Uncharacteristically for a man of provens managerial sagacity, Governor Babatunde Fashola made an error of judgement by increasing tuition fees at the Lagos State University (LASU) so astronomically.
The university itself had been founded by the equally admirable Lateef Jakande in order to widen educational opportunities. Particularly in an underdeveloped political economy education provides a route out of poverty. For this reason, the wider the access, the better for social justice.
Fashola’s climb-down can also be placed within the context of the fear placed in the political establishment with the advent of ‘infrastructure of the stomach.’ U-turns have also been made in Edo State and Ogun State. Obviously, the fear of the fallout from not paying enough attention to stomach infrastructure is now the beginning of wisdom.
Since the voice of the people should count in a democracy, there are very sensible reasons for taking it into account. Nevertheless, there are other motivating factors. For a start, there is no proven correlation between higher fees and better quality. For as far as employers are concerned, the jury is very much out on the quantum of fees charged by the private universities and the quality of their output.
Since education and access to it is now accepted as a fundamental human right, alternative means to increase funding must be looked at. A key starting point is the cost of the machinery of government. Rigorous elimination of costs duplication, waste, inefficiency as well as an unrelenting attack on corruption will certainly help to rationalise funds which can then be channelled into the social sectors such as education, health and social services.
Unfortunately, the political will to do this is not there. This is however needed if government policies must have a human face and avoid alienating a segment of the populace. Increases in tuition fees alone are not the panacea. A more holistic perspective must be taken.
For a start, the funding base of the universities has to be widened. Government can help here by involving the universities in the award of consultancy projects. This has been used by governments to help to diversify the income of tertiary institutions in better coordinated societies. Unfortunately here, consultancy is engraved within the cronyism fired Lexus of our political economy. This has to be reversed.
Furthermore, there is a need by all sides to accept an inconvenient truth. This is that better funding will not necessarily lead to better universities. This is because as presently constituted the universities are not very well managed. Universities have become large and complex institutions, they need solid managerial strength to bring out the most cost effective and beneficial returns on money invested in them.
This means that managerial capacity has to be upgraded and brought in from outside. This has been the trend in sensibly run economies for well over half of a century. Bringing in people from outside the system will ensure that the process is underpinned and better coordinated with cost/benefit at the heart of the system. This means that we have to say goodbye to the demeaning, self-promoting opportunism of ‘the next VC must come from Northern Senatorial district.’ Those days are over. Proven managerial skills which abound with people disengaging early in the private and public sector is what is now required.
A holistic look will also consider the ability of the tertiary institutions to provide the critical technical manpower so vitally needed to deepen the economy. In too many critical sectors ranging from artisans to middle level technical manpower needs, we are simply creating job opportunities for other economies. This is fraught with greater danger in view of our demographic mix. For social stability, it has to be reversed.
Fashola’s climb-down shows that in a society with low wages, mass underemployment and the glaring absence of social safety nets, government policies must have a human face; for social solidarity and societal cohesion, the wider the access to opportunity the better for the stability of society. We welcome the climb-down. Nevertheless, the underlying causes of dysfunction within the universities sector must now be thoughtfully appraised in order to work out not just another temporary respite but a lasting solution.
