National Assembly Proposes 63 New University, Polytechnics, Amid 5-month Strike

At least 63 bills have been proposed before the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives for the creation of new universities, polytechnics, colleges of education amid poor funding of the educational sector and an industrial action by university lecturers that is in its fifth month.

For many years, little or nothing has been achieved in the education sector by successive Nigerian leaders who observers believe have only paid little or no attention to the sector. This is despite the promises made by politicians during campaigns that they will give education the deserved priority in the country’s polity.

While primary and secondary school systems have gradually slipped into comatose with many private schools springing up on almost every street in the country, the Nigerian government is going the same route with tertiary education with the establishment of universities it cannot fund.

Currently, the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other bodies like the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions are all on strike to compel the Nigerian government to revitalise the country’s educational system.

But that did not stop the National Assembly from proposing bills to establish new federal tertiary institutions.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union have, however, warned the government against the establishment of new institutions while failing to fund the existing ones.

The PUNCH reports that there are 63 bills on creation of new institutions being considered by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Twenty-six of the bills are for federal universities; 33 bills for federal colleges of education; agriculture; health; technology; and forestry among other specialised colleges.

Nigeria has a total of 49 federal universities. The official data from the National Universities Commission also revealed that the country has 59 state universities and 111 private universities.

The National Board for Technical Education also puts the number of Federal Polytechnics at 40; state owned at 49 and private at 76.

There are 70 federal and state-owned colleges of health and 17 private colleges of health.

Also, the National Commission for Colleges of Education put the total number of colleges of education in Nigeria at 219.

The lawmakers also proposed four bills for the creation of new polytechnics.