Nigerian universities have been accused of lacking transparency, credibility and ability to attract funding for global competitiveness.
Mr Osita Chidoka, former minister of aviation, while speaking on ARISE TV disclosed that a recent survey revealed that most Nigerian universities had no financial information on their websites, did not publish audited financial reports, failed to publish annual expenditure reports, failed to provide breakdowns of internally generated revenue, despite heavy reliance on it.
Chidoka, who runs Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, said in contrast, six foreign universities surveyed provided full financial reports and transactions on their web sites. He said Nigerian university administrators declined interviews, citing a “lack of authorization.”
The former minister emphasized the need for urgent reforms to address these transparency gaps and their financial and reputational costs in Nigerian universities.
The Centre has spearheaded a movement to bring accountability to Nigeria’s higher education sector. With years of expertise in governance and institutional reform, the former minster said he launched a University Transparency Index, a system designed to assess universities based on financial disclosure, governance accountability, and audit compliance.
Crediblenewsng.com
