A historian and musician, Dr. Temitope-Maberu Fagunwa, has criticized the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) management for introducing a paid "Summer Programme", describing it as an attempt to monetize students' academic difficulties. In a statement, Fagunwa accused higher education authorities of blaming students for academic shortcomings while failing to address poor learning and examination conditions. He argued that genuine remediation should address the root causes of academic failure rather than impose additional financial burdens on students.
Fagunwa described the programme as an unethical revenue-generating initiative presented as remedial education. He stated that the programme commodifies students' academic difficulties into a source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), effectively making failure financially lucrative. According to him, the lack of any pedagogical foundation makes it akin to intellectual extortion. Fagunwa also criticized the use of the term "Summer Programme", describing it as an inappropriate adoption of Western academic terminology.
The historian argued that in the Global North, summer programmes offer specialized study, professional development, or academic enrichment, not designed to auction regular semester courses at N50,000 each or compress standard curriculum content into a rushed two-week cycle. Fagunwa's criticism is directed at the administration of Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye, prompting his intervention. He emphasized that genuine academic remediation required alternative teaching methods, adequate instructional support, and an examination of the factors responsible for students' failures.
Fagunwa also criticized the vice-chancellor's response to his earlier comments, describing it as an "anti-intellectual reaction" which reflected a wider crisis in university governance. According to him, administrative and financial considerations should not override academic standards and intellectual autonomy. A university, he stated, is not a corporation whose success is measured by extracted revenue; its core purpose is the production, preservation, and transmission of knowledge.
Fagunwa linked the development to inadequate government funding of public universities and pressure on institutions to generate revenue. He alleged that state governments withdraw funding and then instruct administrators to extract money from students to cover the shortfall, creating a predatory system where management collects revenue with impunity to justify administrative necessity. This, he claimed, has led to UNIOSUN being repositioned as a revenue-generating tool rather than a publicly funded institution of higher learning.
The historian also referred to the reported decision of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on August 31, 2026, to extend Adebooye's tenure by two years, moving the vice-chancellor's exit date from January 2027 to January 2029. Fagunwa argued that the extension contravened the 2006 Osun State University Establishment Law, which provided for a single, non-renewable five-year tenure. He cited the 2025 Osun State Approved Budget, which projected N6.375 billion in IGR from UNIOSUN, compared with N1.183 billion directly appropriated to the university.
Fagunwa concluded that the illegalities and administrative extensions at UNIOSUN must be resisted, emphasizing that progressive societies depend on institutions outlasting individuals, and academic culture must not be sacrificed for political convenience. The development has sparked a debate about the monetization of academic failure and the role of government funding in public universities.
Key points
- Dr. Temitope-Maberu Fagunwa criticizes UNIOSUN's paid "Summer Programme" as an attempt to monetize students' academic difficulties.
- The programme is seen as an unethical revenue-generating initiative that imposes additional financial burdens on students.
- Fagunwa argues that genuine academic remediation requires alternative teaching methods, adequate instructional support, and an examination of the factors responsible for students' failures.
