The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has queried several federal universities in the Southwest over alleged inconsistencies in their financial records and budget implementation.
The committee also directed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, to appear before lawmakers with the institution’s budget records after officials reportedly failed to explain an alleged N7.1 billion excess in its 2024 and 2025 financial records.
Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Fulata, disclosed the development in a statement following an oversight visit to universities and inter-university centres across the Southwest geopolitical zone.
Reports of the exercise also identified the University of Ibadan among the institutions visited.
Fulata said the exercise exposed alleged infractions, contradictions in financial documents and concerns about transparency and compliance with budgetary provisions.
He cited instances where figures submitted by some universities did not reconcile, including one case where an institution reportedly declared N9 billion in internally generated revenue but recorded expenditure of N10 billion.
“You claimed to have generated N9 billion and spent N10 billion. Where did you get the N1 billion from?” Fulata said.
He also cited another instance in which an institution reported N12 billion in income but accounted for only N8 billion in expenditure, leaving N4 billion unexplained in the documents submitted to the committee.
At UNILAG, the committee expressed concern over the absence of Ogunsola during the oversight visit.
Fulata said university officials who represented her were unable to satisfactorily explain the alleged N7.1 billion excess identified in the institution’s 2024 and 2025 budget records.
The committee consequently directed the vice-chancellor to appear before it within one week and submit comprehensive records covering the university’s 2024, 2025 and 2026 budget estimates.
Other institutions specifically directed to update their records and submit detailed reports on their 2024, 2025 and 2026 budget implementation include Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife; Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA); Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE); and Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
The committee also visited Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo; Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State; Federal University of Technology and Environmental Studies, Iyin-Ekiti; and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, Lagos State.
Fulata urged vice-chancellors and university management teams to strictly comply with the 2026 Appropriation Act and other relevant laws, stressing the importance of transparency and accountability in managing both government allocations and internally generated revenue.
He said the on-the-spot assessment had revealed significant challenges confronting the institutions and warned that poor financial management, lack of transparency and failure to comply with approved budgetary provisions could further worsen the situation.
Beyond financial management, the committee also urged the universities to comply with the federal character principle in the recruitment of staff and admission of students.
Fulata maintained that the National Assembly’s oversight responsibilities must continue despite preparations for the 2027 general elections, stressing that political activities should not distract lawmakers from monitoring the use of public funds.
