Philomina Brando
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to urgently upgrade facilities in Nigeria’s first-generation universities to restore their lost glory.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Aderemi Oseni during plenary on Wednesday, highlighting the need to investigate the quality of projects executed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) across tertiary institutions in the country.
In his lead debate, Oseni recalled that the nation’s first-generation universities — including the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria Nsukka, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria — were once symbols of academic excellence and global recognition.
He, however, expressed concern that those institutions have become shadows of their former selves due to years of neglect, poor maintenance, and dilapidated infrastructure.
“The glory that these institutions once exuded has departed. Lecture halls, hostels, auditoriums, and even university zoos that used to attract visitors are now either empty or non-existent,” Oseni lamented.
The lawmaker further raised concerns about the quality of projects implemented by TETFund, alleging that many newly completed buildings deteriorate faster than older structures due to poor workmanship.
He stressed the need to investigate the quality of TETFund projects to ensure value for money in government expenditure.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), TETFund, Ministry of Finance, and development partners to collaborate on modalities to refurbish the universities and revive their academic standards.
The House also mandated its joint Committees on Universities, Tertiary Education, and TETFund to investigate the standard and quality of all completed and ongoing TETFund projects in tertiary institutions across the country.
Additionally, the Committee on Legislative Compliance was directed to ensure implementation of the resolution and report back within six weeks.