By Ngozi Nwankwo
In a bold move to entrench transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, the Minister of Education Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa has directed all Federal Vice- Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts to publish key institutional data on their official websites with immediate effect, aligning Nigeria’s higher education management with global best practices.
The Minister said that each institution must provide its Annual Budgetary Allocation in full detail including the breakdown of expenditure across three core areas: personnel cost overhead costs and capital expenditure.
In addition, institutions are to disclose their Research Grant Revenue from the previous year.
” 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 organizations, and development partners,” said Alausa.
The Minister also said tertiary institutions must display the TETFund Allocation for the current year.
“The Institutions must clearly show the total amount received from the TETFund, reflecting financial support for academic and infrastructural development in the present calendar year,” he said.
The directive further mandates that institutions should publish the total value of their Endowment Fund as recorded at the end of the previous year.
“This figure, which reflects funds donated or invested for the institution’s long-term financial health, must be updated quarterly to ensure currency and transparency.
“Finally, institutions are to present their current Total Student Population which must be categorized into undergraduate and postgraduate levels, thereby providing a clear picture of enrolment and institutional capacity,” said Alausa.
The Ministry emphasized 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.
“All federal institutions are expected to comply fully with this directive and ensure that their websites are completely updated no later than May 31, 2025,” he said.
According to him, to ensure adherence, the Federal Ministry of Education will conduct periodic reviews of institutional websites and take appropriate administrative actions against non-compliant institutions. These reviews will be used to gauge compliance and drive policy decisions that promote transparency.
He explained that the policy is part of a broader reform initiative aimed at strengthening public trust in the nation’s tertiary institutions, enhancing performance-based funding, and improving Nigeria’s global education indices.
