The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Is-haq Oloyede, has suggested that the autonomy of public universities in Nigeria could be more effectively achieved if the National Universities Commission (NUC) were entrusted with managing the budgets of these institutions, in addition to its regulatory role in accrediting courses.
Oloyede argued that university education is highly sensitive and should be managed by experts, rather than leaving each public university to individually approach the National Assembly for budget approval, a process often influenced by personal connections and political power.
He believes that a more centralized management system, where the NUC oversees university affairs, would enhance the autonomy and efficiency of higher education in Nigeria.
Reflecting on his experience as the chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, Oloyede emphasized that when the NUC was in charge of university budgets, things were better organized.
He recalled the Universities Annual Review System, where funding was determined based on the number of candidates each university admitted, which ensured more effective financial planning.
He pointed out that under the current system, funding for capital development in universities has significantly decreased, while the number of support staff has grown. He proposed a funding model where public universities receive financial support based on the number of students they admit, with research considered in calculating the funds needed for both capital and recurrent expenditures.
Oloyede also stressed that Nigeria does not need more universities; instead, the existing institutions should be expanded and better equipped to improve performance.
He lamented the growing trend of creating universities as a political gesture to compensate marginalized communities, rather than focusing on the establishment of factories and industries that could drive economic growth and development.
