FG Orders Universities to Publish Institutional Data on their Websites

The Federal Government has directed all federal tertiary institutions to publish critical institutional data on their official websites.

The directive, issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, takes immediate effect and must be complied with no later than May 31, 2025.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Education, the directive is part of efforts to align Nigeria’s higher education management with global best practices.

The Minister emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the management of tertiary institutions, stating that the publication of critical data will help to restore public trust in the system.

The data to be published includes annual budgetary allocations, broken down into personnel cost, overhead costs, and capital expenditure. Institutions are also required to disclose their research grant revenue from the previous year, categorized into domestic and international sources.

Additionally, they must publish their TETFund allocation for the current year, including the total amount received and how it supports academic and infrastructural development.

Other data to be published includes the total value of the institution’s endowment fund, updated quarterly, as well as the total student population, disaggregated into undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Ministry emphasized that all disclosed data must be presented in a clear, accessible, and user-friendly format for public visibility.

“We want to ensure that our tertiary institutions are transparent and accountable in their management,” said Dr. Alausa. “By publishing this data, we hope to promote a culture of openness and transparency, which will ultimately lead to improved performance and better outcomes for our students.”

The Ministry also announced that it will conduct regular audits of institutional websites to ensure compliance with the directive. Institutions that fail to comply will face sanctions, including administrative actions.

This move is part of broader reform efforts aimed at improving the country’s higher education system. The government hopes that by promoting transparency and accountability, it can improve performance-based funding and enhance Nigeria’s standing in global education indices.

The directive takes immediate effect, and all federal tertiary institutions are expected to comply by May 31, 2025. The Ministry of Education will conduct regular audits to ensure compliance and will apply sanctions where necessary.