Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), emphasized that the Federal Government of Nigeria has a constitutional obligation to fund public universities.
He made these remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s morning program, “Sunrise Daily,” in response to a report in which the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, discussed granting universities full autonomy to explore new sources of financing.
Prof. Osodeke referred to Section 18 of the Constitution, which explicitly states that “university, primary, and secondary education are free,” to assert that the government cannot completely withdraw funding from public universities.
While he remained cautious about speculating on the government’s intentions, he suggested that if the law is followed and universities operate without bureaucratic interference, funding concerns could be alleviated.
He noted that the challenge lies in the fact that the matter is not judicable. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that the government would continue to support universities, especially if Nigeria allocates more resources to education, aligning with the practices of European countries.
Prof. Osodeke believes that adhering to the principles of autonomy outlined in the law could lead to a more effective higher education system in Nigeria.