Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has expressed concern that Nigeria’s education system continues to suffer from chronic underfunding, warning that the situation is affecting infrastructure, research, and access to quality higher education.
He revealed that federal budget allocations to education have remained between 5% and 8% over the years—far below the 15% to 20% recommended by the UNESCO.
Alausa made the remarks in a paper titled “65 Years of Excellence: Obafemi Awolowo University and the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria”, presented during the 65th anniversary celebration of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
According to him, inadequate funding remains one of the biggest challenges facing tertiary education in Nigeria, alongside poor research investment, brain drain, and a growing mismatch between university training and labour market needs.
He noted that insufficient funding has led to decaying infrastructure in many institutions, poorly equipped laboratories, and limited access to up-to-date academic resources.
The minister also highlighted the pressure on admission spaces, explaining that while over two million candidates apply to universities yearly, fewer than 500,000 are admitted due to limited capacity, describing the gap as a “serious national concern.”
Alausa further warned that many graduates lack essential skills such as critical thinking, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship, adding that the migration of qualified lecturers and graduates abroad is weakening the system.
On research funding, he stressed that Nigeria invests less than 0.2% of its GDP in research and development, which he said is far too low to drive meaningful innovation compared to countries that invest several times more.
Despite the challenges, he expressed optimism about the potential of Nigerian universities, describing them as hubs of innovation and problem-solving.
He also restated government efforts to improve access to education through reforms such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, aimed at supporting students who cannot afford tuition.
The Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Simeon Bamire, in his remarks, said the institution is focused on strengthening innovation, global competitiveness, and industry partnerships to remain a leading academic institution in Africa.