By Adeola Kunle
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has called on Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian public universities to reduce their dependence on government funding by aggressively pursuing alternative and sustainable sources of revenue.
Alausa made the call at the National Advancement Forum 2026, where he expressed concern that only four of Nigeria’s 68 federal universities were currently making significant use of alternative funding opportunities such as research grants, endowments, alumni contributions, philanthropy and partnerships with industry.
The Minister described the situation as unacceptable and said resource mobilisation must become an important responsibility of university leadership.
According to him, government allocations alone cannot provide all the resources required for universities to operate effectively, expand infrastructure, support research and maintain academic excellence.
“Government funding is not enough. Universities live, function and excel on blended funding,”
Alausa explained that Vice-Chancellors must move beyond simply administering funds allocated to their institutions and begin actively developing relationships with individuals, alumni, businesses, philanthropists, research organisations and other potential funding partners.
He pointed out that university leaders in more developed higher education systems routinely engage prominent personalities, alumni networks, businesses and research funders to attract additional resources for institutional development.
He therefore encouraged Nigerian universities to deploy their intellectual capacity and academic strengths to secure funding for laboratories, scholarships, research chairs, innovation programmes and other strategic institutional needs.
The Minister, however, clarified that the Federal Government's call for universities to diversify their funding does not amount to a withdrawal of government support.
He noted that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continued to demonstrate commitment to education through substantial budgetary provisions, investments in tertiary education infrastructure and other interventions.
Alausa said the Federal Government currently bears 100 per cent of personnel costs, while universities retain 75 per cent of their internally generated revenue. He added that institutions also continue to benefit from direct and special interventions provided through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
These forms of government support, he said, provide a foundation upon which universities should build additional, sustainable and diversified funding systems.
Advancement Offices to Report Directly to VCs
As part of efforts to improve resource mobilisation, the Minister directed that Advancement Offices in all universities should report directly to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor rather than the Registrar.
He instructed Vice-Chancellors attending the forum to immediately communicate the directive to their respective institutions.
Alausa also directed that Directors of Advancement should have a minimum internal tenure of five years, with renewal possible where appropriate.
According to him, longer tenure would allow advancement professionals to establish and maintain meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, businesses, industries, philanthropists and other funding partners.
“Advancement Office operation is a professional job,” the Minister stated, describing advancement officers as professional fundraisers who need adequate institutional backing, stability and the confidence of university management to perform effectively.
Universities Asked to Strengthen Alumni Engagement
The Minister further urged universities to give greater attention to alumni relations by establishing functional databases and using technology to maintain continuous relationships with graduates both within Nigeria and abroad.
He said properly managed alumni systems would help institutions identify, engage and mobilise graduates as long-term partners in university development.
Alausa stressed that alumni engagement should no longer be regarded as an occasional activity but should form part of the strategic approach to institutional advancement.
Tinubu Administration Opens Up More Funding Opportunities
The Minister recalled that before the current administration, some research and endowment funds had been transferred into the Treasury Single Account (TSA), resulting in difficulties in accessing the funds and raising concerns about their management and utilisation.
He said President Tinubu subsequently directed the development of a framework permitting research and endowment accounts to be transferred from the TSA to commercial banks selected by the institutions.
According to Alausa, the measure has provided universities with greater flexibility and increased confidence in managing such resources.
Addressing Vice-Chancellors, he said:
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has met you beyond halfway. He has given you the leverage and the opportunity to do your jobs well. You must now take advantage of it.”
Alausa expressed disappointment that many universities had not yet taken full advantage of the opportunities created by the administration.
He urged university leaders to respond more proactively to the available policy environment, warning that institutions that fail to broaden their funding base could struggle to achieve sustained growth, expand research activities and maintain academic excellence.
National Framework on Sustainable University Financing
The Minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Nigerian Higher Education Foundation (NHF), would move beyond training and capacity development to establish a comprehensive national framework for sustainable financing of tertiary institutions.
He said the proposed framework would address several areas, including:
Endowment governance;
Accountability and transparency;
Research grants;
Advancement Office structures;
Alumni giving;
Industry partnerships;
Philanthropy incentives;
Revenue management; and
Financial transparency.
Alausa said all public universities would progressively be brought into the framework.
Under the initiative, each institution would be expected to establish an endowment, develop an effective advancement structure, maintain a functional alumni database, improve its capacity to attract research funding and cultivate productive relationships with industries, philanthropists and other strategic partners.
Accountability Key to Sustaining Donor Confidence
The Minister emphasised that transparency and accountability must remain fundamental to university advancement efforts.
He noted that donors, alumni, businesses and research funders would continue supporting institutions only when they have confidence in how resources are managed.
Alausa explained that the objective of the funding diversification strategy was neither to replace government financing nor to make universities rely exclusively on internally generated revenue.
Rather, he said, the aim was to create diversified, resilient and sustainable financing systems capable of complementing government support and strengthening academic excellence over the long term.
He assured that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue providing policy direction and creating an enabling environment for improved university financing.
At the same time, he said university managements must assume greater responsibility for mobilising resources and developing strategic partnerships.
According to the Minister, the broader objective is to create Nigerian universities that can compete successfully for research funding, maintain strong relationships with alumni, establish productive partnerships with industry and attract philanthropic contributions capable of supporting academic excellence for generations to come.
Adeola Kunle
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