The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has stated it will not approve the 2025 budget estimates of Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, and all other universities whose vice chancellors failed to appear for budget defence at the National Assembly.

The chairman of the House Committee on University Education, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata, made this known during the committee’s meeting for the 2025 budget defence of universities and inter-university centres.

Fulata emphasised that the exercise is crucial as it allows legislators to gain a proper understanding of the progress, opportunities, and challenges peculiar to each university.

He noted that the committee had recently carried out oversight visits to all the federal universities under its supervision, except Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State. According to him, the university’s management not only blocked legislators from conducting the oversight visit but also failed to respond to letters and correspondence regarding the 2024 budget performance and previous years. Additionally, no member of the university’s management team appeared for the budget defence when the roll call was taken.

The committee warned against non-compliance with federal character principles in the recruitment of employees and the appointment of principal officers within the university. The lawmakers urged vice chancellors and university councils to address these issues promptly.

Furthermore, the committee advised university management to ensure that internally generated revenue is utilised in line with constitutional provisions, warning that unapproved expenditure constitutes a gross violation of the constitution.

While acknowledging the primary purpose of universities—teaching, learning, and research—the committee expressed concern about the limited number of research outputs being effectively utilised.

Speaking on behalf of the universities, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, highlighted that university education is the cornerstone of national development. He pledged to take necessary steps to ensure progress.

Ribadu identified key challenges facing university education in Nigeria, including inadequate funding, the envelope system of budgeting, deficits in the quality and quantity of teachers, unreliable power supply, and land encroachment.