Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
A new wave of allegations has once again brought Nigeria’s troubled university funding system into sharp focus — this time from Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi, where the acting bursar has been dismissed over claims of gross financial misconduct. But the issue, critics argue, is far deeper than one official or one institution.
For years, Nigeria’s public universities have battled with issues ranging from misappropriation of funds and questionable student loan disbursements, to sales of fake admission letters, certificate racketeering, and transactional grading schemes — including “sex-for-marks” and bribes for grades. Education experts warn that the system’s rot is eroding not only the quality of learning but also the future competence of graduates in medicine, engineering, teaching, and architecture.
The latest scandal erupted in Bauchi when the state governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, announced the dismissal of the university’s acting bursar, Alhaji Ayuba Mohammed Gital. The decision, announced at a recent executive council meeting, came on the heels of an audit report that revealed discrepancies in the university’s internally generated revenue records over the past 12 years — particularly fees collected from students and other independent funding streams.
Governor Mohammed expressed “deep concern” over the lack of transparency and accountability within the institution’s financial system. He stated that the government had set up a high-powered audit committee to investigate the full scope of the alleged irregularities, promising that anyone found culpable would be held accountable.
According to sources close to the investigation, the audit committee is specifically focusing on student fee collections, fund transfers made without documentation, and unexplained withdrawals that may amount to several millions of naira. So far, the committee is said to be working with independent forensic accountants to verify the findings.
Reacting to the development, Dr. Said Hashim, a senior lecturer at the university, described the situation as “embarrassing and unsustainable.” He said: “For more than a decade, internal controls have been neglected. The leadership failed to institute any meaningful transparency measures, and that gave room for abuse. The government’s intervention, although long overdue, is welcome.”
But Bauchi is not alone. A recent investigative report by Naija PR on X (formerly Twitter) accused several federal universities of colluding with commercial banks in manipulating the disbursement of student loan funds. According to the report, portions of these loans were allegedly siphoned off through inflated service charges and unauthorized deductions before reaching the intended student recipients.
Speaking anonymously, a financial analyst involved in education-sector reform stated: “Universities have become breeding grounds for financial impunity because there is little to no regulatory oversight once funds are allocated. You find bursary departments operating like private banks.”
He suggested centralizing all financial operations under a national regulatory body with clearly defined digital tracking mechanisms. “All transactions should be transparent and accessible to auditors in real-time. Signatories must be vetted professionals, accountable to both the school management and a neutral body,” he said.
Beyond the allegations, the crisis has real implications. In Bauchi, students say the mismanagement has contributed to dilapidated infrastructure, underpaid staff, poorly equipped labs, and inflated school charges that go unaccounted for.
“It’s frustrating,” said Aminu Abdullahi, a final-year engineering student at the university. “You pay your fees, and then a few weeks later they claim the records are missing or incomplete. They ask you to pay again. We are not just victims of corruption — we are paying for it.”
The Ministry of Education has not officially responded to the developments in Bauchi, but civil society groups are already calling for stronger interventions. The Coalition for Academic Integrity, a watchdog group, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to step in and conduct parallel investigations into university funding across the country.
“The Bauchi case is just a mirror of what is happening nationwide,” said the group’s coordinator, Ibrahim Oladele. “Unless we clean up the universities, we will keep producing unqualified professionals, and that is a national security risk.”
As the audit at Sa’adu Zungur University proceeds, the larger question remains: How many other institutions are running with similar levels of opacity? And how long can the Nigerian government continue to pour public funds into universities without enforcing strict accountability?
For now, students, staff, and concerned citizens await not just justice in Bauchi, but a system-wide reckoning.