Reps consider bills for 9 new tertiary institutions

The House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and Services is considering bills for the establishment of nine new tertiary institutions across the country, even as it moves to amend the Acts establishing six existing ones.

Chairman of the committee, Rep Suleiman Aminu (APC, Kano), disclosed this at a public hearing in Abuja yesterday.

He listed the proposed tertiary institutions as Federal Polytechnic, Dukku (Gombe); Federal Polytechnic, Shendam (Plateau); Federal Polytechnic, Abriba (Abia); Federal University, Birnin-Kebbi (Kebbi).

Others include Federal University of Agriculture, Jalingo (Taraba); Federal College of Education, Akwette (Abia); Federal University of Technology, Kaduna (Kaduna); Federal College of Education, Monguno (Borno); and National Institute for Education Planning and Administration (Nigeria).

The universities whose Acts are billed for amendment are Usman Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto; University of Lagos, Akoka; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Maiduguri; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; and National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

“We deemed to subject these it expedient bills to public scrutiny and elicit inputs from the general public. You will agree with me that easy access to quality tertiary education is not only desirable but also inevitable.

“However, the tertiary institutions in the country cannot adequately accommodate the quests for admissions by Nigerians, which calls for more to address the protracted problem,” the chairman said.

In his submission, President of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), represented by Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, said “My heart is heavy that we want to establish new universities when nothing is being done about the existing ones. The Federal Government is considering the imposition of tuition fees when most Nigerians cannot afford three meals a day, and you are talking of new universities.”

But Rep Uzoma NkemAbonta (PDP, Abia) countered ASUU, insisting that federal character demands that all states should be entitled to a federal polytechnic and shutting some states out of it would amount to abuse of equity.

Nkem-Abonta’s position was also shared by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Board for Technical Education (NABTEB), whose officials lauded the move for new tertiary institutions.

On the outcome of the public hearing, the chairman promised that the Committee would be thorough, fair and objective.