How Nigeria Can Attain Quality University Education — TETFUND
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has emphasized that to fulfill the core goals of education as outlined in the National Education Policy, Nigeria must urgently and sincerely address the obstacles hindering quality higher education.
TETFUND identified these challenges as insufficient funding, recurring industrial actions, cultism, brain drain, insecurity, weak leadership, a shortage of qualified teaching staff, and poor policy execution.
Delivering a lecture titled “University Autonomy and the Challenge of Quality Tertiary Education in Nigeria” at the 9th convocation ceremony of the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) over the weekend, the Executive Secretary of TETFUND, Arch. Sonny Echono, highlighted that inadequate infrastructure combined with a shortage of academic staff in both public and private universities leads to limited admission spaces.
He noted that the surge in private universities has had a minimal impact, as these institutions represent only 7% of the total student body and largely depend on public universities for part-time and adjunct teaching staff.
“A mismatch between effective demand and the available space for admission further compounds the situation,” he explained. “The problem of inadequate funding of tertiary education is the most critical challenge that has continued to threaten the attainment of good quality higher education in Nigeria.”
He further remarked, “Except for the intervention of TETFund, many tertiary institutions in Nigeria were finding it difficult to build classrooms and lecture halls, equip laboratories and workshops, and provide research grants to their academic staff.”
In his speech, FUOYE’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina, revealed that the university is seeking collaborations with private entities to develop an independent power supply, aiming to improve efficiency and sustainability across its campuses.
Fasina highlighted that FUOYE has established 15 hectares of palm oil plantations, 5 hectares of pineapples, 10 hectares of cassava, and 15 hectares of maize, positioning agriculture as a key contributor to the university’s economic development.
He also noted that during his four-year tenure as Vice Chancellor, at least 57 academic staff members were elevated to the rank of Professor, 115 to Associate Professor, and 106 to Senior Lecturer.
One of the award recipients, former Attorney General of the Federation Senator Kanu Agabi, asserted that Nigeria cannot reach the levels of success enjoyed by other nations by merely benefiting from their resources without proactive efforts.
“I am not an economist, but my native intelligence tells me that it is because those who have money refuse to invest it that the nation is going down,” he said. “The government must encourage those who have money to bring it out and invest. It must encourage those who have money abroad to bring it back home and invest.”
Addressing the gathering, FUOYE’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, urged the Engineering and Physics faculties to create a locally developed electricity solution capable of powering the entire university.
He identified the lack of staff housing and student hostels as major challenges for FUOYE, explaining that at certain times of the day, many people leave the campus due to insufficient accommodations, thereby undermining the university’s sense of community.
