From 1980’s and beyond, the decay of all tiers of education was monumental. Facilities had almost collapsed, teachers and lecturers morale was at its lowest. Enabling environment for conducive teaching and learning was absent. The administration of President, Ibrahim Babangida mindful of the reality of the situation took measures to arrest the rot. In December 1990 the Federal Government constituted the Commission on the Review of Higher Education in Nigeria (the Gray Longe Commission)  to review the post independence Nigerian Higher Education after Lord Ashby’s Commission of 1959.

The Longe Commission recommended among others the funding of higher education through earmarked tax to be borne by companies operating in Nigeria. An implementation committee under the chairmanship of Professor Olu O. Akinkugbe was constituted  to implementation Grey Longe’s Commission report recommendations also an Agreement was signed between the Federal Government and ASUU on the 3rd September, 1992 on funding of universities.