The call by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, for government to expand funding of universities with increasing roles for the private sector in research funding, has been described as a step in the right direction.

Abbas noted that universities globally adopt diverse funding models that reduce reliance on government allocations.

For instance, he stated that the United Kingdom higher education funding is shared responsibly between taxpayers and graduates, with government covering about 35 per cent of teaching costs, while graduates contribute 65 per cent through tuition and loans.

He said by emulating successful funding models from the UK, United States and leading African universities, Nigerian institutions can reduce dependence on government funding, improve infrastructure and enhance research capabilities.

Recall that the speaker, had, at the 33rd convocation of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, advocated increased funding of the institutions, urging parents to pay the increased fees.

In his convocation lecture themed: “From crisis to prosperity: Harnessing technology to drive Nigeria’s transformation agenda,” Abbas lamented that Nigerian universities are lowly rated globally due to poor funding, poor infrastructure, and poor remuneration of lecturers.

Stakeholders agreed that Nigeria is at a crossroad, with regard to funds for universities, insisting that the country is still fumbling in the dark and must make conscious effort to get its funding for universities right.

Reacting to the statement, a Professor of Transport, Lagos State University (LASU), Samuel Odewumi, lamented that Nigerian universities are grossly underfunded, offering suggestions on what can be done if these institutions must meet their mandates.

He said: “Stakeholders must come to terms with the reality that our present approach cannot take us anywhere. For me, the student loan is one of the ways of tackling the challenge. We need to honestly, without playing to the gallery, discuss this. I expected this to be a major concern of the Minister of Education because whatever policy is adopted, whether 6-3-3-4 or 12-4, funding is key.

“A situation where majority of the universities cannot pay their electricity bill is a pointer to how retarded they are. The National Assembly should also stop establishing universities as constituency projects.”

Odewumi also faulted the conversion of polytechnics to universities, saying for a nation in need of technical experts, Nigeria is actually toeing the wrong path.

He cited the example of China that converted about 100 universities in one year to polytechnics to meet their needs.

“We are doing the wrong thing. For every theoretical scientist you train, you need about five to 10 skilled men to work with.

We need at least 10 technicians to one graduate. We need to adopt the right funding model for our universities. This is the only way we can grow and develop our universities and meet global standards,” he said.

However, Acting Dean, School of Library, Archival and Information Science, LASU, Prof. Emmanuel Adebayo, said though he agreed with the assertion that education should not be totally free because of the amount of investment involved, calls for increase in students’ fees should be handled with caution because of the ripple effect.

Although he admitted that government alone cannot fund education, he, however, noted that any increase at this time will be resisted by the students and staff unions.

Adebayo pointed out that in other climes, especially in the United States, the government contributes as low as eight per cent, while others, including alumni, philanthropists, institutions, and religious bodies provide about 45 per cent.

“In fact, Princeton University Alumni contributed 46 per cent of the total yearly budget in 2021, while the entire American States did 22.2 per cent in 2022.”

Adebayo also supported the call for the private sector to play more role in funding of universities, saying the United States receives more than $32b worth of support yearly from the private sector.

Speaking on how the country’s institutions can improve their ranking, Adebayo said the parameters, including the level of research output, percentage of international students, employability rate, and web visibility, should be concentrated upon.

“When those issues are addressed, Nigerian universities will rank well and maintain it,” he said.