The National Assembly (NASS) has reportedly received a total of 32 bills requesting the creation of new universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
It was gathered that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has cautioned the government against establishing new institutions due to insufficient funding for existing ones.
ADULAWO NEWS reports that the Nigeria currently has 52 federal universities, 63 state universities, and 147 private universities, as stated by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in a recent publication.
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The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) reports that there are 40 federal polytechnics, 49 state-owned polytechnics, and 76 private polytechnics. Additionally, there are 70 federal and state-owned colleges of health, along with 17 private colleges of health. The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) states that there are 219 colleges of education in Nigeria.
According to Vanguard, the Speaker of the House of Representatives led the new bills with a proposal for establishing the Federal University of Technology, Kaduna, which had its first reading on July 6, 2023.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, is also said to have proposed the establishment of the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende in Abia State.
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There are also bills seeking the establishment of the Federal University of Information and Communications Technology, Lagos Island; Federal University of Agriculture, Ute Okpa in Delta State; Federal University of Biomedical Sciences in Benue State; Federal College of Health Sciences, Gaya;
Federal College of Dental Technology, Faggae; Federal College of Agriculture, Agila, Benue State; Federal College of Education, Dangi-Kanam, Plateau State; Federal College of Education, Bende, Abia State.
The report claims there is also Benjamin Kalu Federal Polytechnic, Rano, Kano State; Federal Polytechnic, Shendam, Plateau State, among others.
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Misplaced Priority
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of ASUU, Federal University of Minna, Prof. Gbolahan Bolarin, has described the move by the lawmakers as misplaced priorities.
“Misplaced priority. You have institutions that are trying to stay afloat, yet the only thing you can think of is to create more institutions so that your people would think you are working.
“They should concentrate more on projects that would impact the lives of their constituents instead of creating more problems for the nation,” the varsity Don reportedly said.
The Programme Director of Reform Education Nigeria, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, said the lawmakers were merely trying to score political goals.
“It is so unfortunate that we live in a country where lawmakers use matters like education to score cheap political goals.
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“This is unheard of in any part of the world. How will you propose bills for new institutions when the existing ones have been shut down? Who advises them,” Oluwatoyin said.