The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Ministries of Education and Finance, alongside the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and development partners, to develop a framework for refurbishing Nigeria’s first-generation federal universities in order to restore their lost glory and academic excellence.
The targeted institutions include the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State, and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The House also resolved to investigate the quality and standards of TETFund projects across federal universities nationwide.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Aderemi Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State, during plenary on Wednesday.
In moving the motion, Oseni noted that the first-generation universities, established in the early 1960s, once embodied excellence, prestige, and global recognition, serving as the pride of the nation.
He observed that the institutions attracted foreign students and global partnerships due to the high standard of their teachers, students, and infrastructure.
The lawmaker, however, lamented that years of neglect had left these institutions in a state of decay, with dilapidated lecture halls, hostels, and auditoriums. He added that the zoos that once drew visitors from far and near were now either empty or non-existent.
Oseni expressed concern that despite the intervention of TETFund to bridge infrastructural gaps, many of its projects were substandard, with newly completed structures deteriorating faster than those built over six decades ago.
He emphasized the urgent need for the federal government to take decisive action to rehabilitate the first-generation universities and restore them to their former glory.
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