The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities have voiced their opposition to the Federal Government’s recent directive to deduct 40% from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of universities across the country.
This directive, detailed in a letter dated October 17, 2023, from the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, and Felix Ore-ofe Ogundairo, Director of Revenue and Investment, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, is slated to come into effect in November 2023.
ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed his dismay at the decision, arguing that universities were not generating any substantial revenue from the user charges or service fees they levied on students. He further expressed surprise that the government still intended to collect from the subsidized charges on items such as ID cards, hostel accommodation, and lab coats.
Prof. Osodeke called upon parents, students, and the Nigerian populace at large to stand against what he termed an assault on the universities. He also revealed that ASUU would engage with the federal government agencies responsible for the policy to determine the next course of action.
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The Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, disclosed that the percentage deducted by the FG from universities had recently been increased from 25% to 40%.
This development has ignited a wave of criticism within the academic community, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by Nigeria’s educational institutions.