The Federal Government has approved ₦250 billion to address the long-standing accommodation challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, in a move aimed at expanding hostel facilities nationwide.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of governing boards and principal officers of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to him, the intervention will see about ₦2 billion allocated to at least 50 institutions to deliver a minimum of 500 bed spaces per campus. He also revealed that an additional ₦90 billion will be deployed through public-private partnerships to provide between 1,200 and 1,500 bed spaces in 24 selected institutions.
Alausa noted that the initiative is designed to close Nigeria’s widening student housing gap across tertiary institutions, describing the situation as a long-standing national challenge.
He cited examples to highlight the severity of the deficit, including the University of Lagos with about 38,000 students but only 10,000 bed spaces, Lagos State University with 32,000 students and 7,000 bed spaces, and Yaba College of Technology, which has 28,000 students but just 1,200 bed spaces.
“This has been a progressive challenge for decades. For the first time in the history of our country, Mr President has approved ₦250 billion this year alone to build student accommodation across tertiary institutions,” he said.
Beyond hostel infrastructure, the minister stressed that performance and implementation would be key indicators of success for newly appointed and reappointed officials, warning against complacency in the system.
He added that governing boards must ensure accountability, support effective administration, and focus on measurable outcomes rather than ceremonial functions.
The initiative forms part of broader reforms in the education sector, including investments in technical and vocational education, laboratory upgrades, expansion of medical training capacity, and the establishment of simulation centres to improve graduate quality.
Alausa also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising human capital development, describing the ongoing reforms as transformative for Nigeria’s education system.
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