The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Ola Olukoyede, has warned that the diversion of students’ fees and other financial misconduct in Nigerian universities is undermining the integrity of the education system.
In a statement Tuesday, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale said Olukoyede made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities in Nigeria in Kano.
Olukoyede said investigations by the anti-graft agency have uncovered cases involving inflated contracts, ghost workers and the diversion of students’ fees across tertiary institutions in the country.
“Each case represents not only a loss of public funds but also a betrayal of the trust that Nigerian parents, students and taxpayers have placed in the university system,” he said.
He noted that universities manage multi-billion naira budgets, including tuition fees, allocations from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and research grants, yet accountability challenges persist.
The EFCC chairman urged university authorities to adopt Artificial Intelligence in financial and ethical management systems to curb corruption, enhance transparency and strengthen governance.
Describing artificial intelligence as a critical tool in combating financial crimes, he warned that Nigerian universities must not lag behind in the global shift toward technology-driven administration.
“A university that lacks financial accountability cannot credibly train future accountants and auditors, and one that tolerates fraud cannot produce the ethical professionals our economy needs,” Olukoyede said.
He outlined areas where the technology could be deployed, including fraud detection, automated auditing, payroll monitoring, procurement processes and academic integrity systems.
Olukoyede also called on governing councils to establish AI and digital governance committees, develop integrity strategies and invest in infrastructure such as broadband, cybersecurity and cloud systems.
He cautioned, however, that technology alone cannot eliminate corruption without addressing human behavior and integrity.
He further urged collaboration between universities, the EFCC and other agencies in training and intelligence sharing, saying the fight against corruption requires a collective effort.
