsequently directed the development of a framework allowing research and endowment accounts to be moved from the TSA to commercial banks selected by the institutions.
According to him, the policy was designed to give universities greater flexibility and boost confidence in the management of research and endowment resources.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has met you halfway. He has given you the leverage and the opportunity to do your jobs well. You must now take advantage of it,” Alausa told the vice-chancellors.
FG plans sustainable funding framework
The minister expressed disappointment that many universities had yet to fully exploit the opportunities provided by the administration.
He warned that institutions that failed to broaden their funding base could find it increasingly difficult to sustain growth, research and academic excellence.
Alausa disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Nigerian Higher Education Foundation, would develop a comprehensive national framework for sustainable financing of tertiary institutions.
He said the framework would address endowment governance, accountability, research grants, Advancement Office structures, alumni giving, industry partnerships, philanthropy incentives, revenue management and transparency.
The initiative, he said, would strengthen the financial resilience of Nigerian universities and provide sustainable resources for teaching, research, innovation and institutional development.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
