Boulevard Digests

Fees Alone Will Not Sustain Nigerian Universities: The Case for Advancement Systems

 

October 1, 2026 · Dr. Anastesia Okaomee @Impact Boulevard

A Boulevard Institute of Advancement Commentary

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The debate about how to fund Nigeria's public universities has gained fresh urgency. Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who completed her tenure as Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) on September 19, has argued that public universities may need to charge at least ₦1 million per student each year to become financially sustainable. Her evidence is sobering. LASU grew its internally generated revenue from about ₦3 billion to ₦13 billion during her tenure, yet still could not fully meet recurrent costs that include an electricity bill of roughly ₦140 million a month. Days later, Professor Tunji Olaopa called for new governance and funding models, including amendments to university establishment Acts to grant fuller autonomy. These contributions raise a question that deserves as much attention as the level of fees: what systems are universities building to secure other streams of support?

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Fees, government and philanthropy are complements

Funding debates are often framed as a choice between raising fees and waiting for government. In mature higher education systems, institutions rarely depend on a single source. Tuition, public funding, research income and philanthropy each play a distinct role. Philanthropy typically supplements rather than replaces the others; its value lies in what it makes possible at the margin: scholarships, endowed positions, facilities and the flexibility to pursue priorities that allocations do not cover.

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This matters for the fees debate. Higher fees without stronger financial aid risk narrowing access. Need-based scholarships and scholarship endowments are among the clearest cases a university can present to alumni, companies and foundations. Fee policy and advancement strategy should be designed together.

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Philanthropy grows from structured systems, not ad hoc appeals

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Expanding philanthropic support is not primarily a question of donor willingness. It depends on the infrastructure through which such support is built, which many institutions are still developing:

• a recognised institutional home for advancement, such as an Advancement Office or university foundation, with a clear mandate, qualified staff and direct access to leadership;

• accurate, up-to-date alumni and donor data in a system fit for purpose;

• stable advancement leadership, because donor relationships take years to build;

• a framework of advancement policies, including gift acceptance, endowment management, stewardship, donor data protection and naming, so donors can trust how gifts are used; and

• leaders who treat resource mobilisation as part of their role.

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International practice illustrates the point. When the University of Richmond in the United States announced a $150 million commitment at the public launch of its $600 million campaign in late September, it had already secured $425 million through years of quiet cultivation. One-third of the lead gift will match other donors' gifts to endowed scholarships, a structure designed to widen participation.

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Gifts of all sizes typically follow the same pattern: defined priorities, sustained relationships, a clear strategy and committed leadership. In Nigeria, Dr Philip Ozuah's $1 million gift to the student hostel project of the University of Ibadan College of Medicine, his alma mater, came in response to a clear appeal from the College's leadership, showing how these elements make such gifts possible.

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Alumni support goes beyond monetary giving

Nigerian universities have produced generations of accomplished graduates at home and across the diaspora. Their support can include mentoring, advocacy, volunteering, facilitating internships and recruiting graduates, as well as giving. Engaging them effectively depends on the systems described above, beginning with knowing who and where they are. Universities that treat graduates as partners, rather than only as prospective donors, build the relationships from which philanthropy can follow.

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What leaders can do now

Fee levels will rightly be debated by councils, government, students and other stakeholders. Alongside that debate, university leaders and advancement professionals can act on matters within their control, including:

1. Formalise the Advancement Office's mandate and resource it appropriately, including qualified staff and training.

2. Establish a baseline of alumni and donor data: how many graduates can the institution actually reach today?

3. Adopt a multi-year advancement plan with realistic targets, beginning with annual giving and scholarship support while working towards larger campaigns.

 

Philanthropy will not close the funding gap on its own, or quickly. But institutions that invest in building advancement systems now will be far better positioned, whatever fee levels are ultimately set.

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Anastesia Okaomee, PhD, CISA

Philanthropy & Fundraising Scholar & Consultant | Educator | Nonprofit Leadership

Boulevard Institute of Advancement (BIA) – an initiative of Impact Boulevard LLC 📧 impactblvd@gmail.com | info@boulevardinstitute.org

 

Sources

• Why public universities might start charging N1m tuition fee – LASU ex-VC, Vanguard, September 23, 2026

• Public Universities Need ₦1m Fees to Achieve Financial Independence, Edutorial, September 22, 2026

• Olaopa Canvasses New University Governance, Funding Models, The News, September 24, 2026

• Anonymous Donor Gives University of Richmond $150M, Inside Higher Ed, September 28, 2026

• US-based professor donates $1m to UI College of Medicine, Nigerian Tribune, August 6, 2022