Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), has proposed the implementation of tuition fees at federal universities for sustainability. 

Echono spoke in Abuja during an education sector conference themed: ‘Funding for Tertiary Education in Nigeria’. Federal universities have long maintained a tuition-free policy, guaranteeing tertiary education for the wards of low-income Nigerians.

They receive funding from the government in the form of annual budgetary allocations for salaries, capital expenditure, and running costs. Echono said the federal government should no longer be the only funding source of higher education in the country.

He said the inability of the government to solely finance tertiary education necessitates that the institutions be given the leverage to explore alternative funding. “It is worth repeating that considering the circumstances surrounding the funding of higher education in Nigeria today, the government alone cannot be the sole source of financing for education,” Echono said.

“Cost-sharing, to enable parents and the students who are primary beneficiaries to contribute to the funding of the system through the payment of tuition fees, to complement government subvention to the institution. It is also instructive to state that some institutions owned by state governments have already started implementing this initiative.”

Echono advocated for the implementation of the student loan scheme. “The interest-free loan with a moratorium will provide an avenue for a growing number of students to access loans at affordable rates to pay their fees and support their education."

“The significance of the student loan scheme, which targets the primary beneficiary of education, is that it shifts the burden of payment by the student to after graduation when the graduate is able to earn and repay the loan.”

He added that tertiary institutions should explore partnerships and collaborations with funding agencies and development partners — locally and internationally — to attract support and resources.

"......The federal government should no longer be the only funding source of higher education in the country. The inability of the government to solely finance tertiary education necessitates that the institutions be given the leverage to explore alternative funding.

“It is worth repeating that considering the circumstances surrounding the funding of higher education in Nigeria today, the government alone cannot be the sole source of financing for education."

clockwisereport:
These people want to milk us dry but Oluwa pass them

I believe that reducing the subsidy levels on tertiary education will free up more money for governments to invest in basic education, especially states and local governments. Public basic education systems should be given the highest priority possible. This is because it is the only vehicle that can deliver education en masse. The norm should be that everyone should be comfortable going to public primary and secondary schools, and private schools to be only for the upper class. The federal government should set the overall policy for education but leave it for the states and local governments to implement it. They should provide funding for implementation of specific policies, such as increased science education and so on as the policy states.

States should individually craft policies for better basic education delivery, either through the creation of school districts or making sure, for example, that there is a minimum of one primary school per ward and a secondary school for 3-4 contiguous wards. Also, these schools should have the best infrastructure, from classrooms to laboratories to workshops and so on. There should be upgrading of curricula to attracting the best into the teaching profession. Each state should set targets for measuring improvements and quality, upon which funding should be dependent. These targets should also include the percentage of graduating students that go on to tertiary institutions. Also, local governments should be better strengthened to improve primary education, with the oversight and funding of the state.

Beyond that, we need to change our approach to education, which is solely defined by many as excelling in the classroom. True and proper education goes beyond that. And what about sports, technical skills and the arts? Not every student is the excellent classroom-type, but every student and person on earth is imbued with natural gifts which can be used to add value to his society and himself.

The focus of these things is to improve educational quality from the bottom up, so that those who go through schooling, whether they stop after secondary school or go on to acquire a PhD have received quality education that they can use to their productivity and that of the larger society and economy. This is the only way we can afford the poor kid the opportunity to start at rock bottom and not just go through school, but also receive quality education all the way.

clockwisereport:
These people want to milk us dry but Oluwa pass them

Akwamkpuruamu:
I am happy, Agbadorians aren't exempted in any policy that fleeces the citizens

jiz:
E dey your body

Racoon:
They can renovate presidential lodge/NASS with billions. Budget billions for a presidential Yatch. Budget billions for SUVs for the NASS but the FG that facilitate all these executive recklessness have no provision to freely fund education for its citizens. Terrible!