Nigeria: Controversy Over N1.3 Trillion Fund for the Nigerian Universities

Under funding of the Nigerian public university system remains an issue that has over the years resulted into steady decline and rot that characterized learning at tertiary institutions in the country. To redress the situation that had resulted in the mass exodus of young Nigerians to seek further education abroad, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) and other pressure groups in the education sector resulted to strike actions. It is on record that lack of commitment by successive administrations agreement willingly signed between the government and the unions had resulted to 19 strike actions between 1992 and 2013. Recently, ASUU condemned the Federal Government's failure to release the sum of N1.3tr meant for the revitalisation of the nation's universities beyond the N200bn released for 2013, as the first batch of the money. There was no money released in 2014, and the first quarter of 2015 has come and gone with no money for the universities from the government. In this special report, Sylvester Enoghase, Sola Alabadan, Andrew Airahuobhor, Phillip Oladunjoye, Apata Oyediran ,Emma Okwuke, Bamidele Ogunwusi, Abel Orupke and Olamide Bakare examine the various issues surrounding the non-disbursement of the fund meant for the nation's universities, and other issues affecting the tertiary education sector in the country.

Challenge of underfunding university education

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