Nigerian education researcher Ologundudu Toheeb has called for a significant shift in the country's higher education system to address declining funding and the high rate of graduate unemployment. Highlighting that budgetary allocation for education dropped from 10.75% in 2015 to 5.47% in 2025, Toheeb argues that universities can no longer rely solely on government funding.

He proposes an industry-aligned "gown" framework that integrates employers into university governance and curriculum design. This model suggests the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to fund essential infrastructure like ICT labs, hostels, and innovation hubs. To bridge the gap between academic theory and workplace needs, he advocates for the establishment of well-resourced Career Services Offices to coordinate internships and employer-led workshops. Toheeb warns that without these reforms, the disconnect between university output and market demand will continue to worsen Nigeria’s economic and unemployment challenges.