The Federal Government has disclosed that more than N2 trillion would be required to address the infrastructure deficit across Nigeria’s 115 Federal Unity Colleges, blaming decades of neglect for the deteriorating condition of the schools.
Key Highlights:
- FG says more than N2 trillion is needed to rehabilitate 115 Federal Unity Colleges.
- Government says the infrastructure deficit accumulated over about 40 years.
- Nearly N100 billion is required to rehabilitate Unity Colleges in the South-West alone.
- About 20 Unity Colleges have been selected for rehabilitation under a World Bank-supported intervention.
- FG says it has no plans to sell or privatise any Federal Unity College.
- Proposed King’s College arrangement with its old boys’ association will retain government ownership.
- FG says the arrangement will not lead to an increase in school fees.
FG Highlights Federal Unity Colleges Infrastructure Deficit
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed the scale of the infrastructure challenge on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing journalists on the controversy surrounding the proposed management arrangement for King’s College, Lagos.
Alausa said the infrastructure gap had accumulated over about four decades and was too extensive for the government to address immediately, despite increased investment in the education sector under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“President Bola Tinubu is investing in infrastructure, including the sub-sector, but there’s so much, significant infrastructure gap that has happened for 40 years and we don’t have the funds,” the minister said.
According to Alausa, the cost of rehabilitating Federal Unity Colleges in the South-West alone is estimated at nearly N100 billion.
He said the scale of the Federal Unity Colleges infrastructure deficit had compelled the government to explore alternative funding arrangements while retaining ownership of the institutions.
World Bank Programme to Support Rehabilitation
Alausa said the Federal Government had secured approval to repurpose about $20 million from a World Bank-supported programme for the comprehensive rehabilitation of selected Federal Unity Colleges.
He disclosed that about 20 schools had already been identified nationwide to benefit from the intervention.
The minister said the infrastructure challenge also informed the decision to explore a management arrangement with the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Lagos institution.
Under the proposed arrangement, KCOBA would mobilise resources through a non-profit foundation to support the school, while ownership would remain with the Federal Government.
FG Rules Out Sale of Unity Colleges
Alausa dismissed concerns that the proposed arrangement amounted to plans by the government to privatise or sell King’s College or other Federal Unity Colleges.
“Let me be unequivocal, Federal Government is not selling any Unity College. Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, does not have the intention to sell any Unity College, and we will not sell any Unity College,” he said.
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The minister also ruled out plans to replicate the King’s College arrangement across other Federal Unity Colleges, stressing that the Federal Government remained responsible for the institutions.
Minister Raises Concerns Over King’s College Facilities
Alausa said his decision to support the proposed arrangement was partly informed by his personal inspection of facilities at King’s College.
He said he visited the school unannounced and observed deteriorating conditions in some hostels, bathrooms, classrooms, laboratories and other facilities.
The minister also said the school was without electricity during his visit until he contacted the electricity distribution company, after which power was restored to the Senior Secondary School section.
He further raised security concerns over the use of part of the school premises as a paid car park, saying unrestricted movement of members of the public within the school environment posed risks to students.
Alausa said he had directed that the car park arrangement be stopped.
KCOBA Investment and School Fees
According to the minister, KCOBA had indicated its willingness to invest substantially in King’s College while maintaining merit-based admission and ensuring that students from different parts of the country continued to have access to the institution.
He added that the old boys’ association claimed to have invested more than N2 billion in infrastructure and other forms of support for the college over the years.
Alausa also assured stakeholders that the proposed management arrangement would not result in an increase in school fees.
He said the agreement was subject to stringent Key Performance Indicators designed to protect the interests of the government and students.
The minister disclosed that the ministry had established an implementation and monitoring team that would conduct unannounced inspections to ensure compliance with the agreement.
No Teacher Will Lose Job, Minister Assures Workers
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, assured workers at King’s College that no teacher would lose their job because of the proposed arrangement.
She said affected teachers had been given the opportunity to indicate where they wished to be redeployed in accordance with the Public Service Rules.
Ahmad said the government was also implementing teacher capacity-building programmes aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning in public schools.
She added that a committee had been established to review the Memorandum of Understanding and address concerns raised by stakeholders.
Representatives of relevant unions are expected to participate in monitoring the implementation of the agreement.
