Due to inadequate funding for the educational sector and ongoing labor unrest by university lecturers, at least 63 bills have been submitted to the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives for the establishment of new universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
National Assembly Proposes 63 New University, Polytechnics, Others Amid ASUU Strike | SEE
This is amid the current issues the Government is facing with 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 who are all on strike to compel the Nigerian government to revitalize the country’s educational system.
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.
According to a report by Punch, there are 63 bills on the 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 specialized colleges.
To recall, Nigeria has a total of 49 federal universities, 59 state universities, 111 private universities, 40 Federal Polytechnics, 49 state-owned polytechnics, and 76 private polytechnics.
Nigeria also has 70 federal and state-owned colleges of health and 17 private colleges of health and a total number of 219 colleges of education in Nigeria.
Do you think we need more institutions right now in Nigeria considering the ongoing Assu strike over unpaid salaries etc?
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