The number of federal government-owned universities in Nigeria is expected to increase to 99 in the near future as bill for the establishment of another 47 passed second reading.
The bill, which proposes the establishment of 47 new universities, has successfully passed the second reading before lawmakers.
Additionally, approximately 56 bills to establish Federal Medical Centres in different regions of the country have also passed the second reading.
Currently, Nigeria has 52 federal universities, with some states hosting more than one. The House of Representatives is currently discussing several bills to establish around 32 Federal Colleges of Education, 11 Federal Colleges of Agriculture, and five Federal Polytechnics, in addition to the existing institutions.
In addition to the 52 federal universities, Nigeria also has 22 federal medical centres, 27 federal colleges of education, and 40 polytechnics.
Some of these bills were previously passed in the 9th Assembly but did not receive the necessary concurrence from the Senate or were not signed by the President.
Once these institutions are established, they will include Universities of Science and Technology, Agriculture, Aviation, Medicals, and Engineering, among others.
According to The PUNCH, the House order paper shows that lawmakers are currently discussing various bills to establish Colleges of Vocational and Skill Acquisition, Cancer Research, and Entrepreneurship.
The study also found that Lagos State has requested the establishment of three new Federal Medical Centres in addition to the existing one.
During his address to the House on December 30, 2023, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, highlighted that the Green Chamber has received and reviewed a total of 962 bills, 500 motions, and 153 petitions in a span of six months.
Furthermore, the representative for Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State has shared that out of the bills that have been considered, 120 have successfully passed the second reading and are currently undergoing further review for legislative action.
In a previous statement, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), emphasized that the lack of a funding template for the establishment of universities has contributed to the decline in the quality of tertiary education in the country. He discussed this issue during his presentation at the 14th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture, organized by the National Association of Seadogs in Benin. The lecture focused on the state of tertiary education in Nigeria, identifying historical issues and misconceptions, and exploring potential solutions.
Furthermore, the ASUU president highlighted that the government’s approach to appointment and recruitment in state-owned universities has also worsened the problem.
Osedeke said, “One of the major problems facing the tertiary institution is the establishment of universities without template for funding. The method of appointment and recruitment into state-owned universities by the government has also been a problem.’’
The Port Harcourt Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Stanley Ogoun, has emphasized the urgent need to amend the National Universities Commission Act.
The amendment is necessary to prevent governors from establishing new universities without providing adequate funding. The union is concerned that governors are treating the establishment of tertiary institutions as mere constituency projects, which leads to neglecting the welfare of existing universities.
