Senator Alausa has urged the Nigerian Senate to halt the approval of bills that would create new federal universities and polytechnics, arguing that the country’s higher‑education system is already under severe financial strain.
In a statement to the Senate, Alausa cited a debt of 1.3 trillion Naira that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accrued in attempts to revitalize its institutions, as well as widespread infrastructure deficits across existing universities.
As part of the proposal, the government is seeking a seven‑year ban on the establishment of any new federal tertiary institutions, a move that would pause further expansion of the national university and polytechnic network.
Alausa’s call comes amid growing concerns that the rapid addition of new campuses could dilute resources and worsen the already strained funding of Nigeria’s public universities.
While the proposal has not yet been debated in full, it reflects a broader debate over how best to allocate limited public funds to support higher education in a country with a rapidly growing student population.
<small>Source: AllAfrica Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
