The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has urged the Federal Government to grant the National Universities Commission (NUC) full control over the budgeting process for Nigerian universities rather than allowing individual institutions to manage their finances.
Oloyede, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, made this appeal during an appearance on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television. He argued that such a move would enhance university autonomy and improve financial management within the tertiary education sector.
“The NUC should be responsible for managing universities. It already regulates course accreditation, but we need to rethink our funding mechanism. If we allow the NUC to coordinate the financial affairs of universities, the autonomy we seek can be better achieved,” Oloyede stated.
Recalling past practices, he highlighted the Universities Annual Review System, which previously assessed student enrollment across disciplines to determine budget allocations for institutions. He lamented that the current system—where each university defends its budget independently before the National Assembly—favors institutions with greater political influence rather than ensuring equitable funding.
“Back then, the NUC determined university budgets based on student numbers and other parameters. This eliminated favoritism during budget defense. Now, universities with stronger political connections get more funding, which is unfair,” he explained.
Oloyede proposed a structured funding model where universities would receive allocations based on their academic output. “For instance, if the University of Abuja is training a certain number of medical doctors, we should determine the actual cost of training one doctor and allocate funds accordingly. This system would integrate both capital and recurrent expenditures while prioritizing research funding,” he added.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates about university funding, autonomy, and the role of regulatory bodies in shaping the future of Nigerian higher education.
