Fashola proposes alternative sources of funding for universities

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has said ,  “University Consultancy Services,  Data Provision , Poll Results , Value Data , Printing Press are value proposals for Tertiary Institutions”

The Minister stated this as a panelist at  an event organised by Nigeria’s House of Representative at a National Summit in Abuja on tertiary education with a view to providing solutions to challenges facing the sector.

The theme of the event was “Re-imagining Tertiary Education in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Solutions”.

Fashola, at the event said ” employees of government owned institutions who want to be autonomous is a big issue ”

He said Tertiary Education is on the concurrent list , meaning that States and  Federal Governments can fund education in the country .

Director General ,   Budget Office of the Federation,Mr. Benjamin Akabueze while  making his remarks  said, ‘’There has to be a sustainable funding of tertiary education .We cant continue with with the current system because it is not working and not sustainable.”

Professor Uduak Ekpo , Department of Education Administration & Planning , University of Calabar remarked at the event,  “Budget and allocation for tertiary education should go up instead of going down. Nigeria’s education budget remains among the poorest in Africa.”

She said if lecturers run  away from their core mandate of academics excellence through research and teaching and go into business, funding of university , education will suffer.

Director Centre for Gender and Women Studies University of Jos , Professor Irene Agunloye in her remarks said, “ Education is a commodity and if you do not build the capacity of people in academics there will not be  headway.“

She advised that some instituions  should be made research universities in order to generate more fund .

Chairman / Chief Executive Officer Channels Media Group, Dr.John Momoh said “There is need for the Academic Staff Union of Universities and Federal Government to come to agreement till both sides are happy with the negotiation.”

Momoh also said that universities should look for a way of generating fund from alumni and to also look for a way of outsourcing of assets of universities in order to improve funding.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) led by its current President, Emmanuel Osodeke said “ The level of poverty in Nigeria would not allow  Nigerian students  to pay increased tutition fees.