By Ayomide Otitoju
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has linked the recurring industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to the persistent funding challenges faced by public universities in Nigeria. Speaking at the pre-convocation lecture of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Uzodimma, represented by his Commissioner for Higher Education, Chike Nwadike, addressed the theme, “Challenges of Funding Public Universities in Nigeria: Pathways for Sustainable Tertiary Education.”
Uzodimma highlighted that federal universities once benefited from 100% government funding, but the increasing number of institutions has placed significant strain on government resources. He explained that while the creation of more universities has expanded access to education, it has also made it difficult for the Federal Government to maintain adequate financial support for all institutions.
The governor pointed out that government allocations remain the primary source of funding for most Nigerian universities, but these funds are now insufficient to meet their needs. Despite assistance from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Uzodimma urged universities to explore alternative revenue generation methods, particularly through research initiatives, to support their core functions of teaching, research, and community service.
He emphasized the need for universities to adopt sustainable funding strategies to overcome these challenges and reduce the frequency of ASUU strikes, which have repeatedly disrupted the nation’s educational system.
