UNIBEN, ATBU Set Pace as UI, FUTA, UNIPORT Risk Defunding Over Missing Data

Despite a clear May 31 data deadline set by the Federal Government, an overwhelming 97 percent of Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions have failed to fully comply with a transparency directive requiring them to publish key financial and institutional data on their official websites.

A nationwide compliance check conducted by The Guardian reveals that only 3 percent of the sampled institutions—specifically the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi—met the full requirements of the new directive. The compliance directive, issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, mandates that federal universities, polytechnics, and monotechnics upload critical data including their annual budgetary allocation, TETFund disbursements, endowment funds, and student population.

The policy is part of a broader effort by the federal government to enhance transparency, promote institutional accountability, and improve global competitiveness in the education sector. According to the Ministry of Education, institutions that fail to comply risk being defunded or excluded from intervention support programs.

Among the 41 major institutions sampled, only three substantially complied, 22 partially complied, and 14 were found to be in complete default. Notably, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), are among those with substantial compliance, though gaps in recent data submissions remain.

Meanwhile, prestigious institutions such as the University of Ibadan (UI), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, are among those with only partial compliance—often uploading student enrollment data without accompanying financial records.

Some of the 14 universities with zero compliance include the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK). In many cases, institutions either provided outdated information or displayed blank sub-menus on their websites under financial reporting sections.

Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, lamented the widespread digital backwardness in Nigeria’s tertiary sector, noting that many institutions lack the ICT infrastructure necessary to implement the directive. “The ICT infrastructure in many institutions is very weak,” Bugaje noted, urging the government to consider extending the deadline.

Reactions from university spokespersons also revealed confusion and logistical challenges. UNIABUJA’s spokesperson, Dr. Habib Yakoob, confirmed that their data upload was still in progress, while FUTA’s spokesperson, Adegbenro Adebanjo, assured that necessary information was being compiled. However, some institutions, including UNIPORT, claimed unawareness of the directive altogether.

The push for institutional transparency aligns with global best practices. In countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa, public universities are statutorily required to disclose financial and enrollment data publicly to foster public trust and donor confidence.

TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, had earlier warned that institutions failing to meet compliance benchmarks or those mismanaging allocated funds may lose funding eligibility. He clarified that the transparency policy is not punitive but is designed to preserve the credibility and impact of the Fund’s interventions.