Daud Olatunji
The management of the Tai Solarin Federal University of Education has unveiled a six-year strategic agenda aimed at repositioning the institution for improved performance, innovation, accountability, financial sustainability and global competitiveness.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Samuel Oladipo, disclosed this while presenting the S.T.A.R.-W.I.N. Strategic Agenda (2026–2031) at the 2026 Extended Management Retreat held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The retreat, which had the theme, “Strategic Consolidation and Governance,” brought together members of the university management and key administrative and academic officers.
Oladipo said the transition of the institution from a state-owned university to a Federal University of Education required a fundamental change from conventional administration to a performance-driven system capable of competing globally.
According to him, the S.T.A.R.-W.I.N. agenda was designed to translate the university’s vision into measurable outcomes across its colleges, directorates, departments, centres and other units.
He identified the seven strategic pillars of the agenda as financial sustainability; technology and digital campus; academic excellence and innovation; research productivity and global ranking; welfare and wellbeing; infrastructure development; and networking.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university could no longer rely solely on government funding, stressing the need to develop sustainable revenue streams, attract research grants, strengthen partnerships and commercialise opportunities arising from innovation and research.
He also announced plans to completely eliminate paper-based administration within weeks as part of the institution’s digital transformation agenda.
Oladipo said technology must become integral to teaching, administration, communication and service delivery, urging members of the university community who were lagging behind to embrace the transformation.
He said, “The S.T.A.R.-W.I.N. Agenda was designed to provide a clear framework for translating the University’s vision into measurable results across Colleges, Directorates, Departments, Centres and other units of the institution.”
The Vice-Chancellor also presented a scorecard of his administration’s first four months in office, highlighting ongoing initiatives targeting infrastructure, security, transportation and the general aesthetics of the university environment.
He disclosed that work on the perimeter fencing of the university would resume within days, explaining that the project would help strengthen security, clearly define the institution’s boundaries and improve physical development.
He added that the former Aluta market had been cleared and would be transformed as part of efforts to improve the appearance of the university campus.
On transportation, Oladipo said his administration would regulate commercial motorcycle operations within the university premises.
He said all motorcycle operators would be profiled and required to wear reflective jackets before being allowed to operate within the campus.
The Vice-Chancellor charged heads of academic and administrative units to move beyond routine administration and become strategists, innovators, revenue mobilisers and quality assurers whose performance would be measured by tangible results.
He further urged academic staff to attract research grants, publish in reputable indexed journals and contribute to improving the university’s global visibility.
He also called for stronger collaboration with industry, alumni and international institutions.
Oladipo stressed that responsible financial management, effective budgeting, compliance with public financial regulations and prudent use of resources were critical to achieving the objectives of the strategic agenda.
Speaking at the retreat, the Bursar, Mr Kabir Ogunneye, FCA, announced that preparations for the 2027 budget would commence immediately after the programme.
Ogunneye said no expenditure could legitimately be incurred without prior provision in the approved budget.
He warned heads of units and budget holders that expenditure outside approved budgetary provisions could expose responsible officers to scrutiny by relevant oversight authorities.
The Bursar urged heads of departments, directorates, colleges, centres and other units to ensure that their requests were properly captured in the budget and aligned with approved expenditure heads.
He also outlined the university’s proposed expenditure-control mechanism, stating that requests for overhead items such as stationery and consumables must be backed by vendors’ invoices and subjected to price verification by the Audit Department’s Pricing Unit.
According to him, the process would ensure competitive pricing and value for money before requests were forwarded to the Vice-Chancellor for approval.
He added that approved expenditures would subsequently undergo budgetary checks by the Bursary, while released funds would be monitored to ensure they were applied to their approved purposes and that projects were executed as approved.
‘Budget should be linked to measurable outcomes’
The Head of Budget and Expenditure Control, Bursary Department, Mr Adeleke Babayeju, FCA, urged the university management to reposition budgeting as a strategic tool for achieving institutional priorities.
