Underfunding: A Grand Conspiracy of the Government against Public Universities in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigerian University education is nearing its worst state and if the standard of the university education falls lower than this, it will become the national cesspool. This paper examines the level of insensitivity of governments to public universities in terms of funding in Nigeria. The thesis contends that Nigerian Governments have not been able to bring Universities particularly public universities in Nigeria to an acceptable standard due to underfunding. The Nigerian governments over the years have not been meeting the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO) recommendation of 26% of the total budget allocation to education sector. There has been a gross inadequacy of academic staff compare to the number of students in the universities leading to a very high academic student’s ratio. This is at great variance with the International Best Practices and Nigeria’s National Benchmark Minimum Standard and the National Universities Commission recommendation per programme. Consequent upon this, from the Olympian heights where the first Universities stood in the 1960s they have all tumbled down to the murky grounds. Any attempt to destroy the public universities in Nigeria by starving them of funds will amount to destroying the educational system and by extension the entire nation, Nigeria.  Thus, that the quality of university education is a function of adequate funding is a truism.

Keywords: University, Underfunding, Teaching and learning Infrastructure