Ex-Minister, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi Advocates Total University Autonomy and Innovative Student Funding Model

Former Minister for Education, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed his advocacy for total university autonomy and a student support grant in a recent interview with Sunday Punch. Abdullahi emphasized the need to redefine autonomy, suggesting that university lecturers should be considered staff of their respective universities rather than the Federal Government. This shift would allow for more individualized negotiations with lecturers, recognizing regional disparities in living costs.

Abdullahi proposed decentralization to empower each university to shape its unique character and culture. He argued against the current uniformity and centralization, advocating for federal universities to become self-governed institutions while still adhering to predetermined higher regulations for tertiary education.

Addressing funding concerns, Abdullahi recommended a shift in the government's role. Instead of directly funding universities, he proposed directing funds towards students. Using a practical example, he suggested that if a student is studying Biology and incurs a yearly cost of N500,000, the Federal Government should fund a percentage of this cost, say 70%, leaving the remaining 30% for the student to cover through a loan or personal payment. This way, the university would still receive its N500,000 while the government focuses on supporting students financially.