₦38.93bn Released to Tertiary Institutions Under ASUU Deal
By Patience Ikpeme
The Federal Government has released ₦38.93 billion to 166 public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country. The money is meant to fix run-down facilities and is linked to the agreement the government reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Federal Ministry of Finance announced this in a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Media, Efe Ovuakporie. The money comes from the Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund. The statement says it will pay for approved projects that deal with “infrastructure gaps” and improve “teaching and learning facilities” in the beneficiary schools.
The release is tied to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and ASUU. According to the Ministry, it is part of efforts to meet the needs of public universities and to carry out “agreed measures” under that deal. The statement does not say which of ASUU’s demands the money addresses, and it carries no reaction from the union.
Universities take the largest share of the money. The 79 beneficiary universities share ₦28.5 billion. The 46 polytechnics share ₦5.8 billion, and the 41 colleges of education share ₦4.7 billion. The Ministry has not said how much each school will receive.
The Ministry said the funds should help the schools “commence or advance” approved projects that deal with critical infrastructure and other identified needs. The overall aim, it said, is to improve the quality of tertiary education in Nigeria.
The statement also stressed teamwork among the Finance Ministry, the Education Ministry and the schools themselves. It said this coordination is needed to make sure that “approved public funding translates into tangible improvements” in school buildings and the schools’ ability to function. Many Nigerians have seen past releases of public money fail to show up in classrooms, laboratories and hostels. The Ministry did not say how it will track whether the schools spend the money on the approved projects, or by when the work should be finished.
Members of the public who want to know how much each institution received can find the full list on the Finance Ministry’s website at https://www.finance.gov.ng/.
