As government funding to Nigerian Public Tertiary Institutions continues to shrink against rising operational costs, education experts are urging universities to look inward and tap the largely underutilised potential of their alumni networks to bridge widening financial gaps.
Kayode Soremekun, former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, pointed out this as he highlighted that some foreign Universities derive as much as 30% of their operating costs from alumni contributions, citing Harvard, Yale, MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge as institutions that have successfully built alumni giving into their core funding models. He called on Nigerian Universities to establish functional alumni offices capable of maintaining active contact with former students both within Nigeria and abroad. "Once there is a functional and vibrant alumni office, the next thing is that a conscious effort must be made to link up with the alumni wherever they are in the world," he said.
Nubi Achebo, Director of Academic Planning at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management, recommended that institutions invest in building emotional connections with graduates through storytelling, recognition of achievements, mentorship opportunities, and personalised engagement. He stressed that transparency around fund usage is essential to sustaining donor trust. "By focusing on these strategies, Universities can nurture a culture of giving and encourage alumni to invest in their alma mater," he said.
Media entrepreneur Seye Joseph argued that many Nigerian Universities are failing to make full use of their alumni associations. He noted that maintaining accurate alumni databases and communicating regularly through newsletters, meetings, and events could significantly strengthen those ties. "When alumni feel connected to their alma mater, they are more likely to contribute financially and participate in development initiatives," he said.
The potential of alumni giving is well demonstrated globally. In 2025, Bill Gates donated $40 million to Lakeside School in Seattle and $20 million to Harvard University for a computer science building. Michael Bloomberg, a 1964 alumnus of Johns Hopkins University, has donated more than $3.5 billion to his alma mater. Oprah Winfrey donated over $25 million to Morehouse College, establishing a scholars programme that has supported more than 600 students. Harvard's endowment reached $56.9 billion in 2025, with alumni donations covering a significant portion of the university's annual budget.
Closer to home, BUA Group Chairman Abdul Rabiu invested $12.3 million in an educational complex at the University of Maiduguri, while graduates of the Mass Communication Department at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, are reportedly raising funds to construct a new departmental building.
Speaking on the issue at hand, Friday Erhabor, Director of Media and Strategies at Marklenez Limited, said many Public Universities can ease their financial pressures by embracing alumni and endowment support. "The creative ones have been doing that," he said, adding that more institutions need to adopt the same approach if Nigeria's tertiary education sector is to achieve its goals without depending solely on government allocations.
