Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has lauded the Federal Government’s recent directive instructing all federal tertiary institutions to publish their budgetary allocations, financial information, and institutional data online, describing it as a critical step toward greater transparency and accountability in the education sector.
The organization, however, urged the Federal Government to formally extend the directive to all its ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), arguing that transparency should not be selective.
The directive, issued by the Federal Ministry of Education on April 5, 2025, mandates all Federal Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts to publish key institutional data on their official websites by May 31, 2025. According to a statement signed by Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations, the move is aimed at entrenching transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
Under the directive, institutions must provide detailed information about their annual budgetary allocations, including expenditure breakdowns, research grant revenues from the previous year, and TETFund allocations for the current year.
In a statement issued in Lagos, MRA’s program officer, Mr. Timileyin Adams, praised the Ministry’s initiative while urging it to follow through on its pledge to conduct periodic reviews of institutional websites and take appropriate administrative actions against non-compliant institutions.
“Transparency should not be selective. Making budgetary and other financial information of public institutions accessible to citizens across all sections of the public service is essential for fostering a culture of accountability, combating corruption, and promoting citizen engagement in governance.
“These measures and their effective implementation would serve as a deterrent against corruption in federal tertiary institutions and significantly contribute to improvements in service delivery in the education sector,” Adams said.
He emphasized the need to extend similar measures to other sectors of the public service, noting that such a move would empower citizens, foster public trust in government, and enable effective monitoring of public spending across all sectors.
Adams pointed out that Section 2(3) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, already provides the legal basis for such disclosures by making it mandatory for all public institutions to proactively publish information relating to the receipt or expenditure of public funds and other institutional data.
“By expanding the directive to all other public institutions, the government will be reinforcing existing law, ensuring compliance with a crucial aspect of the FOI Act, and demonstrating genuine political will to uphold transparency across all sectors,” he stated.
MRA called on relevant oversight institutions, including the Budget Office of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, to ensure compliance with the directive and support the creation of user-friendly platforms for public access to such data.
The organization reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote access to information, transparency, accountability, and democratic governance while urging the government to aim for a fully open and accountable Federal public service.