The decision followed the adoption of reports from four bills presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on University Education, Hon. Abubakar Fulata (APC–Jigawa), during Tuesday’s plenary.
The approved bills include:
- A bill to repeal the Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna Act and establish the Federal University of Technology, Kaduna.
- A bill to repeal the Nigerian Army University, Biu (Act 2020) and establish the Federal University, Biu, Borno State.
- A bill to establish the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State.
- A bill to establish the Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano.
Hon. Fulata explained that the new Federal University of Technology, Kaduna, would focus on practical and applied education to support national development, while the Alvan Ikoku and Maitama Sule universities would strengthen teacher education and academic training.
According to him, the institutions are expected to address Nigeria’s growing demand for tertiary education and provide opportunities for youth empowerment, especially in science, technology, and education.
In line with legislative procedures, the bills will now be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence and later to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Nigeria currently has about 72 federal universities, 42 polytechnics, and 28 colleges of education. However, more than 200 bills seeking to create new public universities are pending before the National Assembly.
In August 2024, the Federal Government placed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions, citing overstretched resources, declining academic standards, and the need to consolidate existing institutions.
The move by the House comes amid an ongoing two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the government’s failure to implement the 2009 agreement concerning university funding, staff welfare, and autonomy.