In his presentation, titled, “From Need to Appropriation to Delivery: A Practical Guide to the University Budgetary Process,” Babayeju said every budget proposal should identify the need being addressed, proposed intervention, cost, timing, funding source, responsible unit and expected measurable outcome.
He advised university units to prioritise activities according to strategic relevance, urgency, affordability and expected impact.
Babayeju said cost estimates should reflect prevailing market realities and the requirements for successful implementation.
He stressed that the success of a university budget should not be measured by the amount spent but by the results achieved.
“The ultimate measure of a successful University budget is not the amount spent but the results delivered,” he said.
He urged management to continuously monitor expenditure, commitments, revenue, physical progress and value for money throughout the financial year.
The Director of Procurement, Dr Odukunle Odusanya, also warned university officials against violating financial regulations governing federal universities.
Speaking on the Financial Regulations and Compliance Framework for Federal Universities in Nigeria, Odusanya identified accountability, transparency, probity, value for money, uniformity and fiscal discipline as key objectives of financial regulations.
He stressed the importance of proper documentation, budget performance reporting, audited financial statements, procurement compliance and effective internal controls.
Odusanya listed unauthorised retention or diversion of revenue, operation of unauthorised accounts, contract splitting, unauthorised variation orders, payment for unexecuted contracts, unretired advances, inadequate supporting documents and poor asset records among breaches that could attract scrutiny.
He also warned against failure to implement audit recommendations.
The procurement director recommended regular training on financial regulations, early involvement of Internal Audit in payment processes, strict documentation and records management, periodic compliance reviews and prompt implementation of audit recommendations.
TASFUED targets stronger alumni, donor partnerships
The retreat also focused on strategies for strengthening the university’s resource base through institutional advancement.
The Director of Advancement, Prof. Kemi Oriola, urged the management to deepen relationships with students, alumni, industries, donors and other stakeholders to support sustainable institutional development.
Oriola described the Directorate of Advancement as more than a fundraising arm, saying it should serve as a strategic management function covering relationship building, institutional reputation, partnerships, resource mobilisation and long-term development.
He identified stewardship, alumni relations, development and fundraising, corporate communication, institutional marketing and data governance as critical components of the university’s advancement strategy.
He called for stronger alumni engagement, university-industry collaboration, research sponsorship, grant opportunities, patent commercialisation, endowment development and capital campaigns for infrastructure, scholarships and professorial chairs.
Oriola advocated a shift from conventional fundraising to what he described as “friend-raising”, based on trust and sustained relationships.
He, however, identified inadequate advancement infrastructure, weak donor tracking, underfunding and shortages of professionally trained fundraisers as challenges that needed to be addressed.
Management seeks collective ownership of agenda
The various presentations at the retreat centred on strategic management, financial discipline, regulatory compliance, innovation, digital transformation, partnership and measurable institutional performance.
Oladipo consequently called on members of the university community to take collective ownership of the S.T.A.R.-W.I.N. agenda and align their activities with the institution’s strategic priorities.
He said the success of the transformation agenda would depend on disciplined implementation across all units.
He encapsulated the vision in the declaration, “STAR-WIN is how we will Win as a Star University,” reiterating his administration’s determination to position TASFUED as a leading institution for education, research, innovation and development in Nigeria and globally.
The retreat ended with a vote of thanks by Mr Ademola Adesanya, FNIM, on behalf of the chairman and members of the planning committee.
Adesanya commended the Vice-Chancellor for providing strategic direction through the S.T.A.R.-W.I.N. agenda and praised the facilitators for their presentations on budgeting, financial regulations, procurement and institutional advancement.
He urged participants to translate the knowledge gained into measurable action, particularly through digitisation of university operations, results-oriented budgeting, regulatory compliance, improved treatment of students and stronger alumni engagement.
He also called on participants to cascade the lessons and practical tools from the retreat to staff in their respective directorates, departments and units.
Among management members present were the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Adekunle Adeogun; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Rotimi Ettu; Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mr Dapo Oke; Bursar, Mr Kabir Ogunneye; and University Librarian, Prof. Adebambo Oduwole.
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