Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Innovations and Partnerships (ARIP) at Osun State University, Osogbo. In this interview with IYABO LAWAL, the professor of Environmental Sustainability spoke on the payment of tuition in public institutions, why government cannot stop funding university education, and the need for eminent Nigerians to endow seats in the nation’s universities to reduce the burden of funding on both the government and parents.

Over the years, there have been discordant tunes on federal universities charging tuition fees, and in the last few months, some of these schools have introduced obligatory fees to be paid by students, which have attracted criticisms from some stakeholders, especially student leaders. What is your take on the payment of tuition in federal universities?
Universities are funded through two main sources – government grants (this includes salaries and infrastructure provision) and individual user fees (these are, however, very low).

Over the past two decades, persistent calls have been made for a fundamental shift in the funding model. Unfortunately, those making the calls are doing so because, in their view, the Federal Government alone cannot continue to fund universities solely.
However, full funding of the universities is committed to affordability, comprehensiveness, governance, and academic freedom. But given the state of abandonment of our universities and poor funding, there is a need for a new funding model that will guarantee students access to affordable and qualitative tertiary education.
So, I am for payment of modest tuition in federal universities. What is modest should be determined based on a percentage of sharing cost, which should be between zero and 100 per cent. Zero per cent for disadvantaged students, while 100 per cent should be for the rich. This is because government funding remains the most prominent source when the proportions contributed by these four funding sources to total higher education costs are compared.
Tuition fees have evolved into another pillar of financial resources and are the second largest funding source after government funding. Meanwhile, it is instructive to note that many types of funding help students pay for their higher education studies through financial aid. These include scholarships, fellowships, bursaries, and student loans.

What are the funding alternatives for public universities?
Other funding alternatives or options include venture capital, investment in stocks, donations, and grants. For instance, unlike in Nigeria, universities in other parts of the world, like in the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom, generate a lot of income from the commercialisation of their research findings, workforce development programmes, mobilisation of alumni associations, and other funding initiatives.
Most universities in Europe and America are funded through gifts and endowments, alumni associations, the community, and sponsored
research activities. In addition, grants, trusts, and charities can be great funding sources.
However, the sad point is that not many donations and endowments are
coming to our universities. The main reason is that our giving culture for education is still deficient. Endowments are equally very low in our clime. Our affluent citizens are yet to begin to see endowments as a means of supporting university education in Nigeria. Although universities engage in fixed deposits, the returns on investments are dismally poor, going by the situation in the banking sector.
Another funding source for universities is investment in venture capital and stocks, which are high-yielding. The downside is that the universities are yet to embrace this model of funding option. Even when they want to do so, the restrictions are too many, or the funds are not there to invest in such a time-tied financial venture.

The Federal Government recently announced plans to grant financial autonomy to public universities, but the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and some stakeholders have kicked against this, saying it is a ploy by government to shift the burden of funding to the institutions. What is your take on this?
The debate about university autonomy in Nigeria has been going on forever. Successive governments since the 1980s have chosen to weaponise the idea of full autonomy to threaten university teachers, students, and even parents. Sadly, the autonomy of universities is being deliberately misunderstood and rationalised by the governments (that is, state and federal) as an opportunity to shift the burden of funding the institutions on the students and their parents.
Full autonomy does not mean governments should abdicate their responsibilities of training the future workforce for the country’s economy and development. Governments need to see and understand the true meaning of university autonomy being essential to institutions living up to its most actual essence and development.
Full autonomy does not mean the government should abdicate its responsibility towards developing higher-level human resources that will power the country’s economic development. Instead, it will help the government to strengthen the universities toward meeting its national goals and societal responsibilities.

Is university autonomy feasible? What does autonomy really mean to tertiary institutions?
To avoid doubt, autonomy is a complex, multi-dimensional, context- and time-related phenomenon. Autonomy is the ability of the university to function and deliver its three core areas of teaching, research,
and community service in an uninhibited manner. Inherent in this autonomy is academic freedom, that is, the freedom to engage in any research and teaching without any censorship from the government. University autonomy means that the government relinquishes itself from controlling the institution, it confers the right to admit or grant academic merits to entitled recipients; protects universities’ societal impacts and academic freedom from harmful external influence.

Should FG continue to fund universities and leave control of the
institutions, including employment of lecturers and appointment of VCs to governing councils and Senate of each university as being clamoured by ASUU?
Of course, it’s the responsibility of the government to fund the universities while leaving the running and administration to the Council. One thing that needs to be understood is that the university is a unique organisation and can only function appropriately if allowed, without any interference from external bodies, including the government.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities is correct in its clamour for full autonomy and control of the institutions in the hands of the Council and Senate. Constitutionally, the Council has been vested with relating policy matters, finance, and properties of the university, including public relations, employment of lecturers, and appointment of vice chancellors.The Council operates through other committees with several responsibilities to simplify its assignments, while performing its oversight functions. By implication, government’s funding of universities directly and indirectly benefits individuals, their families, economies, and societies.