The Federal Government has accused Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education of poor resource management, blaming weak administrative systems for years of underperformance despite massive funding.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, speaking at the 2025 Annual Directors’ Conference of the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIOD) in Abuja, stated that more than ₦675 billion allocated for infrastructure and laboratories between 1999 and 2024 remained unutilised.
“This is not about academic brilliance,” Alausa said. “It is about the absence of modern management systems. Many vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts lack the training needed to manage institutions in the 21st century.”
The minister revealed that several institutions failed to invest unspent funds or account for their utilisation, describing it as “a systemic management failure.” He urged the CIOD to support reforms that will strengthen institutional accountability and administrative efficiency.
Earlier this month, the ministry ordered all tertiary institutions to submit reports of unutilised TETFund allocations within 30 days, warning that dormant funds would be withdrawn and redirected to priority projects.
With TETFund’s latest ₦1.6 trillion allocation, which includes ₦225 billion for student loans and ₦25 billion for campus security, the minister stated that the government will launch a public dashboard to track spending and enforce quarterly performance reviews.
“Our universities must not just teach modern management — they must practise it,” Alausa said.
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