In a bold move to enhance transparency and accountability across Nigeria’s higher education landscape, the Federal Government has directed all federal tertiary institutions to publish detailed institutional data on their official websites no later than May 31, 2025.
The directive, which takes immediate effect, was issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa. According to the Ministry, this policy forms part of a broader reform initiative aimed at aligning Nigeria’s tertiary education management with global best practices and restoring public confidence in the sector.
Mandatory Data Requirements
As outlined in the directive, all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education are required to make available critical institutional data, including:
- Annual Budgetary Allocation
Institutions must fully disclose their annual budgets with a detailed breakdown of expenditure into three key categories:- Personnel Costs
- Overhead Costs
- Capital Expenditure
- Research Grant Revenue
Schools must report the total amount of research grants received in the previous year, categorized into:- Domestic Grants: Sourced from local industries, government bodies, or philanthropic foundations.
- International Grants: Received from foreign universities, multilateral organizations, international development partners, or global foundations.
- TETFund Allocations
The amount received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for the current year must also be published. This includes clear explanations of how the funds have been utilized to support both academic programs and infrastructural development projects. - Endowment Fund Value
Each institution is required to disclose the total value of its Endowment Fund as recorded at the end of the previous year. This information must be updated quarterly to reflect any changes and ensure continuous transparency. The Endowment Fund represents financial contributions and investments made to secure the institution’s long-term sustainability. - Student Population Data
The directive also mandates the publication of the institution’s total student enrollment, disaggregated into undergraduate and postgraduate categories.
Public-Friendly Presentation and Enforcement
To ensure the data is not only available but accessible, the Ministry emphasized that all information must be presented in a clear, user-friendly format. The goal is to make the data easily understandable by members of the public, including parents, students, stakeholders, and the general population.
Institutional websites must therefore be designed or updated in a way that allows users to easily navigate and locate relevant data.
To enforce compliance, the Ministry of Education announced that it will conduct periodic audits of institutional websites. Schools that fail to meet the outlined requirements may face administrative sanctions.
Driving Reform and Restoring Trust
Dr. Alausa noted that this initiative is part of wider reform efforts designed to enhance performance-based funding models, drive evidence-based policymaking, and improve Nigeria’s rankings in international education indices.
“The time has come for our federal tertiary institutions to operate with full transparency. These reforms are not just administrative they are foundational to the credibility and future competitiveness of our education system,” the Ministry stated.
This directive is expected to set a new standard for openness and good governance within Nigeria’s higher education system.
