The Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) has lauded the directive by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, mandating all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to publish institutional data on their websites.
The order requires institutions to disclose their annual budgetary allocations, research grant revenues, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) allocations, endowment fund values, and current student populations.
A statement by CeFTPI’s Head of Public Relations, Victor Agi, noted that the Minister’s directive was a commendable move toward aligning Nigeria’s higher education management with global best practices.
Agi said it 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 governments annually.
Every year, the TII conducts the rank across five variables viz: fiscal transparency, open procurement, human resources, citizens engagement, and control of corruption.
Since 2021, CeFTPI 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.
Agi said In addition to the areas the Minister has highlighted, the Center’s 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,” the statement noted.
CeFTPI urged the Minister to also mandate the publication of procurement processes and contract awards to mitigate these risks, 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 review 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,” Agi added.
CeFTPI reiterated its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote accountability in Nigeria’s public sector, as the measures will enhance institutional credibility, attract global partnerships, and funding opportunities, ultimately contributing to national development.
