The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has voiced its opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposal to grant universities full autonomy. ASUU argues that the government cannot entirely discontinue its funding of tertiary education.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of ASUU, expressed this stance during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, September 15, 2023. He was responding to comments made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who suggested that the government would explore new avenues for funding universities by granting them autonomy.
Osodeke pointed out that Nigeria’s Constitution explicitly mandates the Federal Government to fund public universities. He referenced Section 18 of the Constitution, which states that “university, primary, and secondary education are free.”
While acknowledging the government’s desire to find alternative funding sources, Osodeke emphasized that full withdrawal of funding is not feasible. He asserted that if universities are granted autonomy, as prescribed by law since 2003, they can generate sufficient funds independently, provided there is no bureaucratic interference.
Osodeke also urged Nigeria to allocate more resources to education, similar to practices in European countries. He believes that increased investment in education would enable universities to offer quality education to students.
In other news, Obafemi Awolowo University in Osun State announced revised school fees, with varying rates for different faculties. Fresh students in the Faculties of Arts, Law, and Humanities will pay N151,200, while returning students in these faculties will pay N89,200. Students in the College of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy will also see changes in their fees.
Similarly, the University of Benin introduced new fees for full-time undergraduate courses in the 2022/2023 academic session. These adjustments affect both science and non-science students, with additional charges for various services and facilities. Science students will now pay N190,000, while non-science students will pay N170,000.
