The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has called on the Federal Government to empower the National Universities Commission (NUC) to oversee the budgets of Nigerian universities, rather than leaving this responsibility with individual institutions.
Oloyede argued that such a move would strengthen the autonomy of universities in Nigeria. As a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, he shared his views as a guest on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television.
He explained that the NUC, in addition to its role as the accrediting body for Nigerian tertiary institutions, should also be entrusted with managing university budgets. “We need to rethink the funding mechanism,” he said. “The NUC should be solely responsible for running the universities, and the government should hold the commission accountable for their management.”
Oloyede further recalled his experience as chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, where he was involved in restructuring and strengthening the NUC. “When the NUC was fully in charge, things were done efficiently. I firmly believe that the autonomy we desire for our universities can be more effectively achieved if the NUC is allowed to coordinate their affairs.”
The JAMB registrar also highlighted the Universities Annual Review System, which once analyzed student enrollment across disciplines to determine each university’s budget for the following year. This system, he believes, could be revived to bring more structure and fairness to university funding.
Oloyede also dismissed concerns about favoritism during the budget defense process. “Currently, each university defends its budget at the National Assembly, and the amount allocated depends on the weight it can pull. But connections or personal relationships no longer play a significant role in this process,” he said. “The NUC will define the parameters, such as the number of students per program, and will be the entity to present and defend the budget before both the National Assembly and the Ministry of Education.”
Looking ahead, Oloyede proposed a more data-driven approach to university funding. “For example, we could calculate the cost of training a medical doctor at the University of Abuja. Based on that, we would allocate funds for both capital and recurrent expenses, without having to micromanage every aspect of the university’s financial operations. Research would play a critical role in determining these figures.”
