Taiwo Popoola
A leading transparency survey report has revealed that Nigerian universities are filled with financial secrecy and impunity.
This is according to findings from the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership Transparency Survey Report on Nigerian Universities released on Wednesday.
The report said it exposed alarming levels of financial secrecy across Nigerian universities—a national embarrassment that stifles funding, threatens research excellence, and undermines institutional credibility.
The Athena Centre’s comprehensive survey covered 64 Nigerian universities— including 30 federal, 18 state, and 16 private universities.
According to the report, not a single university surveyed published its budget, audited accounts, or visitation panel reports on their website.
Also, none of the Nigerian universities disclosed a breakdown of internally generated revenue (IGR) or how these funds were spent.
Worse, the survey showed that repeated requests for financial information under the Freedom of Information Act were either ignored or outrightly denied by university authorities.
The development indicated a stark contrast with nine other African universities.
In line with global best practices, the University of Cape Town (South Africa), the University of Nairobi (Kenya), the University of Ghana, and the University of Cambridge, make their financial reports publicly available online, fostering trust and attracting significant external funding.
Reacting, former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria, who doubled as the Vice Chancellor of the Centre, Osita Chidoka, said, “This culture of secrecy is driving away donors, blocking global partnerships, and starving our universities of much-needed funding.
“Universities should be role models of openness, accountability, and innovation, not fortresses of secrecy.”
As a solution, the Centre proposed the establishment of a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to embed financial transparency, governance reforms, and performance accountability across all Nigerian universities.
The Centre said Nigerian universities annual audited financial disclosures, full disclosure of internally generated revenue (IGR), and expenditures, among others.
