As all the government universities are on strike because of non-payment of some allowances to ASUU, Batho Okolo, the vice chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has attributed the poor funding experienced in some schools to the inability of the schools to plan well on how to raise fund internally without over-labouring the students.
The VC, who was addressing the press at the Enugu campus of the university to mark the 53rd anniversary of the university, pointed out that the university purchased a new liaison office and business facilities capable of generating over N2 billion annually for the University in Lagos.
Other programmes, Okolo pointed out, that were done by the university were an expansion of the ultramodern Presidential Guest House at Nsukka Campus and the University Liaison Office in Abuja which they remodelled and modernised to give service to the university and generate funds.
He further pointed out the university bookshop; alumni transport portal and alumni revenue and network systems, the clinical diagnostic and Wellness Centre as well as the Science Engineering and Technology Innovation Park as few of the funding generating channels noting that “we have created these in an attempt to support resource creation for sustainability for the university.”
With all these programmes from the VC of the first university in this country, ASUU and university authorities can look inwards and think of making use of meaningful ideas like this as a solution to what would check incessant strikes by universities and address lack of adequate funds and take care of infrastructure as well as research works since their salaries are being paid as and when do. However the Vice Chancellor noted that higher education in Nigeria has suffered severe setbacks due to lack of adequate resources and for this to be addressed, universities have to look inwards to generate funds.
According to him, Fund Mobilisation was a critical aspect of higher education which could only be tackled by universities initiating programmes that can give them the needed funds to care for their basic problems without recourse to governments for their sustenance.
“Fund Mobilisation is a critical aspect of higher education administration. The Nigerian higher education environment has suffered severe setbacks due to the lack of adequate resources and pressure arising from astronomical increase in enrolment as well as integrated growth.
“It is very obvious that in the very near future any university that is not able to raise its own capital for university development and operations may not survive,” the VC noted.
He explained that it was because of the economic realities that UNN decided to chart a way of augmenting their revenue earnings in order to sustain itself.
“It is because of this looming reality that we began to develop and put in place sustainable resource options and financial opportunities for the university going forward.”
The over-dependence of universities on the government for funding will be over if universities on their own establish small business outfits as these will not only increase their internally generated revenue but would also create employment and end incessant strikes.
Source: BusinessDay Newspaper
Dats true d present state of faculty of arts is appaling
Dats a true one daniel
Fund should be used judiciously. Please,Mr VC, the Faculty of Arts should be budgeted, renovated and rehabilitated because it has become the “bin” of UNN.