ASUU Supports FG’s Order for Universities to Publish Financial Records
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has fully supported the Federal Government’s new directive that asks all federal tertiary institutions to publish their financial and institutional details on their websites. The goal is to increase transparency and accountability across the education sector.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, shared the union’s position during an interview with The Guardian. He said the directive has the union’s “100 per cent” backing and urged all universities to comply without delay.
The Federal Government had given a May 31 deadline for 203 federal tertiary institutions to upload important data like budget allocations, research grants, student population numbers, and endowment funds. However, as of June 2, only two of the 72 federal universities had fully followed the order.
In a review of 41 universities, only 3% had fully complied, while the remaining 97% either did so partially or not at all. The directive aims to make the management of university resources open to the public and to boost the global image of Nigeria’s education system.
According to Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa, sharing this information publicly will help improve the quality, integrity, and global ranking of Nigerian universities. The schools were grouped into levels of compliance: full, substantial, partial, and zero.
Only the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (ATBU), had fully complied. The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), were in the substantial category. Some schools like UNIPORT, FUTA, and FUTMINNA had not complied at all.
Prof. Piwuna urged all Vice-Chancellors to make sure their schools obey the directive. He noted that ASUU has long asked for financial transparency and even went on strike in the past to push for university audits and accountability.
He added that when universities show how they use their funds—especially research grants—it helps boost their image, both locally and globally. “If more money is coming in for research, there must be proof of how it’s spent. We must know what’s going on. Universities should get their websites up and running. We strongly encourage full disclosure,” he said.
