By May 31, 2025, all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria must publish key operational data on their official websites. The directive, issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, mandates the disclosure of budget allocations, enrollment figures, sources of funding, and other essential institutional details, in a bid to enhance transparency and accountability across tertiary education.
A memo signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, instructed heads of all federal tertiary institutions to comply without exception. Institutions are expected to create dedicated web pages for financial disclosures, ensuring the public has unrestricted access to budget breakdowns, student statistics, and funding information for the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years.
This initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s education reform agenda, which emphasizes digital governance, transparency, and citizen engagement in public institutions. Since taking office in May 2023, the administration has consistently emphasized open access to government data as a tool for combating mismanagement and building public trust.
According to data from the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria currently has 50 federal universities, 40 federal polytechnics, and 22 federal colleges of education. The directive is expected to impact over 1.2 million students enrolled in these institutions. It also compels schools to disclose funding sources such as federal budget allocations, TETFund interventions, grants, and internally generated revenue.
Analysts believe the move could expose discrepancies in how funds are utilized, potentially triggering wider public scrutiny. In the past, opaque financial practices in some institutions have led to investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other oversight agencies. This new policy could deter financial mismanagement and empower students, parents, and education advocates with accurate institutional data.
School administrators who fail to comply with the May 31 deadline may face sanctions from the Ministry, although details of punitive measures were not disclosed. The Ministry of Education has set up a monitoring team to verify implementation and evaluate the completeness and accuracy of the published information.
This marks a significant policy shift in a sector frequently criticized for lack of transparency. By bringing financial and operational data into the public domain, the Federal Government hopes to drive reform, improve service delivery, and foster a culture of institutional integrity in Nigeria’s higher education system.