Nigerian universities on brink of shutting down due to funding

By Ukpono Ukpong

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has raised alarm over the crippling effects of underfunding on Nigerian universities.

According to him, many institutions are on the brink of shutting down due to insufficient government allocations, which are far below what is needed to sustain their basic operations.

“One of the universities today is closing down because they have been given a bill of 300 million naira,” he said.

Prof. Osodeke made these remarks at the sideline of State of the Nation Conference organised by the Union in Abuja, where he illustrated the financial challenges facing some of the country’s leading universities.

Citing examples, he revealed that universities like the University of Lagos (UNILAG), University of Ibadan (UI), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU), and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) receive only N15 million monthly from the federal government for overhead expenses.

“This paltry sum is grossly inadequate,” Osodeke stated, noting that UNILAG alone requires about N200 million to cover its monthly electricity bills. The ASUU President pointed out that it is the internally generated revenue (IGR) from the universities that is used to cover the electricity costs, as government allocations fall drastically short of the actual needs.

In an alarming revelation, Osodeke disclosed that one university is on the verge of closure after receiving an electricity bill of N300 million.

“What the government provides is N15 million, and the bill for electricity alone is N300 million. Where is that money supposed to come from?” he asked, stressing that the situation is unsustainable.

He further highlighted that universities not only have to manage electricity costs but also fund laboratories, purchase diesel, and fuel vehicles with their limited resources, adding that the financial strain is becoming unbearable for many institutions, raising concerns about the future of tertiary education in the country.

“We are so challenged. But let me give you a quick example, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University and University Nigeria, Nsuka, what they get from the government account for overhead running of the university in a month is 15 million. Meanwhile, the University of Lagos needs about 200 million naira to pay the electricity bill.”

Prof. Osodeke did not mince words when criticizing the government’s priorities as he compared the N15 million allocated to UNILAG with the N21 million monthly take home received by a single senator.

“A government that will give just N15 million for UNILAG to run, will in turn, give one senator N21 million a month. The government gives a system 15 million, but an individual gets 21 million. That’s where our priority is.” he remarked.

The ASUU President lamented the government’s refusal to fund universities at the level they were in the past, stating that education had once been a greater priority in Nigeria’s history.

He warned that if the current trend continues, more universities will be forced to close, unable to cope with the financial demands of operating in the so-called Band A and Band B funding categories.

Osodeke, however, reiterated the need for urgent government intervention to save Nigerian universities from collapse, even as he called on the authorities to rethink their priorities and increase funding to the education sector before it is too late.

“For whatever reason, they have refused to fund the university systems as it was in the earlier part of our history.

“From the way we are going, if nothing is been done, many universities will close because they cannot afford the so called band A and Band B.”

Beyond the funding crisis, Prof. Osodeke spoke on ASUU’s role in the election process, particularly in assisting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He explained that ASUU was initially involved in overseeing some elections but discovered that election rigging was happening at polling booths and local government collation centers.

Osodeke noted that this experience prompted ASUU to request that it be allowed to participate in the election process from the polling unit level to the final stage, but INEC refused this request.

Following INEC’s refusal, Osodeke said ASUU decided to withdraw from participating in any further elections as a body, though individual members were free to take part as private citizens.

“Before every election, we make it clear that ASUU as a body is not involved, but our members, as Nigerians, are free to participate,” he explained.