The Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) commends the recent directive by the Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, mandating all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to publish critical institutional data on their official websites. The directive requires institutions to disclose their annual budgetary allocations, research grant revenues, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) allocations, endowment fund values, and current student populations.
This directive aligns with the Center’s commitment to ensuring transparency, integrity, and open governance within public institutions, particularly the Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) which ranks over 500 public institutions and 36 state government every year across five variables viz: fiscal transparency, open procurement, human resources, citizens engagement and control of corruption.
Since 2021, the Center has consistently advocated for the proactive disclosure of financial and operational information by public institutions. The TII evaluates the extent of such disclosures, emphasizing the importance of openness in governance. We therefore consider the Minister’s directive as a commendable move toward aligning Nigeria’s higher education management with global best practices.
In addition to the areas the Minister has highlighted however, our data has shown that opacity in procurement processes has been identified as a significant enabler of corruption within public institutions. Non-transparent procurement practices can lead to inflated contracts, substandard project execution, and misallocation of public funds. Hence, the Minister should also mandate the publication of procurement processes and contract awards to mitigate these risks, and ensure that resources are utilized effectively, and that institutions are held accountable for their expenditures.
It’s important to also call on the Ministry of Education and other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to its performance in the TII. In the 2024 assessment for instance, the Ministry scored 12% and ranked 138th out of 514 public institutions. Public institutions have consistently scored low in transparency and accountability measures. This underscores the need for the Ministry itself to lead by example in open governance, so it can set a precedent for the institutions under its purview.
The Center remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public sector. We believe that these measures will not only enhance institutional credibility but also attract global partnerships and funding opportunities, ultimately contributing to national development.
Victor Agi
Head, Public Relations