Education

FG Approves N250bn For Student Hostel Construction Nationwide – Alausa

Published

2 months ago

May 6, 2026

Preport

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The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, says President Bola Tinubu has approved N250 billion for the construction of student hostels across tertiary institutions nationwide.

Alausa said this on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of governing boards, principal officers and chief executives of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.

He said the intervention marked the first major dedicated investment aimed at addressing acute accommodation shortages in Nigeria’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

According to him, the fund will support hostel construction in at least 50 tertiary institutions, with each expected to receive about N2 billion for at least 500 bed spaces.

He added that an additional N90 billion would be deployed through Public-Private Partnership arrangements to provide hostels in 24 federal institutions with 1,200 to 1,500 bed spaces each.

“We have several of those schools whose constructions have already started cumulatively, N250 billion in 2026 to provide student accommodation alone,” he said.

Alausa explained that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) would provide N1 billion counterpart funding per institution, while private investors would contribute about N4 billion each.

He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, describing his leadership as “missionary” and key to driving reforms in the education sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The minister said the president’s investment and policy direction had strengthened human capital development and positioned education as a central tool for national transformation.

He said that the ministry had received the highest budgetary allocation in the country for two consecutive years, reflecting the administration’s focus on education reform.

Alausa said the hostel initiative was a direct response to long-standing accommodation deficits in institutions such as Lagos State University and Yaba College of Technology.

He added that government was prioritising implementation-driven reforms guided by measurable outcomes rather than policy formulation alone.

The minister charged newly inaugurated board members to ensure accountability, strengthen oversight and improve institutional performance across agencies.

He also announced additional investments, including N130 billion for engineering and technology workshops and N120 billion for upgrading medical schools nationwide.

Chairman of the NBTE Governing Board, Prof. Babatunde Salako, pledged commitment to transparency, institutional strengthening and alignment of education with Nigeria’s economic needs.

The list of inaugurated members are: Prof. Babatunde Salako, Chairman, Governing Board, NBTE; Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Chairman, Governing Board, National Examinations Council (NECO) and David Shofoyeke, Executive Secretary, National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA).

Others are Prof. Garba Shuaib, Member, Governing Council, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State; Abdulrahman, Ahmad, Member, Governing Council, Federal College of Agriculture and Technology, Nabanje Kafur, Katsina State and Prof. Kabiru Dungurawa, Member, Governing Council, Federal College of Education (Technical) Potiskum, Yobe State.

Also in the list are Dr Bongfa Bonfa, Rector, Federal Polytechnic N’ Yak-Shendam Plateau State; Prof. Tijani Kalli, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama and Mr Abba Goni, Registrar, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama, Borno state.

Others are Mrs Aisha Halilu, Librarian, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama; Mr Bashir Zubairu, Bursar, Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama.

Members of the Federal Unuversity of Techbology, Minna, Bosso campus co-sharing committee are: Prof. Idris Ali, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of State for Education as Chairman; Dr Ayuba Mohammed, Deputy Director, Academic Planning, National University Commussion (NUC) and Pastor Timothy Ademola as External Member of Council.

Others are Dr Oyeleke Olarinoye, Heda of Department, Nuclear Science, FUT Minna; Prof. A.A. Aliyu, Provost, College of Health Sciences, Ibrahim Badamosi University (IBBU) Lapai, among others.(NAN)

Related Topics:Alausa Approves Construction Hostel N250bn nationwide student

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Education

30 days after, teacher lies beheaded, Oyo schoolchildren languish as Tinubu, Makinde chase presidential ambition

Published

1 week ago

June 15, 2026

Preport

30 days after teacher lies beheaded Oyo schoolchildren languish as Tinubu Makinde chase presidential.png

A month after the mass abduction of 46 Oyo schoolchildren and teachers by terrorists on May 15 and the decapitation of a teacher, the captives remain in the forest despite military claims and political promises from President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde.

The terrorists kidnapped the students and staffers after invading schools in the Esienle and Yawota communities in Orire local council in Oyo state.

Days after the abduction, one of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded by the terrorists, pressuring the government to meet their demands for the release of the abductees.

On May 19, four days after the abduction, the Defence Headquarters, in a statement by its spokesperson, Michael Onoja, said, “Troops are currently deployed and actively operating within the forest in pursuit of the perpetrators and in search of the abducted victims.”

“Troops made contact with the criminal elements two days ago, have since reorganised, and are continuing the search and pursuit operations with full determination.”

The military and the government cited collateral damage as a reason for not taking out the terrorists.

While the schoolchildren and their teachers languish in captivity, Messrs Tinubu and Makinde have been engaging in electioneering as they chase their presidential dreams, both emerging as their party’s candidates for the 2027 election.

On May 31, Mr Makinde visited the hostages’ communities, promising their families the safe return of those abducted.

“This is not the time to start trading blame on who should be responsible for the release of these children between the state and federal government. This is just the time to come together to rescue our children and their teachers, Mr Makinde told the families of abductees. “All I need is your cooperation. Please trust us. I cannot speak much because it has security implications. I know your hearts are bleeding. My heart is also bleeding. Please trust us. We will secure their release.”

Similarly, a delegation representing Mr Tinubu, led by his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, visited the families and made a similar promise.

In a video released by the terrorists, Rachael Alamu, one of the hostages and the principal of Community High School Esinele, begged Messrs Tinubu and Makinde to negotiate with the terrorists to secure their release.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State House of Assembly has opposed negotiating with the terrorists.

Debo Ogundoyin, the speaker of the assembly, said the state would not pay ransom, give weapons to terrorists or change laws to accommodate the kidnappers.

Several protests have followed the government’s failure to rescue the hostages.

Amid public outrage and discontent, many Nigerians protested across several states, including Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Bayelsa, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory, demanding the immediate rescue of the hostages.

In his Democracy Day speech on June 12, Mr Tinubu said, “Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is not solid enough.”

The president urged terrorists and bandits across the country to lay down their arms or face the wrath of his administration.

Education

Plateau Teachers Protest Abduction of Oyo School Pupils, Demand Swift Rescue

Published

2 weeks ago

June 8, 2026

Preport

The Plateau State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has joined its counterparts across the country in protesting the abduction of pupils and teachers from a primary school in Oyo State.

Hundreds of teachers staged a demonstration in Jos, the Plateau State capital, carrying placards and banners to express their anger over the continued captivity of the victims several weeks after the incident.

The protesters called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the immediate and safe release of the abducted pupils and teachers, stressing that schools must remain safe spaces for learning.

They also expressed concern over the growing trend of school-related abductions in parts of the country, warning that such incidents could discourage parents from sending their children to school if not urgently addressed.

The union urged authorities to strengthen security around educational institutions and ensure the safe return of all victims still in captivity.