Education Minister Blasts Low VC Turnout as Only 18 of 78 Attend Forum

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has expressed disappointment over the poor attendance of Vice Chancellors at the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) National University Advancement Programme Forum.

Alausa said only 18 Vice Chancellors attended the forum, despite the importance of the programme to the financial sustainability of Nigerian universities.

The minister disclosed this in a post on X on Wednesday.

“I was disappointed yesterday,” Alausa said.

“At the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) National University Advancement Programme Forum, only 18 Vice Chancellors were in the room.”

He said only 30 of Nigeria’s 78 federal universities had participated in the Federal Ministry of Education-NHEF Advancement Programme in the first place.

“For something this important to the future and financial sustainability of our universities, we must do better,” the minister said.

Alausa said he had, since assuming office, urged universities to strengthen their Advancement Offices and diversify their sources of funding.

“The truth is: no university can survive on government funding alone,” he said.

According to him, universities have significant opportunities to raise funds through alumni networks, research grants, philanthropy, endowments and partnerships with the private sector.

“Our universities are sitting on enormous opportunities through their alumni, research grants, philanthropy, endowments and private-sector partnerships. Yet too many have deprioritised the very structures needed to unlock them,” he said.

The minister said he had consequently directed Vice Chancellors to rebuild and adequately staff their Advancement Offices.

“So today, I gave our Vice Chancellors a clear directive: rebuild and properly staff your Advancement Offices. Place them directly under the Office of the Vice Chancellor,” Alausa said.

“Give your advancement professionals the stability, access and support they need, and fully utilise the training and platform being provided by NHEF.”

He stressed that the directive was mandatory, saying, “This is no longer a suggestion. It is a mandate.”

Alausa said the Federal Government remained committed to funding education but added that university authorities also had a responsibility to find alternative sources of funding.

“President Bola Tinubu has made it clear that this administration will not renege on its commitment to education. However, finding new sources of funding is also part of the responsibility of every Vice Chancellor,” he said.

The minister advocated blended financing as a means of increasing university autonomy, listing research grants, alumni contributions, philanthropy, private-sector investment and endowment funds among the options available to institutions.

“Blended financing is the way forward. Research grants. Alumni. Philanthropy. Private-sector investment. Endowment funds. This is the path towards greater university autonomy,” he said.

He said Nigeria could adapt successful funding models from other countries to strengthen its universities.

“We are not reinventing the wheel. We will take what works globally, adapt it to Nigeria and build institutions that can thrive for generations,” Alausa said.

The minister also thanked Wale Adeosun, Founder and CEO of Kuramo Capital Management, and the NHEF team for their partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and efforts to strengthen Advancement Offices across federal universities.

Alausa told Vice Chancellors that universities could no longer depend entirely on government funding.

“To our Vice Chancellors: the era of waiting for government to fund everything must end,” he said.

“Build the structures. Mobilise the resources. Strengthen your institutions. That is your responsibility, and it must become part of your legacy.”