FG orders tertiary institutions to publish key data online for transparency

In a bold move aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance across Nigeria’s tertiary education system, the Minister of Education, Dr. Marufu Tunji Alausa, has issued a directive mandating all Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts to immediately publish key institutional data on their official websites.

The directive was contained in a statement released by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, who noted that the initiative is part of efforts to align Nigeria’s higher education management with global best practices.

According to the Ministry, the publication of essential institutional information will enable stakeholders—students, parents, employers, and the general public—to access credible data for informed decision-making.

The Minister mandated each institution to provide its Annual Budgetary Allocation in full detail, including the breakdown of expenditure across three core areas, which are personnel cost overhead costs and capital expenditure.

The Minister also urged institutions to disclose their Research Grant Revenue from the previous year, pointing out that the data should be separated into two distinct sources, like grants obtained from domestic bodies such as local industries, government agencies, or foundations,as well as those received from international sources, including foreign institutions, multilateral organizations, and development partners.

Additionally, also to be displayed is the TETFund Allocation for the current year, noting that Institutions must clearly show the total amount received from the TETFund, reflecting financial support for academic and infrastructural development in the present calendar year.

The directive further mandated institutions to publish the total value of their Endowment Fund as recorded at the end of the previous year, stressing that the figure reflects funds donated or invested for the institution’s long-term financial health, and must be updated quarterly to ensure currency and transparency.

The ministry further directed higher institutions to present their current Total Student Population which must be categorized into undergraduate and postgraduate levels, thereby providing a clear picture of enrolment and institutional capacity.

It emphasized that the information provided must be presented in a clear, accessible and user-friendly format for public visibility, adding that Websites should be structured in a way that allows the public including parents, students and stakeholders to easily locate and understand these data points.

In this regard, all federal institutions are expected to comply fully with the directive and ensure that their websites are completely updated not later than May 31, 2025.

To ensure adherence, the ministry revealed that it will conduct periodic reviews of institutional websites and take appropriate administrative actions against non-compliant institutions, saying that the reviews will be used to gauge compliance and drive policy decisions that promote transparency.

Accordingly, the policy is part of a broader reform initiative aimed at strengthening public trust in the nation’s tertiary institutions, enhancing performance-based funding, and improving Nigeria’s global education indices.

The Minister therefore called on all heads of tertiary institutions to treat the directive with the urgency and seriousness it demands, as it represents a critical step in collectively uplifting the integrity and global competitiveness of the country’s education sector.